Robert Sorby has been forging edge tools in Sheffield, England since 1810. Sheffield was the steel capital of the world for most of the 1800s, and Sorby is one of the few makers still working there. This slick shows what two centuries of accumulated steel-making gets you: high carbon Sheffield steel in a solid one-piece forging, with a heavy-duty tang seated deep in the shaped ash handle. The blade is offset from the handle line, so your knuckles clear the work on deep mortises and long paring cuts.
The working face is ground slightly hollow, which makes honing faster because your stone only touches the edge and heel, and the back is rounded for comfortable two-hand control. At 28 in overall and made to be pushed rather than struck, its weight and balance do the work: fine, accurate cuts across tenon cheeks, joint faces, and boat timbers. Three widths, 1-7/8, 2-3/8, and 3-3/8 in, and a replacement handle for the day the original finally splits.
Specifications:
- Options: 1-7/8-in width; 2-3/8-in width; 3-3/8-in width; Replacement Handle
- Overall length: 28 in
- Steel: high carbon Sheffield steel, solid one-piece forging with heavy-duty socket
- Blade: offset for clearance in deep mortises, slightly hollow working face for easy honing, rounded back
- Handle: contoured ash on a heavy-duty tang
- Use: pushed, never struck; indoor or outdoor work
- Accessories: Sorby leather edge guards and heavy-duty holster sold separately
- Made in: Sheffield, England by Robert Sorby
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