Crescent Tools

[Grandad]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask so if not, moderators please move.

May I ask where Crescent brand handtools fit into the scale of things over there? Cheap handyman rubbish? Comparable to Snap-On? or somewhere in between?

The reason why I'm asking is that they are starting to appear here in Australia in reasonable numbers and they are dirt cheap.
I recall Canadians used to refer to an adjustable spanner as a "Crescent wrench"
I assume this may be because Crescent were the first to market one? Not sure though.

I bought a pair of combination plyers of that brand to see for myself if they were any good. I was impressed with the design. Articulated and spring loaded action. Nice to use and so far so good, although I haven't had the opportunity to abuse it yet to see if it stands up.

They are SO cheap that I'm naturally wary so I thought the best thing to do is ask the people who would know, so I am.

Cheers
Jim
ETA: I am assuming this is an American brand. I trust you'll correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Coolabah]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask so if not, moderators please move.

May I ask where Crescent brand handtools fit into the scale of things over there? Cheap handyman rubbish? Comparable to Snap-On? or somewhere in between?

The reason why I'm asking is that they are starting to appear here in Australia in reasonable numbers and they are dirt cheap.
I recall Canadians used to refer to an adjustable spanner as a "Crescent wrench"
I assume this may be because Crescent were the first to market one? Not sure though.

I bought a pair of combination plyers of that brand to see for myself if they were any good. I was impressed with the design. Articulated and spring loaded action. Nice to use and so far so good, although I haven't had the opportunity to abuse it yet to see if it stands up.

They are SO cheap that I'm naturally wary so I thought the best thing to do is ask the people who would know, so I am.

Cheers
Jim
ETA: I am assuming this is an American brand. I trust you'll correct me if I'm wrong.

no offense, but they can be found in BUNNINGS ... I say again, BUNNINGS ... have you found a single CHEAP tool there that was not total rubbish ? ( yes , you can buy a pair of Channellocks , but they are $ 80 ... so not cheap )

Crescent are/were from the USA - but , rule of thumb if Bunnings is not charging you $80, COO is China ....

the rest of the deduction I leave up to you....

 

[Grandad]

no offense, but they can be found in BUNNINGS ... I say again, BUNNINGS .....

No offence taken. That's exactly where I saw them, and exactly why I'm asking.
I didn't mention Bunnings because it would mean nothing to the majority of people here.

But....I have vague memories of the brand from a long time ago in Canada. It was almost a household name. Somehow, I still have this sneaky feeling they may not be garbage. The pair of plyers I tried are pretty good. Not Sidchrome or Kinchrome standard, but excellent value for money. So, worth asking I think.

 

[airbuff101]

Grandad,
Here is the history of Crescent:
http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/crescent-tool.html#later

You may have seen these imported Crescent brand sets in your discount houses?
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/bran... &att2=Socket and Ratchet Set
They weren't too bad for car trunk tools and pretty typical of most middle-ish level china/taiwan sets.

Crescent is a small brand in a large conglomerate nowadays and still offers professional tools too:
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/crescent/index.cfm
airbuff

 

[Grandad]

Thank you for that airbuff.
Interesting history. Used to be Crescent-Niagra. I wonder if they had a factory there and maybe on the Canadian side. Could explain my memories of them in Canada.
Anyway, in a nutshell, I gather they were once an across the board good quality manufacturer, but that they now make both trade quality and cheaper home stuff.
Those packaged kits are similar to the ones we see here, but the pair of plyers I bought were an individual item.
I mentioned in my first post that I hadn't really tested them yet. I got curious and went out to my shed and cut a dozen or so pieces off a length of high tensile fencing wire. That material will usually show up a cheap edge. I've taken chips out of cheap wire cutters trying to cut that stuff.
It went through it better than my expensive fencing plyers. No nicks in the cutting edge after numerous cuts. And the articulated action was easier to use. I could easily cut it with one hand where my fencing plyers needs a two handed approach usually.
I'm impressed. Half the price of anything else on offer.

BTW, I got more curious and who invented the adjustable. Seems it was in Europe but Crescent were the first in Nth America.

 

[magnusk750]

The adjustable wrench was invented by a swedish blacksmith in the later 19th century, I think his familyname was Johansson but I might be wrong. Out of his business grew was was to become Bacho. Adjustable wrenches was made in the hometown of the blacksmith until about five years ago when production was moved to Spain.