steaks&anvils
Well-known member
Just a wild guess for everyone to think about, maybe this signifies the metal alloy, or the hardness/wear-ability of the finish? Might denote a proprietary formula?
Chromium 7-11 and Vanadium 41 aka "chrome vanadium"?
Masterench by Heller Bros. Post em up!
- Thread starter Outlawmws
- Start date
Just a wild guess for everyone to think about, maybe this signifies the metal alloy, or the hardness/wear-ability of the finish? Might denote a proprietary formula?
Chromium 7-11 and Vanadium 41 aka "chrome vanadium"?
bmwrd0
Well-known member
Lugz, is this what you are looking for?
I forgot I had it. It was just hanging up in the shop. I don't have any special interest in them, so if you want to trade, I could be interested.
I forgot I had it. It was just hanging up in the shop. I don't have any special interest in them, so if you want to trade, I could be interested.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
It's not a composition number. Chromium-vanadium steel AISI numbers are in the 6100 series. But not a bad wild guess.
If it's marked Lynchmeade or Masterench 14", yes, Beemer. I was actually trolling for one of the couple guys on the thread who have an extra 14" but who also need a 10", so we could just swap extras and help each other out, but I would trade something else with you for that if they don't show up.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
JC,
By my count, you now have a 6-incher and two (2) 14-inchers. As you can see in my Masterench display photos above, I have extra 8-inchers and 10-inchers, but no 14-incher. Are you interested in a trade? I would send you an 8-incher and a 10-incher for one of your 14-inchers. That way we would both have at least one 6-, 8-, 10-, and 14-incher, and in need of only the elusive 18-incher. What do you think?
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I have a "Mission Complete" Update to share with the Masterench Gang!
Back on March 6th I had 6-, 8-, and 10-inchers hanging on my board and I was negotiating a trade with Jc2043: one of his 14-inchers for one of my 8-inchers and one of my 10-inchers. A little over a month later, I have a complete collection. A few weeks ago I closed that trade. Then last week he tipped me off to an 18-incher on eBay that was part of a three-wrench set with an 8- and 14-incher. I generally don't shop there, but I always appreciate hot tips, and I am not opposed to buying there when I am desperate or impatient for something I haven't seen in the wild. I made the seller a decent offer and he accepted. I was stoked. It arrived today.
John's 14-incher is at the top. The 14-incher I got in the package auction deal is in the middle. And that's the big fat whoppin' 18-incher at the bottom. It weighs 4 lbs 6 ozs. The head is nearly an inch wide. Like the 14-incher, it has two leaf springs. I did not gauge them, but they are thick.
Back on March 6th I had 6-, 8-, and 10-inchers hanging on my board and I was negotiating a trade with Jc2043: one of his 14-inchers for one of my 8-inchers and one of my 10-inchers. A little over a month later, I have a complete collection. A few weeks ago I closed that trade. Then last week he tipped me off to an 18-incher on eBay that was part of a three-wrench set with an 8- and 14-incher. I generally don't shop there, but I always appreciate hot tips, and I am not opposed to buying there when I am desperate or impatient for something I haven't seen in the wild. I made the seller a decent offer and he accepted. I was stoked. It arrived today.
John's 14-incher is at the top. The 14-incher I got in the package auction deal is in the middle. And that's the big fat whoppin' 18-incher at the bottom. It weighs 4 lbs 6 ozs. The head is nearly an inch wide. Like the 14-incher, it has two leaf springs. I did not gauge them, but they are thick.
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Donkeyshine, Herr Host.
Did you see the markings on the upper 14-incher? It's later production (no patent numbers, no Heller Brothers, just Heller, etc) and yet it has the raised dots I have seen on other tools (Irwin heavy duty screwdrivers, under the wood scales, for one example) that I have always thought of as an older forge date convention, and I don't recall seeing them before on any Masterench. I'll have to go through the thread and re-fresh my understanding.
Did you see the markings on the upper 14-incher? It's later production (no patent numbers, no Heller Brothers, just Heller, etc) and yet it has the raised dots I have seen on other tools (Irwin heavy duty screwdrivers, under the wood scales, for one example) that I have always thought of as an older forge date convention, and I don't recall seeing them before on any Masterench. I'll have to go through the thread and re-fresh my understanding.
OK, Less that a month latter, I also scored an 18" Masterench (Pipe jaws) locally, as well as a 14" Smooth jaw! - I think the 14 smooth is the first one to surface that large?
The 18" Pipe has the '25 and 27 patent dates, and the full word "Patented"
the 14 has 3 dates, 25, 27, and 28, so a littler later at least. and the short "Pat."
The 14 is also plated, and had this marking on it - USN is pretty obvious, I'm thinking "SD" may be South Dakota? the WWII battleship?)
