Outlawmws
Well-known member
I'd agree predates PEXTO, branding. I have a damaged PEXTO clamp on; 2-1/2" jaws.
Peck Stowe and Wilcox
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Stubby1743
Well-known member
I bought these snips yesterday for £2. They look virtually unused and appear to have had a BLO coating in the past. Some traces of red paint around the finger holes. Is the 83 a model number or the date of manufacture? They have U.S.A. on the other side.
d42jeep
Well-known member
The 83 is a model number. My earlier PS&W CO snips have the same number. 
-Don
-Don
Stubby1743
Well-known member
Ok, thanks.
cowades206
Well-known member
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Here is a P.S. & W scale. Not nearly as nice as the one in the 1910 catalog. No "KING 300 COTTON". Even the manufacturers label kind of goes off the edge. I assume it is earlier than 1910 since it seems pretty crude compared the pic in the catalog.
My mother brought this home from my grandparents farm and hung it on the family room wall. She remembered it being used on the farm by her father and grandfather.
My mother brought this home from my grandparents farm and hung it on the family room wall. She remembered it being used on the farm by her father and grandfather.
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cowades206
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Oregon rock crusher
Well-known member
I picked up a set of P S & W No. 8 dividers yesterday out of a machinist chest along with a couple other calipers. These have seen a lot of use but will be good for a little more. I would have bought several other items from the chest but the vendor liked his stuff too! Most of it more than I did..... Ed.
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RTM
Well-known member
The Osborne version of those have standard modern threads on them, you might be able to replace that odd thing with a knurled nut, then look for a vintage one.
Oregon rock crusher
Well-known member
Thanks RTM. I may even have a knurled nut that would fit the wing but I doubt I change that brass bit out. It's a vintage repair by some long gone machinist and I kind of like it that way. I thought with that pie crust border around the PS&W logo they might be early. Here is a catalog cut from 1910 but the numbers are different. Ed.
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RTM
Well-known member
Your #8 is the length in inches, normally. The x35 finish is hard to tell from 100+ years ago.
Oregon rock crusher
Well-known member
d42jeep
Well-known member
I found this rusty Pexto wood chisel at a recent sale. I put it through the evaporust and added a handle. 
-Don
-Don
RTM
Well-known member
I see these, and how much they look like the Stanley (& Craftsman) ones, I wonder if Pexto made their own, or also sold to Craftsman.
Great chisels, I only have one, but friends have more.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Never seen one marked PEXTO!
I can't remember exactly, but I believe this came from the in-laws, who always give me tools they find "from the ancestors". I've gotten some real sweethearts from them.
No idea on the age, I haven't really looked into it.
She deserves a little cleanup though.
No idea on the age, I haven't really looked into it.
She deserves a little cleanup though.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Nice one!
four.cycle
Well-known member
MiteyF said:
old.
very cool.
The "Robinson Patent" model is at the bottom:
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I have been lurking here for years, but had to make an account finally to share that this thread helped me ID these PS&W pliers.
Thank you, sincerely, to everyone here doing the work of getting this type of information online in places it can be found and archived.
Jack
Thank you, sincerely, to everyone here doing the work of getting this type of information online in places it can be found and archived.
Jack
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Got these screwdrivers in a trade pkg from @Steven 33, both made by Pexto. One in-house production, the other for the venerated Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett "True Value" brand.
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d42jeep
Well-known member
That’s a nice looking Worth marked screwdriver. I gathered these Worth branded tools for a photo today. I’m making some efforts to gather like brands together. I suppose that I should keep these with the Pexto tools. 
-Don
-DonMintgrun
Well-known member
I picked up these PEXTO pruning shears recently and am thinking they must have also produced this no-name pair. They're pretty much identical, aside from the pivot nut style and rivet size. Someone ground down the clasp on the unmarked pair.
Very early logo. 1910-1915
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Yep. If you continue reading from there I eventually post an excerpt of it in a 1911 trade mag.
