I splurged the cash on a set of Narex Richter chisels to replace the cheap set I bought when I started out. They are beautiful. Not cheap but good value and I expect them to last a lifetime.
I like the idea of wooden handles, but I still find myself reaching for my old EA Berg chisels with the dark red plastic handles. They're just so light and handy, easy to sharpen, comfortable, and tough. Plus, they must have made millions of them, so they aren't too expensive on the second hand market (though a lot of them have been abused...)I have very definite ideas on this, basically I like sheffield made Stanley's with the grey and yellow plastic handles. Footprints are good but rust badly. Plastic handles mean I can hit them with a hammer. Decent steel. Cheap so I'm not over precious.