Bell system

[d42jeep]

Here is an old canvas bag with faint Bell System markings.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That's it. Identical

The vendor is a regular. You want me to grab it for you if it's there today or next week? The shipping will run you some dough (I'm at 07704 if you want to do some parcel post by weight guesstimating...), but he only wanted $10 for it.

Western and Bell were so closely aligned during that period that his time at Western accrued to his time at Bell and counted toward retirement.

Like doing a 20-year hitch with the Army and going to work for the Post Office. Those were the days.

There really is nothing even close to Ma Bell in terms of the fiscal and geographic scale, scope, duration, and magnitude of their monopoly on telecommunications. They were as big and as everywhere as the government.

Standard Oil, maybe, but it didn't last long and it wasn't as pervasive in everyone's life. U.S. Steel, or maybe one of the railroads, maybe, except these weren't really in your face nationally. Microsoft might be a good modern analogy, but there's no trucks, men, and hardware involved. Verizon is a better analogy, with their ubiquitous trucks, but it pales in comparison to the idea, hard to even imagine in this day and age, of a national contract, and there are competitors. Believe it or not, ABInBev probably comes close in scope and magnitude - nobody realizes it because of the number (over 200!) and diversity of the brands, which conceals the monopoly (occurring in the front office and at the bank), and the product is a consumable.

 

[southalabama]

Thanks grab it and we can work payment. I'm in 36426. Alabama.

Pm me if your able to grab one marked Bell System

 

[paulm12]

Bell System screwdriver made by Stanley
.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks grab it and we can work payment.

Got it!

 

[southalabama]

Good deal. Will be a good place to keep my Bell System tools

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yup! Check your PM.

 

[Cooter Brown]

Here are a couple of interesting pliers, both stamped "Bell System".

Klein linesman pliers are not uncommon, but these are date coded April of 1929.

The needle nose pliers are made by F.E. Lindstrom of Sweden. They are of box joint construction, something you don't see often. They seem to be of very high quality. I've got Klein and Utica needle nose pliers in the tool boxes--these are on my fly tying bench and get light use. Not that I think they aren't up to it--I've just never seen another pair like them.

More Bell to come as I get time for pics.

 

[jeffmoss26]

love those fiberboard tool cases!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Cooter Brown:

I'm not following the "but" on your 1929 Klein linesman pliers. The "Bell System" name and logo was trademarked in 1921.

I am a little surprised by the Lindstrom needle nose. I didn't know that Bell was buying tools made outside the U.S. I'm not a Bell System tools/toolkit expert. I wish we had one on this thread. I don't ever recall seeing tools with a foreign COO before. How old do you think they are? What does that "Bell System" stamp look like?

 

[Cooter Brown]

Cooter Brown:

I'm not following the "but" on your 1929 Klein linesman pliers. The "Bell System" name and logo was trademarked in 1921.

I am a little surprised by the Lindstrom needle nose. I didn't know that Bell was buying tools made outside the U.S. I'm not a Bell System tools/toolkit expert. I wish we had one on this thread. I don't ever recall seeing tools with a foreign COO before. How old do you think they are? What does that "Bell System" stamp look like?

I was just pointing out that though the Kleins are a common tool, this example is quite old.

The Lindstroms are the only ones I've seen, and in my "collection" the only tool of foreign manufacture with the Bell System stamp.

Attached is a picture of the stamp on them, as well as a pic of them next to the much more common Kleins.

Also some screwdrivers, including three very similar Stanleys of different eras. In addition to the Bell System stamp, all three including the ones with the plastic handles are stamped "KS-6854". Most Bell marked screwdrivers do not have this sort of stamp--these probably had a specific design and purpose. Bell had a lot of specialized tools. I'm sure my father could have told me exactly what the specific purpose of this driver was. Edit to say, paulm12 posted the same driver above.

Lastly, four larger flatheads, three Stanleys and a Bridgeport (bottom). The Stanley third from the top is a Sweetheart.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I was just pointing out that though the Kleins are a common tool, this example is quite old.

Gotcha.

The Lindstroms are the only ones I've seen, and in my "collection" the only tool of foreign manufacture with the Bell System stamp.

A lightbulb just went on. I wonder if they were for the international arm of the Bell System, and made it back to the US somehow.

 

[Cooter Brown]

Gotcha.


A lightbulb just went on. I wonder if they were for the international arm of the Bell System, and made it back to the US somehow.

