I picked up the set of nerex mortise chisels from lee valley and threw in the 1/8 inch for good measure. At $10 bucks for the little guy, it's definitely worth it.
I had some big mortises to chop in red oak so, trial by fire, I started out with the 1/2 inch. Half way through the first mortise the edge was broken and ragged. So, with a bit of disappointment I went to the stones and put a new edge on it and then a new bevel. Back to the wood and it chopped the remaining mortises like a champ. By the end of the session I actually found myself becoming a fan ( i'm used to pig stickers that were made before there were cars).
So, my question is; Is having to regrind new chisels common ? And, what would cause a weak original edge on what turns out to be a perfectly good chisel that performs as well as some of my old ones?