Hello. First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Hernán, and I'm 54 years old. I live in Argentina. Some time ago, I started cleaning and restoring my father's tools (he still lives with his wife, my 81-year-old mother; he's 92). For years, he worked with automatic wire-bending machines of all kinds. He took an Italian model of this type of machine and perfected it. He worked in the leather goods industry. Of course, he made his own dies (although he's not an engineer, he did attend a technical high school for several years). To do this, naturally, he bought many, many tools. He has not only the four automatic machines he built himself, but also several machine tools (a shaper, a milling machine, a lathe, a bench drill, a grinder, a bench grinder, a handsaw, a press, etc.) and a multitude of hand tools and various power tools. For the past year or two, then, I've been dedicating my free time to restoring all the hand and power tools he owns. Modern and antique tools, of course. He also has woodworking tools. Lately, since I'd restored almost all of his hand and power tools, I only had a few clamps left to restore. Well... only those clamps remained. Almost all of them were made in Argentina. However, one of them, a LARGE one, enormous to me, was completely rusted. COMPLETELY rusted. So, I removed the rust; I ran the steel wire brush from my bench grinder over it and realized that, indeed, it was a VERY old clamp. It's a P.S. & W. Co. Southington, Conn. U.S.A. - Steel No. 6 Screw. What was strange, and what surprised me, was its condition (and I'm not referring to the rust) but practically without any visible signs of use... As if it had been used very little or hardly at all. Despite this, upon closer inspection, I noticed that the part with the brand name engraved on it (not visible in the photos I took), when viewed from above, is bent... like an "s"... At first, this struck me as odd because it doesn't appear to have any dents. However, upon closer inspection, it's clear as if someone had brutally hammered the "back" (I don't know what to call that part of the clamp). Is it possible to deform a clamp of this size, with that type of deformation, and in that way, with a hammer? I understand that this isn't what happened, but rather that the clamp came like this from the factory, from the foundry. I have no other explanation for this deformation. The dents are visible there if you look closely. There are also very slight dents on the sides... But, in general, as I said, it seems to have been used very little (except, of course, by the user who proceeded to hammer the poor clamp). Here are the photos of the clamp I have, and of course, the photo of the deformation I mentioned (the adjusting screw is also misaligned, as you can see in one of the photos). I'll leave it at that, apologizing in advance if I went on too long, but I find everything detailed in this thread and in "The Garage Journal" very interesting, and I wanted to contribute something with the limited information that has reached Argentina, in terms of hand tools, from the United States during the last century. P.S.: These markings are noticeable (perhaps not visible in the photo): 1) "PAT. AUG" (on one side of the adjusting handle) and "11th 1888" (on the other side of the adjusting handle); 2) "PAT. JUN 15, JUL 10 ??" (The question marks are there because I think I see two numbers, but I can't identify them precisely... this inscription is on the side where the company name is and above that name). The first date coincides with the data on page 340 of the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents for the year 1888. It states that Pardon A. Whitney, of Southington, Connecticut, registered a CLAMP design on July 10th, patent number 385,983. On August 11th, he registered a CLAMP SCREW, patent number 388,007.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Welcome, Hernan. Your backstory and legacy are terrific.
I wouldn't say it's impossible for that clamp to have come off the line like that from the factory, but I'd be surprised, and I do suspect abuse. If someone was using the clamp to bend or straighten a work piece by striking the clamp instead of the workpiece, it's possible. None of the specimens I have in my collection come even close to being what I would call wavy, like yours, but almost none of them are perfectly straight and a few do shows signs of being struck on the spine. These are antique, ornate, wonderful clamps, but they are not heavy duty. Except for the screw, they were made from malleable iron, and known for being found fairly beat up and in need of straightening in a vise. Maybe @LesserSon and @leg17, who have larger collections than mine (see post #68 on page 2 and post #213 on page 6), will see your post and also comment. Their posts and ensuing discussions or searching the thread on "Steel Screw" will reveal more information on the history as well as some catalog excerpts.
No apologies necessary. There are a few TL;DR types here, but a core group of collectors who admire as much detail as possible.
The dates on the frame and the wingnut refer to the three Whitney patents: design patent D18,376 (Jun 5, 1888) for the frame, utility patent 385,983 (Jul 10, 1888) for the frame, and utility patent 388,007 (Aug 14, 1888) for the screw.
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Hello… Thank you so much for your response and your kindness. I really didn't know what those dates meant there. Thank you for the precise information. My father acquired this and other antique tools quite some time ago (many of them are woodworking tools) for very little money… As I've been restoring all of my father's tools, I've realized the ENORMOUS quantity and variety of tools he has. I look at different online sales platforms for various antique tools. In Argentina, unfortunately, there are VERY few antique tools available. And most of those few tools are VERY deteriorated and VERY expensive (vintage has become fashionable, and some people think that a rusty, dysfunctional, and mistreated tool is worth as much as any new (or used) tool in good condition. And when I say mistreated, I don't mean rust, but rather the CARELESSNESS (not to be confused with intensive use) in the use and care of the tool... Sometimes, some tools seem to have "returned" from a fratricidal war... And on top of that, they are SO overpriced that you don't know if the seller WANTS to sell them or not. But, well... For now, I'm content with restoring what I still need (almost nothing) to finish organizing and cleaning what's in my father's workshop. For now, I thank you again for your kindness, and I hope to upload some photos (in the corresponding thread) of some "Unbranded" tools that my father has. Greetings from Argentina, Private Lugnutz
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
You're quite welcome. I appreciate you taking the time to find the correct thread dedicated to the subject! All newcomers who have the respect and mindset to do that are off to the right start.
