Lawson USHCO MFG CO offset pipe wrench

[Private Lugnutz]

There's nothing particularly special about this offset/parrot head pipe wrench, found at my Thursday flea market, I just couldn't find anywhere else to post it, with no other example or reference to LAWSON (Gottfrid C., the patent holder), or to USHCO MFG CO., BUFFALO, N.Y. here on GJ as far as I can tell, other than its inclusion on four.cycle's "List of U.S. Manufacturers" thread.

The original patent (1,362,014) was granted December 14, 1920.

According to DATAMP, there were three other manufacturers of this pipe wrench: Lawson Mfg Co. (ostensibly a company the patent owner started), U.S. Hame Co., and Fairmount Tool & Forge, all in Cleveland, Ohio, the home of the patent owner. Link to DATAMP page, and link from there to USPTO site, here.

DATAMP makes no note of this, but I have a strong suspicion that "USHCO" is an acronym for U.S. Hame Company, and that it moved at some point in time from Cleveland to Buffalo. When is unknown.

I have not done any biographical research on Mr. Lawson.

This 8-inch long example has been de-rusted, but is unfortunately marred with box rot stains and some pitting. Most of the markings are legible, but there is a marking preceding the forged-in "LAWSON" marking that may be "PAT'D". I'm not sure. Google searches or other collectors' examples may confirm or clarify that.

 

[notlob]

Fascinating story:

http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/u/us_body/us_body.htm:

"A hame is one of the two curved wooden or metal pieces of a harness that fits around the neck of a horse of other draft animal to which the traces of the reins are attached, and US Hame and its antecedents manufactured hundreds of thousands of them in the late 19th and early 20th centuries."

"In the late 20s, US Hame Co. reorganized as USHCo Mfg. Co. with Robert U. Carr as president. A wholly-owned subsidiary, U.S. Body & Forging Co. Inc. was created to market the bodies across the country as USHCo no longer wished to be associated with their horse-drawn beginnings. For a good number of years, the firm was alternately known as USHCo, U.S. Body & Forging or sometimes both, so from this point on they shall be referred to as USHCo/USB&F. In addition to truck bodies the firm also manufactured drop-forged hand tools in their Buffalo factory during the 1920s. A popular item at the time was their 8”, 10”, 12” and 14” adjustable pipe wrenches that were built using Gottfrid C. Lawson’s patent."

"Dodge’s first official woodie appeared in 1931, and was built by J.T. Cantrell of Huntington, Long Island on the Series DH commercial chassis. The vehicle returned for the 1932 model year but in 1933 USCHo/USB&F was awarded the contract to build the firm’s wooden station wagon bodies on the Dodge 1/2 ton light truck chassis."

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Fascinating story:

Indeed!

"A hame is one of the two curved wooden or metal pieces of a harness that fits around the neck of a horse of other draft animal to which the traces of the reins are attached...

I actually see them from time to time with other horse-drawn cart and buggy era stuff at my flea markets. I may have to see if I can pick up a pair just to round the display of the wrench out to match its backstory!

In addition to truck bodies the firm also manufactured drop-forged hand tools in their Buffalo factory during the 1920s. A popular item at the time was their 8”, 10”, 12” and 14” adjustable pipe wrenches that were built using Gottfrid C. Lawson’s patent."

Nail, meet Head.

Thanks for the research, Notlob.

 

[LesserSon]

I have a strong suspicion that "USHCO" is an acronym for U.S. Hame Company, and that it moved at some point in time from Cleveland to Buffalo. When is unknown.

I ran across a 14” US Hame Co variant of your wrench today between Union Springs and Cayuga NY. Unfortunately that particular seller had everything marked 2-3x my negotiating entry level. I’m pretty sure I saw one last weekend in Philly, so I think you’ll get more chances to study them.

 

[davethorik]

Picked up this Ushco 10" offset pipe wrench today.
I thought I had remembered seeing a thread here about them.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice snag, Dave.

 

[davethorik]

Nice snag, Dave.

Thanks lugz. It's not the best photo but the wrench appears unused or rarely used. Possibly banged around in a tool box for decades. Teeth are sharp and there is a decent amount of what may be original black paint present. I thought it an interesting design and fairly modern looking, too.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Oh, I noticed the black enamel remains and that it was in better condition than mine right away!

 

[davethorik]

I found another. This one is clean, possibly refinished. Made by Fairmount Tool & Forge. The jaw is an Ushco.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have exactly one tool with that FTF logo - a pair of slip-joint pliers. Rarely seen in the wild. I agree with your assessment. You can see what looks like rough finish on the neck behind the adjusting nut that they went right over. They did a nice job, though. Good looking tool.

 

[davethorik]

thats just my **** photography skills and glare from sun lol. The handle is painted black but was masked off (poorly) around teeth. The dynamic jaw is bare but looks wire brushed. The forging looks rough all around where it tapers from handle to head. There are hammer marks on the handle that have been painted over lol. I thought the FTF logo interesting as well, despite the "restoration"

 

[BSA1]

There's nothing particularly special about this offset/parrot head pipe wrench, found at my Thursday flea market, I just couldn't find anywhere else to post it, with no other example or reference to LAWSON (Gottfrid C., the patent holder), or to USHCO MFG CO., BUFFALO, N.Y. here on GJ as far as I can tell, other than its inclusion on four.cycle's "List of U.S. Manufacturers" thread.

The original patent (1,362,014) was granted December 14, 1920.

According to DATAMP, there were three other manufacturers of this pipe wrench: Lawson Mfg Co. (ostensibly a company the patent owner started), U.S. Hame Co., and Fairmount Tool & Forge, all in Cleveland, Ohio, the home of the patent owner. Link to DATAMP page, and link from there to USPTO site, here.

DATAMP makes no note of this, but I have a strong suspicion that "USHCO" is an acronym for U.S. Hame Company, and that it moved at some point in time from Cleveland to Buffalo. When is unknown.

I have not done any biographical research on Mr. Lawson.

This 8-inch long example has been de-rusted, but is unfortunately marred with box rot stains and some pitting. Most of the markings are legible, but there is a marking preceding the forged-in "LAWSON" marking that may be "PAT'D". I'm not sure. Google searches or other collectors' examples may confirm or clarify that.

That marking should be USHCO before Lawson

 

[BSA1]

I found an 18” Lawson offset pipe wrench manufactured by US HAME Co also known as USHCO Mfg co Buffalo NY patented Dec14 20

 

[AreBeeBee]

Aaaaand here's another Lawson offset pipe wrench, 8-inches in size. The stampings, which are clear, suggest that it was made pre-U.S Hame (and thus pre-Fairmount).

The Pat date says December 14 - 20, presumably 1920, and it adds "Other pat pend".

(The background is an article in the 1942 book on home workshop projects from Pop Science.)

 

[four.cycle]

Ushco Mfg. Co., Buffalo, New York "Lawson" 10-inch pipe wrench (patent 1362014)

* forged into the dynamic jaw on one side: "USHCO MFG. CO. INC. 10" and "BUFFALO, N.Y. U.S.A." on the other side *