Yhe logo side of the 14 is sort of smeared, doubled? nit sure how that manages and still have a decently forged wrench?
The 18" Pipe has the '25 and 27 patent dates, and the full word "Patented"
the 14 has 3 dates, 25, 27, and 28, so a littler later at least. and the short "Pat."
The 14 is also plated, and had this marking on it - USN is pretty obvious, I'm thinking "SD" may be South Dakota? the WWII battleship?)
Yhe logo side of the 14 is sort of smeared, doubled? nit sure how that manages and still have a decently forged wrench?
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ I have a few 6 and 8 inchers (at least one of which is marked "Turlock".) I wasn't aware they went up to 14 and 18 inches. 
4 cycle, pipe or smooth? Post 'em up!
I went through the thread again adn did another tally like I did about 2 years ago. (Less 4Cycle's, as I don't have a count or jaw type)
I'm still missing the 18" smooth and the 10" pipe, - nowhere near having a complete set with the same markings.
I'm surprised how many 6" pipe have surfaced!
I went through the thread again adn did another tally like I did about 2 years ago. (Less 4Cycle's, as I don't have a count or jaw type)
I'm still missing the 18" smooth and the 10" pipe, - nowhere near having a complete set with the same markings.
I'm surprised how many 6" pipe have surfaced!
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four.cycle
Well-known member
Oh... I have no idea where they are, or if they're smooth-jaw or pipe style.
The last one I acquired was from an "antique mall" over in Cashmere, and then when I got it home realized I already owned one.
The last one I acquired was from an "antique mall" over in Cashmere, and then when I got it home realized I already owned one.
Provincial
Well-known member
Today I picked up a Masterrench-type tool. It has absolutely no markings visible on it. It has a polished finish all over. It has what I would call "combination" jaws, meaning both gripping teeth for pipe or round objects, and a smooth recess to grip a nut or bolt head. It measures 10" overall length, and the head is 3/4" thick. It functions well, and the spring is still operational. It needs lubrication, but that is all.
The handle is very rounded and countoured. I am beginning to think that it had a soft covering, like Plasti-Dip on it originally, but the whole handle is fully polished. That would explain why there are no markings on the handle.
The handle is very rounded and countoured. I am beginning to think that it had a soft covering, like Plasti-Dip on it originally, but the whole handle is fully polished. That would explain why there are no markings on the handle.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I just made an interesting discovery!
I was doing some research for my next Curator’s Corner when I saw that the man who owned several patents associated with the “Gripso” brand locking plier-wrenches made by H.R. Basford…
…was Lawrence E. Mead. Of Turlock, California.
See more “Gripso” photos and info on a GJ thread here.
“That can’t be just a coincidence,” I said to myself, thinking of Homer A. Mead, one-half, with Earnest E. Lynch, of the duo who invented the Masterrench, the “Mead” in Lynchmead Corporation, later Masterench Corporation, and later still Masterench by Heller. Of Turlock, California.
So I did a little digging. It didn’t take long. They were brothers!
When Homer, just home from WWI, was tinkering around in the shop in the barn, Lawrence was still in high school. Not quite as famous in tool circles as Loring and Aury Gates Coes, but interesting nonetheless, and a link I haven’t seen GJ, Alloy Artifacts, or DATAMP make before.
Homer’s patents page on DATAMP: https://www.datamp.org/patents/search/xrefPerson.php?id=23739.
Woody’s thread on Homer stranded up on the General Discussion board:
www.garagejournal.com
Lawrence’s patents page on DATAMP: https://www.datamp.org/patents/search/xrefPerson.php?id=59457.
I was doing some research for my next Curator’s Corner when I saw that the man who owned several patents associated with the “Gripso” brand locking plier-wrenches made by H.R. Basford…
…was Lawrence E. Mead. Of Turlock, California.
See more “Gripso” photos and info on a GJ thread here.
“That can’t be just a coincidence,” I said to myself, thinking of Homer A. Mead, one-half, with Earnest E. Lynch, of the duo who invented the Masterrench, the “Mead” in Lynchmead Corporation, later Masterench Corporation, and later still Masterench by Heller. Of Turlock, California.
So I did a little digging. It didn’t take long. They were brothers!
When Homer, just home from WWI, was tinkering around in the shop in the barn, Lawrence was still in high school. Not quite as famous in tool circles as Loring and Aury Gates Coes, but interesting nonetheless, and a link I haven’t seen GJ, Alloy Artifacts, or DATAMP make before.
Homer’s patents page on DATAMP: https://www.datamp.org/patents/search/xrefPerson.php?id=23739.
