Thanks Thanks:  0
Likes Likes:  0
Needs Pictures Needs Pictures:  0
Picture(s) thanks Picture(s) thanks:  0
Results 1 to 11 of 11
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    47
    Posts
    187

    Default A M. Sorby Sheffield mortice chisel 1943

    Hey guys,
    I picked up this old chisel at the Ballarat swap meet on the weekend for $5. I have no real intention of using it, just thought it would clean up nice to hang on the garage wall along side my Grandfathers old tools.

    it's a 1 1/4in mortice chisel and has stamped on the face "AM. SORBY SHEFFIELD" with a bull stamped next to it. On the back is a triangle stamp with the numbers "1943" which I assume is the year it was made.

    Can anyone shed some light on this brands history and are they any good?
    Also any tips on restoring it? I'm a carpenter, so have sharpened plenty in my life, but never cleaned up one so old.








  2. # ADS
    Google Adsense Advertisement
    Join Date
    Always
    Location
    Advertising world
    Age
    2010
    Posts
    Many





     
  3. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Victoria
    Posts
    3,191

    Default

    The arrow and the date shows that it's service issue from the war years
    Cheers ,
    Jim.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Mandurah WA
    Age
    60
    Posts
    351

    Default

    Hi Kyle,

    It's I & H Sorby.

    The trademark is a hanging sheep.

    Theres a good picture of the mark here.

    Best wishes

    Steve

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    blue mountains
    Posts
    4,882

    Default

    Thats a new one on me. All the Sorby tools I have seen had the kangaroo emblem on them.
    Was there another Sorby on the go ?
    The sorby chisel I have (with kangroo mark) is first class.
    Most tools from sheffield of that era should be very good.

    Regards
    John

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    back in Alberta for a while
    Age
    68
    Posts
    12,006

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Kyle View Post
    Hey guys,
    I picked up this old chisel at the Ballarat swap meet on the weekend for $5. I have no real intention of using it, just thought it would clean up nice to hang on the garage wall along side my Grandfathers old tools.

    it's a 1 1/4in mortice chisel and has stamped on the face "AM. SORBY SHEFFIELD" with a bull stamped next to it. On the back is a triangle stamp with the numbers "1943" which I assume is the year it was made.

    Can anyone shed some light on this brands history and are they any good?
    Also any tips on restoring it? I'm a carpenter, so have sharpened plenty in my life, but never cleaned up one so old.
    at the risk of pedantry -- it's a firmer chisel, mortice chisels have much thicker blades
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Victoria, Australia
    Age
    74
    Posts
    6,132

    Default

    Hi Kyle,

    It's a Marples.. They owned the I H Sorby mark from 1909 onwards, although I don't know what quality level of tools they used it on.

    Here is the Sorby Family tree, according to Ken Roberts.


    The interesting thing about this family tree, is that current thinking is that Isaac Sorby didn't in fact exist. Repeated exhaustive searches of the archives in Sheffield have failed to locate the gentleman in question.

    Nice chisel, and nice ww2 connection.

    Regards
    Ray

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    47
    Posts
    187

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jimbur View Post
    The arrow and the date shows that it's service issue from the war years
    Cheers ,
    Jim.
    Thanks Jim, do you know if it means it's Australian issue?

    Quote Originally Posted by stuffy View Post
    Hi Kyle,

    It's I & H Sorby.

    The trademark is a hanging sheep.

    Theres a good picture of the mark here.

    Best wishes

    Steve
    Have to agree with the sheep, the more I look the less it looks like a bull. Don't know about the I & H Sorby. I gave it a quick scrub with a brush and what I thought was an M looks more like a H, but no I. Wonder if the A is supose to be an arrow like on the date stamp?
    After a bit of Google work they are marked either " I. SORBY " or " I & H SORBY " , can't find any with a mark like mine.

    Quote Originally Posted by ian View Post
    at the risk of pedantry -- it's a firmer chisel, mortice chisels have much thicker blades
    When I first saw it I called it a firmer, but the guy selling it corrected me and called it a mortice. Nice to know I was right.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Sydney
    Age
    79
    Posts
    647

    Default

    Striking on chisels and files often haphazard. The "& H." clearly indicates there was something before the "&" and it was (meant to be) "I."

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Victoria
    Posts
    3,191

    Default

    Kyle,
    The same mark followed by the year was on British uniforms - might still be for all I know.
    Cheers,
    Jim

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Tucson, Arizona
    Age
    94
    Posts
    82

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jimbur View Post
    The arrow and the date shows that it's service issue from the war years
    Cheers ,
    Jim.
    The broad arrow (plus year) was the standard British Ordnance Board mark from circa.1813 and on. Prior to that it was the Royal cypher over the date:



    -- crown over GR over 1800 (example on British Light Dragoon flintlock pistol)

    James

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    47
    Posts
    187

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Heavansabove View Post
    Striking on chisels and files often haphazard. The "& H." clearly indicates there was something before the "&" and it was (meant to be) "I."

    Your right, after a bit of a scrub up what I thought was the letter 'A' is a '&'.
    No 'I' to be found though and looks like it was never there to begin with. Seems someone at the Sorby factory didn't do their job properly!

    So I've gone from thinking it was a "A M. Sorby mortice chisel,
    to learning that it's a British service issue 'I & H Sorby' firmer chisel.

    thanks guys.

Similar Threads

  1. Mortice bottom cleaning chisel
    By derekcohen in forum HAND TOOLS - UNPOWERED
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 3rd January 2009, 11:24 AM
  2. Ray Iles Mortice Chisel
    By derekcohen in forum HAND TOOLS - UNPOWERED
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 12th December 2007, 12:16 AM
  3. Re-handling an Oval Bolstered Mortice Chisel
    By derekcohen in forum HAND TOOLS - UNPOWERED
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 14th January 2007, 10:51 AM
  4. Mortice Chisel - Pigsticker - question
    By ddeen in forum HOMEMADE TOOLS AND JIGS ETC.
    Replies: 23
    Last Post: 12th August 2006, 02:32 AM
  5. Preparing chisel mortice drill and bit
    By numbat in forum HAND TOOLS - POWERED
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 7th September 2005, 09:13 AM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •