THE DROP FORGED DIFFERENCE
Drop forging is a manufacturing process which involves heating the metal and hammering it into a shaped die to produce a tool. As the metal is shaped, any voids are removed and the internal grain structure is altered and aligned to follow the general shape of the tool. Drop forged tools offer the ultimate in strength, durability and lasting sharpness.
THE CORONA STORY
The story starts in 1928, in the orange groves around the city of Corona, California. Back then, transporting the fruit to the east coast could take 15 days, and it often arrived in poor condition. A local schoolteacher realised that sharp stems left on the oranges scratched and pierced the skins of neighbouring fruit during the long journey. Harvesting by cutting the stem close to the orange, while leaving the fruit’s ‘button’ intact, would reduce damage and improve sale prices.
The schoolteacher designed a hand tool for harvesting and asked a local blacksmith to forge it. The small, durable and precise orange shear crafted by the blacksmith proved to be the ideal solution. Thanks to this innovation in the harvesting process, the area’s citrus industry went from strength to strength, becoming known as California’s Second Gold Rush. The blacksmith became a supplier to the industry – and Corona® was born.