Sorby chisels revisited

[Jim Thiel]

I received an e-mail from my local woodcraft store advertising 5 chisels regularly 150.00 for 112.50. I like to browse the isles anyway, so I drove over this afternoon to check them out. I didn't buy them, the handles feel small in my mitts, but I noticed on the back of every 1", 3/4", and 3 of 4 1/2" chisels a small dent, like a center punch the size of a sewing needle. Is this a standard machining mark, or the reason they were on special? Once flattened I could see no harm, but I am curious.

Jim

[Mike K Wenzloff]

In all likelihood the small dimple is from testing the hardness following tempering. Nothing wrong with leaving it there following whatever you'll do as regards flattening the backs.

Take care, Mike

[Jim Thiel]

In all likelihood the small dimple is from testing the hardness following tempering.

That's interesting, I hadn't thought that it was on purpose. We (the helpful young man and I) concluded it was from tooling, just the manner that the pneumatic clamp grabbed the thing while grinding.


Nothing wrong with leaving it there following whatever you'll do as regards flattening the backs.

It is so small, I don't think it would be noticed at all once the backs were polished nice. I'd still be curious to know if older sorbys also have this little peen. I've looked over all my chisels, can't find anything like that here.

Jim

[Mike K Wenzloff]

Many companies only spot check and do so before final grinding. I don't think that Sorby spends much time on grinding except a rough grinding.

I don't know about Sorby, but in the machine shop I worked at we used both magnetic and pneumatic clamps and neither left marks per se...certainly nothing which leaves the depression like what you saw on the chisels.

Of my Sorby paring chisels from the late 1990s or so, only two of 6 have the little pin prick. Still there.

Take care, Mike

[Tony Zaffuto]

I have a 3/8" Sorby paring chisel, purchased 2 or 3 years ago (Best Things), that has the "dimple" you are referring to. It is a hardness indent test mark.

[Dave Lehnert]

That mark you want. Shows that each tool was tested for hardness. That is considered a mark of quality. My 10 year old set from Woodcraft all has them. But then the set was only $60-$70.

[Gary Curtis]

I bought a new set of Sorby Benchisels on eBay last month. 4 of the 5 tools have the dimple. the 1/4 inch blade doesn't.

Man, you folks have good eyes.

Gary Curtis

[Matthew Platt]

Here's a picture of a hardness testing machine that makes the marks. This one is at Ashley Iles but the Sorby one will be similar. Both firms test the hardness every tool before it leaves the factory.

Cheers,


Matthew