I've never purchased a chisel with schlagring where there was not wood
protruding past the metal at the strike end.

The only chisels with a true metal striking surface are the ones like the
Stanley everlast design.

I agree that the cheap loose metal bands you see occasionally should be
discarded immediately: they're useless.

Gary Katsanis
Albion New York, USA

---- Thomas Conroy via OldTools  wrote: 

=============
John Ruth wrote: "The "upper ferrule" is properly called a "Schlagring" - I
believe the late Jim Thompson, who signed himself as "The Old Millrat,"
introduced this term to the Porch. It's of German origin.

"Jim used to turn them on a metal-cutting lathe out of pipe.

"And, yes, they are of greatest use on a heavy-duty chisel.  They are frequently
seen on Japanese-style framing chisels."
=================================================================

I think there is something to be said for the term "upper ferrule" for the half-
assed imitation of a hoop (the correct English-language term for what Germans
call a "schlagring") on these inexpensive chisel handles. A proper hoop is a
solid, heavy-duty iron ring shrunk or press-fitted into place, able to withstand
long-term battering from a steel hammer. A thickness of 1/8" is not unusual,
certainly more than 1/16" for examples that actually do a job. The modern "upper
ferrule" is made of thin stamped steel fitted loosely and held in place by a
dimpled spot, utterly without function and unable to withstand any degree of
impact at all. Better be rid of an upper ferrule right away. And I would save
the traditional terms for traditional parts that serve a function.