H K Porter, Boston, MA

Shelbylex · Apr 19, 2019

Good evening. I acquired a lot of tools recently and there was a manual impact driver with couple of bits there (Image 1,2)
HK Porter, Boston 43. MASS #6M. Driver size is 3/8.
Attachments:
#620P LIC NO 2
#640P LIC NO 2, this one also has a stamp # 4 (this is a slightly larger phillips)
#656S, 9/16 socket

Does anybody know how old are these tools?
How rare are they?
If you have a set or couple of sockets, attachments, etc - please post your pictures

I tried to look it up on the internet, but did not find much.
I, however, found this image on worthpoint. It shows a box, sockets sizes 7/16, 1/2 and 9/16,bit holder and some bits (image 3)

... now I will need to start looking for 2 more sockets, possible other phillips, bit holding socket and more bits...

rshadd · Apr 20, 2019

Here's mine.. I don't know much about it as it was inherited from my grandfather. I would guess it was purchased in the 60's. I don't have the box/case or any accessories for it. I haven't used it in years, but does work well. The US Patent number may revel more useful information. The anvil is 1/4".

#6ms impak driver
made by
h.k. Porter inc.
Boston 43 mass

us pat 2.559.558

Shelbylex · Apr 22, 2019

Thank you, RSHADD

I did a little more info and found the following on the internet:
"The H.K. Porter Forge and Furnace building, located in what is now Assembly Square, was a tool manufacturing facility whose operations included forging, milling, assembly, painting, packaging, and shipping of goods between the 1940s and 1980s. This factory was designed by distinguished Harvard Graduate School of Design professor Walter Bogner (1899-1993). The facility was closed some time in the 1980s and was subsequently demolished shortly thereafter. Recently, there has been renewed interest in the former building's site, as developers look to turn that area into a flourishing multiuse community.

H.K. Porter Inc. was well known between the 1850s-1950s for being the largest producer of industrial locomotives in the United States. While the last locomotive was manufactured in 1950, the company continued to produce industrial equipment. "

This is from the site https://www.culturenow.org/index.ph...=17675&seo=H-K-Porter-Factory_Walter-S-Bogner

Also the following:
"H K Porter, Inc. is a Massachusetts Domestic Profit Corporation filed on May 16, 1923. The company's File Number is listed as 041737420. The company's principal address is 74 Foley St, Somerville, MA 02143.
The company has 2 principals on record. The principals are Arthur W. Cook from Saugus MA and Henry K. Porter from Winchester MA." from https://www.bizapedia.com/ma/h-k-porter-inc.html

d42jeep · Apr 23, 2019

Ricky Joe said:
My only H. K. Porter tool that I knowingly possess is a rather ornate bolt cutter. I would post pictures but only have a phone, not a camera, and haven't figured out how to do that.

Maybe like this?
-Don

drifter_r6 · Apr 23, 2019

d42jeep said:
Maybe like this?
-Don

My father has an H.K. cutters exactly like that. Heavy suckers, I'm only aware of its use a hand full of times. Current steel quality definitely isn't like it used to be.

Private Lugnutz · Apr 23, 2019

Shelby,

When I first read your post #1, I thought your questions were directed specifically at the manual impact driver kit you found, not so much the company.

H.K. Porter was huge and most well-known for crimpers and cutters, especially as a long-time military and Bell System supplier. I have shown an HKP Bell System crimper on the Bell System thread and just last week LesserSon reported a beautiful Corps of Engineers M1938 pattern wire cutter made by HKP on the Garage Sale thread. The bolt cutters (Don's very nice example) are probably their single most recognizable hand tool due in no small part to the ornate built-in marketing others have pointed out. They are seemingly ubiquitous at flea markets. I can't imagine how many they turned out over the years.

EDIT: Its auto body tools division, which was also highly revered, deserves separate mention. (The "Porter" in Porter-Ferguson is H.K. Porter.) In fact, Joshua Ferguson, whose great-grandfather, William H. Ferguson, was a Vise-President of H.K. Porter, is a member here on GJ. He popped up in January asking question (and also answering some - including the confirmation of some research I had done on Trimo-Ferguson and Porter-Ferguson). If you search on "Porter-Ferguson" you will find several threads.

