New chisels? Soft? Why?

[Adam Cruea]

Making them in mexico, not that they aren't making a bunch of stuff in china, too.

The SW chisels are *supposed* to be made over in England now. I'm not sure about the other stuff.

[michael case]

England: That make actually makes sense. Its where Stanley also produces those horrible Baileys with the plastic totes and knobs.

[David Weaver]

The SW chisels are *supposed* to be made over in England now. I'm not sure about the other stuff.

Right, chisels and plane irons in sheffield. Planes (as mentioned above) are made in mexico, less the irons.

[David Weaver]

I got the scoop, a change in the commentary earlier, at least for japanese chisels.

Run of the mill chisels get laminated together, some maybe no special treatment.

Good chisels get a soak for an extended period of time, overnight or a day, before getting forge welded and hammered. The good chisels are hammered at high heat then to compact the grain.

(and not below red heat, as george alluded to that's been disproved in terms of compacting grain).

Koyamaichi, Tasai, Ouchi....all have some method of soaking their steel at a lower temperature for an extended period of time before working it.

[Dave Lehnert]

OK, I give up Dave. What is your avatar?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defenders_of_the_Faith

[Adam Cruea]

Just an update. . .

Stanley replaced it. My wife had kept forgetting to ship it (she works right by an UPS/USPS facility and kept forgetting it in her desk at work).

No fuss, no muss, replaced. And it's already nipped me and drawn blood!

[Larry Frank]

Looks like a fatigue fracture on one side and the other side shows the final brittle fracture.

As a metallurgist, there is nothing too amazing about the break and nothing to indicate that there was something wrong with the steel. It is likely that it was used to hard for the grade of steel in the part.