Jp267
Well-known member
Probably nothing special. Just came across them. #1 & 2 Billings C marking on back #3 & 4 Klein 3-12 marking in handle.
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Couple Of Old Pliers
- Thread starter Jp267
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Hiatt1991
Well-known member
Very nice set of pliers.
Richard Cranium
Well-known member
nice find, I didn't see the hole for cutting wire, Had to go back and look again. Rich
Apache3057
Well-known member
Nice! Love Billings and Spencer.
There was just a thread talking about various new pliers like channellocks. The best pliers I own are these older ones from the major players of the time that I pick up at yard/estate sales. They're not all great, but the ones that are are better than anything they make today in terms of the quality and hardness of the steel, let alone gripping force. Try 'em out. If they're among the sweet ones, keep them!
No one seems to pay any kind of money for these anyway, except for those vintage Klein lineman's pliers. If it's a longer one in good shape, they do fetch a few dollars because of the quality and because the new ones cost so much.
No one seems to pay any kind of money for these anyway, except for those vintage Klein lineman's pliers. If it's a longer one in good shape, they do fetch a few dollars because of the quality and because the new ones cost so much.
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d42jeep
Well-known member
I picked up a pair of faintly marked Klein lineman's pliers yesterday at a garage sale in Nevada. I had to get the magnifiers out to make out the markings but they still work perfectly.
-Don
-Don
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Oh, yeah! If they're 8" or better and the jaws and cutters marry nicely and aren't all chewed up. they can go for a few dollars. I NEVER find old Klein lineman's in good shape. But I have found a few other style pliers of theirs. Very sweet stuff!
Ha good timing, Don! Yeah mine are pretty faded but still cut well. The only attachment I have to my Great Grandfather is through stories and his tools. He died a few years before I was born. So being able to put them back into use gives me a little more of an attachment as to who he was. I think he would have liked they are being used from the stories I've heard.
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d42jeep
Well-known member
Whenever I go searching for old tools, it seems like I frequently run across these gull wing pliers. They were made by Vlchek and are frequently unmarked although some have the flying wing Vlchek emblem and others, like the photo below, simply have the part number. The catalog page is from the 1941 Vlchek catalog.
-Don
-Don
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twertsy
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Easily the most common combination slip-joint pliers I see in the wild, Don, with McKaig-Hatch being a close second. I also agree that they are most often unmarked, and, when marked, most often have the "PR206" model number. I have found a whopping grand total of three Flying V logo pliers in my tool-hunting career.
Here's a few photos of an odd duck for you. It has an “H1106” stamped behind the pivot where the "PR206" is usually stamped. It looks like another model number, with the "6" referring to the length in inches. But I have never been able to track it down. It's not in any of the 1930's catalogs. I suspect it may have been made for someone else. I have my reasons.
Note the little “V” mark. Not to be confused with the Sears & Roebuck OEM code for Moore Drop Forge, Vlchek used the "V" to identify themselves as the OEM on the "Wizard" brand tools they made for Western Auto. I think it's reasonable to conclude that the "V" on these pliers is serving the same purpose, but for who, I haven't yet figured out.
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Private Lugnutz
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Staying with Vlchek, they also made pliers for others.
See the gull wings in this small “school” of some of the most unusual combination slip-joint pliers I own? (It’s strange we don’t have a “Show off your pliers” thread!) I believe they were made for Cleveland (go Tribe!) neighbor Fairmount, with the old FTF (Fairmount Tool and Forge) monograph, but it's not very legible.
See the gull wings in this small “school” of some of the most unusual combination slip-joint pliers I own? (It’s strange we don’t have a “Show off your pliers” thread!) I believe they were made for Cleveland (go Tribe!) neighbor Fairmount, with the old FTF (Fairmount Tool and Forge) monograph, but it's not very legible.
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Private Lugnutz
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Here are some close-ups of the other pliers in that group...
Under the unusual Vlchek-made “H1106” are pliers made by J.P. Danielson marked DANIELSON’S “44” inside a classic J.P. Danielson groove (also seen on water pump pliers.) (See photo 1.) I wish the name was a reference to the year, but alas, it’s not. These have the pre-1942 gripping pattern.
Under the strange Danielson’s, is a BONNEY B-15. (See photo 2). These are wartime, made by JP. Danielson, with a nice black steel finish and the classic Danielson “herringbone” gripping pattern. (See photo 3.) Lastly, note that B-6 is their standard 6” combination slip-joint pliers. Look at the deep gullet, forming the sharp cutters. (See photo 4.) Bonney marketed these B-15 pliers as combination side-cutters (see page 66, 1939 Catalog, footnote on page 88, 1941 Catalog).
Under the unusual Vlchek-made “H1106” are pliers made by J.P. Danielson marked DANIELSON’S “44” inside a classic J.P. Danielson groove (also seen on water pump pliers.) (See photo 1.) I wish the name was a reference to the year, but alas, it’s not. These have the pre-1942 gripping pattern.
