c. 1920 Neverslip Pliers with replaceable side-cutters

[Private Lugnutz]

Today was my kind of haul as a collector at the flea market. I found a few tools made by mfgr’s I had never heard of before, which sent me to the history books, so to speak, one of the most rewarding parts of this hobby.

One of those tools were these nifty Neverslip lineman’s pliers.

The side-cutters, made from crucible steel, are replaceable – a feature they prominently advertised for its economic efficiency. They are each held in place with a screw that is countersunk in the outside of the jaws so as not to disrupt the profile.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

If you’re thinking that "Neverslip” may be a catchy name, but it doesn’t seem to be in the least bit descriptive of the main selling point, so was I.

The name of the company (Neverslip Works), which was established in New Brunswick, NJ, in 1896 three years after my house was built about 25 miles to the southeast, actually comes from their much earlier horseshoe calk (patented August 17, 1897; D27,542) and a wrench with a unique conical and tapered opening (patented on the same day; 588,348), used explicitly and exclusively to turn the calks.

The wrench is considered a collectible by the horse-and-buggy set.

I haven’t yet located the patent for the pliers, but the earliest literature dates to 1920.

Out of curiosity, and for a more thorough cleaning, I removed the cutters. I tried several modern and vintage close-quarter screwdrivers before finding one that had a thin enough blade to fit in the slot of the screw, but wide enough to not tear up the head. Appropriately, it was a vintage WARDS LAKESIDE. Not surprisingly, the cutters needed a little coercion in the form of WD-40 and some taps with a drift pin and mallet to remove.

After cleaning the pieces and the screws, I reassembled it, but I prefer the brand side up, facing me, not down, where it could get gouged on the work, so I flipped the cutters around. (At least one of the ads showed them this way, so I am not being historically inaccurate!)

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I don't buy many modern tools. Does anyone know if any current comparable lineman's type pliers with side-cutters have replaceable cutting jaws? Or is this yet another obsolete tool that would be useful and cost-saving to have still in production today?

 

[RubiconJK]

I don't buy many modern tools. Does anyone know if any current comparable lineman's type pliers with side-cutters have replaceable cutting jaws? Or is this yet another obsolete tool that would be useful and cost-saving to have still in production today?

What a great idea! Not saying there are not some modern day equivalents, but I've never seen them. Great find and even better sleuthing!

 

[rlitman]

That's a beautiful tool. You need some narrow slot gunsmithing parallel ground slotted screwdrivers now.

I can't say I've ever see another pair of linesman style pliers with replaceable cutter jaws. Plenty of current production tools have replaceable cutters (the Leatherman Plus modes come to mind first, but I can think of many other examples), but that format looks unique to me.

 

[woody 73]

In case you need some more information tonight:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=267023&highlight=neverslip

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks, Woody. Good to have the two threads and tools linked. I have cross-posted at the end of your thread, too, so the connection can go both ways. I used the Search Tool to look for previous GJ posts on "Neverslip" before I posted, but I sometimes forget to include the General Discussion board in the search parameters, which is where your thread is of course. (Stragglers like that don't deserve to be languishing up there in Neonplastichandleland!)

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I like the replaceable cutters. I think current technology has reduced the need for such a feature. My knipex side cutters are 15 years old and will still slice a battery hold down j bolt in half.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Agreed. That and the rising tide economics of a disposable culture. Your side cutters are getting dull? Buy a new pair. They are relatively cheap.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I found another example of these terrific pliers this morning at the flea market. They cleaned up well.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The finish on this one is immaculate compared to the first one I found last year, which is a little leopard-coated with box rot, although the logo is a little more worn on this one.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

That is a nice example. Cutters still look good

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yup. I re-assembled this one like the ads, with the cutters on the branding side.

 

[Wrench97]

I had to look up horseshoe calk.......................seems its not a sealant but more like studs for snow tires.........................

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I had to look up horseshoe calk.......................seems its not a sealant but more like studs for snow tires.........................

Yup. Image of one upthread with the wrench. Do you have any Diamond/Diamalloy adjustable crescent-type wrenches? The original name of the Diamond Tool and Horseshoe Company in Duluth, Minn. was Diamond Calk Horseshoe Company.

 

[Wrench97]

I do have a Diamond crescent wrench

 

[Private Lugnutz]

If it says "Calk" it's older than 1957.