Woody’s thread on Homer stranded up on the General Discussion board:
Homer A. Mead and his Adjustable pliers Pat. # 2,600,512
Homer was a very busy man seems he had more then one company make his Adjustable pliers. Now this is the fun part, just how many other brands are still out there waiting to be found? -Basford -Penen -proto -P&C -Crado From the AA web-site the Proto catalog lists them in their 1954 catalog up...
www.garagejournal.com
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four.cycle
Well-known member
great tool sleuthing, Private Lugnutz! 
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Google Books did all the hard work! 
4.c, check your PM, please.
4.c, check your PM, please.
davethorik
Well-known member
Not a masterench, sorry...
Picked this up today at a flea, I'd never seen a Heller rock pick before. I looked at the Heller catalogs on archive. Org and didnt see the model either. Tried googling a few different ways and found similar rock picks from other mfrs but no Heller. (Williams 4" adjustable for scale)
Assuming it is late production maybe not that old. The handle is 11" and it actually feels real good in the hand. The square face has never been used and i believe the black is original paint. Head just under 8" long.
Picked this up today at a flea, I'd never seen a Heller rock pick before. I looked at the Heller catalogs on archive. Org and didnt see the model either. Tried googling a few different ways and found similar rock picks from other mfrs but no Heller. (Williams 4" adjustable for scale)
Assuming it is late production maybe not that old. The handle is 11" and it actually feels real good in the hand. The square face has never been used and i believe the black is original paint. Head just under 8" long.
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davethorik
Well-known member
Not a masterench, sorry...
Picked this up today at a flea, I'd never seen a Heller rock pick before. I looked at the Heller catalogs on archive. Org and didnt see the model either. Tried googling a few different ways and found similar rock picks from other mfrs but no Heller. (Williams 4" adjustable for scale)
Assuming it is late production maybe not that old. The handle is 11" and it actually feels real good in the hand. The square face has never been used and i believe the black is original paint. Head just under 8" long
Picked this up today at a flea, I'd never seen a Heller rock pick before. I looked at the Heller catalogs on archive. Org and didnt see the model either. Tried googling a few different ways and found similar rock picks from other mfrs but no Heller. (Williams 4" adjustable for scale)
Assuming it is late production maybe not that old. The handle is 11" and it actually feels real good in the hand. The square face has never been used and i believe the black is original paint. Head just under 8" long
Attachments
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
That wrench was part of the Heller Bros 'Chrome Vanadium' era in the 1930's. The alloy steel versions in the 40's and 50's had forge marks (dots), no patent dates, no Brothers (just "Heller"), and no Newark, N.J. address, just "U.S.A.", so it has to be earlier than that, but it can't be any earlier than the latest patent date forged on the wrench, which is 11-12-29. Unlike earlier wrenches bearing just the 4-14-25 patent date or 4-14-25 and 7-5-27 patent dates, there's no way to reduce the range let alone know the exact year of production for wrenches made in this era. There are several examples on this thread.
EDIT: Nice find! Happy hunting! And good luck with the rest of your lot.
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four.cycle
Well-known member
Hello and welcome to the site!
Unfortunately, unless the manufacturer marks the item with some sort of date code, there's really no way to accurately determine the year an item may have been manufactured. In most cases, the best you can do is come up with a "best guess" estimate of a date range.
Here are a few catalog snips dating from 1928 to 1952. It would appear that the earlier version had the round hole at the end of the handle, and the later versions had a square hole.
Although I own several of those Heller Masterwrench units, I am by no means an expert on that brand. I believe there are a couple other members here who are more familiar with the brand than myself - hopefully they'll be able to offer some more insight.
(The last image has no date assignment. The U.S. Postal Service began using postal "zones" in 1943.)
1928 Blish Mize & Stillman Hardware Co. catalog Heller Masterwrench pp 102
1929 Heller Bros. catalog Masterwrench pp 47
1936 Heller Bros. catalog Masterwrench pp 49
1951 Jensen-Byrd Co. catalog Heller Masterwrench pp 137
1952 Heller Bros. catalog No. T-44 Masterwrench pp 25
Heller Bros. Masterwrench brochure (post 1943)
If you are trying to identify or find information on other vintage tools, please bookmark this link
Hope that helps!
Unfortunately, unless the manufacturer marks the item with some sort of date code, there's really no way to accurately determine the year an item may have been manufactured. In most cases, the best you can do is come up with a "best guess" estimate of a date range.
Here are a few catalog snips dating from 1928 to 1952. It would appear that the earlier version had the round hole at the end of the handle, and the later versions had a square hole.
Although I own several of those Heller Masterwrench units, I am by no means an expert on that brand. I believe there are a couple other members here who are more familiar with the brand than myself - hopefully they'll be able to offer some more insight.
(The last image has no date assignment. The U.S. Postal Service began using postal "zones" in 1943.)
