Old huge tin/metal shears/scissors Pexton brand?

[fredfr]

I picked these up yesterday at a local second-hand store that was closing out. It's 39 1/2" tall. In excellent condition in terms of the cutting and movement aspects.
I'm curious if anyone knows what they were originally used for?

 

[four.cycle]

"Bench Shears"

Peck Stow & Wilcox / Peck Stow & Wilcox Co., Southington, CT / "P.S.& W." "Pexto" "Pesco" "Me-Kan-Ik" "Stronghold" / patent D18376 Jun 5 1888 Pardon A. Whitney & 70917 Nov 12 1867 Orson W. Stow & 331164 Nov 24 1885 Edgar Shaw & 385983 Jul 10 1888 & 388007 Aug 14 1888 Pardon A. Whitney & 509252 Nov 21 1893 Amos Shepard & 553059 Jan 14 1896 Robert Cosmos Ellrich (* some units marked "PAT JAN 14 86") / http://alloy-artifacts.org/peck-stow-wilcox.html / http://alloy-artifacts.org/peck-stow-wilcox.html#history / http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgIndex/detail.aspx?id=2721 / https://wrenchwiki.com/peck-stow-wilcox/ /

an early catalog page showing a similar item:


1895 Chas. A. Strelinger & Co. catalog Peck Stow & Wilcox tool ad pp 63

 

[fredfr]

"Bench Shears"

Peck Stow & Wilcox / Peck Stow & Wilcox Co., Southington, CT / "P.S.& W." "Pexto" "Pesco" "Me-Kan-Ik" "Stronghold" / patent D18376 Jun 5 1888 Pardon A. Whitney & 70917 Nov 12 1867 Orson W. Stow & 331164 Nov 24 1885 Edgar Shaw & 385983 Jul 10 1888 & 388007 Aug 14 1888 Pardon A. Whitney & 509252 Nov 21 1893 Amos Shepard & 553059 Jan 14 1896 Robert Cosmos Ellrich (* some units marked "PAT JAN 14 86") / http://alloy-artifacts.org/peck-stow-wilcox.html / http://alloy-artifacts.org/peck-stow-wilcox.html#history / http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgIndex/detail.aspx?id=2721 / https://wrenchwiki.com/peck-stow-wilcox/ /

an early catalog page showing a similar item:


1895 Chas. A. Strelinger & Co. catalog Peck Stow & Wilcox tool ad pp 63

Interesting and thanks! These are different in some respects, including brand. I wish there were overall lengths provided. I assume the lengths quoted are referring to the shear aspect only. As I mentioned mine are 39 1/2" overall length.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Those are sweet.

30 seconds into this video....

 

[four.cycle]

These are different in some respects, including brand.

photo of herald mark on tool?

 

[RTM]

Interesting and thanks! These are different in some respects, including brand. I wish there were overall lengths provided. I assume the lengths quoted are referring to the shear aspect only. As I mentioned mine are 39 1/2" overall length.

Measure just the blade (along the cutting line)? OR, using a paper scale on your picture, your blades are about 3/11 of the overall length, or about 10.77", so I will guess that a good accurate rule will say yours are 10.5" blades, the second largest size. A more accurate scale may get you closer

This snip from catalog #20 gets you both. At 39", says you are a size 1, with a 9" cut length. (Don't sweat the 1/2" OAL)

 

[d42jeep]

Some smaller Pexto tin snips.
-Don

 

[fredfr]

Measure just the blade (along the cutting line)? OR, using a paper scale on your picture, your blades are about 3/11 of the overall length, or about 10.77", so I will guess that a good accurate rule will say yours are 10.5" blades, the second largest size. A more accurate scale may get you closer

This snip from catalog #20 gets you both. At 39", says you are a size 1, with a 9" cut length. (Don't sweat the 1/2" OAL)

Wow. Really cool. 22.70 back in the day. I wonder how rare they are now?

 

[RTM]

Wow. Really cool. 22.70 back in the day. I wonder how rare they are now?

Not terribly in my world. I have seen 2 at two different personal shops, about 2 miles apart, in a residential neighborhood, in the past 6 months.

 

[fredfr]

This is the only one I've personally seen in my life. I'm a tool guy in general and 60. I'm in BC Canada though. Where are you?

 

[RTM]

A great tool for the rest of the world to know.

 

[slowtwitch73]

That size is pretty rare from my experience.

Smaller snips like the Pextos posted are dime a dozen.

 

[Ricky Joe]

Looks like they might be great for cutting asphalt shingles.

 

[RTM]

Not terribly in my world. I have seen 2 at two different personal shops, about 2 miles apart, in a residential neighborhood, in the past 6 months.

That size is pretty rare from my experience.

Smaller snips like the Pextos posted are dime a dozen.

I guess I hang out with weird friends with interesting collecting habits.

One pair was hiding in the right back corner here. The guy took both pairs.



Here was the early pic

 

[Skyman]

Those are sweet.

30 seconds into this video....

This is a fascinating video. Thanks for posting it.

 

[californiamilleghia]

Amazing how straight they cut in the video , what gauge metal were they made to cut ?

 

[fredfr]

I'm personally not up on gauge as such but I cut a 1/16" piece of sheet with no problem

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This is a fascinating video.

Every time I see these videos from India or Pakistan, guys in sandals making things with hand tools or machinery from the turn of the last century, I have nothing but mad respect.

 

[fredfr]

Yes. I watch many as well. No safety standards, but very resourceful people. And resilient it seems.

 

[3baygarage]

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/2024-garage-sale-thread-13th-annual.526765/post-10782673

Check out the old photo in this post today. Some giant shears.

 

[fredfr]

Don't see any giant shears.

 

[3baygarage]

Don't see any giant shears.

I didn't at first either. The photo of the men from the tin shop. Zoom in and take a real close look. I blew it up a couple posts down.