 

[Wrench97]

I'll have to look I know it says Diamond in the logo on one side not sure about the other side.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Found my third example of these pliers this morning at the flea. I have never seen just the replaceable cutters (and I highly doubt I ever will...), so I figure that buying duplicates has to the best (if not only) way to purchase them.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I'm astounded that you were able to find three pairs of those, let alone one. I suppose your being in New Jersey, where they were originally manufactured, gives you a slight edge.
I wasn't aware there was even a mention of this company on this site. I spent a lot of time digging to try to figure out who/what this company was all about.
They also manufactured another type of calk pincer - patent 165271:


Neverslip / Neverslip Mfg. Co / Neverslip Works, Hamilton & Neilson St., New Brunswick, NJ / patent 165271 Jul 6 1875 Samuel Stone & 588438 Aug 17 1897 J.W. Johnson & R. Whitaker / http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgIndex/detail.aspx?id=10699 / https://wrenchwiki.com/neverslip-manufacturing-company/ / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...-pliers-with-replaceable-side-cutters.423529/ https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/studded-snow-tires-for-horses-pat-588-438.267023/

It is worth noting that datamp.org shows patent 165271 as having been manufactured by the Neverslip Horse Shoe Company of Boston.

As an aside, the story of the legal tussle over the calk itself - patent D27542 - was actually kind of interesting. Farriers were the tire shops of the era, and calks and shoe nails were big business in the last couple decades of the 19th century and in the years leading up to WWI in the 20th century.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

^ I'm astounded that you were able to find three pairs of those, let alone one.

And then there were FOUR!

And not just a fourth, but a 6-inch model to go with the 9-inchers. Full admission, I wasn't even aware they made them in other sizes. Needless to say it made my whole day when I spotted them hiding in the bottom of a milk crate at the flea. Everything is the same design, just proportionally smaller. They do have a feature the others don't - a Circle-B forge or foundry mark near the end of the handles (see Pic 5).

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...a Circle-B forge or foundry mark near the end of the handles...

At first thought, this may seem strange. After all, Bonney Forge and Tool Works isn't even known for making their own pliers, and didn't even list linesman pliers in their early catalogs. But as we know, they did cast and forge things for others, including Bethlehem Spark Plug Company, and the distance between their plant and New Brunswick, NJ, was about 60 miles. While the '& Tool Works' passed on to Miller, Triangle, and god knows who else before it finally collapsed under the weight of cheapass congolmeration, Bonney Forge is still in business churning out forge and cast parts for others in Mt. Union, PA.

 

[LesserSon]

My first pair. Well-used, as they say. The seller insisted on promoting the convenience of replacing the removeable jaws, even as I was paying for them.
“If you can find them.”
“Hah hah.”
“Maybe on-line.”
“Maybe.”

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Welcome to the club!

 

[HappyLittleTools]

Hi all, New here and don't mean to resurrect a old post, please don't be mad!

But when I was reading this thread, someone mentioned that they have had a hard time trying to find the patent for these Neverslip Pliers. My hunch is that they licensed the patent from Utica, as I found a Utica patent that was granted in 1900.

US Patent: 651,082 - Pliers

US patent 651,082 Pliers was issued to Frederick C. McClary of Whiteston, Oneida County, NY. It was granted on 06/05/1900. The patent presents alternative forms of cutter jaw inserts for a "lineman's" type side cutter pliers.{br}Pliers with this replaceable cutter appear

datamp.org

Hope this helps and satisfies some curiousity!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hi all, New here and don't mean to resurrect a old post, please don't be mad!

Welcome to GJ, Happy. Nobody would ever be upset with you for resurrecting old threads, which is the right and proper thing to do here on GJ. It keeps conversations organized, consolidated, and continuous, rather than splintered and hard to follow.

...when I was reading this thread, someone mentioned that they have had a hard time trying to find the patent for these Neverslip Pliers. My hunch is that they licensed the patent from Utica, as I found a Utica patent that was granted in 1900.

The "someone" was me and your reminder of the Utica connection is much appreciated!

I had mentioned Utica's lineman's pliers with replaceable jaws on a thread discussing a different type of Smith & Hemenway pliers with replaceable jaws, here, where I posted this ad.



But I never followed through on closing the loop with this info over here on the Neverslip thread and I had not located the Utica patent before. So, thank you. Much appreciated.

I am not sure about the licensing. Neverslip would not have been compelled to do that, legally. The Utica utility patent, granted in 1900, would have expired in 1917. The earliest production record I can find for the Neverslip is 1920, which looks very suspiciously to me as if they may have appropriated the idea from Utica. I suppose it's possible that Utica was doing third party production for Neverslip and, ostensibly, S&H. More research is needed.