1928 Blish Mize & Stillman Hardware Co. catalog Heller Masterwrench pp 102
1929 Heller Bros. catalog Masterwrench pp 47
1936 Heller Bros. catalog Masterwrench pp 49
1951 Jensen-Byrd Co. catalog Heller Masterwrench pp 137
1952 Heller Bros. catalog No. T-44 Masterwrench pp 25
Heller Bros. Masterwrench brochure (post 1943)
If you are trying to identify or find information on other vintage tools, please bookmark this link
Hope that helps!
four.cycle
Well-known member
Private Lugnutz said:
I was cutting and pasting while you were typing and posting.
So you think her unit is earlier?
I've got maybe half a dozen of those, but completely abandoned them when I learned they made so many different versions - too many!
Where's Outlaw? I think he knows the line pretty well... it's certainly not my area of expertise.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I figured.
What do you mean by "earlier"? There are MANY earlier versions. It's not even the earliest of the Heller versions after the Heller acquisition. Like several others already posted, including some of mine, it was produced after the 1929 patent and before the late 40's and 50's era when they pretty much stripped all the antiquated markings and replaced them with basic HELLER MASTERENCH U.S.A. PATENTED.
If you review the thread you'll see that we've covered all the markings and variations very well and have a very good understanding of the timeline, including references - although it's always nice to see the 1920's catalog images!
four.cycle
Well-known member
RE: "... after the 1929 patent and before the late 40's and 50's ..."
okay.
I'll go back and re-read the thread.
I abandoned Heller because there were so many variables.
If I'm looking for something to confuse myself, Indestro double-end box wrenches will suffice nicely.
okay.
I'll go back and re-read the thread.
I abandoned Heller because there were so many variables.
If I'm looking for something to confuse myself, Indestro double-end box wrenches will suffice nicely.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
If you're not collecting them, I wouldn't bother. It will only make your head swim.
A ridiculous number. On the other hand, and in full modesty mode (and no offense to the uninitiated), it makes dating them really, really easy. They (Lynchmeade, Masterrench, and then Heller) put the patent dates on them from 1921 through 1929, and I have two examples of a version with a date (7-11-41) we haven't figured out yet. And then some time in the 40's they dropped all that. So it's kind of hard to get them wrong. But yeah, it's impossible to collect an all-matching set. I have at least one from 6" to 18", but they cover the entire 30+ year production span.
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four.cycle
Well-known member
Private Lugnutz said:
I just finished re-reading this entire thread, and Woody's thread on Heller and the other thread that turned into a discussion about Heller.
Heller / Heller Bros. Co., Newark, NJ / patents 1533602 1634908 1735257 1885616 2028406 / est. 1865 acquired by Simonds 1955 / http://americanmadefiles.blogspot.com/2014/03/heller-brothers-and-heller-tool-co-files.html / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers-p2.html#heller / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/e-a-lynch-h-a-mead-pat-1-634-908.266236/ https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/vintage-speed-wrench.382545/ / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/masterench-by-heller-bros-post-em-up.394029/
Private Lugnutz said:
That's kind of an understatement when you factor in Outlaw's example that may possibly have been "polished", and your Japanned examples, and then multiply that by the smooth jaw/serrated jaw options, and that's not even counting all the different variables you listed in that third thread, which can't be found if you're searching for threads with Heller in the thread title..
But at least this little excursion down this particular rabbit hole filled in several holes in the list, several of which have absolutely nothing to do with Heller, so it wasn't time wasted.
four.cycle
Well-known member
Heller 6-inch Masterench (Newark)
d42jeep
Well-known member
I found a 6” Made In USA version yesterday.
-Don
-Don
d42jeep
Well-known member
Since my others are on the smaller side, when I saw that Roy had this 14" Heller example available, I had to have it. 
-Don
-Don
TractorMark
New member
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2022
- Messages
- 1
Here is a pic of both smooth and pipe jaws in every size, 6, 8, 10, 14 and 18. The other picture shows variations. From the bottom:
Master Rench Co, Lynchmead Mfg Corp, Turlock, CA
Masterench Corp, Turlock, CA
Heller Bros Co, Newark, NJ
Heller, (presumably Newcomerstown, OH)
Onehander, Germany
Weil, Japan
Master Rench Co, Lynchmead Mfg Corp, Turlock, CA
Masterench Corp, Turlock, CA
Heller Bros Co, Newark, NJ
Heller, (presumably Newcomerstown, OH)
Onehander, Germany
Weil, Japan
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d42jeep
Well-known member
I found this copy marked W Germany at an estate sale a while back.
-Don
-Don
rmack898
Well-known member
d42jeep
Well-known member
Even Ridgid must have finally decided that Heller had a hella good idea.
-Don
-Don