Shelbylex · Apr 23, 2019

Thank you, Lugz.
You are right - initially this was a thread only about impakdriver. As I got more interested, I found more information about the company and decided to add it.
Thank you for the references - will look it up.

... found couple of more impact sockets from the company on eBay. Overpaid, but decided to get them since there were no other recent sales there for this brand. Will post them once they come. I wonder why I never see this impakdriver and attachments on CL despite living 20 min from Boston, They were either not popular, broke a lot or just produced in limited numbers.

Bottlecapdigger · Apr 23, 2019

d42jeep said:
Maybe like this?
-Don[ I got the same ones, 2-36" and I think the smaller ones are either 18 or 24". Good quality tools. BCD. QUOTE]

Toolman 1912 · Dec 17, 2019

Hi Shelby
Those H.K. Porter impact drivers were probably made in the 1960s. I know that's about the time when my dad had them in his tools, since he worked at the plant they were made at. I have 2 impact drivers as well as screwdriver bits to go with them. I have about 18 tools made at that plant from 1916 to about late 1980s when the plant closed. The plant was a foundry where everything was made. It had a unique roof made as an octagon with the letters HKP on it which could be seen from interstate 93. I miss seeing that roof. Over the years the same location was either called Boston, Everett or Somerville43. The 43 was reference to its Zip Code of 02143. The area is called Assembly Square now. All the tools I collect and use I find at flea markets and private sales as far away as Florida! Some times they may be rusty or just unused for many years, but are always worth cleaning up and painted so they may be put back into service again. Tools made there are much better made than anything today!
Glad you have a piece of my dad in your tool box! Keep them in good shape.
Tolman
The son of an H.K. Porter worker!

Roberts210 · Dec 17, 2019

I have an HK Porter bolt cutter of a modern design, with pipe handles and not the cast iron ones. It out performs any Taiwan or Chinee bolt cutter I've ever used.

Shelbylex · Dec 19, 2019

Hi, Tolman
Thank you for your reply. It’s great to learn from people who are part of the history!
Now Boston 43 makes sense!
Please post pictures of some of your treasures!
Proud to have those tools in my box! Please thank your father on my behalf!
Shelby

It’s interesting - I see these tools on eBay, but not on CL or yard sales. I guess I will need to look better!

Private Lugnutz · Dec 19, 2019

Postal Codes, such as 43, are much older than the Zip Codes they were embedded in, with the new area prefixes (such as 021) in 1963. Much older than WWII, as well, an erroneous interpretation of the history you will see everywhere on the web, unfortunately.

four.cycle · Dec 20, 2019

all I got here:

1952 Hardware Age H.K. Porter cutters ad pp 89.jpg

Porter / H.K. Porter Inc., 74 Foley St., Somerville, MA / currently part of Apex Tool Group / "HKP" /

(* if you want a copy of that full size in *.jpg format, P/M me a good email addy *)

Roberts210 · Dec 20, 2019

Here an H.K. Porter swager and an HKP bolt cutter, and another swager. The small swager was made by HKP for National Telephone and says, "No 0 Right" I have no idea what size that is.

The large swager was made by Nicopress for the National Telephone Co., Cleveland, Ohio. I use it a lot on 1/8th inch wire rope to make various lengths, swaging loops with the copper swages in the plastic bag. This swager exerts so much pressure the copper actually turns into almost a liquid state and flows into and around the individual steel strands in the wire rope.

The bolt cutter is H.K. Porter, and beats the pants off any other bolt cutter I've ever used. Besides the HKP cast into the head, on one of the steel pieces is stamped, "H.K. Porter Inc., Somerville 02143 Mass

Toolman 1912 · Feb 1, 2020

Hi Toolman 1912 here,those impact drivers were made in the late 1950s into through the 1960 at least. Their were several sizes of straight and Philip's screwdriver bits for this tool. The plant or foundry as it was know had been at Assembly square from at least 1900 till 1988. The location first was called Boston, Mass then Boston 43, Mass, then Everett Mass and finally SOMERVILLE 43, MASS. The locations designations were due to the city layout and town designations. The number 43 is referring to 02143 the zip code. I have 17 tools from 1916 to mid 1980s from that plant because my dad worked their and probably had a hand in making those tools you have. They made them to last over a hundred years there. Take good care of them, i certainly do.

