which chisels do i buy?

The beauty of a chisel is certainly in the mind of the beholder. Personally, I like the appearance of the LNs, as well as their design and quality of steel (I chose the A-2). I have both their Bevel Edge Socket Chisels and their mortise chisels. But, I also have a set of Japanese bench chisels (not the really expensive ones Roc provided links for), and a set of Japanese bent-neck paring chisels. Then, there's the old set of Lee Valley, and the vintage set (1950 or so) of Marples, and a couple of Millers Falls utility chisels. A fella just can't have too many chisels, nor clamps. ;-)

The socket design of the LNs does require mindful handling, since the handles can loosen with changes in temperature. But, as you mention, the advantage of the socket-style is that you can easily turn your own handles, out of your material of choice, and as long as you want. Of course, this can be done for tanged chisels, too, but not as easily.

I've been faced with a need for some good chisels for a few years and I've been looking everywhere. The problem is that almost everything on the market today has serious limitations. Japanese chisels a way too thick and clumsy. Some out there are too thin and a uniform thickness along their length. Most, though, are way too thick and/or socketed. I want tanged bevel edge (properly called bevel back) chisels that taper in thickness and down to something less than 1/8". This gives them a resilience and feed-back you won't get from other chisels. I want the handles to be appropriately sized for each size of chisel. I have some old Buck Brothers chisels that are pretty good but they're from when Buck Brothers drew their chisels back a little too far when tempering. As a result, I've sharpened them a lot over the years and they're a little short. The handles on the old Buck Brothers chisels are beat up and need to be replaced. The closest I've seen to proper bench chisels are Ashley Iles MK2 chisels but their bolsters are too heavy and mess up the feel plus the handles don't properly balance the chisel size. I think the Ashley Iles MK2 chisels are probably the best new ones out there but I think I'll just bite the bullet and make what I really want.