The Lugzsonian - A Virtual Tour

[Private Lugnutz]

As it turns out, mortuary artifacts are a thing...



...and casket keys, also called coffin keys, are one of the most cherished collectors’ items.

As you can imagine with casket makers all over the country, they came in all kinds of shapes and sizes and brand names. This one is extra special, though, because Crane & Breed is one of the oldest and most well-known mortuary companies in the US. In fact, Abraham Lincoln was buried in a Crane & Breed casket! ,Crane & Breed invented and patented the first sealed metallic coffins, and they are credited with first using the term casket instead of coffin in the funeral business to describe them.





Crane & Breed used the brand name “Ever-Seal” for their caskets. In 1949 they were subject to FTC action to cease and desist from claiming that their casket prevented putrefaction, a claim they had been making for over 70 years to promote how tight their caskets were, implying perpetual preservation of loves ones.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The key is used to lock and unlock the mechanical gasket that seals the casket. The locking mechanism is hidden in the structure of the casket, except for a small opening, usually at the head or the foot of the casket, where the casket key is inserted. Turning or cranking to the right or left to lock or unlock the mechanical gasket or seal.

This one is 5/16” diameter. Lord knows what some mechanic was using it to wrench on in an old garage, but I am elated that it survived and that I found it.

 

[Shiftless]

Nice find, Lugz

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks, Shiftless. My personal favorite find of 2021 so far!

 

[Shiftless]

I found a fascinating history of the company here:

It seems as though that toward the end of their business enterprises they cast quite a few different advertising paperweights in the shape of various animals. Check the listings on that big online auction site.

Another collecting rabbit hole ???????

Crane & Breed Mfg. Co., Crane, Breed & Co., Crane & Breed Casket Co., Hearse, Funeral Coach, Invalid Car, - Coachbult.com

Crane & Breed, Crane and Breed, Crane & Breed Mfg. Co., Crane, Breed & Co., Crane & Breed Casket Co., W.C. Davis & Co., Crane, Barnes & Company, Crane, Breed & Son, Crane, Breed & Breed, Barstow, Breed & Co.

www.coachbuilt.com

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

Sorting through that pile would be fun! Four wheel barrels. Trash, maybe trash, tools to be sorted and checked, things to directly to right place for them.....yeah I’m pretty much ocd as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[Modern Garage]

We have the benefit of hindsight, but one wonders what American Mercury contributor William Henry Chamberlin thought of "The Coming Peace" in November of 1940...
Joe

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I found a fascinating history of the company here:

Thanks much for the link. Easily the most extensive and detailed history that I have read. Interesting source, too, angling from their hearses.

It seems as though that toward the end of their business enterprises they cast quite a few different advertising paperweights in the shape of various animals. Check the listings on that big online auction site.

Another collecting rabbit hole ???????

Um, no. It might be ironic that they are remembered more for their side-line bronze paperweights than innovative caskets and coachwork on ePrey, but they will be remembered in the Lugzsonian by this brass casket key just waiting to be spotted one day by someone - perhaps a guest, perhaps a grandchild - inside my glass doodads case!

Four wheel barrels.

Easily! And that was only a small pile among the entire contents of the shop. I was more selective, coming away with only a few items, but it was a pickers' smorgasbord for sure. Here's a wider view and there was more to the left and a big pile to the right, too.

We have the benefit of hindsight, but one wonders what American Mercury contributor William Henry Chamberlin thought of "The Coming Peace" in November of 1940...

Interesting you should see and comment on those, Joe, and pick out that article in particular.

I don't know if you're familiar with The American Mercury. LesserSon, bmwrd01 and I have been accused of literary excess here, so I won't geek out too much, but it was founded by H.L. Mencken, largely considered to be one of the most important publications in the US in the 20's through 40's, and then veered hard right and anti-Semitic in the 50's. Anyway, there were probably a few dozen of them in a box from the Plainfield Library and I spent a good 20 minutes picking several out, all of them prewar or wartime, expressly because of my interest in that period of history.

