Fairmount Tools

[Oldtuleguy]

That is a heavy duty one!

 

[Mintgrun]

Here's another example of an FTF CLEVE wrench, except this one has four periods.



The back side was stamped WBM by a previous owner.

Tom

Edit-- see post number forty-four by MisterEd for photos of the other FTF CLEVE wrench.

 

[Pap1431]

Hey everyone, new to the site. I collect and restore a lot of vintage tools that I now use or display. These were my grandfathers 8” slip-joint pliers. They have Fairmount stamped on them, and there is an “A” on the handle. There is no triangle logo on the other side though. Any idea on manufacturing year? Can’t find a lot on these through the normal searches. Thanks for any help

 

[four.cycle]

Hello Pap1431 and welcome to the site!

Fairmount / Fairmount Tool & Forging Co., 10611 Quincy Ave., Cleveland, OH / http://alloy-artifacts.org/fairmount-tool-forging.html / http://alloy-artifacts.org/fairmount-tool-forging.html#history / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/fairmount-tools.461049/ / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...ol-forging-co-monster-auto-body-board.444930/ /

The "A" forging mark is just a forging mark. It might mean "January". It might mean "Apple". It might mean "Alcatraz".

Unfortunately, not all hand tool manufacturers marked their products with anything indicating date of manufacture. On items like your pliers, you will have to compare it with other examples for which a vintage range has been established.

I'm not an expert on Fairmount, so I'd have to defer to others on that sort of thing.

You will want to bookmark these two links:

Garage Journal Vintage Tool Road Map

List of Manufacturers and Brands of Mechanics Hand Tools

 

[Pap1431]

Hello Pap1431 and welcome to the site!

Fairmount / Fairmount Tool & Forging Co., 10611 Quincy Ave., Cleveland, OH / http://alloy-artifacts.org/fairmount-tool-forging.html / http://alloy-artifacts.org/fairmount-tool-forging.html#history / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/fairmount-tools.461049/ / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...ol-forging-co-monster-auto-body-board.444930/ /

The "A" forging mark is just a forging mark. It might mean "January". It might mean "Apple". It might mean "Alcatraz".

Unfortunately, not all hand tool manufacturers marked their products with anything indicating date of manufacture. On items like your pliers, you will have to compare it with other examples for which a vintage range has been established.

I'm not an expert on Fairmount, so I'd have to defer to others on that sort of thing.

You will want to bookmark these two links:

Garage Journal Vintage Tool Road Map

List of Manufacturers and Brands of Mechanics Hand Tools

Thanks for the information! And links to threads

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Found a WWII G503 ISN 25 wrench at the flea this morning. Slight bend in the shank, but I never leave these behind, I'm always building 5-pc sets to flip to guys who need them. We call these types of jaws "sharps" or "pears" in the jeep community.

 

[Ricky Joe]

.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

How do you identify it as WW2? I have a plethora of those.

Just match them to that photo, RJ. They have to have that exact branding (note the elongated "F" and "T" containing the COO) on the major jaw, the ISN on the minor jaw, and the sizes on the flip side major and minor jaws. You may find a forge mark on the shank, usually an "A" or a "V", but that's it. Rounder jaws with all those features are valid. They were early war. Any deviation from that is prewar or postwar. Jeep set had ISN 723, 25, 27C, 28S, and 731A. GMTK had those five (5) wrenches plus 33C.

See post #4 for a full set.

 

[Ricky Joe]

.

 

[MR.X]

Just match them to that photo, RJ. They have to have that exact branding (note the elongated "F" and "T" containing the COO) on the major jaw, the ISN on the minor jaw, and the sizes on the flip side major and minor jaws. You may find a forge mark on the shank, usually an "A" or a "V", but that's it. Rounder jaws with all those features are valid. They were early war. Any deviation from that is prewar or postwar. Jeep set had ISN 723, 25, 27C, 28S, and 731A. GMTK had those five (5) wrenches plus 33C.

See post #4 for a full set.

Slightly off topic but I know how serious G503 guys are about correctness....are there collectors who have sourced a complete WW2 Jeep with associated equipment and tools array where every item was actually used in theater? Like maybe someone in Europe or?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...are there collectors who have sourced a complete WW2 Jeep with associated equipment and tools array where every item was actually used in theater? Like maybe someone in Europe or?

I don't know of any. There are a couple famous jeeps, one MB, one GPW, that were bought or found with partial toolkits having pretty good (but not perfect, foolproof) provenance, but they were stateside during the war. And another MB, my favorite story, and what I consider best provenance, in Maryland, not far from the wartine proving grounds at Camp Holabird. It was red, bought from a fire company, and the owner found a partial toolkit underneath the pumper that had been welded on the back. They didn't even bother looking in the compartments. Lol.

 

[MR.X]

I don't know of any. There are a couple famous jeeps, one MB, one GPW, that were bought or found with partial toolkits having pretty good (but not perfect, foolproof) provenance, but they were stateside during the war. And another MB, my favorite story, and what I consider best provenance, in Maryland, not far from the wartine proving grounds at Camp Holabird. It was red, bought from a fire company, and the owner found a partial toolkit underneath the pumper that had been welded on the back. They didn't even bother looking in the compartments. Lol.

