Unfortunately more and more greenhorns or self proclaimed experts are doing more and more skilled crafts these days. At one time you had to be a bona fide expert, a mechanical engineer or similar to find a publisher to publish such an article as outlined above but today anyone can source data online, post it on line and put their name on it. For generations we have had quality television with consistent color, audio levels and stories that flowed smoothly and told the whole story. Today youtube has had to build in edit controls where we can speed up or slow down content because the publisher hasn't properly edited their post. Now we the viewer are expected to edit as we watch. We live in an age where everybody wants to be the publisher and try to do the job a crew of 50 experts used to do. Our standards have slipped as we watch content that was not produced by the people with the expertise to tell the story.
The fact that research comes out of a publisher with 50 “experts” on staff doesn’t make the research correct, or even necessarily good, and there are plenty of examples of very poorly produced and/or presented research that was completely or mostly wrong.
Likewise, some random guy on Youtube, who films, edits, and presents his own content, is not necessarily wrong or ignorant on the subjects he is presenting.
Much in depth research, is actually done by individuals, or very small groups of people, and winds up as the authoritative research or reference material on a subject. And while the research may prove to be flawed, in many cases it is majorly correct, and is the foundation on which other research builds.
Previously, lots of specialist research was done by individuals and then published in books, or presented at traveling lectures, to others interested or involved in the same field. Now, the same type of individual, may present the research as a video on Youtube or as a blg, or a forum post.
The fact that PBS aired a documentary claiming the discovery of Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat, which was later debunked as a con job is proof that professionally produced documentaries can be completely full of **** information.
‘60 Minutes’ produced an entire segment on safety problems associated with the Remmington 700 rifle, and there’s a separately produced video, showing all the issues with the ‘60 Minutes’ produced video piece.
As far as the actual topic of this thread goes.
Different manufacturers use different steel to produce their ratchets, and more importantly, the manufacturers use different techniques to forge, shape, machine, heat treat, finish, and otherwise check their ratchets. So you can’t make a decision just based on something like the steel that was used.
‘How It’s Made’, the educational TV show, had an episode on ratchets, were the production of Snap-On ratchets was shown.
Matco has a video showing the production of their current ratchets, and the technique is slightly different.
Some German manufacturers likely also have films showing production.