Shelbylex · Feb 2, 2020

Thank you, Toolman 1912. Please post your collection
I hope one day I will come across more straight and Phillips screwdriver bits. Looked several times on e-bay, but no luck. Hopefully a local yard sale will work out at some point

Mintgrun · Oct 20, 2020

Does anyone recognize this tool? The hinge at the end appears to be some sort of flange bender, or something. It has ball pivots at each jaw and can rotate 360 degrees. I have not tried pinching anything with it yet. I have tried googling up information, but to no avail. HK Porter tool # 290M

I pulled these three tools out of the scrap heap today, five minutes before the big excavator compacted that part of the pile. Rescued all three for ten bux.

Tom

RTM · Oct 20, 2020

290M appears to be the handle section. The jaws don't match. Wonder if it was user made.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HK-Porter-...178973?hash=item46b52a9add:g:TNMAAOSw9nVfXLBk

https://archive.org/details/PorterCuttersCatalogNo779/page/n1/mode/2up

These seem to be the standard jaws

https://archive.org/details/PorterCuttersCatalogNo779/page/n5/mode/1up

Mintgrun · Oct 20, 2020

Ah, okay. Thank you. The number is cast into the handle section. I'll look to see if there are any markings on the jaws, but I don't think there are.

It seems like it would work well for closing up seams, where sheet metal has been folded over. They'd work with a specific thickness of metal though, since the hinge itself is not adjustable.

The ball end sockets would let you approach the work from many angles.

If it was a bending tool, I would think the pivoting feature might be a hassle.

Mintgrun · Oct 20, 2020

Okay, I feel dumb. Both jaws of the hinge portion say

Luster Jordan Manufacturing Company
Norristown, PA.

There is a nice writeup on them on the vintage machinery site

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=535

They manufactured box-making machinery.

RTM · Oct 20, 2020

That helps. Looks like they were formed in 1925
https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_pa/212166

OR earlier
http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=535

And went out about 1969, and that thing may have been a seamer, looking at 2nd and 4th results.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1...hUKEwjWoZeg_cPsAhUVip4KHZqdD00Q4dUDCA0&uact=5

Private Lugnutz · Apr 2, 2021

I picked up these WWII M-1938 parrot beak wire cutters at the flea market this morning. Stamped 1942. They're famous. Despite how many they made for the QMC, Corps of Engineers, and Ordnance Dept (see Pic 5), they're not common. They're not terribly rare, either, although these Bakelite handles and jaws are in unusually fine condition. I got even luckier on price. They were buried in a mess of rusty pliers.

four.cycle · Apr 2, 2021

four.cycle · Apr 2, 2021

four.cycle · Apr 2, 2021

1965 H.K. Porter catalog No 205A pp sec 2.jpg

1965 H.K. Porter catalog No 205A rear cover.jpg

* Those "Parrot Beak" cutters are certainly interesting, Private Lugnutz

d42jeep · Apr 3, 2021

Private Lugnutz said:
I picked up these WWII M-1938 parrot beak wire cutters at the flea market this morning. Stamped 1942. They're famous. Despite how many they made for the QMC, Corps of Engineers, and Ordnance Dept (see Pic 5), they're not common. They're not terribly rare, either, although these Bakelite handles and jaws are in unusually fine condition. I got even luckier on price. They were buried in a mess of rusty pliers.

Nice find. I’ve never seen a pair in the wild. Here are my 1944 pair along with my 1942 dated pouch.
-Don

Private Lugnutz · Apr 3, 2021

d42jeep said:
Nice find. I’ve never seen a pair in the wild.

Thanks. And yeah, as I alluded to, it's strange they aren't more common given how many they made during the war. I attribute it to people hanging on to them generation to generation a little longer than other things.

d42jeep said:
Here are my 1944 pair along with my 1942 dated pouch.

