Show your vintage Bridgeport tools!

[d42jeep]

I think I may have possibly solved part of the mystery surrounding Don's Stanley-BHM frankenstein driver.

I did some research to try to confirm my theory (see post #237) above.

As we all know, the first Phillips patents (2046837, followed quickly by an improvement, 2046840) were granted in 1936. Following suit, it makes perfect sense that the first Stanley catalog in which Phillips screwdrivers are introduced, as "new," was 1937. No mention of Phillips patent numbers or a license. The first Stanley catalog that cites the Phillips patent numbers and their license is 1940. The first BHM catalog that includes Phillips screwdrivers is 1940. No mention of Phillips patent numbers or a license.

All of that seems to jibe with my theory.

However, I am actually going to throw a 'shaggy dog barking up the wrong tree story' at you guys.

In every Stanley catalog I could find on IA/ITCL up through 1957, the part numbers for their Phillips screwdrivers are 25xx and 27xx and none of the shanks have that hex shoulder under the ferrule like Don's screwdriver, which has a different part number "H1823" and the name "CROSSPOINT". I could not find that screwdriver, by shape or by part number or name, in any Stanley catalog.

The 1940, 1953, and 1963 BHM catalogs on IA/ITCL all include Phillips screwdrivers, but none of the shanks have that hex shoulder under the ferrule.

Has anyone ever seen any vintage Phillips screwdriver without the Phillips patent numbers or at least a Phillips license number marking on the shank? All of mine - and that's dozens - either have the original patents (wartime tell!) or the occasional 1950 patent (2507231) that I couldn't read standing there at the flea market, and a license number.

Doesn't anyone else find it strange, then, that Don's screwdriver has neither marking?

The only cruciform bit screwdrivers I have without Phillips patent or license markings are Reed & Prince, which are Frearson, not Phillips. And guess what brand name they were apparently using? That's right... "CROSSPOINT"! We actually talked about it before on the Walden thread, starting here, in a bit of a fortunate mix-up that exposed the fact that Walden was selling "CROSSPOINT" cross-recess screwdrivers in the 1947 catalog, supplied by R&P.

I am thinking your shank might actually be a Frearson tip, not Phillips.

That would explain away the weirdness of BHM having to get shanks with Phillips tips from Stanley when they clearly had their own Phillips license, and might explain the part number that is not the part number Stanley used for their Phillips drivers.

It doesn't explain why BHM apparently had to get shanks with Frearson tips from Stanley, unless there was some kind of less advertised licensing scheme going on with Frearson, R&P, and Stanley (and perhaps others?) that we apparently don't know too much about.

The tip doesn't scream Frearson to me from here, though, so maybe the "CROSSPOINT" is just a coincidence in which case we'd be back to square one again.

My head hurts. I can't find any use of 'Crosspoint' as a brand by anyone. Vintage technical literature abounds with this term as a synonym for 'cross-recess' or 'cruciform' without using the Phillips or Frearson name. The reference to "Crosspoint" in the 1947 Walden catalog, which is undoubtedly R&P (Frearson), and the "Crosspoint" marking on Don's co-branded Stanley/BHM screwdriver shank, might be vaguely technical/functional, not formal/proprietary, for the same reason. In which case, if it really is a Phillips design, not a Frearson, we're right back to why it doesn't bear the typical Phillips markings. Maybe it could be early, as I first speculated, in a pre-licensing juncture, before the whole licensing scheme was formalized. In either case, I am exasperated.

I may be able to lessen your exasperation. I believe that your Crosspoint argument is likely correct. Both of my Stanley shanked Bridgeport screwdrivers have exactly the same markings.
Even though the tips greatly resemble those of my #3 Phillips Stanley screwdrivers, I did a scientific test on a #3 Phillips screw. The screw didn’t fit the Stanley shanked Bridgeport drivers quite as well as the Phillips #3 Stanley screwdrivers.
The Black handle Stanley #3 only has the one early Patent number as opposed to the others that have the customary two patents on the shank.
It seems that Bridgeport did continue to buy shanks from others. When I checked my #2 drivers, one has the Bridgeport License no. 7 but the other has the Irwin License no. 2.
I’m a little sad about replacing my ORD engraved Bridgeport with a Stanley in my GMTK.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks, Don.

 

[d42jeep]

I found these two wrenches at this morning’s tool sale. They are ones I already have but look to be in slightly better condition after cleanup.
After cleaning

-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Bridgeport wrench photos from yesterday.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ I wasn't aware you had a Bridgeport collection. I think I have some orphans here that just found a new home. Adding them to your box.

