Who made the best vintage adjustable wrenches?

[msharley]

Hey gang, this seems like an appropriate place to drop this, found it in a FB group. The subject was 4” adjustables.

Join the Missouri Valley Wrench Club page and download the list of over 700 variants.

. I guess some of us have a little catching up to do. I’m only at about 16 total.

Have but THREE of the 4" jobs. Snap On, Crescent, and Diamond? (have to check that one)...It will go to a 9/16" nut (3/8") and is very thin line...have had it more that 50yrs! And it was old when I got it at the yard sale/flea market?

Late Bride got me the Snap On...Chrome.

I needed a 4" with the other two at home and got the Crescent at a Farm & Fleet/Central Tractor in Illinois...15yrs or more ago...

 

[fishwatcher]

The "auto wrench" or "Ford wrench" (as they are generally termed) are also usable as general wrenches, although they lack the angled head that the Crescent design has. In addition, the ones I've handled tend to have looser actions — more play in tightening — than a Crescent style does.

There's a whole GJ thread on these wrenches here.

The test I use when considering to buy one is how easily they open and close, and second, do the jaws close together without a gap or wedge-shaped opening? Many of these wrenches were issued with Ford model T and model A cars (and perhaps other car makes), and the owners must have used a lot of force at times to turn something with them, splaying the jaws.

Yours look like they close smoothly and tightly, plus the edges of the jaws don't show distortion and damage. You have a good condition, usable wrench from a quality maker.

Bottom line? This type of wrench typically saw really hard use in most cases. You will see many of them at yard sales and ReStore shops; approach with caution if you're planning to buy and actually use one.

Thanks! The auto wrench cleaned up really well. It closes with no gaps and was never abused. It’s basically in new condition now after I cleaned the light rust off.

Here are my four name-brand adjustable “Crescent” style wrenches (next to the auto wrench). A 12” Proto Click- Stop, a 10” Crescent, an 8” Diamond Tools, and an 8” Blue-Point. They may or may not be vintage.. but are all “old” I think.

The Blue-Point had chrome flaking off of it. Super annoying. I used a wire wheel and 3M radial brushes and think I got all of the flaking chrome off. I wiped it down with some oil for rust protection. I think it looks good and usable again.

Unfortunately, I still couldn’t tell you which I think is the best. All seem like they will do whatever job I throw at them.

 

[SwissMetric]

I have a newer Bahco with a reversible jaw' making it either an adjustable or a pipe wrench...it works great and I use it all the time. Probably the best adjustable I've ever used.

Didn't know that one. Currently Irega (irega.es, Spain) has a good line of reversible jaws adjustable wrenches, very convenient and high quality, there are also thin tip non-reversible jaws, very useful but not for heavy loads. Typically most can be opened slightly beyond the end of the graduation. Irega also makes all current Stahlwille adjustable wrenches and supply many other manufacturers. AFAIK it's the only manufacturer of adjustable wrenches in Europe or at least they say so IIRC.
Irega spare parts are available but it can be tricky to find out which ones match as they're not marked.

In Swiss German and French they're here commonly called Engländerschlüssel or clé anglaise (Schüssel = Clé = Key, also for locks, padlocks, etc). Germans call them Rollgabelschlüssel.

Adjustable wrenches are mandatory for Pg cable glands with odd across flats dimensions for which wrenches simply do not exist (just check the Agro catalog to get an idea). Would have to check manufacturers, there are various I can't remember.

Here the ultra-robust Reishauer are widespread here but it's another design, would have to check how it's called. Originally it was the same company which still manufactures precision grinding machines tools. Don't know what happened later, they're still manufactured but since ages no longer by Reishauer, the quality is still top notch.

 

[esben57]

Oldest I had was a Clyburn type from 1916 with the Brit war department broad arrow marking.
Made by Joseph Evans and Sons in Sheffield.
May have told stories although I picked it up within a mile of the factory - now long gone. Sent to a museum further north.
Have a very nice Proto, quality, Gedore identical to the original Bahco but better. Britool that were made in Sweden.
My first Bahco now had 35 years, bit wobbly worn. May get a repair kit but these are now far eastern made and the parts don't fit, that's from experience and advice.

 

[esben57]

What I also found was a BSA - Motorcycles small arms machine tools.
Taking down FIL's rotten shed I saw it laying on the floor needing a clean.
It had fixed body and jaw similar to girder spanners. The sliding jaw was spring loaded with a thumb press indent.
Adjustment was by pressing the moving jaw against the spring to slide either up or down.
Both jaws had fine tooth racks to locate.
Didn't keep hold of it, unwisely. Sold it for about 40 quid.
Not seen one before or since and no photos .

 

[Farmer J.]

I have a newer Bahco with a reversible jaw' making it either an adjustable or a pipe wrench...it works great and I use it all the time. Probably the best adjustable I've ever used.

