superautobacs
Well-known member
I recently walked into a local antiques store and found some really unique tools. One such tool was this parallel-jaw plier with a built-in diagonal cutter in an arrangement that I've never seen in modern tools. It had a price tag of $13 and I was being cheap, not wanting to pay any more than $5 for a pair of used pliers. Needless to say, it was an antique and a very unique peice, so I ended up paying $10 for it.
Just incidentally, I was browsing through a June 1952 Popular Mechanics magazine and I found the same exact pliers, but it was produced by a different name--Sargent. I thought, "what a total rip of the Schollhorn plier!".
I did some research on the internet and this is what I found out about the original manufacturer and the connection with Sargent:
Directly quoting from AA:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The William Schollhorn Company of New Haven, Connecticut was a well-known maker of parallel-jaw pliers and other tools in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company was incorporated in 1891 and remained active through the first part of the 20th century, and was eventually acquired by the Sargent Company in 1948.
Schollhorn is probably best known for its distinctive parallel-jaw pliers, produced under the numerous patents issued to W.A. Bernard. These pliers featured precisely-formed sheet metal handles with embossed designs, a type of construction that offered lighter weight and lower cost than comparable forged handles. "
"Fig. 102 shows a pair of Schollhorn "Bernard" 4 Inch parallel-jaw pliers with cutting blades on the side. The pliers are stamped "W. Schollhorn Co." and "New Haven, Conn." around the pivot, with "Made in U.S.A." above and "Pat. 6-17-1913" below. (The Schollhorn name is partially obscured by rust.)
The handles are also stamped "Bernard" in a center panel, a reference to the inventor of these and many other similar models.
The overall length is 4.5 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.
The patent date refers to patent #1,064,956, filed by W.A. Bernard in 1907 but not issued until 1913. The patent describes a method of forming sheet-metal handles for pliers."
Just incidentally, I was browsing through a June 1952 Popular Mechanics magazine and I found the same exact pliers, but it was produced by a different name--Sargent. I thought, "what a total rip of the Schollhorn plier!".
I did some research on the internet and this is what I found out about the original manufacturer and the connection with Sargent:
Directly quoting from AA:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The William Schollhorn Company of New Haven, Connecticut was a well-known maker of parallel-jaw pliers and other tools in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company was incorporated in 1891 and remained active through the first part of the 20th century, and was eventually acquired by the Sargent Company in 1948.
Schollhorn is probably best known for its distinctive parallel-jaw pliers, produced under the numerous patents issued to W.A. Bernard. These pliers featured precisely-formed sheet metal handles with embossed designs, a type of construction that offered lighter weight and lower cost than comparable forged handles. "
"Fig. 102 shows a pair of Schollhorn "Bernard" 4 Inch parallel-jaw pliers with cutting blades on the side. The pliers are stamped "W. Schollhorn Co." and "New Haven, Conn." around the pivot, with "Made in U.S.A." above and "Pat. 6-17-1913" below. (The Schollhorn name is partially obscured by rust.)
The handles are also stamped "Bernard" in a center panel, a reference to the inventor of these and many other similar models.
The overall length is 4.5 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.
The patent date refers to patent #1,064,956, filed by W.A. Bernard in 1907 but not issued until 1913. The patent describes a method of forming sheet-metal handles for pliers."
