Gerstner chest, when did Harry Gerstner start

[1964jimmy]

I bought an old oak machinist chest on e bay. The seller listed it as a union chest that his dad owned. The locking center latch was replaced with a different brand. I am pretty sure this is a gerstner 16 inch wide chest. The smaller latches say gerstner, the drawers are exactly the same as gerstner. The holes for the old latch match up to a gerstner. It's not a leterette. It's a 7 drawer that looks exactly like my 18 in letherette gerstner.

The only trade mark it's missing is the gerstners and sons stamp on the inside of the base. I wonder if anyone knows when he started stamping his chest.

Thx Jim

 

[tcsalvage]

i have a 1946 gerstner with a yale main latch and all others are gerstner and it is 100% original. i have owned it for 27 years and purchased it from the original owner who purchased it new when he came back from the war. it has been refinished once and has always been covered by both of us. 20'' x 9'' with 11 drawers

 

[dhardin53]

http://www.gerstnerusa.com/history.htm

Tons of history on Gerstner here. I have a old Gerstner I think. I know there was a lot of competition and boxes the looked a lot like Gerstner. I have read at one time the business was so bad and almost went under they did make a tool box without some of the traditional markings. I think my box was built during the depression. The bottom of all the drawer's are old reused wood, with printing on it.

 

[Toolman12]

Hello and welcome to GJ from Tampa Florida