When you're ready to post photos, I encourage you to consult the A-Z Index of Threads in the Sticky (permanent thread) at the top of this Vintage Tools Discussion forum to locate the appropriate thread. As you've probably discovered, the forum decays chronologically, with only the latest threads with activity showing on page 1, then page 2, and so on, in descending order. To find inactive threads that you cannot see other than paging through hundreds of older, inactive, archived threads, simply peruse the links in the A-Z Index of Threads, organized by type (e.g., Hand saws, Hammers, etc) or brand (e.g., Peck, Stow, and Wilcox, Goodell-Pratt, etc).
There's also a 'Whatzit?' thread, for unknown, unidentified, or unbranded tools.
Another way to go, especially in such a unique case as yours, is to start your own thread, with a fitting title of your own choice (e.g., 'Tools from a Vintage Argentinian Workshop') to consolidate the discussion.
RTM
Well-known member
You can find a bunch of catalogs here, help you pin down the date a bit more
Bummer that yours is bent.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Welcome to GJ Hernán.
I love those old "wing nut" clamps!
I would strongly doubt the clamp was bent by over tightening as the wing nut shows no signs of it.
It was probably used to clamp something heavy, and then that something applied "back pressure" to the clamp springing the frame
I've had surprisingly good luck getting C clamps to straighten up using a vise for smaller and a press for larger. The trick is of course getting it setup in a "catty corner" fashion securely. That may or may not work in this case as it will be hard to pull the wavy part straight.
I love those old "wing nut" clamps!
I would strongly doubt the clamp was bent by over tightening as the wing nut shows no signs of it.
It was probably used to clamp something heavy, and then that something applied "back pressure" to the clamp springing the frame
I've had surprisingly good luck getting C clamps to straighten up using a vise for smaller and a press for larger. The trick is of course getting it setup in a "catty corner" fashion securely. That may or may not work in this case as it will be hard to pull the wavy part straight.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I seem to recall from an earlier discussion that the only catalog on IA/ITCL in which the "Star" brand carriage makers' clamps appear is the No. 10 (1910). The known documented design and production timeline for these is essentially 1885 (Shaw patent with rotatable anvil) through 1888 (trio of Whitney patents) through 1910 (aforementioned No. 10 catalog) and gone by 1920 (No. 20 catalog). I never did try to narrow it down with trade mags, etc, in between.
You should be able to gently bend that clamp back into alignment.
I expect these iron clamps were intended for wood work and invariably they got over tightened in some other kind of shop environment. I have massaged a few of them with no adverse effects.
But......that's what worked for me. No guarantees.
I expect these iron clamps were intended for wood work and invariably they got over tightened in some other kind of shop environment. I have massaged a few of them with no adverse effects.
But......that's what worked for me. No guarantees.
four.cycle
Well-known member
Hola Hernán and welcome to the site!
Lovely example of P.S.& W.'s "artful" clamp design, notwithstanding the hammer marks.
You are going to want to keep these URLs handy:
International Tool Catalog Library is your friend.
The "INDEX" referred to above is HERE
This LIST may be of some help to you - unfortunately it includes only TWO entries for "Agentina" - hopefully you will be able to provide us with names of other Argentine tool manufacturers (or ANY tool manufacturers south of the Rio Grande, for that matter.)
Look forward to seeing more!
Lovely example of P.S.& W.'s "artful" clamp design, notwithstanding the hammer marks.
You are going to want to keep these URLs handy:
International Tool Catalog Library is your friend.
The "INDEX" referred to above is HERE
This LIST may be of some help to you - unfortunately it includes only TWO entries for "Agentina" - hopefully you will be able to provide us with names of other Argentine tool manufacturers (or ANY tool manufacturers south of the Rio Grande, for that matter.)
Look forward to seeing more!
Hello, four.cycle. Thank you in advance for the welcome. I'll answer VERY briefly, because I'll leave a more elaborate and well-argued response for later.Hola Hernán and welcome to the site!
Lovely example of P.S.& W.'s "artful" clamp design, notwithstanding the hammer marks.
You are going to want to keep these URLs handy:
International Tool Catalog Library is your friend.