Just to round out this part of the discussion, I have never seen an example of the Utica pliers with replaceable jaws. I am not aware of any being posted here on GJ, on AA, or anywhere else online. The patent and the ad certainly implies production. But it's odd they haven't shown up in collections. Perhaps they never caught on in 1900. Despite my fondness for them, it has to be said that there's not much evidence they caught on when Neverslip (and, apparently, S&H) took another stab at the concept in the early 1920's.

 

[HappyLittleTools]

Thank you for all that info Private Lugnutz! And thank you for the warm welcome.

I also found another patent I think fits in this thread.

US Patent: 622,197 - Gas-Burner Pliers

US patent 622,197 Gas-Burner Pliers was issued to Alfred G. Bayles of New York, NY and Thomas Herron of Brooklyn, NY and Louis D. DeSaussure of New York, NY. It was granted on 04/04/1899. The patent is for removable hardened pipe gripping jaw surfaces for a tongs or pliers type tool. The handle...

datamp.org

This patent doesn't seem to have been owned by a company, and was made basically at the same time as the Utica patent above. Both patents deal with replacing parts of the pliers. The Utica one replaces the cutters, and this one replaces the teeth.

I'm constantly flabbergasted by how many cool ideas there were that have since been lost to time.

 

[LesserSon]

The McClary patent drawing and the Utica advetisement illustration do not show the same shape of replaceable cutter component used in the Neverslip. The Utica is somewhat trapezoidal, whereas the Neverslip is rectangular with an extended tab at one end. Since the Bayles patent demonstrates that replaceable jaw elements held by screws is not the essential element of the McClary patent, only the shape of the cutters can be considered novel. Potentially, there could be another (later) patent describing the “improvement” represented by the tabs on the Neverslip inserts, which I would think might contribute to keeping the replaceable inserts better aligned under heavy cutting pressure.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Noted, LS. Thanks.

 

[B Halverson]

I have a set of these sidecutters, if anyone wants to keep track of how many pairs are out there.

 

[Eric Brown]

Welcome to GJ, Happy. Nobody would ever be upset with you for resurrecting old threads, which is the right and proper thing to do here on GJ. It keeps conversations organized, consolidated, and continuous, rather than splintered and hard to follow.

The "someone" was me and your reminder of the Utica connection is much appreciated!

I had mentioned Utica's lineman's pliers with replaceable jaws on a thread discussing a different type of Smith & Hemenway pliers with replaceable jaws, here, where I posted this ad.



But I never followed through on closing the loop with this info over here on the Neverslip thread and I had not located the Utica patent before. So, thank you. Much appreciated.

I am not sure about the licensing. Neverslip would not have been compelled to do that, legally. The Utica utility patent, granted in 1900, would have expired in 1917. The earliest production record I can find for the Neverslip is 1920, which looks very suspiciously to me as if they may have appropriated the idea from Utica. I suppose it's possible that Utica was doing third party production for Neverslip and, ostensibly, S&H. More research is needed.

Just to round out this part of the discussion, I have never seen an example of the Utica pliers with replaceable jaws. I am not aware of any being posted here on GJ, on AA, or anywhere else online. The patent and the ad certainly implies production. But it's odd they haven't shown up in collections. Perhaps they never caught on in 1900. Despite my fondness for them, it has to be said that there's not much evidence they caught on when Neverslip (and, apparently, S&H) took another stab at the concept in the early 1920's.

The Neverslip pliers with replacable jaws was patented by Richard Whitaker Jr. of New Brunswick NJ assigned to Manufacturers Iron & Steel Company of same location. The patent application was on March 8, 1919 and granted July 13, 1920 and given number 1346392.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

^ Thanks, Eric! Very interesting.

All the cool trade mag ads I found years ago, like the one you just posted, all of which helped in dating the production, cite The Neverslip Works as the manufacturer.

I was thinking it might be one of those companies with two names, one for the business entity (Manufacturers Iron and Steel Company), and one that operated almost like a trade name (The Neverslip Works), as in the place where Neverslip branded products were made.



But the history is a little more torturously complicated than that, so I guess it's no surprise they found it more conducive to just advertise as The Neverslip Works.

 

[Eric Brown]

Just got a pair of Neverslip pliers a little different from the rest. It is marked "NEVERSLIP, New Brunswick N.J., and Pat APLD For". On the inside of both handles it is marked "Forged Steel". Later versions are marked Patented and additional markings inside the handles.
The patent application was on March 8, 1919 and granted July 13, 1920 and given number 1346392. So this pair was made in a limited time span.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Just got a pair of Neverslip pliers a little different from the rest. It is marked "NEVERSLIP, New Brunswick N.J., and Pat APLD For".

