I think the problem here is that it comes from a period in tool making which is poorly documented for most of us. For many of us it was our parents' generation in the post-war period. The few remaining Sheffield toolmakers were trying to catch the diy market, while largely lacking the means or will to invest in new plant. There were actually quite a lot of innovations, some successful, some not, replacing old tools or updating them with new materials, or trying to make them at a price that the weekend woodworker could afford.
Robert Sorby was unusual - they are a survivor, still making hand tools in Sheffield, many of them for turners, (
http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk ) so they must have been getting things right more often than not.
I think you've got a little cracker there, equivalent maybe to the Footprint or Marples plastic handled chisels - unless, that is, it suffers from the
nasty chemical smell that some of the early yellow plastics get. Maybe they didn't make them for very long.
It's a pity you've only got one, otherwise you could send a sample to Chris Schwarz and watch the eBay price rocket up!
(PS - I've not got one either.
)
