There's an idealized test where these came out on top, but the test provides a bias for a chisel in the medium hard temper range, so it's not a surprise to see they'd come out on top. We’ll show you everything about this chisel set and the Narex brand. For starters, the Narex brand is one of the top reliable brands in the industry. For reasons I won't drone on about, I recently exchanged many of my chisels of long use for Narex chisels. In truth it was partly to drum up some tool-buying cash by selling some rather expensive items (such as Blue Spruce) the cash from which bought about 10X Narex items compared to what the equivalent Sprucers would cost. Myself, I think their standard stuff is more than good enough. Perhaps the Richter steel is more performant. But do you need "more performant" than their less expensive chisels? This chisel passes as a dovetail chisel thanks to its structure. The manufacturer devoted time to polishing and fine-grinding the surface of this blade.

I have three Narex mortising chisels. Reading this thread I hurried off to the shed to make sure the handle flats and oval were properly aligned with the blades. Happily they're all perfectly aligned. This must be why I never noticed the handle orientation when chopping with them, eh. Perhaps MJ's moan about his prompted those Czechs to improve their production process? :-) Ash hardwood handles have solid stainless steel ferrules and leather washers. Individual chisels are supplied with plastic edge protectors. So, without dismissing his findings or opinions about chisels out of hand, I wouldn't assume that what he says is particularly objective or reliable. It might be but it might not and how would we know? The result is an ultra-thin side that makes it the perfect chisel for digging into tight spaces. In addition, the surface is mirror-like, which makes it an excellent dovetail chisel.

Maintenance

Although the blade’s edges are ultra-thin, there won’t be an incident where you sustain an injury from using it. It is sharp enough to perform its functions.

That leather ring on the Richters (and on no other Narex chisel) seems to be part of the pretty-look marketing. However, there is blurb that claims the steel is significantly better as well; and is comparable to Veritas PM-V11 for both resilience and ease of sharpening.

Lifetime guarantee

Meanwhile I have a 1" cranked Narex chisel and two 1/4" skew-bladed paring chisels on the way. I expect them to be as good as the other 8 Narex I have now. Right after initial hardening, cryogenic treatment cools the steel down to very low temperatures by using liquid nitrogen to as low as −190 °C. This completes transformation of austenite, which increases both the hardness and toughness of the steel.

Don’t get me wrong; the finishing is superb. But if you’re a perfectionist woodworker, you would most likely prefer that the finishing was slightly smoother than it is.

Subtotal:

The process used to make the original narex chisels is different from typical, and they have a hardness ceiling and are usable chisels but are mediocre.