inherited chisels...

[Ted Harris]

Hello everyone,
A friend of mine inherited some chisels recently, and is trying to find out if they are of any importance. 3 of them have are stamped with a half moon and a star between the tips of the moon and then "Mathieson" on the first line and "Glasgow" on the second line of the front side and stamped "cast steel" on the back. Another one is stamped with what looks like sort of a castle with "James Howards" on the first line and "Sheffield" on the second, with nothing on the back side. Yet another one is stamped "_nosibbotsonao__" on the first line and what looks like two bicycles followed by "Cast Steel" on the bottom line. The last one has a stamped cross followed by "R__Sorby"? followed by "Cast steel" on the bottom line, and the back side of the blade has what looks like a kangaroo or rabbit stamped on it. The handle has "WM Lang" stamped on it. Anyone have any ideas? Please let me know if you need any more info...and I can take pics if need be. Thanks in advance for the help!:)

[Deane Allinson]

They are good makers if the chisels themselves are in good condition. I think that the one with all of the letters is Ibbotson. I have one of their mortise chisels, very nice laminated steel. The Sorby with a Kangaroo is the last of the excellent Sorby's . Mathieson made good planes and cutters. I never used a Howards chisel. Should be good steel.
Deane

[Christian Castillo]

The James Howard is most likely James Howarth. Howarth was one of the premier makers of edge tools in Sheffield. All your tools are good and worth the restoration, they will be excellent users.

[James Taglienti]

nosibbotsonao
sounds like "Thomas Ibbotson and Co" to me which is decent steel, i have one of their cutters in a rabbet plane... it doesn't hold up much with a bevel less than 30* though