Chamberlin's article takes a what if approach to predicting a new world order. Chapters include "What if Germany wins?", "What if England wins?", and "What if Russia wins?" Can you just imagine a time not only when our entry in WWII was still that questionable, but our ascendancy as a superpower was that inconceivable? That mindset was philosophically partnered in a few of the issues in that era with other articles such as "Beware the Superpatriots" and "The Legend of American Invincibility", but offset by "Lindberg is Wrong," "Hitler and American Business," and "Japan's Leading Anti-American."

It also featured stories (fiction), poetry, book reviews, humor, cartoons, and Americana, including much lighter thinking man's fare, such as "Americans will Drink Anything", about our famed catholic taste and our insatiable appetite, and some wonderful ads, including this one (and speaking of drinking...) from the United Brewers Industrial Association....

 

[Old Radar]

Introducing...

CURATOR'S CORNER #5: THE CASKET KEY

Lugz, you could double the size of your exhibit by including your Decatur Coffin Co. Spiral Screwdriver.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I was making that association in my mind! Two mortuary-related tools. Who'd've thunk it?

 

[Outlawmws]

"Used only to tighten"

OMG! some of the old smileies are back! Maybe al of thm!

Cool find Lugz! Have you told Ms Lugz you want to be buried with it "just in case"?

 

[Modern Garage]

I had not heard of The American Mercury before but I love old magazines because when you research a topic on the interwebs you don't get the benefit of the ads that can put the topic in the right perspective.
As the Curator I believe you have a right, perhaps even responsibility, to geek out on a subject from time to time.
You've spent much more time with pre-war and wartime history than I but I think that any insight into the feeling of the man on the street regarding another war "over there" is incredibly valuable.
I've attached a (poor) photo of one of a handful of magazine ads that I've framed to add my own time and place perspective to my life. These were produced by the United States Brewers Foundation, "Chartered 1862" which I would guess to be the same organization. I personally love the way they wrote their premise in your ad: You can take the road to excess (with hard liquor) or the road to temperance (teetotaler) but what's wrong with the middle road of a nice beer with friends and family?
Joe

 

[steaks&anvils]

"Used only to tighten"

OMG! some of the old smileies are back! Maybe al of thm!

Cool find Lugz! Have you told Ms Lugz you want to be buried with it "just in case"?

Outlawmws, before I saw your post, I was just going to comment: "does it work from the inside too?"

 

[Modern Garage]

Oh, and Outlaw will probably appreciate one of my favorite elements of this ad: the Coleman lantern hanging on the the tree. I have a few of them hanging around here, too.
Joe

 

[Private Lugnutz]

OMG! some of the old smileies are back! Maybe al of thm!

Cool find Lugz! Have you told Ms Lugz you want to be buried with it "just in case"?

HAHA! And yes, I found out the old smilies were back a few days ago when I said that I missed the little emoji dude holding the [+1] sign on a Ryan thread, and he replied with, "You mean this one?" and proceeded to paste a screen shot of it! They're all back. What's funny is - apparently by very popular demand, against his better judgement (he is not a fan).

I personally love the way they wrote their premise in your ad: You can take the road to excess (with hard liquor) or the road to temperance (teetotaler) but what's wrong with the middle road of a nice beer with friends and family?

'Zackly.

 

[Old Radar]

I've attached a (poor) photo of one of a handful of magazine ads that I've framed to add my own time and place perspective to my life. These were produced by the United States Brewers Foundation, "Chartered 1862" which I would guess to be the same organization.

I hope you don't mind if I maintain the beer tangent a little longer. MG's beer ad has a little message in the bottom right corner that reminded me of not only the first step to properly pouring a beer but also of the concept of a "Beer Clean Glass". It seems most bartenders today have either forgotten this concept or have never been introduced to it. I won't go into the simple method to achieve a "Beer Clean Glass"--plenty of sites on the net explain it--but I will mention how to spot a glass of beer that has not been properly cleaned. The dead give away is the head. If you are served a beer with a half-inch head that starts dissipating before your first sip, your glass isn't beer clean. That doesn't mean it's dirty--it has likely been washed in a strong detergent that is still present in the glass (yummy!)--an impurity that is attacking the head--the essential characteristic of a well earned, well poured beer. A beer should have a head down to the last sip. In fact, you can see if the establishment cleans their beer glasses properly the moment you walk in just by observing the sides of other customer's glasses. Every time a new (lower) level of beer is reached in a glass, there should be a ring of foam left at the previous level. In a "Beer Clean Glass" this ring will remain--and slowly descend--until the wait staff takes it back to be washed. Glasses without these foam rings are not beer clean.