 

[bonneyman]

Bridgeport wrench photos from yesterday.
-Don

Always loved the look of the X-beams. So classy!

 

[d42jeep]

I agree. These three came out the evaporust yesterday looking much better than when they went in.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

here are the orphans I've put into your pile:

 

[bonneyman]

I agree. These three came out the evaporust yesterday looking much better than when they went in.
-Don

Sweet!

Not only do they look really cool but for me the extra "bump" with the patent number on it seems to give me extra grip.

 

[Mark Stansbury]

I just scanned The Bridgeport Hardware Mfg. Corp. : Catalogue No. 19 from 1917.

 

[Outlawmws]

Got a wood handled Bridgeport driver yesterday - cleaned up the tip - Why do people dig weeds with a screwdriver?



It's also marked "BELL SYSTEM", and seems to have a leather or other insulating washer between the shank bell and the collar.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I just scanned The Bridgeport Hardware Mfg. Corp. : Catalogue No. 19 from 1917.

And I just paged through it with the alacrity and joy of someone all too used to knowing full well that the previously oldest reference in our library did not go back farther than 1930! And it does not disappoint! It has the early Tomahawk No. 99, with the tang and handle turned 90* in orientation to the tools (hammer, hatchet, nail puller and pry). It has the early crate tools (Seminole and Iroquois). We've seen the tools show up here and we've seen ads pulled from Google Books, but it's great to have the catalog. It has some screwdrivers I have never seen before, including a Knapp & Cowles, a Braunsdorf Mueller (I think), an "Agricultural Screw Driver" (no, it's not for digging weeds! ), five (5) different hollow handle tool sets, and an entire line of Bernard pliers re-branded as "Toro"!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The only example of anything close to this screwdriver that I just goggle-eyed in the 1917 BHM catalog...



...that I have ever seen in person is the c.1918 "Jiffy" I found and posted a few years ago in its own GJ thread here.

And an attachment below for the link-averse.

 

[Outlawmws]

Looked for my screwdriver to see if it was in there as the base for the Bell System version - nope!

I DID spot 4 pages of "hollow handle tools" staring on page 44 (other kits on prior pages)

 

[RTM]

And I just paged through it with the alacrity and joy of someone all too used to knowing full well that the previously oldest reference in our library did not go back farther than 1930!

I have a 1925 here as a hard copy reprint, so my “oldest status” just went out the window, which is great. Thanks @Mark Stansbury

 

[d42jeep]

I agree. These three came out the evaporust yesterday looking much better than when they went in.
-Don

here are the orphans I've put into your pile:

The Bridgeport wrenches arrived from BK yesterday. I cleaned this one up and it’s ready to be added to the “X” wrench collection.
He also sent along a screwdriver that has kind of a Klein look but is clearly marked Bridgeport on the shank.


-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Plucked this hand vise out of a box at the flea this morning.

 

[WisJim]

Bridgeport scraper also marked Bell System (also posted in the Bell System thread).

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I'm always happy to find a bonafide wartime BHM MQ jeep toolkit wrench. I just wish it would be one of the other four ("723", "25", "28-S", or "731-C") in the 5-pc set every once in while! (Last one I found, last year, was also a "27C")

 

[Outlawmws]

"Master Quality" to me, usually means monkey Wards?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Point of lots of discussion in jeep circles over the years. BHM is cited as a Ford GPW and Ordnance Dept supplier in several documents, nobody has ever seen one without the MASTER QUALITY, and there are wrenches with WARD'S MASTER QUALITY. So the community backed its way into, 'these FORGED STEEL and MQ only types have to be them.'

 

[Provincial]

From the spacing of the lettering, the word WARD'S may have been ground off the forging die that made that wrench. Look closely at that area.

 

[Mintgrun]

I'm always happy to find a bonafide wartime BHM MQ jeep toolkit wrench. I just wish it would be one of the other four ("723", "25", "28-S", or "731-C") in the 5-pc set every once in while!

I found a 731A, but it's not wartime. I prefer your rounded edge wrench to this squared off example.



I also found the MASTER QUALITY off-center placement odd and looked to see if there was evidence of WARDS on mine, but I don't see it. They may have just done a good job of erasing it though. Did they ever put MOLYBDENUM ALLOY on WARDS wrenches?



"731A", as in, Adulterated!


They did a nice job though.

