Stanley began marketing its first surform tools, a plane and a rasp that used the same blade, in 1956. Stanley Works (Stanley) first bought United States manufacturing rights, then bought the company. These were marketed by another affiliated UK company, British Lead Mills Limited, in or before 1956. An affiliated UK company, Simmonds Aerocessories Ltd., was an early manufacturer of Surform tools. A patent for a Surform tool blade was obtained in 1949 in Australia by Firth Cleveland Pty Ltd of Wolverhampton England. The first Surform tools were the invention of a British company. Surform was first registered as a trademark in the United Kingdom on 25 September 1953 Surform is a registered trademark of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. It is unclear whether this is a genericized trademark or the opposite, a common name that was subsequently trademarked. The word surform is an apparent portmanteau of 'surface' and 'form'. Also, a surform typically is used to shape material, rather than grate it.Įtymology and history An early Surform tool made by Simmonds Aerocessories Ltd. Īlthough similar to many food graters made of perforated sheet metal, surforms differ in having sharpened rims. Surform planes have been described as a cross between a rasp and a plane.

Surform tools were called 'cheese graters' decades before they entered the market as kitchen utensils used to grate cheese. The strip is mounted in a carriage or handle. A surform tool consists of a steel strip with holes punched out and the rim of each hole sharpened to form a cutting edge. Two Stanley Surform planes Two Stanley Surform pocket planesĪ surform tool (also surface-forming tool ) features perforated sheet metal and resembles a food grater.

Surform 21-293 flat file blade