Hi Neil
I'm not sure what you mean by 'morticing the socket'. I've heard of westerners using bungee to keep the yuloh on the pin, which seems to be cheating, and of easterners using some iron work around the tip of the blade to add weight and keep it from floating and lifting the yuloh of the pin, but to me morticing suggests chiselling a deep hole in the loom, which may work, but may weaken the loom.
I'm off to bed now so if you write again I'll answer tomorrow.
Goodnight, Slieve.