Pig stickers / Mortice chisels, unusual makers and marks

[Mr_Pea]

Spotted a nice mixed set of mortice chisels, so had to invest.

A few oddities, any info greatly appreciated

W&VELLAM

One chisel, 2 makers
one side - JOSEPH ROBSON SHEFFIELD, C 1885
other side J WOODCOCK SHEFFIELD military arrow/crows foot under it but faint WT

Marples & Sons Cast steel, other side a dicky bow or maybe the symbol for infinity and under it HIBERRL. Could just be a badly stamped Hibernia.

Edit: muppet its a worn shamrock

2 x Thomas Turton military again both 1957 and the arrow one is H423 the other is H424
and the other side
ELCTRO BORACIC STEEL (don't recall seeing that before)

By some odd militaria coincidence a Falklands era Stanley 71 router also arrived today

 

[nabs]

2 x Thomas Turton military again both 1957 and the arrow one is H423 the other is H424
and the other side
ELCTRO BORACIC STEEL (don't recall seeing that before)

I've got a William Greaves adze stamped 'electro boracic steel' - apparently it was not uncommon to stamp tools like this at the end of the 19C. I am not sure anyone has ever discovered what (if anything) it meant - the term predates electric crucible furnaces so presumably is not about a process using electricity, and we know borax was used as a flux. I remember reading a theory that it was just a marketing term to make whatever property borax has to float off impurities sound more "sciencey".

edit to add that the place I read about it was on here:
electro-borcic-steel-t48251.html

I should have guessed!

 

[AndyT]

I wonder if your W&VELLAM actually reads WM with an underscore under the M, ie William Vellam. Mind you, I can't see anything listed for Vellum, or Villum for that matter.

Tweedale lists Joseph Robson as being in business from about 1871 through to 1958 when the firm was liquidated.

He says that James Woodcock was around from 1859 through to 1914, though the name was continued, as Woodcock, Sons & Co, until 1957 when Ashley Iles bought up the remaining stock. So maybe one firm made the chisel under subcontract to the other, but gave it their own name as well. Afaik, edge tools were not normally marked with a date, but those supplied under government or military contracts often were. 1885 is perfectly plausible for both firms.

He also states that 'electro-boracic steel' - which he describes as "supposedly steel with special properties" - was introduced by Greaves in 1839, with the term and the Greaves name later being used by Thomas Turton.

 

[Mr_Pea]

Thanks Chaps,

Another mystery solved, I'll alert the advertising standards authority immediately (historic complaints division).

Nothing ever changes I've just spent a week arguing the toss over a cheap diamond stone, It was advertised as 7" and turned out to be 6" the base was 7". Wouldn't mind but they had sold loads of them, maybe I was the first to notice or complain but the listing has now been changed and I have a full refund.

 

[Trevanion]

I think Marple's original base of operation was Hibernia forge. I've definitely got a couple of chisels with Hibernia on.