The "INDEX" referred to above is HERE
This LIST may be of some help to you - unfortunately it includes only TWO entries for "Agentina" - hopefully you will be able to provide us with names of other Argentine tool manufacturers (or ANY tool manufacturers south of the Rio Grande, for that matter.)
Look forward to seeing more!
I've been politely informed that this isn't a forum for discussing politics, religion, abortion, or weapons. And that, in fact, it's not a forum for discussing these topics in general. Therefore, I think it's appropriate to modify my comment because, whether I intended it or not, my original text contained political content. And I don't want to disrupt this thread or the spirit of the place. The warning from four.cycle, therefore, is a (justifiable) response to that comment, which you won't see. What you will see, then, is my modified comment.
Most tools are imported. And, in fact, imported from only a few places. And a limited variety of brands, of course.
Some tool and industrial implement factories remain. Not many. There are some of excellent quality. In another comment, I will mention those that, in my opinion, I know to be of Argentine origin (and still survive... perhaps there are even some new ones... VERY few) and some (like Bahco) that are manufactured here in Argentina, although they are not of Argentine origin.
Ultimately, finding a "historical" tool in Argentina in an acceptable state of preservation is a task for industrial archaeologists (if such a profession exists...). Greetings from Argentina.
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WONDERFUL! I'm truly SO grateful that you shared that link with me. I had NO IDEA that so many catalogs existed, and all compiled into one list. THANKS again!
four.cycle
Well-known member
YIKES!
errrr.... the site administrator is quite unforgiving when it comes to ANYTHING "politics".
four things we never discuss here: politics, religion, abortion, or arguing about guns. (arguing about anything, actually.)
Hopefully they'll allow some grace since you're new.
errrr.... the site administrator is quite unforgiving when it comes to ANYTHING "politics".
four things we never discuss here: politics, religion, abortion, or arguing about guns. (arguing about anything, actually.)
Hopefully they'll allow some grace since you're new.
four.cycle
Well-known member
International Tool Catalog Library is run by one guy - one of our members here - @Mark Stansbury
He does a fabulous job!
The "index" list was compiled by one of our senior members here, @Private Lugnutz
I've been working on that "list" for several years. You will note there are only TWO entries in there for Argentina.
If you know of more, do let me know please.
Should be back Friday or Saturday.
BK
He does a fabulous job!
The "index" list was compiled by one of our senior members here, @Private Lugnutz
I've been working on that "list" for several years. You will note there are only TWO entries in there for Argentina.
If you know of more, do let me know please.
Should be back Friday or Saturday.
BK
OK. I'm sorry... I didn't know. I apologize, of course. I didn't intend for it to be interpreted as spreading a political idea, although, of course, that's exactly what it was, inevitably. That said, it won't happen again. Thanks for letting me know. For now, although I assume your comment will be recorded, I'm going to modify it (my comment, of course). Not to avoid warnings or sanctions (which, if applicable, I must accept, of course). I'm doing it so as not to upset anyone and not to distract from the thread or the essence of this site.
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four.cycle
Well-known member
^ if you scroll up, you will find an "edit" button at lower left.
You are limited to ** number of edits during any 24-hour period. (10 or 15, I can't remember)
You are limited to ** number of edits during any 24-hour period. (10 or 15, I can't remember)
four.cycle
Well-known member
That said, thanks for the history lesson. I had absolutely NO idea and I'm a bit puzzled. Argentina (at least Buenos Aires) was a mecca for the well-heeled a century ago.
And if it were not for Argentina, we would never have had a Carlos Gardel
And if it were not for Argentina, we would never have had a Carlos Gardel
Ah... Gardel... I LOVE Gardel. Do you know what we call Gardel here in Argentina? El mudo... There's no English translation for that ironic and affectionate nickname. Strictly speaking, the nickname would be "The Deaf-Mute," as if he truly couldn't speak. Those were different times, and nicknames often seem outdated today. But I think the idea behind that nickname is irony. Like if you gave Usain Bolt a nickname and said... "The Slow One" or "The Tortoise."That said, thanks for the history lesson. I had absolutely NO idea and I'm a bit puzzled. Argentina (at least Buenos Aires) was a mecca for the well-heeled a century ago.
And if it were not for Argentina, we would never have had a Carlos Gardel
But, getting back to the topic of tools...
This tool, this type of clamp, wasn't commonly seen in Argentina. I've seen a few for sale here. Very few, really.
I haven't seen many pliers of this brand, Pexto, in Argentina either. But I know the company's history and I've seen some beautiful tools from this factory at "Alloy Artifacts."
For now, I'll keep an eye out.