Daniel Chapman Stillson and the Walworth Mfg. Co.

woody 73 · Aug 4, 2016

It was during the American Civil War (1860-1865) that a very young Man in his early thirties (Some discrepancy about his birth date), when a young US Navy Fireman Daniel Chapman Stillson had a front row seat on another ship while the famous duel between the Union Monitor and the Confederate Merrimac took place at the battle of Hampton roads on March the 9th, 1862.

During his few years of service as a fireman on several ships that Mr. Stillson at some point in time worked with another Man Colonel Levi Greene a US Navy Experimental Metallurgist. It was at that time when Col. Greene recognized the full talents of Mr. Stillson something that left a very good impression with Col. Greene.

As it turns out later when the great war was over and some time had passed, Mr. Stillson needing full time employment applied to the Walworth Manufacturing Company in Boston and as luck would have it the very man to give an interview was non-other then Col. Greene and the rest as they say is History.

For the full Story of both Daniel C. Stillson and that of the Walworth Mfg. Company (still going strong since 1842) please see the links provided.

Be sure to get a good look at the two vintage wrenches also look at the Diamond Trade Mark Logo and be sure and get a good look at the two special Marks that look some what like a bowling ball with a Diamond bottom.

http://www.davistownmuseum.org/bioWalworth.html

http://users.eastlink.ca/~pspencer/nsaeta/walworth.html

http://www.bochynski.com/stillson/Walworth_excerpt.pdf

http://www.datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?id=13755

http://www.leagle.com/decision/192751519F2d496_2345/WALWORTH CO. v. MOORE DROP FORGING CO.

http://www.bochynski.com/stillson/

http://www.bochynski.com/stillson/html/biography.html

http://www.todayinsci.com/Events/Patent/StillsonWrench184993.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Chapman_Stillson

http://www.thefullwiki.org/Daniel_Chapman_Stillson

http://walworth.com/en

woody 73 · Aug 4, 2016

A few more pictures:

Sam'sAutoParts · Aug 4, 2016

Woody,
You are on a roll this week, I like how it ties into the one from yesterday.

One thought I had was, what if you made a new thread that could serve as an index for all of your stories. Maybe the mods could make the index thread a sticky in the vintage forum? It would make revisiting past stores easier, and maybe help answer some questions for new members.

twertsy · Aug 5, 2016

Or someone could create a site where the stories could be posted and they are automatically indexed..........................

twertsy · Aug 5, 2016

This is from the Stilson/Stillson family history:
https://books.google.com/books?id=Q...earchwithinvolume&q="Daniel+Chapman+Stillson"

Sam'sAutoParts · Aug 6, 2016

twertsy said:
Or someone could create a site where the stories could be posted and they are automatically indexed..........................

I see what ya did there. Lol

woody 73 · Aug 6, 2016

Sorry twertsy but I asked everyone in my Family how do I make the pictures smaller in order to post stories in your web-site but so far all I get is tons of not sure looks. :dunno:

LesserSon · Mar 10, 2019

Daniel Stillson's memorial on the FindAGrave app.

Private Lugnutz · Mar 10, 2019

That link's not working, LS.

sselander · Mar 10, 2019

try this:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27895645

Downwindtracker 2 · Dec 19, 2019

I picked up a NOS 10 " Walworth Genuine Stillson from Lee Valley. On the handle was a 49 and under that a K

Tjlumpkin · May 16, 2020

Hello Gents, This is my first post. I need to call on your expertise in this field. I was at a thrift site the other day and came across on old rusty pipe wrench. I thought I could clean it up and display it in my garage. After getting the rust off, I was able to read most of the markings. I don't think it's a original Stillson, but I can't find any reference to the markings on the internet. Does anyone recognize this wrench and able to point me in there right direction to identify it? The wording on the handle... "Improved Stillson, Made in the USA, Ar.N-2?76830" and on the back of handle "H5".

Thanks, Tim

Private Lugnutz · May 16, 2020

It is not a Walworth Stillson pattern wrench. It was made by the Ridge Tool Company, mfgrs of the equally famous RIDGID pattern pipe wrenches, which put the adjusting nut outside the housing. Your wrench was patented (2,076,830) by William O. Thewes, an assignor for Ridge who designed almost all of Ridge's pipe wrenches, in 1937. They are not as well known as their iconically recognizable pipe wrenches, but they did make them. The improvement in the "Improved Stillson" claim refers to a different stabilizing mechanism inside the housing.

d42jeep · May 16, 2020

Here are some pictures of mine.
-Don

d42jeep · Oct 10, 2020

I found a rusty Walworth 10” Stillson pipe wrench at a garage sale yesterday. The wood handle was intact so I picked it up. The head spent the night in the evaporust and I finished cleaning it up today.
-Don

d42jeep · Oct 13, 2020

After cleaning up the 10” Stillson, I checked the pipe wrench drawer and found a rusty 14” example that was begging to receive the same treatment. These was also a small Improved Stillson with a wood handle that was made by the Ridge Tool Co. (Ridgid) that I had forgotten I had. Here they all are.
-Don