Richter Bevel Edge Chisel Set of 5

These are absolutely top notch. The sharpest out of the box of all the chisels I’ve purchased over the years. Very nicely made and come with a well made storage/display box.

They came sharp enough to use for a good time right out of the box. The blade is a solid thickness that is very hard to bend or nick up at all.

These took very little lapping to bring the back to absolute flatness (any new chisel will take some) especially compared to standard Narex. They stay sharp way longer than standard Narex, without much fuss honing on diamond plates/compound. They take a blistering sharp edge when honed and stropped on green compound. The primary bevel being a few ticks under 25 degrees makes for easy paring cuts including in end grain but didn't exhibit the tendency to chip harder steel sometimes do when I tested busting through some glue lines and knots.Bevelled edges taper down to minimal lands which along with the slim cross section make for easy access into most recesses. Compared to a lie nielsen, which is about 50% thicker at the base, it's hard not to feel like the slimmer cross section of these Narex might be more delicate but, in use, I have not noticed a difference in flex or deflection perhaps owing to the greater hardness of the steel, which typically comes with greater stiffness. Perhaps it's the best of both worlds where they can probably take the abuse but the feel reminds me not to be ham fisted.The handle too is well shaped and finished and most comfortable in a push/paring grip, as opposed to optimized for chopping down grip like a stanley 750 or lie nielsen, but works well for all bench chisel tasks/orientations. Your grip preferences, more than anything else, may determine whether you simply like or love these as that feel in hand is a very personal and subjective.Summary: Good fit and finish. Steel is great. Shape is comfortable and versatile. Feel in hand should be good to great, depending on preferences. Value is unmatched as I haven't used anything comparable that doesn't cost 50%-100% more.

Just received the chisel set today. I like the superior blade polish, the excellent initial sharpness, and the ash handles (likely to be tough). The claimed high alloy hardness, if consistently true, argues for longer edge retention. I miss the size markings that are on the blades of my softer-alloy Narex chisel set. Also, the tang and pressed-steel tang support is a bit larger on the older set. These small differences may prove to be unimportant. I have not put the new chisel set to work so cannot speak to edge retention and ease of sharpening. These would influence my rating after longer use. Overall, I expect that Narex has created another winner.Added: I will compare this set with my fifty-two dollar Neiko chisel set. A half hour ago, I chamfered the end grain on a short pine board. Both brands: Neiko and Narex Richter, cut smoothly and easily. I had first sharpened both. Why should you buy this set or, conversely, the Neiko set, which costs less than a third as much? The Neiko set comes in a professional looking aluminum case with hinged top cover. There are nine chisels, so if a larger variety of widths is important to you, then the Neiko set is better in this regard than the five piece Narex Richter set. The Neiko set has attractive plastic handles that fit my hand (perhaps not yours) as well as the wood handles on the Narex set. If you pound the chisel through hardwood, the Neiko set may be more durable, but that is only a conjecture, not proven fact. Machining on the Neiko set is functional but crude, with sharply abrupt side flank edges and visible machining marks.The Narex blades are better finished, have far thinner side flanks, and give an immediate impression of care and quality. The handles are good quality appearing wood, well finished.Hardness and edge retention are the big unknowns. The Neiko blades are labeled chrome vanadium. So are the Narex Richter blades, with the added claim of being cryogenic cold hardened to 62 HRC (one of several standard measurement systems for steel hardness). This is much harder than previous Narex non-Richter chisels which have commonly claimed 58-59 hardness. I believe that edge retention is closely related to metal hardness, but some exceptions may exist, as in the highest priced Lee Valley chisels which claim a superior proprietary alloy.Thoughts: For low and moderate chisel work loads, the Neiko set is a very attractive buy with the advantage of nine chisel widths. For higher workloads, the Narex Richter set is likely to go longer between sharpening. I have both sets, both work well, but I reach now for the Narex Richter set and find that five chisels are enough for most work. I have other, older and partly mismatched, chisels that satisfy the random need for a different chisel width than is in the Narex Richter set.Later. Since I bought the Narex Ricter five piece chisel set, the company has released two more widths.I have purchased these. They seem of identical, excellent quality. To store the full set, I made a tailored cross bar with notches that fits across a shop window. You can find directions for crossbar chisel holders on the internet. Try a general search and YouTube. I find it a very convenient storage method.

bought them for my wife so she would give me back my Ashley Iles chisels. I was surprised by their quality. I may borrow her chisels in the future

I have a decent set of chisels (Wood River) but I wanted a 1.5 inch they don't make. I bought the 1.5" Richter based on James Wright's YouTube review. Spent a little time tuning it up, then ordered this set and the 1/8". My original intention to simply add a few premium chisels to compliment my basic set made sense, but these are so much better. Wright rated them best all around. I'm not in as good a position to compare, but the quality out of the box is almost as good as my one Lie-Nielsen mortice chisel. They don't arrive perfectly perfect--any chisel needs honed, and the backs of these need a bit of flattening for best performance. (These weren't bad at all, just not perfect.)The nearest thing I have to a complaint is that the very nice box for the 5 pc. set doesn't have room for the 1/8 and 1.5". But I am thinking a nice box out of ash to match their beautiful handles would be a fun project. Overall, these are premium chisels comparable to anything I've seen at a very reasonable price. A huge step up from good.