Out of curiosity I did a search and found a few Bell System tools by Lindstrom on ebay, including needlenose, diagonal wire cutters, and crimpers.

I have no idea what the time period would have been for Bell's purchasing these tools. As noted before, my grandfather worked for Western, and my father worked for Bell, and there was a good deal of overlap in those companies. I'm sure I have tools from the 20s to the 70s, maybe into the 80s.

One thing I do know is that Western and Bell of that time period made a practice of buying high quality tools.

 

[southalabama]

Check out Jeff Moss collection on YouTube.

Maybe this link works.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Hey that's me! Old video, will have to update it.

 

[southalabama]

I've watched Jeff's shop tour several times.

I may be insane but sometimes I like to look at things from a different perspective. I'll look at a magazine backwards or instead of focusing on the main topic of a video look at background or what isn't being discussed. Nuts I know.

I have horrible sleep patterns. YouTube videos of workshops would put some to sleep but not me. Helps me relax though.

 

[bonneyman]

As promised!

Awesome! Thanks, Jeff!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That's an oldie but goodie! jeff's been the go-to "Bell System" guy on the Garage Sale threads since..., well, since the inaugural Garage Sale thread back in 2012! The good thing about Jeff's collection is that it covers the later vintage stuff (clearly a few generations older than modern, but not early), if that makes sense. I don't even know if this is true, but he seems to have a lot of Bell System E stuff, and many of the pliers handles are Plasti-Dipped or rubberized, which has always led me to believe their modeling scheme may have been chronological in alphabetic order, since the oldest stuff is always Bell System A or B.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Yeah, most of my stuff is on the newer side. Don't see a lot of the old stuff without dipped handles.

 

[southalabama]

I've read some where that the letters do refer to models or something similar.

It seems like it was an obscure reference. I'll ask dad and perhaps he can explain it. He's got the crud now so steering clear.

 

[southalabama]

Well dad's answer on the lettering, I used to know and I wasn't interested in collecting anything but a paycheck. He's on a lot of cold meds so maybe it will come to him.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I used to know and I wasn't interested in collecting anything but a paycheck.

Classic!

 

[southalabama]

That was the chatty answer. Sometime I get a simple "no" or "yes". A man of few words but you better listen when he speaks.

 

[3baygarage]

Hey that's me! Old video, will have to update it.

I love it Jeff. You’re like ehh, another one of these, another one of these, another one of these things. Nice fast moving video. Please give us an update.

I had a bunch of the Stanley and Irwin drivers, various pliers, and the lineman hatchet with the square wrench hole, all long gone.

You want to hear something neat? One of the black drivers, from one of the two brands mentioned, I forgot which, had a bubble on the side of the handle. It appeared to have come from the factory with that defect. Well, one day I got curious and popped the bubble, and it turned out to be an air void. It was full of black liquid, the goo used to make the handle. Can’t say I’ve encountered that on any other driver before but I would love to know how many years it stayed like that. Had to be decades.

 

[3baygarage]

Do you or anyone else collect these?. I had a few various Klein and thought this was but no. This one doesn’t have a mfr. mark.

Just Bell System B.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

You’re like ehh, another one of these, another one of these, another one of these things. Nice fast moving video.

'Zackly! Love it. It's like the Blair Witch Project (found video footage) approach of tool documentaries!

It was full of black liquid, the goo used to make the handle...[ ]... Had to be decades.

Have you experienced any unexplained bouts of short term memory loss since then? Migraines? Nausea? Vertigo? Psoriasis? Infertility?

Do you or anyone else collect these?

Never seen it before. I wonder what the various openings were for. EDIT: We might have to put southalabama Senior on this case.

 

[3baygarage]

I don’t know that it got into contact with my skin, but that might explain alot. It was a good couple drops in there.

I’m surprised you haven’t seen the lineman wrenches before Lugz. Maybe you didn’t notice them.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I can see you thinking that with the Bell System B climbers and harness I showed upthread, but nope, never took much notice. I never did get into the Signal Corps lineman's kit, which would've been my entrée to the Bell System lineman’s kit. (All the suppliers and materials were the same!)

I found a 1944 Signal Corps Buckingham LC-23 (belt) at a flea market once and promptly sold it for $300! I immediately regretted it and I’ve been on the lookout ever since. When I found the Bell System B climbers and belt I thought it might’ve been wartime Signal Corps. Glad I kept them.