Nice! OK, Thanks.

 

[akasrick]

I'm starting this thread because the Fairmount tools are spread out in many short threads. I have posted Fairmount wrenches in the Garage Sale threads as I found them, but they would be hard to find.

I found this Fairmount 9" auto wrench at a sale yesterday. I wonder if it is a WWII toolkit item? It is not frozen up, and really only has light rust.

I have several other Fairmount wrenches, which I will list later.

A Fairmount Cleve, 3/4 - 11/16 no markings just drop forged. I'm not going to invest any new deruster on this.


akasrick

 

[Vwpower]

just seen this thread and was like hey wait a minute. Got these body hammers.

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Here is a pair of wrenches right out of evapo-rust, shame someone trashed the one. Is the long one a tappet wrench?
-Tommy

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

Is this a Fairmount nut driver? 1/2 inch.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here's my angle wrench assortment. So far I have 1 1/2 down to 11/32

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Wow! I have a handful of that kind of wrenches.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

If you pick them up long enough this is where you wind up!

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

Why would a nut drive be shaped like this?

 

[3baygarage]

T handle wrenches were common in the old days. Williams,Armstrong, Billings, and others offered them. The interesting thing in your example is the “L“ shaped cross bar. Maybe it was meant for some speed wrenching.

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

T handle wrenches were common in the old days. Williams,Armstrong, Billings, and others offered them. The interesting thing in your example is the “L“ shaped cross bar. Maybe it was meant for some speed wrenching.

That is what I was thinking. Made for a certain purpose. How old do you assume? Or year that it was made?

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Here is a 9/16 T-handle socket wrench. It is marked FAIRMOUNT with a L-2303 number. Last digit may be an 8. Came in a pile of very rusty stuff including the other T handle in the pic which is slightly different where the socket attaches to the stem so it's something else.

 

[genog]

Went to a Sale where I found a couple dozen or so old Line Wrenches...
Mostly Fairmonts, but only in three sizes

So, I made up a consecutive set from 11/16 to 1"
Fairmont, Armstrong, Hinsdale and Blue Point

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Got this body hammer from the flea market, also an auto wrench.

 

[d42jeep]

If the auto wrench is 11” long, can you take some more pictures of it? I’m looking for one marked like this.
-Don

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Sorry don, this one and the other one I have are both 9” ones.

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

Howdy folks. Trying to ID this wrench. No makers mark or name. It does have Chrome Molybdenum at the head and 2027A on the other head. Guessing Fairmount, are they the only manufacturers who used that name?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It's a Vlchek.

 

[d42jeep]

Yep. Unmarked Vlchek
-Don

http://alloy-artifacts.org/Photos/tools/vlchek_oe2025_28s_wrench_crmo_plain_f_cropped.jpg

 

[d42jeep]

Double post

 

[Ricky Joe]

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[Ricky Joe]

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[PowderKeg]

Might as well include this old bumping hammer while I’m on the thread:

I've been watching for one of those for years to have around just in case, but whenever I stumble on one, the seller thinks it made outa gold....

 

[Ricky Joe]

.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

I've been watching for one of those for years to have around just in case, but whenever I stumble on one, the seller thinks it made outa gold....

It's an old donkey **** or horse **** hammer as we called them in the shop. I used it a lot in the shop as it was great for getting in tight areas. You are correct about ebay and body hammers (and dollies too). They bring ridiculous money and sometimes more than a new one would cost.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

I checked eBay, and it looks like they run @$65-85. I don’t know if that is high or not. I guess it depends on how much it would get used. I saw a Snap-on hammer bring over $300 on eBay not too long ago. Fairmount is a good, high quality product. I’ve been actively trying to downsize lately. My mental problem is that it is difficult to let go of things that I acquired over fifty years. Part of me knows that I won’t do any body work anymore. The other part thinks I should be prepared, just in case. It is also hard to sell the good stuff and have boxes of dreck left. Smart me says to divest, idiot me thinks I’ll be thirty again and need something obscure. The idiot wins most of the time, and seems to be increasing in influence.

Still waiting for you to send me a list of tools you want to sell. I'll gladly help you downsize

 

[Ricky Joe]

.

 

[PowderKeg]

I checked eBay, and it looks like they run @$65-85. I don’t know if that is high or not. I guess it depends on how much it would get used. I saw a Snap-on hammer bring over $300 on eBay not too long ago. Fairmount is a good, high quality product. I’ve been actively trying to downsize lately. My mental problem is that it is difficult to let go of things that I acquired over fifty years. Part of me knows that I won’t do any body work anymore. The other part thinks I should be prepared, just in case. It is also hard to sell the good stuff and have boxes of dreck left. Smart me says to divest, idiot me thinks I’ll be thirty again and need something obscure. The idiot wins most of the time, and seems to be increasing in influence.

Yup, my garage screams "idiot!" too, but then I just stack it a little higher to stuff something else in....

 

[NYBODYMAN]

Picked up these Fairmount 42H tack hammers today.