Another pet peeve is how most bar tenders don't know how to pour a beer, but we'll leave that for another rant... Cheers!

 

[HeelSpur]

Forgot I had this casket key till I read this thread. I have no idea why the names are on the tag but I assume their caskets were used by this company.

DSCF3839 (2) by wvwheaties, on Flickr
DSCF3840 (2) by wvwheaties, on Flickr

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have no idea why the names are on the tag but I assume their caskets were used by this company.

That would be my bet! I don't know if you saw, but Abraham Lincoln was interred in a Crane & Breed casket. I suppose it's a natural talking point for these kinds of artifacts.

 

[Old Radar]

Bragging Rights!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

'Zackly!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This box just appeared out of nowhere. I can take a hint. But when your wife is tired of telling you to stop leaving a mess in the bathroom sink just off the utility room, and she won't set foot in the basement, this is as far as it gets.

 

[Shiftless]

Lugz, I feel your pain.

 

[Outlawmws]

At least it was a gentle hint! Some hints can draw blood!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Lugz, I feel your pain.

At least it was a gentle hint! Some hints can draw blood!

Oh, for sure. In fact, I am now plotting what other bad habit I can use to get her to do my shopping for me!

 

[Provincial]

Nitrile, too!

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Those are actually getting harder to find too.

 

[Old Radar]

Hmmm. The times I've seen your hands in photos, Lugz, I wouldn't have guessed Medium would be your size...

 

[Farmer J.]

Very kind of her. Those gloves are a rare find these days for a Lugsonian exhibit, and they've more than doubled in price over the last year or so.. I use them all the tine for anything oily and greasy, for health reasons, hygene and convenience. Much nicer to eat lunch in the field without oily fingerprints on my sandwich!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nitrile, too!

She is an educated shopper!

Those are actually getting harder to find too.

Those gloves are a rare find these days for a Lugsonian exhibit, and they've more than doubled in price over the last year or so..

I appreciate you guys letting me know about their relative scarcity. I'll have to earn some brownie points by mentioning that. They came from Costco. I can tell by in house brand name.

I use them all the time for anything oily and greasy, for health reasons, hygiene and convenience. Much nicer to eat lunch in the field without oily fingerprints on my sandwich!

I have worn them when working with something toxic, but generally eschew them. I like having direct contact. Something about the feel. Heck, I dig my thumbnail into a notch or scratch paint off a tool if I think I can get away with it before I have to reach for a stiff brush or the dental pick. But I may have to get used to them to keep her happy. I keep a jar of Go-Jo down the basement to get off the worst grime, and I do have a portable outdoor "sink" installed near the hose outside. But I often get lazy and use the bathroom off the kitchen, and the condition of that towel and sink was definitely her motivation.

Hmmm. The times I've seen your hands in photos, Lugz, I wouldn't have guessed Medium would be your size...

She was probably splitting the difference. I haven't tried them yet.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Medium fit just fine, OR. But I feel like I'm in a Gray Man Group.

'Known for their quirky yet philosophically stimulating stage productions, Gray Men incorporate many kinds of tools and art, both popular and obscure, in their performances.'

 

[Old Radar]

I think you meant aged--not stage!

 

[RTM]

I think you meant aged--not stage!

Ohh, the crowd is getting harsh!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

HAHA! And here I thought my DIL cutting off my head in that photo of me wrapping my stubby medium sized hand around the guitar neck to entertain my grandson would disguise the years!

 

[Outlawmws]

Just consider the source: "Old" Radar...

 

[Old Radar]

Ya got that right, sonny! Now get off my lawn!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I was noodling about in the Lugzsonian recently and decided to put together...

CURATOR's CORNER #6: Not-Petersen's

 

[Private Lugnutz]

So, as some of you may realize, I have this thing for Locking Plier-Wrench type tools that were Not Made by Petersen.

(If you’re from the other side of the pond and regularly use the term “mole grips” as a synonym for all locking pliers, regardless of their manufacturer, go ahead and substitute ‘Mole’ for ‘Petersen’ and you’ll get the idea.)