I have one of those as well but a lot older, used it for decades in my carry box and it worked OK as a pipe wrench if i was in the field and a water trough needed attention. It's now in semi retirement, having been superseded by a modern Klein Plier Wrench with the reversible jaw.

 

[Farmer J.]

In Swiss German and French they're here commonly called Engländerschlüssel or clé anglaise (Schüssel = Clé = Key, also for locks, padlocks, etc). Germans call them Rollgabelschlüssel.

That's interesting, thank you for the information. The correct names in different languages will helps with internet searches too.

 

[four.cycle]

The correct names in different languages will helps with internet searches too

nomenclature thread

 

[johninct]

I like Crescent.

 

[OmegaDPW]

New old Craftsman today!

 

[genog]

I have way way too many adjustables.....

I've had this Powr Kraft in a tool bag, just in case

 

[d42jeep]

A couple of recent finds. This carbon steel 12” Crescent wrench has stood the test of time. It remains in excellent condition ready to continue working well indefinitely. They were very thick through the jaw to provide strength as opposed to the newer Crestoloy wrenches.
The Diamond adjustable wrenches are consistently rated highly on this thread and judging from selling prices on eBay the ones with the green plastic handle covers are quite popular. I’ve flipped most of the ones I’ve found but I’ll probably hang on to this recent estate sale find.
-Don

 

[genog]

......They (Crestaloys) were very thick through the jaw to provide strength as opposed to the newer Crestoloy wrenches.

Yes... I've noticed that some of my older adjustables are THICK
Interesting.....

Here are a couple of Crestaloy 4"ers....
Perhaps over the years, Crescent did the opposite with their smaller adjustables?
That is, made the small ones in their lineup beefier and perhaps went a bit streamline with their bigger ones....

The older model is shown at the top of the pic, while the thicker, heavier, more recent one is shown on the bottom
Both Made in the USA
The jaws and handle are significantly thicker on the newer version.....

The older Crestaloy 4"er is rather week and kind of flimsy out of about a half dozen different 4"ers that I have -it's darn near like a toy tool

 

[TheRealZeus]

The pollen died down enough to get a nature shot. I have no idea where it’s sourcing nuts from, but so far nothing I own is falling apart.

 

[OmegaDPW]

New acquisitions to my USA adjustable wrench collection from the local flea market. My first Crescent brand and first Proto. I've got a JH Williams but this one is slightly different and I wasn't going to leave it there for $1.50.

 

[d42jeep]

An addition to the 4” adjustable collection found at an estate sale on Saturday. Looks to be very lightly used.
-Don

 

[OmegaDPW]

An addition to the 4” adjustable collection found at an estate sale on Saturday. Looks to be very lightly used.
-Don

Don,
I haven't seen a Craftsman 4 inch in the wild. This will be my next grail. Off to hunt Ebay now! Thanks for being an enabler.

 

[OmegaDPW]

Three new ones this past weekend. Crescent, Utica and William's. They were so rusted that I couldn't read any names on them and cleaned up well. The two 6 inch are locked up good. Any help on how to get them unstuck? Tried WD40 and tapping the jaw loose with a hammer and small bolt, but they bound up somewhere in the thumb wheel part.

 

[RTM]

. Any help on how to get them unstuck? Tried WD40 and tapping the jaw loose with a hammer and small bolt, but they bound up somewhere in the thumb wheel part.

I pull the pivot screw or pin out of the middle of the thumb screw, then disassemble all the pieces. Watch for loose springs.

Then after a soaking in evaporust or solvent, try using a punch to tap out the movable jaw. If not moving, more soaking. Do not wail on it.

 

[AreBeeBee]

I have also had good luck using lighter fluid as a rust-loosener, Zippo or Ronsonol whichever's at hand, for wrenches and pliers jammed in the joint by rust. It's also good at loosening the spoodge in a rusty joint in pliers.

 

[RTM]

Hey all, here is a Queen City by Bergman 12” adjustable wrench. When found it was bunked up solid, grease and dirt fouling everything up. Took it apart, the pin unscrewed, used a Screw started to pull it out. Few minutes of full strength SG cleaned most of it up, the polished jaw area got some Scotchbrite wheel time and Simichrome. Took a stone to the rough edges on the jaws. I was amazed at how rough the sides of the sliding bit was.



Cleaned up fairly well, did not want to go berserk on the wheel.

The square in the tail end is a tight 7/16, don’t have s ratchet that size to verify against.

 

[rustyzman]

A group of four Trimo monkey wrenches from today's estate sales. Could not pass them up for $2 each. Big one is largest I have seen personally.

 

[KFBR392]

Far and away the most satisfying adjustable I’ve ever handled and one I’ve never seen before or since finding this one. Quali-Kraft helix wrench, made in Japan. Not the finest, smoothest casting (I know it’s forged but you get what I mean), but the brass Helix adjustment is buttery smooth and impossible to not fidget with. Also has a nice solid weight to it.

