Narex, from the small village of Bystrice in the Czech Republic, has been making world-class tools for 100 years. The Narex factory was founded in 1919 by Mr. Vaclav Richter a local blacksmith who began producing chisels and gimlets. To this day, Narex is best known for making high quality, reasonably priced bench chisels. While the Narex factory has modernized much over the past century, it still retains many traditional manufacturing methods. Chisels are still produced using old-world drop-forging techniques which greatly enhances the strength and durability of the steel. To commemorate its 100 anniversary, Narex developed a new line of Richter Extra Chisels named after their founder. The Richter Extra chisels are the finest chisels Narex has produced in its 100 year history. This line of chisels are made from the finest materials available, have undergone superior heat treatment and been manufactured using the most stringent manufacturing processes. The new line of Richter Extra chisels will rival any premium chisel available in the world today. Richter chisel blades are made from the highest quality Chrome Manganese (Cr-V) steel using traditional drop-forging methods. Blades are then hardened, cryogenically treated and tempered to achieve a minimal hardness of 62 HRc. Subsequent fine-grinding and polishing ensure a mirror-like surface with ultra-thin sides allowing reach into very tight spaces, making them the perfect chisel for cleaning out dovetails. Bevel ground at 24 degrees. Following hardening, cryogenic treatment is performed which cools the steel down to −190° C (-310o F) using liquid nitrogen. This alters the mechanical properties of the steel at the molecular level greatly increasing its strength, toughness and wear resistance.Handles made of domestically and responsibly harvested European Ash with solid stainless steel ferrules.