Masterench by Heller Bros. Post em up!

[Outlawmws]

No problem. What we have not yet seen on this thread or the previous threads (unless I missed it...) was a collected example of an 18-incher. So it is officially a little contest now!

Yup, I have nothing that size, and only pipe in the 14's and only the 6" pipe smaller than the 14. Got a ways to go...

 

[Capt. Spaulding]

I noticed a wrench at the flea market that was the same design as the Masterwrench but was made by a company I have never heard of. I was going to buy it but got caught up in buying some other tools from the guy and forgot to ask about it and left without it. I can’t stop thinking about it and will not be able to go back next week to get it. I really hope he is there and has it in two weeks. My wife is already sick of me whining about it!

 

[HeelSpur]

I'm still kicking myself for not buying a Heller Bro's pair of funky pliers. Not sure what they were for but they had kind of a long billed flat plier head. He wanted 15 for them but I maxed out at 10.

 

[Outlawmws]

Cap, inspect them closely as there were cheap Asian imitations made of poor quality...

HS, possibly for blacksmith work as Heller made many BS tools,

 

[bonneyman]

I have one of the more modern cheapie versions that I grabbed for corroded fastener removal. I'll have to keep my eyes out for one of the vintage examples.

 

[Capt. Spaulding]

Cap, inspect hem closely as there were cheap Asian imitations made of poor quality...

HS, possibly for blacksmith work as Heller made many BS tools,

I specifically remember it saying “Made in the USA” on it. It was about 6” - 8” long. Had aggressive teeth, and was thinner than the Masterench. Well at least the “spring bar” (not sure what to call it) was noticeably thinner. I will be going back in a few weeks and searching high and low for it in hopes to bring it home and share with you guys.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

So I have to admit that whenever the subject of knockoffs is brought up on this or the other Masterench thread, I never find the examples to be anything close to the original in terms of form or function. This morning I met my match, so to speak. I spotted and took photos of these WEIL (but MADE IN JAPAN) knockoffs because of how similar they do look and work compared to the original.

 

[DadsTools]

I specifically remember it saying “Made in the USA” on it. It was about 6” - 8” long. Had aggressive teeth, and was thinner than the Masterench. Well at least the “spring bar” (not sure what to call it) was noticeably thinner. I will be going back in a few weeks and searching high and low for it in hopes to bring it home and share with you guys.

You stick out your pinky finger as you pick up your coffee cup and say dynamic jaw.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

You stick out your pinky finger as you pick up your coffee cup and say dynamic jaw.

The piece that he's talking about but not quite sure what to call it isn't the jaw itself, but the blade of spring steel that is pinned to the handle at the foot of the jaw. It's the key to the entire Masterench concept, providing the tension on the upper jaw that allows it to open, but remain firm on the nut or pipe. Masterench ads refer to it as a "tempered steel spring."

Here's a photo of a few of my wrenches showing it.

 

[DadsTools]

The piece that he's talking about but not quite sure what to call it isn't the jaw itself, but the blade of spring steel that is pinned to the handle at the foot of the jaw. It's the key to the entire Masterench concept, providing the tension on the upper jaw that allows it to open, but remain firm on the nut or pipe. Masterench ads refer to it as a "tempered steel spring."

Here's a photo of a few of my wrenches showing it.

Ah, I see. I guess that's why knowing the right name for a part helps guys like me know what's being referred to.

Just for that, I'm going to post this Heller photo from ebay.

 

[wanchai97]

Picked up this one from an auction site and had it through vinegar/wire wheel. Anyone knows roughly what year this is manufactured?

 

[d42jeep]

I found my second Heller Masterench at the Tahoe Flea this morning. It’s the 6 inch version with dates marked on one side.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice, Don. Made no earlier than 1929 and no later than 1941.

I still need a 14" and 18" to complete a "set" by size. Mine are a motley collection by age, with every possible marking.

We still have not yet seen an 18 incher on this thread. Who will be the first?

 

[Outlawmws]

Probably not me; I'm also missing both 14 and 18 in smooth, and only have a singe 6 and 2 14" in pipe

The pipe makes sense based on 1/2" to 1-1/2" capacity in the 14", most would not need larger and very few could live with not having 1/2" on the larger; the smaller pipe wouldn't go past 3/4" I guess the 10" would be OK capacity-wise for the homeowner, but not a lot of leverage...

For nuts most if not all people need < 7/8, and the 14" would not do <7/8, so probably few were sold and the 18 starts at 1-1/8 so even less demand - maybe oil field work and the like?

A 4" smooth would have been very handy if it could do up to 9/16. Perfect key ring size... Sort of surprised they didn't do that as most all the Crescent style companies did...

 

[Outlawmws]

Well I was partially off in my assumptions for pipe! I went through the thread for actual Masterench, and based on this small sample:

Top section is smooth jaw, bottom pipe...

 

[Outlawmws]

Does the half-moon jaw rotate enough to keep parallel on any size nut?