Under the strange Danielson’s, is a BONNEY B-15. (See photo 2). These are wartime, made by JP. Danielson, with a nice black steel finish and the classic Danielson “herringbone” gripping pattern. (See photo 3.) Lastly, note that B-6 is their standard 6” combination slip-joint pliers. Look at the deep gullet, forming the sharp cutters. (See photo 4.) Bonney marketed these B-15 pliers as combination side-cutters (see page 66, 1939 Catalog, footnote on page 88, 1941 Catalog).
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Dennis Leigh Henry
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
On the top right in that group shot above, across from the Vlchek “H1106” pliers, are K16 MOTOR SPEC DULUTH pliers. (See photo 1.) Anybody know anything about them? I picked them up because I liked the name and its vague reference to racing, and I had never seen them before. Research turned up others, but no explanation.
Under those are combination slip-joint pliers with a big starfish like star or asterisk. (See photo 2.) No other markings. Mfgr unknown. Anybody know anything about them?
Lastly, the Wizard pliers. (See photo 3.) These are not Western Auto. These were made by Wakefield Wrench Company, in Worcester, MASS. They were in business from the 1890’s to the 1920’s. They made primitive auto wrenches and bike wrenches and pressed steel open end wrenches. Apparently, they also made primitive thin-nose slip-joint pliers. These are very slim. I really like the logo. Here is a link to a tap nut wrench on Alloy Artifacts showing the same logo.
Under those are combination slip-joint pliers with a big starfish like star or asterisk. (See photo 2.) No other markings. Mfgr unknown. Anybody know anything about them?
Lastly, the Wizard pliers. (See photo 3.) These are not Western Auto. These were made by Wakefield Wrench Company, in Worcester, MASS. They were in business from the 1890’s to the 1920’s. They made primitive auto wrenches and bike wrenches and pressed steel open end wrenches. Apparently, they also made primitive thin-nose slip-joint pliers. These are very slim. I really like the logo. Here is a link to a tap nut wrench on Alloy Artifacts showing the same logo.
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Farmer J.
Well-known member
I think Zeeman has some pliers like in your 2nd picture. He started a thread called 'Help me id these pliers please' about them. His picture has now disappeared into the black hole of a photo bucket so can't be sure. As I said in his thread I recognise the big star marking, but I can't remember where and haven't found it yet..
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
I wonder if those MOTOR SPEC pliers were made by Diamond, since they were in Duluth as well. Their general shape looks similar to Diamond pliers.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Thanks for the input, Farmer J. I will PM him.
That's a good point and research lead, Stuart. Thanks.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I am starting to doubt my own initial conclusion on these.
Below is the Fairmount Tool and Forge monograph. Excuse the fuzziness. The original was excerpted and blown up from the tiny corner of a catalog.
View media item 75562
Here for comparison is the marking on the Vlchek made pliers.
I don't think it is the FTF monograph. I'm starting to think it might could be an older monograph for Vlchek Tool Company. Something like an elongated version of c\T/o inside a triangle, where the V is for Vlchek, the T is for Tool, and there are two little marks that might be "c" and "o" on the bottom. But I can't find any record of such a thing in any Vlchek catalogs.
Or something completely different.
Anybody have any thoughts or theories? Anyone recognize it?
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d42jeep
Well-known member
For those of you who may not have run across one, here is a pair of Vlchek pliers with the Flying V logo that I received from Username some time back. I had been complaining that I had never found a pair with the logo so he generously sent me a pair from his vast plier collection.
-Don
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Username already in use
Well-known member
he generously sent me a pair from his vast plier collection.
WHY do they keep following me home!?
SilverDeck
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Those Klein’s were made in the third quarter (July-September) of 1912. Just a few months after the Titanic went down!
Probably nothing special. Just came across them. #1 & 2 Billings C marking on back #3 & 4 Klein 3-12 marking in handle.
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Saint728
New member
Nice collection of vintage pliers.
Modern Garage
Well-known member
So what's Motor Spec?
I'm imagining a large chain or group of stores named "Motor Specialties" or some such that custom ordered a batch of pliers.
Maybe "gimme's" to be gifted to good clients (if there are no other wrenches with the same name) but the AA example is 8 inch and Lug's set is presumably 6 inch (K16). Would you order two (or more) different sizes of "gimme's"?
Or I just have too much time on my hands and I like spinning wildly involved back-stories on the thinnest of details...
Joe
I'm imagining a large chain or group of stores named "Motor Specialties" or some such that custom ordered a batch of pliers.
Maybe "gimme's" to be gifted to good clients (if there are no other wrenches with the same name) but the AA example is 8 inch and Lug's set is presumably 6 inch (K16). Would you order two (or more) different sizes of "gimme's"?
Or I just have too much time on my hands and I like spinning wildly involved back-stories on the thinnest of details...
Joe
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
As far as I know, it still remains a good but open question, Joe!
But I now have a pair. Posted a K16 upthread somewhere. Found this K18 at the flea market yesterday. They are handsome well-made slip-joints with a nice feel in the hand.
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Modern Garage
Well-known member
To my eye even the typeface of the "Motor Spec" name looks like Diamond tools.
Joe
Joe
Farmer J.
Well-known member
I posted these on the T Williams thread, but whilst I have to pictures handy putting them here too. The T Williams 'British Made, Ford' and the newer 'Made in England' version of the so familiar design of tool kit slip joints..