Nice find/acquisition, Eric.

I didn't call it out in my text, but the third pair I found - back in 2021, linked upthread here, are marked "PAT. APLD. FOR" under the pivot.

On the inside of both handles it is marked "Forged Steel".

It might have been made in an even narrower timeframe than you think.

My "PAT. APLD. FOR" pliers are marked "FORGED STEEL MADE IN U.S.A." in the interior handle panels, just like all the "PATENTED" pliers I have, suggesting that they added the "MADE IN U.S.A." to the die before the patent was granted, making yours earlier than mine.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

In pulling my pre-Patent model out for closer inspection for Eric, I discovered that I had a total of five (5) of these pliers, four (4) of the 9-inchers, and one (1) of the 6-inchers. Somewhere along the way I ended up with one I did not report to this thread. (I used to joke after the first one that I was just acquiring cutter replacements, which are surely impossible to find. But who am I kidding, they're just too uncommon to leave behind!)

In re-looking at all the handle insets, I see that the latest has a circle-B marking, which I had only found on the 6-incher, previously discussed here, as a possible indicator for Bonney Forge contract production.

New group shot, too.

 

[Eric Brown]

In pulling my pre-Patent model out for closer inspection for Eric, I discovered that I had a total of five (5) of these pliers, four (4) of the 9-inchers, and one (1) of the 6-inchers. Somewhere along the way I ended up with one I did not report to this thread. (I used to joke after the first one that I was just acquiring cutter replacements, which are surely impossible to find. But who am I kidding, they're just too uncommon to leave behind!)

In re-looking at all the handle insets, I see that the latest has a circle-B marking, which I had only found on the 6-incher, previously discussed here, as a possible indicator for Bonney Forge contract production.

New group shot, too.

Nice grouping. Would you like mine too?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

^ Kind of you to offer, but you know I wasn't angling for that. If you had not been thinking of them as keepers within your extensive pliers collection, chalk them up as a future trade, since I would like to return the favor.

 

[Eric Brown]

^ Kind of you to offer, but you know I wasn't angling for that. If you had not been thinking of them as keepers within your extensive pliers collection, chalk them up as a future trade, since I would like to return the favor.

Sounds good to me. I have no real attachment to them.

 

[Eric Brown]

Welcome to GJ, Happy. Nobody would ever be upset with you for resurrecting old threads, which is the right and proper thing to do here on GJ. It keeps conversations organized, consolidated, and continuous, rather than splintered and hard to follow.

The "someone" was me and your reminder of the Utica connection is much appreciated!

I had mentioned Utica's lineman's pliers with replaceable jaws on a thread discussing a different type of Smith & Hemenway pliers with replaceable jaws, here, where I posted this ad.



But I never followed through on closing the loop with this info over here on the Neverslip thread and I had not located the Utica patent before. So, thank you. Much appreciated.

I am not sure about the licensing. Neverslip would not have been compelled to do that, legally. The Utica utility patent, granted in 1900, would have expired in 1917. The earliest production record I can find for the Neverslip is 1920, which looks very suspiciously to me as if they may have appropriated the idea from Utica. I suppose it's possible that Utica was doing third party production for Neverslip and, ostensibly, S&H. More research is needed.

Just to round out this part of the discussion, I have never seen an example of the Utica pliers with replaceable jaws. I am not aware of any being posted here on GJ, on AA, or anywhere else online. The patent and the ad certainly implies production. But it's odd they haven't shown up in collections. Perhaps they never caught on in 1900. Despite my fondness for them, it has to be said that there's not much evidence they caught on when Neverslip (and, apparently, S&H) took another stab at the concept in the early 1920's.

Inserting a link to another plier with replaceable cutters.

Pliers; How Many Is Too Many?

Three German specialty pliers. From left to right, VC&Co Germany, possibly sadlers pliers. Germany, thin. Ha-----------der, 80- , Germany, spreader pliers. Watchmakers or Jewlers? In the second picture the pliers on the left look kind of like the wide nose pliers in a leather working catalog...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Eric Brown]

Just got another Neverslip pliers. So I am comparing the patent pending vs the patented. The differences are small (besides the markings). The cutters are interchangeable. The screws are all 1/4-20 but the earlier patent pending ones are flat on the end of the threads where the newer one has a slight bevel to aid assembly. The handles on the patent pending are bent a little closer. The markings on the insides of the handles are Forged Steel (pat pend) and Forged Steel USA and a B inside a circle for the patented.