Research concluded that not only were there serious injuries from workplace accidents but also long term effects including repetitive motion injuries to arms and hands, high-pitched sounds causing hearing loss and in general, workplace fatigue. All this from a “naked” chisel that had not been improved in many years.

McCarty concluded that the only possible answer lay in product redesign. What if Baltimore Toolworks could make a chisel that reduced the incidence of injuries to workers? Pondering the question in his office one day, McCarty sketched out a urethane plastic cap that would fit on top of a chisel. He tried it in the shop. The cap deadened the pinging noise and seemed to reduce vibration. The overhanging sides of the cap reduced the problem of missing the top of the chisel and smashing up hands and fingers.

Though Hard Cap Technologies had the concept to reinvent the chisel, McCarty sought the research skills of the University of Delaware and the technology support of Dupont. After research proved the idea sound, the findings were submitted to the 2003 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. Hard Cap was shown to protect the hands of the user, optimize cutting force and durability, while reducing vibration and noise. The striking surface is two and a half times larger and eliminates flying chips and mushrooming, significantly improving the safety performance of the tool.