Full Chisel? Semi Chisel?

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"Full" chisel (or more correctly, just chisel) can be square or round ground/filed. Square will cut faster, round will hold the edge longer and be much easier to file correctly.

Semi chisel is allways round ground/filed, and is more "forgiving" to file. It holds the edge longest - but also cut slower by some margin, and is mostly recommended for dirty wood.
 
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Both, but only sort of for the square variant - I believe the files actually can have various shapes, but sertaily not round (I have no experiense with it, and don't care to).....
 
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Both in a sense, the square tooth has a straight edge or squareness to it; whereas the round chisel tooth has a curvature to it. Also, the files are different; round file for the round chisel chain. And there are three popular files for hand filing square chisel chain, ie, triangular, bevel edge, and a "goofy" flat file. The latter file does not allow you to maintain a true square edge; but, it does allow you to file a square chisel chain to where its usable in the field. The quickest and best method of filing the square chisel chain is by machines designed to grind that particular type chain. And they are expensive.

My personal experience is a square chisel chain is fast in the cut, quickly dulled by dirt, etc, and "can" be hand filed, "IF" you have the tools and patience to learn how to do it. I'm a firewood cutter and have the square chisel chain on all my saws.

Some people buy the square chisel chain and then convert it to round chisel after using it a while. This can easily be done on a cheap grinder.
 
Chains are an education in them self. Im running a MS044 with Stihl Rapid Super 3/8" Pitch .063" which I beleive is a full chisel. Im using a round file to file it by hand. I dont have a lot of experience with other saws or chain set ups. Am I using the correct file?
 
All of the standard chains can be filed with a round file. The square ground chisel needs special files and lots of practice or a grinder.

Take a look at the below link, all BUT the RS "K" variants can be filed with round file (of course the carbides are excluded).

http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/types.html
 
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