Metal band on chisel handle?

[Mead Camans]

Hi all,

I was recently given this old 1.5" firmer chisel that has what looks to be a metal band around the handle.

Looking closely, I suspect that it actually goes right through the handle, as I don't see much evidence that the grain is continuous either side of it.

I assume it's there to stop splitting, and has certainly done that as you can see from the pictures, but I've never come across this kind of thing before.

Could it be to add weight to the tool as well? Looks to be a fairly soft metal as it's quite dinged up. Lead perhaps?

Any folk in the know?

Cheers,

George

 

[Tweedy]

Never seen one before, but wilfin patent handles are a thing!

 

[Mead Camans]

Never seen one before, but wilfin patent handles are a thing!

View attachment 172774

Ah! On closer inspection lo and behold:

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I wonder why not just put a steel band/ferrule at the top like a register pattern.

 

[Tweedy]

Ah! On closer inspection lo and behold:

I must admit that is where I got my google search term from! I'm not sure how exactly it works, despite the sketch. If it ever breaks please post some pictures, I'd love to see the guts.

I wonder why not just put a steel band/ferrule at the top like a register pattern.

Two reasons I can think of:
-the top ferrule mushrooms over which leaves a sharp edge
-a ferrule can damage the mallet with a bad strike

Whether these are good enough reasons for this solution depends on how well this patent endures with use. It would be interesting to know.

 

[Ed Weber]

In the states, the metal ring at the chisel end is called a ferrule, the metal ring at the top of the handle is called a hoop.
It gets confusing reading posts sometimes, literally not knowing what end of the chisel some are referring to.
Separated by a common language.

 

[Mead Camans]

Thanks all who have contributed. I guess it's one of those well meaning, slightly over engineered solutions to a problem that wasn't that big of an issue, that never caught on in a big way.

Looking closer, I do actually see a bit of continuous grain either side of the metal, and the picture Tweedy posted, it shows that as well, suggesting they somehow got the metal component in place in a solid handle. Unless I'm missing something glaringly obvious, I can't fathom how they did it. The only thing I can think of is that the metal component is in separate pieces and was hammered into a groove turned into the handle, but I can't see a join in it anywhere.

 

[Jester129]

There's another word stamped on the wood on the other side of the ring, a little above the ~Wilfin patent , anybody else see it? What does it say?

 

[Mead Camans]

There's another word stamped on the wood on the other side of the ring, a little above the ~Wilfin patent , anybody else see it? What does it say?

W. BIDDULPH

Owners name I would assume as is stamped in a few other places too, including the metal of the ring, which shows just how soft it is. Dunno what metal is it's, but it's non-magnetic as well.

 

[ChaiLatte]

Patent here:

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/010069065/publication/GB221871A?q=pn=GB221871A

 

[Mead Camans]

Patent here:

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/010069065/publication/GB221871A?q=pn=GB221871A

Great find. OK that explains how they got the metal in there!

 

[ChaiLatte]

If you want to reproduce it, the patent even gives the composition of the alloy.

Same person:

http://www.lathes.co.uk/wilfin/

 

[Tweedy]

Patent here:

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/010069065/publication/GB221871A?q=pn=GB221871A

Good find! I was trying to find the patent. Explains a lot, though I'm dubious on the value of a tin/antimony alloy adding much to the strength, especially given the heat effect.

 

[toolsntat]

Well, in all my tool hoarding years I can't say as I've ever seen a marked one, although I have seen that advertising before.
How many handles with "bands" do I have and not paid close attention to?
Not many at all and that's from a collection of approximately 3-400 and maybe more.
I will pay closer attention next time I'm ferreting through them.
Cheers for the post,
Andy

 

[toolsntat]

Remarkable, first box I moved tonight....
On a BRADES & Co gouge.
Very hard to distinguish with the naked eye but putting 2&2 together it says

WILFIN PATENT
221871-1923

Cheers, Andy

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Good find! I was trying to find the patent. Explains a lot, though I'm dubious on the value of a tin/antimony alloy adding much to the strength, especially given the heat effect.

Tin/antimony is pewter.

 

[ChaiLatte]

WILFIN PATENT
221871-1923

Why did you not come along five hours ago?

Without the number, that patent took some finding. 'Wilfin' - nothing; 'William Findlay' - too many results; purely by luck 'Findlay' and 'handle' returned a short enough list to locate it (note that the name on it is not William's).

 

[dannyr]

Tin/antimony is pewter.

Yes - pewter - low melting point, thus poss to cast into a groove and hole in chisel - as a chisel maniac, I've had a couple of these - both with box-wood handles (handles split, despite wilfin) ---- hardly seems worth the effort to make holes and groove then pour metal (presumably using some sort of sleeve around, and then to finish off) all to have a band of a not-very-strong material around, meanwhile weakening the wood itself.

Interesting, and clever selling job --- but ??

And it's neither a hoop nor a ferrule, it's a wilfin

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A Wilfin waste of effort?