Narex Richter Bevel Edge Chisel Set of 5

Product Information

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.

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. If I may, I’d like to add that I use metal polish (Simichrome) as my protective coating on pretty much all my metal tools. I use Boeshield in the little squeezy bottle and it does work nice, but the only way I’ve been able to ward off rust for months at a time is with the polish. Don't get swept into believing there's anything more in the Richter chisels than relatively common steel and a slightly harder temper than some of the other chisels. Here is a Blighty advert from one of the on-line purveyors, going on about this better steel. Of course, this is sales blurb so ......

That's arrogant, solipsistic and something of a jarring cognitive dissonance, given that he portrays himself as a "woodworking guru" outputting his stuff largely via Youtube and other on-line channels, a lot of it paid-for "lessons" for which the free stuff appears to be the PR. And the "I make a point not to copy anyone anywhere" is such obvious nonsense. Did he make up all of woodworking by himself, then, like an Ayn Rand "hero" with a motor?

Of course, the Narex Ritcher chisel feels like a perfect chisel. While it mostly is, we noticed some features that surely could use improvement.The supplied edge guard should always be used when chisels are not in use to prevent dam- age to the sharp cutting edge and for user protection. Our RICHTER chisel box is perfect for safe storage; however, tool rolls are also available. As with any kind of tool steel, the blades can rust when unprotected. Always protect the blades from rust with oil, wax or other corrosion inhibitors. Lifetime guarantee You can read my comparison of Narex and Stanley Sweetheart chisels for better understanding as well! Some don't like the fatter-handled version of Narex chisels but they do have other configurations of many bench chisels, with slimmer and more traditionally-shaped handles. Myself, I like the fatter handles because they fill my chiselling grip.

I think the fact that you use your chisels every day is a large factor in keeping them rust free, specifically the oils from your skin. But, respectfully, for those of us who don’t use our tools every day 🙂 using them once then putting them away for a week or 2 pretty much guarantees rust. I’ve found wiping them after use doesn’t always help and is sometimes impractical. The metal polish is the only way I’ve found to prevent this. Simply my 2 cents. 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. I can’t recommend a catalog anymore, and nor do I recommend a magazine either. I can’t. I make a point not to copy anyone anywhere and when you write and ask me whether I watch this or that youtuber, blogger or vlogger I should tell you this and then ask you not to ask me: If I have watched 30 minutes of woodworking guru output since YT came into being 15 years ago I would likely be exaggerating 10 times". The manufacturers took their time to design this handle with maximum comfort. When end-users grab it, they won’t need to invest too much physical effort into making it work. It naturally maximizes efficiency. Personally I find FWW still the benchmark for detailed, meaningful and usually well-supported WW information. It does have a touch of the PR-advert blurbs here and there but generally this can be easily spotted and winnowed from the extensive good crop of high quality guidance and advice.Sometimes a manufacturer will make substantial functional improvements to something and sell it as a premium item. Sometimes the improvements are largely to the image rather than the substance of that sold. I'm not saying this is necessarily true of the Narex Richter range .... but it could be. :-)