Sorry for the late reply, I just noticed your post doing a catch up post- Yes pretty much withing the range of each wrench...


I just added another Pipe wrench - only my third.. and not 14" or 6" this time its an 8"

Chrome Vanadium and "patented" with no dates...

 

[Provincial]

I found a Heller ball pein hammer yesterday. It is in good condition (I haven't taken the tape off the handle, so I can't say it isn't cracked there) and seems to be of high quality. It seems to be a 16 oz. size.

The markings are faint, and I thought at first it was a Vlchek. Pvt. Lugnutz corrected me and sure enough, after more work with a magnifier, I see the Heller logo.

 

[Jc2043]

I found a 14” today to go along with my 6” Masterench. I guess I’m now a Heller collector.

John


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[Outlawmws]

one smooth? the 14" one is pipe - Toothed.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice find, Jc. I still don't have a 14". And nobody has ever reported an 18".

 

[Outlawmws]

Yeah, so far, just in the catalogs. Must be a few somewhere though...

 

[Jc2043]

one smooth? the 14" one is pipe - Toothed.

Both pipe.



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[Private Lugnutz]

I finally found my first original Masterench this morning at the flea market. An 8-incher with smooth jaws for turning nuts and bolts. There are a few "Turlocks" floating around this threat, but not too many.

 

[Outlawmws]

Again, nice find Lugz!

I also have an 8" Turlock; mine is marked "Patents pending 11-21, 1921 and 2-23-1921 - Drop Forged steel"

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Again, nice find Lugz!

I also have an 8" Turlock; mine is marked "Patents pending 11-21, 1921 and 2-23-1921 - Drop Forged steel"

Thanks. I've seen your red-handled "camp" wrench, but I thought it was a Lynchmead.

One of these days I'm going to make the time and do a good exhaustive timeline. We know it went from Lynchmeade Corp to Masterrench Corp to Heller Brothers Masterrench brand. But the various markings have never been sequenced.

I also picked up this Cleveland Auto-Grip. Unaiu posted one on page 1. I posted mine on my Oddfellows thread, too.

 

[Outlawmws]

Yeah I forgot to mention it was the original Lynchmead Corp. before the Masterench Moniker, and Heller. Yours shows that Masterench Corp. came before Heller, at least for markings.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. The corporate sequence was definitely Lynchmeade, Masterrench, Heller (Masterrench brand). But there are weird marking variations with respect to the patents and other features. I've sequenced some of them earlier in the thread within Heller's production, but not across all production. Just for example, why do the earliest (Lynchmeade) and Heller wrenches have patents (and even those some, not all), but the Masterrench Corp don't? Just something to be worked out at some point.

 

[Outlawmws]

I think yours added one?

• Lynchmeade Mfg Co - Branded Master Rench Two words, two "r"s - Turlock Cal. Patents pending 11-21, 1921 and 2-23-1921 - Drop Forged Steel
• Mfd. By Masterench Corp. - Turlock Cal. USA - Patented - Drop Forged Steel
  [*]Masterench Chrome Vanadium - Heller Brothers Co Newark NJ USA Patented
• Masterench Chrome Vanadium - Heller Brothers Co Newark NJ USA Patented 4-14-25 and 7-5-27
• Masterench Chrome Vanadium - Heller Brothers Co Newark NJ USA Patented 4-14-25 7-5-27 and 11-12-28

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Perhaps.

 

[Jc2043]

Not the elusive 18”, but I acquired another 14” Masterench today. This one is a smooth jaw, Heller Bro’s, Newark, Chrome Vanadium. It almost looks like it is Cadmium plated but I suspect it’s just natural oxidation.


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[Private Lugnutz]

Nice find, JC.

I still haven't found a 14", but I have a place to hang one (or a few more of them) and the elusive 18" when I do!

 

[Outlawmws]

I have two 14's but both are pipe.

I've used them too!

Cool find on the smooth jaw 14 however! you do ****!

 

[ssdave]

........

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The yellow painted 14-incher is legit, Dave. The other two are knock-offs.

 

[ssdave]

Sorry, didn't mean to contaminate the thread.

 

[Outlawmws]

Its fine. we have other brands showing the same design, even some Asian made...

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yeah, definitely didn't mean it that way. I've showed knock-offs myself. That was just an FYI.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Picked up another 10" today. This is my second.

I would gladly trade one of them to any of you guys out there in Heller Bros Masterench land who has a duplicate 14" and needs a 10".

Also, we've noted the forged-in "7-11" and "41" marking on the flip side before, but I just realized that I don't think we've figured out what it signifies. Despite it being added to the die in the same or similar format as the patent dates found on the other side of the older wrenches, it's not a patent date. 7-11-1941 is not a US patent date, anyway.

 

[Outlawmws]

Lugz, looks to me like you need 5 14's and about 3 more each of the others!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Haha. Yeah, I guess I had great expectations when choosing my hooks. In truth, one of each will do!