PURPOSE: To provide a surface inspection instrument enables accurate elimina tion of metal parts defective as the results of inspection with a simple control mechanism after the measurement of flatness and the detection of flaws of the metal parts.

CONSTITUTION: In a surface inspection instrument FA, the measurement of the flatness of an end face and a detection of flaws of work are performed with an inspection station 3 and the work inspected is conveyed to a rejection work eliminating station 4 by a pitch transportation. Then. if the work is defective, it is eliminated from the rejection work eliminating state 4 while an inspection of the subsequent work is performed at an inspection station 3. Thus, since the defective work is eliminated from the rejection work eliminating station 4 at a downstream point just near it, possible confusion can be prevented between the defective work and normal work allowing the elimination of the defective work accurately. This mechanism also facilitates the determining of a timing for the elimination of the defective work thereby simplifying a control mechanism thereof.