Thread: Old Ward cast steel chisel info please?

I thought that one of the woodies might have replied? But as collector of hand forge tools etc I will say this, the early socketed (Ward) chisels in my collection have the cast steel welded along the entire lower face. If you look on the side edge you should see two distinct colours, the cast steel being darker. When this practice stoped I'm not sure, but I think it was before the 1890s Some tools succumbed to high production methods much earlier than others. For instance the English belly pinching tinsnips were still hand forged with cast steel blades and wrought iron handles ( the fire weld clearly visible) right up to and if not after WW2. Also getting back to your chisel, you can some times see on old chisels the fire weld along the socket. Graeme