 

[AreBeeBee]

Far and away the most satisfying adjustable I’ve ever handled and one I’ve never seen before or since finding this one. Quali-Kraft helix wrench, made in Japan. Not the finest, smoothest casting (I know it’s forged but you get what I mean), but the brass Helix adjustment is buttery smooth and impossible to not fidget with. Also has a nice solid weight to it.

Question -- how do you lock the jaws on a nut? I get it that it slides closed easily, but why doesn't it slide open just as easily?

 

[TheRealZeus]

4:56 on.. all is a good overview…

 

[d42jeep]

I always pick up 4” adjustable wrenches when I see them at sales. Here is one I found at a NV sale on Saturday. It is easy to see the pride of manufacturing that went into this quality German example.
-Don

 

[Oregon Dave]

I always pick up 4” adjustable wrenches when I see them at sales. Here is one I found at a NV sale on Saturday. It is easy to see the pride of manufacturing that went into this quality German example.
-Don

Wow; nothing about that wrench appears German; even the registry of the stampings.

Makes me think counterfeit or what a sad state German craftsmen were in!

 

[Skellyii]

Here's one I found at an estate sale this weekend. It's a Presidian 63-195 Motorized Adjustable Power Wrench. It takes two AA batteries and has a light built in.

Haven't put batteries in it yet or done much research.

Anyone know anything about this one?

 

[TheRealZeus]

Presidian 63-195 seen it. Although I do not have an ad, there are a couple other products that were made for RadioShack by that same company.
Here is missing brand stamp on wrench;



Here is another product, by the same company, that was produced for Radioshack. AM/FM Radio packaging reference picture pulled from eBay.

 

[gleman]

Doing some cleanup, I found my favorite 6", a Martin A-6.



And my favorite 10", a Diamalloy.

 

[Ayrhead]

Two Foot print adjustable wrench/spanner. Made in England

 

[Farmer J.]

Two Foot print adjustable wrench/spanner. Made in England

I have some of those. They're handy for plumbing, but they're horrible to use and don't grip pipes very well.!

 

[INSP380]

I’m diggin these newly acquired Diamonds…3 Diamonds beats two Crescents and a Proto…

Steve

 

[cody1325]

New old Craftsman today!

Nice! I just ordered two eight-inch SK from the website (one of the few pre-Great Star items they still had--and at $8 each why not?) that looks nearly identical. I suspect both came out of Western Forge.

 

[Eric Brown]

Here is an interesting 12" adjustable that appears to have been made by Diamond based on the wording "DROP FORGED" and "TOOL STEEL". It was stamped with the Fulton name upside down on both sides from the other wording. There are also casting numbers of A507 at the thumbscrew opening and B510 on the jaw. This also has a spring on the top end of the thumbscrew which would have been Peterson's patent 1133236 (Mar. 23, 1915). As this patent was assigned to Crescent, Billings & Spencer probably used it after the patent ran out. The spring itself is only one coil long. Owner punched his initials, EL, on both sides.

I stand corrected by 3baygarage and others. I had Billings & Spencer as the maker. Got my notes mixed up.

 

[3baygarage]

Nice. I think that was made by Diamond.

 

[d42jeep]

i agree, very likely early Diamond.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

"Tool Steel" (or "Tool-Steel") is not a compositional marking I have seen or think of with B&S wrenches, Eric. Not sure where you're getting that. The association of B&S with Sears - pre-Craftsman and into the Long C era, is a very strong one, but they weren't known for crescent-type adjustable wrench production. While they were huge proponents and makers of bicycle and then "Auto" type adjustable wrenches, they didn't seem to be fans of the type. They made them in an "S" wrench style in the 30's, but I don't think they even added standard crescent-type wrenches to their catalog lineup until the late 1940's and 50's.

 

[Eric Brown]

"Tool Steel" (or "Tool-Steel") is not a compositional marking I have seen or think of with B&S wrenches, Eric. Not sure where you're getting that. The association of B&S with Sears - pre-Craftsman and into the Long C era, is a very strong one, but they weren't known for crescent-type adjustable wrench production. While they were huge proponents and makers of bicycle and then "Auto" type adjustable wrenches, they didn't seem to be fans of the type. They made them in an "S" wrench style in the 30's, but I don't think they even added standard crescent-type wrenches to their catalog lineup until the late 1940's and 50's.

Thanks for all the corrections. You guys are right, Diamond. I got my notes mixed up with some other wrenches.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

^ Happens to all of us.

Did you run into a bunch of Fulton tools in the same box lately? (Alluding to the K-D made Fulton-branded ignition plier set we were just discussing on the 'Pliers' thread.) Or is that just a coincidence?