Blacksmith question (about chisels)

[Mike Henderson]

Question for any of the blacksmiths on the forum - How is a socket made on a socket chisel? Is the end of the chisel beaten flat, then wrapped around a tapered mandrel and forge welded together? Or how?

Just wondering how it's kept round and tapered evenly.

Mike

[Chuck Saunders]

You are correct

[Joel Moskowitz]

Question for any of the blacksmiths on the forum - How is a socket made on a socket chisel? Is the end of the chisel beaten flat, then wrapped around a tapered mandrel and forge welded together? Or how?

Just wondering how it's kept round and tapered evenly.

Mike

18th century and the early 19th century socketed chisels were made as you describe. The millions of mid-19 and 20th century socketed chisels were made on giant presses which punched a hole in the end of the steel and drop forged the rest of the chisel.

[Mike Henderson]

18th century and the early 19th century socketed chisels were made as you describe. The millions of mid-19 and 20th century socketed chisels were made on giant presses which punched a hole in the end of the steel and drop forged the rest of the chisel.
Thanks, Joel. What you say makes sense. The reason I asked is that two of my Witherby chisels, when I look down into the socket, seem to have a joint along the inside of the socket.

Both have a "flat" bottom. It almost looks like the main part of the chisel was fabricated, then the socket steel was wrapped around the top of the chisel and joined (maybe with a drop forging?). The "size" (how big around at the top and the depth of the taper) of each socket is different - a handle that would fit one will not fit the other, and these two handles will not fit the rest of my Witherbys.

The logos are different on the two Witherbys - one is "T.H. Witherby" in a diamond. The other is "T.H. Witherby, Warrented" in a rectangle, in two lines, so they were probably made at different times, maybe in different factories.

Mike