Hilton Ralphs
11-14-2013, 12:06 AM
Source: from an email sent to me today.
Another favourite brand of chisel in the workshop, are the blades made by Robert Sorby these blades made in Sheffield on the traditional European pattern. They offer a choice of either London pattern handle or the carvers handle both in Boxwood. The size of blade is matched to the size of handle and the fitting of the blade in the handle is cushioned by a leather washer. Nice.
The blades are made from a cold rolled steel and the bevels ground on these blades are well formed and well executed. The cold rolled steel takes a good sharp edge and holds it for a moderately long time. The challenge that we have with these blades is, in our considerable experience they are not always straight. If you place a straight edge on the back of the Robert Sorby chisel good chances are that you'll be able to see daylight beneath it. This seems to be created during manufacture.
It seems to us that a flat surface is ground on the backs of the chisels. They are then put into a magnetic vice and held flat whilst the bevels are ground in place. The heat created in the blade during the grinding process then causes the whole blade to bend very slightly down its length. Sorby have attempted to rationalise this by saying that it is a good sign of a good chisel. This in my opinion is not true, worse than that it is misleading.
An exceptionally good chisel ruined for me by deceptive marketing and indifferent manufacturing. These would however have to be my purchase of choice if I were forced to buy a set of chisels right now. This would commit me to spending probably five or six hours putting them right, assuming they would come to me like deformed steel bananas.
To do this I will have to find a flat surface probably a sheet of plate glass place that on another flat surface may be a kitchen worktop to support it. Then I would have to stick with a spray contact adhesive a fine abrasive sheet on the flat glass. I would probably start with 150 grit wet and dry. As the blade is probably bowed I would try applying very light pressure. As I rubbed it up and down the sheet of abrasive the more downward pressure I applied the more chance I would have of bending the blade. This is not the objective.
If I could live with this faffing about, that no other purchasers of new blade has to live with, I would find myself the proud owner of a fine set of exceptionally good furniture makers bevel edged chisels but i couldnt really recommend this to you, when we can do so many clever things with metal why cant we get this right!!
Pah!
Another favourite brand of chisel in the workshop, are the blades made by Robert Sorby these blades made in Sheffield on the traditional European pattern. They offer a choice of either London pattern handle or the carvers handle both in Boxwood. The size of blade is matched to the size of handle and the fitting of the blade in the handle is cushioned by a leather washer. Nice.
The blades are made from a cold rolled steel and the bevels ground on these blades are well formed and well executed. The cold rolled steel takes a good sharp edge and holds it for a moderately long time. The challenge that we have with these blades is, in our considerable experience they are not always straight. If you place a straight edge on the back of the Robert Sorby chisel good chances are that you'll be able to see daylight beneath it. This seems to be created during manufacture.
It seems to us that a flat surface is ground on the backs of the chisels. They are then put into a magnetic vice and held flat whilst the bevels are ground in place. The heat created in the blade during the grinding process then causes the whole blade to bend very slightly down its length. Sorby have attempted to rationalise this by saying that it is a good sign of a good chisel. This in my opinion is not true, worse than that it is misleading.
An exceptionally good chisel ruined for me by deceptive marketing and indifferent manufacturing. These would however have to be my purchase of choice if I were forced to buy a set of chisels right now. This would commit me to spending probably five or six hours putting them right, assuming they would come to me like deformed steel bananas.
To do this I will have to find a flat surface probably a sheet of plate glass place that on another flat surface may be a kitchen worktop to support it. Then I would have to stick with a spray contact adhesive a fine abrasive sheet on the flat glass. I would probably start with 150 grit wet and dry. As the blade is probably bowed I would try applying very light pressure. As I rubbed it up and down the sheet of abrasive the more downward pressure I applied the more chance I would have of bending the blade. This is not the objective.
If I could live with this faffing about, that no other purchasers of new blade has to live with, I would find myself the proud owner of a fine set of exceptionally good furniture makers bevel edged chisels but i couldnt really recommend this to you, when we can do so many clever things with metal why cant we get this right!!
Pah!