Those are horribly mismatched. You need to find a 1944 pouch. I'm sure someone with a 1942 pair could find something to do with that 1942 pouch. :evil:

d42jeep · Apr 3, 2021

Private Lugnutz said:
Those are horribly mismatched. You need to find a 1944 pouch. I'm sure someone with a 1942 pair could find something to do with that 1942 pouch.

That’s odd. I was thinking that if I had a pair marked 1942 they would be a good match to my nice pouch.

And my ‘42 Jeep.
-Don

Private Lugnutz · Apr 3, 2021

Haha! Touche!

tym · Dec 23, 2021

I picked up the following 1855 12" bolt cutter for a buck at a swap meet recently. The jaws were in bad shape, so I replaced with a NOS pair off of eBay. Anyone know where I can find a replacement for the left-hand pivot bolt? It is a 5/16-18 right-hand thread but with a small head (accepts 7/16" wrench and not the usual 1/2"). Looks like someone ground down the faces of a standard bolt as a replacement, and didn't do too good a job of it.

Also could use one of the five-lobed tab lock washers. The current Crescent HK Porter site doesn't list any 12" bolt cutters or spare parts!

Private Lugnutz · Feb 6, 2022

Picked up another M-1938 parrot beak this morning at the flea (see Pics 1 & 2), this one dated 1945 with some cool, stubborn remnants of a late war light OD green (see Pics 3 & 4), and not nearly as good condition as the first specimen (see Post #22), with a chewed up jaw, some slop in the compound action, and a very faint marking (see Pic 5). One observation in comparing the '42 and the '45 is the difference in the beak. It's shorter and thicker (see Pic 6).

RTM · May 22, 2022

Following up on my GS find, here is my HKP fencing wire cutter, with a US mark (forget Lugz's word for military marking), and HKP and 1942. I scrubbed off just enough rust to read the markings, and stopped there.

Again, if someone can use these for a WWII kit, holler

RStewart · May 22, 2022

Assembly Square, formerly Ford Motor Co. assembly line. Closed in 1958. Eventually became Assembly Square Mall in 1980. Subsequently closed and is currently Assembly Row. “Upscale”living and dining.

Private Lugnutz · May 22, 2022

RTM said:
forget Lugz's word for military marking

Martial. As opposed to a standard COO marking. Sometimes stamped by the mfgr, often the military.

Private Lugnutz · Aug 28, 2022

I have posted three HKP M-1938 parrot beaks in this thread: a "1942" and two "1945"'s. No pouches for any of them. I was ecstatic to change that for one of them at the flea this morning!

Shelbylex · Dec 7, 2022

Back to the Impak Driver: an ad from the past...

Shelbylex · Dec 7, 2022

... Now I need a box and two flat head attachments... I wonder why we do not see too much on sale - mostly just impak drivers...
If anybody has a box and attachments - please post the pics!!!

RTM · Dec 7, 2022

Probably because the bits wore out? Or got separated when the box broke, and dispersed with all the other hex bits at the estate sale?

Shelbylex · Dec 7, 2022

What's the probability that all the attachments and the bits disappeared and all the boxes broke?
Either they produced very few of those or quality was not too good and a lot of them got broken... It's just unusual that I can not even find them on ebay (at least for references...)

RTM · Dec 7, 2022

I have never seen an HKPorter Impact Driver in my 20+ years of looking at old tools. Could be regional. I've seen two Vessels, and got one Williams last month. None of them were in a box, and only had the one attached bit.

My current Vessel, given as a gift in about 1980, has already destroyed the Ph#2 bit, in only about 10 uses in those 40 years. Damn Honda brake rotor. If it wasn't for the metal box, I don't imagine mine would have kept together, as its moved through 4 different toolboxes over the years.

I recently bought a box of old hex bits, and it had 1/4" hex, 5/16"" sq drive, and 7/16" hex bits all in one plastic box. Some people don't keep them segregated, others keep the bits with the drivers.

H K Porter, Boston, MA

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