Unknown Sheffield Chisel - 7 Letters - Tree or Clover Stamp

[Toolsheddude]

I've been collecting a lot of Sheffield Chisels and have got one I'm really struggling to identify if anyone could help.

Even though the name is worn and scratched away I'm sure with the stamp and shapes there should be enough to identify it.

At first i thought I saw 'Marples' in there at some point.
More recently i thought 'Haywood' but can only find very limited info on two names Thos Haywood 1841 and Thomas Haywood 1833 and thats all the info i can find.

Ive also had M & W as the first and third letters so i have a lot of possibilities.

Anyway ive attached a few photos.

Thanks

 

[MikeG.]

I wonder if taking a casting would help. Some air-drying clay, plasticine, or even some coloured wax melted onto it, perhaps. Maybe seeing it in reverse would be easier.

 

[Trevanion]

You were almost right with Haywood.

It's a Mawhood chisel which used the palm tree as a makers mark. They're very good tools.

 

[Toolsheddude]

I did do a few rubbings but i got nothing. Good Idea.

Trevanion thank you so much, cant believe how quick i got an answer!! Thanks for including the picture as well.

 

[deema]

I’ve got a number of Palm tree chisels they have all been excellent. I also have a set of their auger bits which again are brilliant and chrome plated.

There stuff seem to go for next to nothing on auction sites so a bargain IMO

 

[Cheshirechappie]

More information about Mawhood Brothers here;

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.u ... 47446766ca

(Established 1879 as a manufacturer of steel files. Ceased trading 1970, bought out and closed down by Gordon Tools 1978.)

 

[Trevanion]

Found this picture, you always think of these old tool manufacturers being in large industrial buildings, Not the corner shop down the road!.

 

[AES]

Very interesting. Just for my own info, what are "Line Pins" please (last item in the Palm Tree advert posted by Trevanion)?

 

[Toolsheddude]

I think i have a few more too but these just had a sticker on the handle rather than the stamp on the blade. All seem solid.

Yeah i got this in a lot of 20 for £40 on eBay and i love finding something like this. Also got some I.Sorby, Marples and Ibbotson so pretty good buy

 

[Toolsheddude]

Thanks guy, really great info and Pics!!!

 

[Trevanion]

Very interesting. Just for my own info, what are "Line Pins" please (last item in the Palm Tree advert posted by Trevanion)?

They're used in brickwork, you have two pins with a string line which goes on each end of the wall your building and it gives you a straight "line" to follow so your wall doesn't end up bowing as you go up.

You rarely see traditional line pins on site anymore (You do see them occasionally and it's what they teach you to use in college, from experience ) This is the type you tend to see now either in metal or plastic:

 

[Toolsheddude]

I sell them and the only Line Pins worth having are Footprint Sheffield and that's even to this day.

 

[AES]

Thanks for the answers folks.

 

[Just4Fun]

I have some similar palm tree Mawhood chisels. Overall I do like them but I don't particularly like their straight edges. Sometimes it doesn't matter if the edges are straight or beveled. Sometimes there are benefits to beveled edges. I haven't yet come across any situation where the straight/square edges is a plus point. What am I missing?

 

[deema]

The square edge chisels are called bench chisels and and were generally for rougher work where a mallet is used.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

I have some similar palm tree Mawhood chisels. Overall I do like them but I don't particularly like their straight edges. Sometimes it doesn't matter if the edges are straight or beveled. Sometimes there are benefits to beveled edges. I haven't yet come across any situation where the straight/square edges is a plus point. What am I missing?

During the 20th century (things were a little different before), chisels tended to be available as 'firmer' or as 'bevelled edged'. It's a bit of a crude generalisation, but I think firmers were regarded as more a carpenter's or joiner's tool, and bevelled-edged more for cabinet and similar work. There are other types, too; registered firmers were even thicker than standard firmers, and intended for heavy-duty use.

(Nineteenth century and earlier chisels tended to be thinner in the blade than 20th century ones, and with edges much nearer - but not exactly - square to the flat face. There were no bevelled-edged chisels as such, and not many chisels with blades as thick as 20th century firmers. Mortice chisels and socket chisels tended to be laminated rather than solid tool steel, a practice that pretty much ceased sometime in the first half of the 20th century.)

 

[Just4Fun]

What advantage do they have over a bevel edge chisel? Or was it a cost issue, with a cheaper-to-make square edge considered "good enough" for rough work?

 

[Boringgeoff]

I have a nice set of Mawhood Irwin pattern auger bits from 1/4" to 1" sadly missing the 9/16" bit. The canvas roll has no markings on it.

I hadn't done any research on Mawhood so thanks for the above information.
I have used the candle smoke method to identify a hard to read brand and find it especially handy on a curved surface such as a bit shank. Briefly, you make a candle smoke by lowering a tea strainer onto it (don't let Mum catch you though) cover the brand in soot, cover it with a piece of clear sticky tape then stick the tape to a piece of white paper. Although the brand on this bit is quite clear I've made an example.

The link to the article below may be helpful.
https://sites.google.com/site/handtools ... candlesoot
All the best for 2019.
Cheers,
Geoff.

 

[Trevanion]

I have used the candle smoke method to identify a hard to read brand and find it especially handy on a curved surface such as a bit shank. Briefly, you make a candle smoke by lowering a tea strainer onto it (don't let Mum catch you though) cover the brand in soot, cover it with a piece of clear sticky tape then stick the tape to a piece of white paper. Although the brand on this bit is quite clear I've made an example.

I've never seen that technique for smoking before, very clever. The only time I've seen smoke being used was when someone was registering the fit between two metal parts to exact tolerances (A bit like engineers blue but a lot finer I imagine). I'll have to use it next time I have a job that where it would be handy.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

What advantage do they have over a bevel edge chisel? Or was it a cost issue, with a cheaper-to-make square edge considered "good enough" for rough work?

I'm not sure there's a definitive answer to that. It could be that bevelled-edged chisels were perceived as 'delicate' and thus suitable mainly for paring rather than chopping (as Deema suggested above), which would tend to push them more to fine work rather than rough. The early 20th century thin-bladed, fine-landed, narrow-necked bevelled-edged chisel is quite a fine, delicate thing; as the century moved on, they became thicker, stronger in the neck and bolster, and the lands much thicker, so just as strong as a firmer.