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Robert Sorby gouge

Steve68

Full Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2018
Posts
310
Location
Suffolk UK
First Name
Steven
I've been making my own tool handles today as I have ordered some HSS steel to make some skew, scrapers and a few knives.
My Sorby 1/2" gouge was pretty much ground to a nub so I thought I'd remove the tang from the handle and insert a new chisel. I never really looked closely before but the ferrule wasn't a complete , it was just a thin piece of brass wrapped around the handle with a little pin dent to hold it in place. It pretty much fell off. Then I tried to remove the tang....now as you've all gathered I'm no expert on woodturning, tools, lathes etc but I didn't expect a Sorby HSS steel chisel to break so easily. It was literally like breaking a piece of cheese. The handle was very, very cheap wood and I'm now wondering why I paid so much for it or if it was a knock off????

Am I expecting too much? Is HSS steel easy to snap?

I honestly thought the handle would break before a steel tang especially as the handle was so light and cheap feeling. But a few wiggles and the metal snapped as easy as a twig.
Looking forward to making my own tools even more now.
 

pittswood

Fellow
Joined
Mar 14, 2016
Posts
1,251
Location
Rhigos, South Wales
First Name
Kelvin
Hi Steven,
High speed steel grades generally display high hardness (above HRC60) and abrasion resistance. It is superior to the older high-carbon steel tools used extensively through the 1940s in that it can withstand higher temperatures without losing its temper (hardness). This property allows High Speed Steel to cut faster than high carbon steel, hence the name high-speed steel.
I, in 37 years of an engineer, never had a tool steel piece break, only if it got hot, hence cooling liquid. It may have been a fault in the heat treatment at the time of making up of the different steel compounds.
Kelvin
 

Penpal

Grand Master
Joined
May 26, 2013
Posts
25,340
Location
Canberra AUSTRALIA
First Name
Peter
Hi Steve strangest experience I have heard from this Companies products. Some of my prized tools were not even Tool Steel but held a good edge and are strong as. Yes you have a weird one alright,completely out of character with the brand.Definately wrongly branded mate.Somewhere along the way I used to check steel at the grinder by the colour and sparks resulting while sharpening. Its not too late to look up the details and check your old chisel.

Peter.
 

21William

Fellow
Joined
Jan 21, 2016
Posts
1,618
Location
Dorset
First Name
William
Yes I think RS handles are Ash. If it’s old and dried out though it will get brittle like any wood. Ferrules are just thin tubes of metal to prevent the handle splitting, they will get loose if the handle dries out. More than one of my ferrules is now held in place with Epoxy. HSS is not easy to snap as far as I know.
 

Steve68

Full Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2018
Posts
310
Location
Suffolk UK
First Name
Steven
I just re-read my first post and I missed out a word :rolling: I meant to say the ferrule wasn't a complete ring. It was an extremely thin strip of brass that was wrapped around the handle and the ends didn't even meet.
Thinking about it, the chisel itself never held an edge for long and needed constant sharpening even when turning wooden pen blanks. I have a feeling I was done over by an ebay seller who's buying cheap tools, knocking a brass button on the end of the handle and branding them with the Sorby name. If I'm wrong it's put me off buying another gouge. My Sorby skew is tough as nails.
 

Dalboy

Executive Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2014
Posts
7,679
Location
Kent
First Name
Derek
This sound like a bit of a lemon as all of the sorby tools that I have are of good quality. The brass should be a complete ring. If you paid by paypal I would start an refund as it is not as described if it was stated as being a robert sorby chisel. And if they insist on it being returned after you get money back tell them to pay for the return postage up front.

Have you still got the auction number
 

Steve68

Full Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2018
Posts
310
Location
Suffolk UK
First Name
Steven
I bought it quite a while back, probably around June. I have nothing to return now apart from a few broken bits of steel which are somewhere in the wheelie bin, and a handle with no ferrule. I reckon this is a "learn your lesson" situation and put it down to experience.

I've just bought an Axminster gouge to see how it fares. Anyone else use their tools? I'm not expecting miracles but it can't be any worse than what I just threw away :praying:
 

Gadget-UK

Graduate Member
Joined
May 18, 2018
Posts
821
Location
Nr Blandford Forum. Dorset. UK
First Name
Colin
I have a couple of the Axminster Gouges and to be honest they are not that bad.
They work well, sharpen nicely and seem to be lasting (had them over a year now) and were not that bad on price :thumbs:
 

AllenN

Fellow
Joined
May 20, 2013
Posts
2,242
Location
Lancaster, UK
First Name
Allen
I have quite a few Robert Sorby tools and all my handles are ash even the old ones. None of them have ferrules such as you describe and I have never has any problem with the steel, they have always been excellent. I have to say I fear you have a fake.
 

Phil Dart

Moderator
Executive Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Posts
5,455
Location
Colebrooke, Devon
First Name
Phil
It's looking increasingly more like someone on eBay ripped you off Stephen. My own experience of Sorby gouges are that they are extremely good, although I did once have a spindle gouge from them that didn't seem to want to holds it's edge. At the time I was turning a lot, and I sharpened away the gouge in about two months. In fairness to Sorby, when I told them the problem they replaced it without hesitation. It's the only instance of a problem I've ever had with a Sorby tool, and I've certainly never had one break on me.
 
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