PURPOSE: To facilitate the inspection of a surface flaw of work, by a method wherein a measuring element is brought into contact with the surface of work and the work and the measuring element are moved relatively to detect a surface flaw with the vibration of the measuring element.

CONSTITUTION: Work 100 is conveyed horizontally and vertically with a chuck 10 of a work conveying device 1 to be placed on an inspection base 20. Then, a pair of measuring elements 32 at an inspection section 3 are brought into contact with the surface of the work 100 at a specified angle respectively. Then, the work 100 is turned with a motor 21 and when a flaw exists on the surface thereof, a vibration sensor 30 having the measuring elements 32 fixed detects it. Here, a relative moving speed between the work 100 and the measuring elements 32 is held within 4W40cm/sec. Then, a sorter 4 sorts the work 100 having a flaw. Thus, a surface flaw of work is inspected automatically in a short time thereby enabling the sorting of the work as accepted and rejected with a high workability.