 

[RTM]

Did they ever put MOLYBDENUM ALLOY on WARDS wrenches?

Yes, there are two here, adjustables with Wards and Moly, and two fixed without Wards.

Montgomery Ward & Company

An article on Montgomery Ward

alloy-artifacts.org

Many more examples here

Google Search

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Did they ever put MOLYBDENUM ALLOY on WARDS wrenches?

Yes. In general, as BHM moved from compositions of Nickel-Molybdenum (30's) to Molybdenum-Alloy (late 30's to early war) to Forged Steel (wartime) that and concomitant markings was translated to their customers.

I found a 731A, but it's not wartime.

Some of us sneak them into prewar. More on how and why below.

I also found the MASTER QUALITY off-center placement odd and looked to see if there was evidence of WARDS on mine, but I don't see it. They may have just done a good job of erasing it though.

Or removed it from the die, as many postulate. On the smaller wrenches (723, 25) it is less noticeable. Confoundingly, though, if you visually put the "WARD'S" back in on some of these, it becomes off-center to the left, so none of the reasoning works out exactly right. Note also that Ward's did not have a registered TM for "Master Quality", so it's not a shoe-in that BHM wasn't just using it as well.

I never know how deep or not to go on some of these subjects here on GJ, topics I immersed myself in on G503.com and in the toolkit chapter I co-wrote with Fred "CJ-1A" Coldwell for the Lloyd White "Evolution of the Willys MB" book, because it gets very esoteric very fast. But as long as we're 'in for a penny' already, one more 'in for a pound' comment is that I have theorized BHM took a late 1930's govt wrench spec very literally with their ISN markings in the way that the spec places the numbers in quote marks in the document itself, almost as if the document was taken from the front office and given to the die maker that way. That theory was used to further postulate that the "Molybdenum-Alloy" MQ wrenches are also Ordnance Dept, a theory further strengthened by that not typically appearing on WARD's wrenches, and by the fact that Moly-Alloy MQ wrenches turn up in cosmolene repacks just as often as Forged Steel MQ wrenches. Also, note that all of the wrenches we are discussing - including the BHM MQ Moly-Alloy, are not chromed.

Pics below are three cosmo BHM MQ's I had found years ago, incl one Moly-Alloy, and the cleaned up set they helped complete owned by a friend and colleague and Ford GPW jeeper in the UK.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Picked up a second pair of Matchless pliers this morning at the flea. The first, found several years ago, is not plated, or was denuded of it along the way, and had only the faintest hint of the branding above the slip joint area. These are very well preserved in comparison.

 

[Oregon Dave]

Picked up a second pair of Matchless pliers this morning at the flea. The first, found several years ago, is not plated, or was denuded of it along the way, and had only the faintest hint of the branding above the slip joint area. These are very well preserved in comparison.

That is a Great Score for the Jersey Shore; "Authentic Jersey Shore".

 

[Oregon Dave]

The Bridgeport wrenches arrived from BK yesterday. I cleaned this one up and it’s ready to be added to the “X” wrench collection.
He also sent along a screwdriver that has kind of a Klein look but is clearly marked Bridgeport on the shank.


-Don

Isn't it a pretty solid definitely maybe that the manufacturer of the screwdriver; made Klein's?

 

[four.cycle]

He also sent along a screwdriver that has kind of a Klein look but is clearly marked Bridgeport on the shank.

OH!
You know... I barely looked at those screwdrivers..... I noticed there was a "Forsberg" in the mix.
That was a "grab bag" deal: You want the pliers, you get the screwdrivers.
All I was after was that pair of Craftsman "Arc-Joint" pliers.

 

[d42jeep]

Isn't it a pretty solid definitely maybe that the manufacturer of the screwdriver; made Klein's?

Some of my Klein screwdrivers have the Bridgeport patent number on the rubber grips so that is a definite maybe.
I found this little guy at yesterday’s estate sale and removed most of the rust. The blade is marked Alloy Steel.
Before and after pictures.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Flea find this morning.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Not sure that connecting piece - which had an annoying 3-1/2" screw and nut for the missing pin, removed for the photo - is original, but I am pretty sure it's a fairly early model. Like the patent (Fay / 1,333,966) diagram, for a far simpler "Lifting Jack" (DATAMP link HERE), my example is not provisioned for all the parts as the No. 1 marketed as the "Fay-O-Rite" (note: without the "H" in the "-OH-" that is forged into the tool) by BHM in their 1930 catalog.