I did find a 1951 Signal Corps belt made by Miller that is going to be the shoulder strap for a custom laptop bag this guy out in California is making for me. He makes laptop bags for WWII guys using all repurposed original WWII materials. I sent him all the Signal Corp stuff I had – the lineman’s belt, canvas transport bag, canvas BG-44 bag, leather EE-8 radio case and CS-34 pouch, rubberized radio bags for interior pockets, a sleeping bag (for the lining), web belts – everything all marked up with wartime markings. That cherry wood handle you see is from a soldering iron. That's going to be the handle for carrying it without the shoulder strap. I also salvaged several soldering iron cords for hem materials on the flap. I also sent him some of my own service artifacts, badges, insignia, etc. I had what we called “strategic” assignments most of my career, but did a tactical hitch with a Combat Electronic Warfare Intelligence (CEWI, pronounced “see-wee”) Battalion.

View media item 83374
Also sent him a general design. This doesn’t show the back side or the inside but you get the idea.

View media item 83375
The guy names all his bags, and he’s going to call this one the “Old Crow” (a term that goes way back to Army Security Agency (precursor to NSA) days for old spinner-grinners like me. The guy does incredible work. (Not shilling for him as he is turning orders away anyway.) See pics.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

As reported earlier today in the 2018 Garage Sale thread, I found a Bell System B cutting tool (how's that for vagueness? ) in its original Bell System B leather sheath today at my second flea market stop. These are not what I expected to see, looking like small heavy duty shears to me, with straight cutting blades, and a serrated back edge. I don't know if those serrations are cosmetic or for abrading something or what. Hoping others will chime in on that.

The sheath, which has a belt slot, and also a brass clip on the back, was made by A.E. Burgess Leather Company (I think they're in Massachusetts), and the scissors or snips or little shears were made by Clauss, in Fremont, Ohio (also home to Herbrand!), part number 525.

Cool little kit. Glad I found it.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Those are electricians scissors, more commonly referred to in the field as snips. The notches are for stripping wire and the serrations are for scraping/cleaning wires. Nice find!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks, Jeff! But I don't see any notches, which is part of the reason why I wasn't sure what to call them.

 

[bmwrd0]

Lugz, here are some of mine from my AT&T days. You can see the notches in the first pic.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I have an older pair without notches in my collection, but they are snips just the same!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have an older pair without notches in my collection, but they are snips just the same!

Wasn't doubting that, Jeff, just explaining why they seemed a little odd to me. Thanks!

Thanks, Beemer.

How old do you guys reckon these are? Bell System B stuff is usually very old (30's and 40's), but this kit is in such great shape, it's making me doubt that.

 

[bmwrd0]

I have a System B box (the red Thorsen) that looks 60's-70's to me, but I think the system goes back a lot longer than that. None of the old timers knew when I worked there, but a lot of knowledge like that went away with the buyouts of techs.

That said, the snips and sheath look pretty old to me, what with the no notches, brass clip and exposed rivets.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...brass clip and exposed rivets.

'Zackly.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Well, I got lucky again today! Picked up two more BELL SYSTEM tools at the flea market.

A Miller Falls No. 1100 adjustable hack saw frame with a pistol grip, marked BELL SYSTEM (no letter designation) next to the branding, and a pair of small but robust wire crimper/stripper made by H.K. Porter, marked BELL SYSTEM B on the flip side of the branding.

Perhaps Jeff or Beemer can be more specific than that on the little compound HKP's. The hack saw frame slides in and out from 8 to 12 inches, and that captive little thumb nut locks it into place.

 

[American Iron]

Hey just wanted to contribute my Bell System Hack Saw. Had this for awhile and its very well made. No makers mark (s) anywhere. Durable and cuts straight. Agree that Bell bought big lots of tools from a manufacturer but none were marked except for the Bell Systems stamping.. keeping this old tool around as its better than most new saws.. Take Care.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Agree that Bell bought big lots of tools from a manufacturer but none were marked except for the Bell Systems stamping...

Thanks for posting, AI, but just for your situational awareness, that's not true. Read through the thread and you will see plenty of tools marked with the OEM's brand and the BELL SYSTEM marking.

 

[hsvtoolfool]

The North Bros Yankee and Stanley bit brace from the 1920s are often
found with the "Bell System" stamp. To me, Bell is the mark of a quality
tool considering their suppliers of the era. My Yankee 2101 Bell brace is
one of my favorites.