It’s not that I have anything against “Vise-Grips”. In fact, I just put a toolkit together for my son, who just bought his first house, and I put three pairs of Petersen’s in it with various jaw types. This isn’t me ‘rooting for my favorite team and whoever is playing against the Yankees’ here. And it’s not even an underdog thing. I’m just fascinated by the topic for its own sake.

If you check in with Wikipedia on this subject, you’d conclude, probably like the rest of the free world, that Petersen’s 1921 design was the first attempt to lock a plier-wrench type tool in place (it wasn’t!), and then the Mole grips came along much later (1955, to be precise), with nothing much in between or after. Nothing could be further from the truth and many of the vintage collectors on GJ know about all the knockoffs.

Gerald over at the wonderful Progress is Fine blogspot posted a very nice write-up comparing Petersen Vise-Grips and Mole “Self-Grip” pliers (he found the Moles wanting, to be frank), and in the process, acknowledged the bevy of Not-Petersens that jumped into the market space in the US after the original Petersen patent expired in 1941. Those imitations, innovations, and variations on the theme and design are exactly what I have an interest in collecting, precisely because they were Not Made by Petersen.

If I am at a flea market, I spot a locking plier-wrench, it’s vintage, and it’s a Not-Petersen, I am reaching in my pocket for my cash. So far, I have eight (8) in this category.

I know I’m not the only one. BlueBomber’s collection, linked here, features six (6) different types, including one I don’t have, the Channellock “GripLock” 910.

Let’s go back to the board where I am displaying my examples in roughly more-or-less chronological order.

Here they are laid out on my bench in the same order.




One the LEFT, TOP to BOTTOM, we have an Eifel “Plierench”, a B.M.C. “Pressure-Lock”, a Seymour Smith “Snap-Lock", and a Whale Tool Corp “Pli-Rench".

On the RIGHT, TOP to BOTTOM, we have an H.R. Basford “Gripso”, a Wm Truman "Samson Lever-Jaw Wrench”, a Seymour Smith “Powr-Grip”, and an example from an unknown mfgr marked #040096.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It may seem odd, at first, to cite Joseph Eifel’s famed geared (10-to-1 power ratio) “Plierench” as the first example of a locking plier-wrench type tool, something not even DATAMP does, but it’s kind of hard to argue against it.

It was patented (1,181,654 on May 2, 1916) earlier than their example (also a Not-Petersen) with text by Eifel that describes its function very deliberately as a “plier form wrench” that “will not tend to work open in handling” having “firmer engagement than is possible with any other form of wrench known to me” with “pressure applied when closing the mechanism” and “a means for releasably locking the jaws in position.”

On top of that, it is stamped “LOCKS THIS WAY <-” right on the head near the lower handle.

Lastly, Louis Isele, who patented the Seymour Smith "Snap-Lock" cited it in his application in 1948.

It is not toggle-actuated, it doesn’t have a spring, it doesn’t adjust with a knob, and it doesn’t look like a “Vise-Grip” or any knockoffs, but it absolutely is an adjustable locking plier-wrench, in name, and in function. I think it tends to not be included in this conversation because it’s so unique and cool and has such a following in its own right.

Close up of the markings on mine here…



…and many more photos of other examples (including some very early models) and much more information on a good GJ thread here.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I’m not going to go into much detail on most of the others, because they all have dedicated threads or posts of their own where you can read and see much more. But here are some links with some teaser photos attached below.

Botnick Motor Corporation “Pressure Lock Wrench”
If you didn’t already know it, this dude was making tools out of his Chevy dealership.

Seymour Smith “Snap-Lock”
Coolest logo.

Whale “Pli-Rench”
These have a nifty pivoting jaw that allows for working on symmetrical or asymmetrical material.

H.R. Basford “Gripso”
This is only one of two examples in my collection with easy release levers. Also note that it’s no surprise that the adjustment nut is on the lever, not the back, just like the B.M.C., because Mead cited the Snell patent in his application.

Samson “Lever-Jaw"
These are a bit of a mystery. They’re not the METCOID Lever-Jaws, which came later. The William Truman Tool Company was located in Elmhurst, Ill. It may have been a METCOID (located in Chicago) forerunner.

 

[d42jeep]

Maybe I’ll put these in the Lugz box. The bolt isn’t original.
-Don