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Gormully & Jeffery Tools

Private Lugnutz

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Found this wrench at a flea market this morning.

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The open end is 21/32” and the 6-point box end is 1/2”.

According to this Wordpress blog on Gormully & Jeffery linked here, and this Chicagology article linked here, G&J started making bicycles in 1878.

When they split up, Mr. Jeffery went on to form his own company, making automobiles, in Kenosha, WI, under the "Rambler" name. Yes, that "Rambler." Counting these early cars and the later versions that AMC made, Ramblers were made without interruption from 1909 through 1969. In fact, my first thought was that this was an auto kit wrench.

The OEM is unknown. If I had to guess, it would be a Chicago area mfgr, but there is some merit for Billings & Spencer as well. The wrench is a substantial, serious tool, very well made, smartly finished, and the panel, the meeting of the shank and the head, and the beveled jaw exhibit a handsome design flair.

It is actually my second Gormully & Jeffery wrench. I have this tiny (3” long!) adjustable bicycle wrench marked with a logo that reads “a G & J Product” inside a rhombus.

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Hard to believe the combination wrench is older than 1900, which is forged and annealed, or that it was made in the same timeframe as the tiny adjustable bike wrench, which is pressed steel and nickeled. But it is dated by G&J aficionados to 1894 to 1899 G&J bicycle toolkits, and an example with a similar and similarly marked wrench (with a pry bar end instead of a 6-point box end) is shown in this forum here.

Any ideas on what the boss on the edge of the shank would be for? Thumb stop? Prying?

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There aren’t too many examples of G&J tools on GJ.

four.cycle posted a 3” G&J bike wrench like mine on the ‘Tiny Tools’ thread, linked here. Nklamerus also posted one on its own thread, linked here.

I haven't been able to find any other combination wrenches like mine, or any other G&J tools.

The name shows up in the ‘List of U.S. Mfgrs’ thread, linked here, and the ‘Old Logo ID Markings Guide’ thread, linked here.

If you got ‘em, post ‘em. Maybe we can collect a whole virtual kit. :)
 

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3baygarage

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Oh I’m sure they got used. They are an actual working wrench.

Here are the pics for anyone who isn’t one Papaw’s site.

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Private Lugnutz

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That's cool that you got it with the cardboard packaging! Billings & Spencer made an adjustable similar to these, with the screw open like that, with no stabilizer, which is why I am guessing they may have made the combo wrench. But that's just pure speculation. I have not been able to find much about it, or many other examples.
 

Leviton

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If you got ‘em, post ‘em.
I found one this week. Just like yours except it is missing the Gormully & Jeffery marking on one side. It looks like it might have had letters forged on that side that were ground off. If they were ground off, I wonder why?.

Also curious about the 4 partially drilled holes around the open end jaw. I assumed it might have been an owner's ID marking. However, it was weird to see one on e-bay that also had holes in that same spot.


Rambler-front.jpg


Rambler-back.jpg
ground off forging.jpg

e-bay-Rambler.jpg
 

four.cycle

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Gormully and Jeffery Co., 222 and 224 North Franklin St., North Franklin and Pearson Streets, Chicago, IL / "Rambler" bicycles & tools / patent 466789 Jun 14 1882 T.B. Jeffery / https://chicagology.com/cycling/gormullyjeffery/ https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/gormully-jeffery-tools.425971/ /

I was not aware until now that we had a dedicated Gormully and Jeffery thread!

I am convinced - even more now after seeing 3bay's example above - that the little 3-inch adjustable was manufactured by a third party as a promotional item for G & J - I've seen too many examples of the same wrench with different names to believe otherwise.
Here's my copy of the little 3-incher:

Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. 3-inch bicycle wrench 01.jpg
Gormully & Jeffery 3-inch bicycle wrench
Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. 3-inch bicycle wrench 02.jpg
Gormully & Jeffery 3-inch bicycle wrench

* Some of this material is going to be redundant with material posted in the bicycle wrench thread *

Gormully and Jeffery promoted their products in one of the big bicycle publications of the day:

1886 The Cycle front cover May 14 1886.jpg
May 14, 1886 "The Cycle" front cover
1886 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery ad pp 30.jpg
1886 The Cycle - Gormully & Jeffery ad pp 30

1886 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery ad pp 50.jpg
1886 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery ad pp 50
1886 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery ad pp 124.jpg
1886 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery ad pp 124

1886 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery ad pp 152.jpg
1886 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery ad pp 152
 
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four.cycle

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1886 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery ad pp 230.jpg
1886 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery ad pp 230

1886 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery news.jpg
1886 1887 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery news

1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog front cover.jpg
1891 Gormully & Jeffery catalog front cover
1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog frontispiece.jpg
1891 Gormully & Jeffery catalog frontispiece
1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog pp 2-3.jpg
1891 Gormully & Jeffery catalog pp 2-3

1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog pp 6-7.jpg
1891 Gormully & Jeffery catalog pp 6-7
 

four.cycle

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1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog pp 8-9.jpg
1891 Gormully & Jeffery catalog pp 8-9

1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog pp 10-11.jpg
1891 Gormully & Jeffery catalog pp 10-11
1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog pp 12-13.jpg
1891 Gormully & Jeffery catalog pp 12-13

1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog pp 14-15.jpg
1891 Gormully & Jeffery catalog pp 14-15

1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog pp 16-17.jpg
1891 Gormully & Jeffery catalog pp 16-17
1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog pp 18-19.jpg
1891 Gormully & Jeffery catalog pp 18-19
1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog rear cover.jpg
1891 Gormuly & Jeffery catalog rear cover
 

four.cycle

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1895 Gormully & Jeffery Rambler bicycle ad.jpg
1895 Gormully & Jeffery bicycle advertisement
1896 Gormully & Jeffery Rambler bicycle ad.jpg
1896 Gormully & Jeffery Rambler bicycle advertisement
1900 Gormully & Jeffery Rambler bicycle ad.jpg
1900 Gormully & Jeffery Rambler bicycle advertisement
Thomas B. Jeffery Gormully & Jeffery Rambler.jpg
Gormully & Jeffery Co. Thomas B. Jeffery history
 

four.cycle

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The little 3-inch adjustable is the extent of my own Gormully & Jeffery collection, but for educational purposes, here are a few other examples from a website everybody loves to hate:
 

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Eric Brown

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Something to think about. I have some G&J tools made in Germany and Japan. Could it be that G&J Products was not related to Gormully & Jeffery? First is a 7" Level made in Japan that simply has G&J Products on the brass plate. Then I have several ratchet screwdrivers that are marked With " A G&J Products Germany". The ratchet is similar to what Yankee used. Searching I also found a whistle.
 

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Leviton

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Gormully & Jeffery 6-in caliper 010824.jpg
Gormully & Jeffery 6-in calipers
@Eric Brown has a valid question regarding the calipers. The calipers posted above appear to be 3-inch calipers, and appear to say "G&J." I can't tell by the photo resolution, but they may look like these (directly below) that DO say "G&J Products"...

G&J Products Calipers.JPG

And, according to a 1933 query, Greenberg & Josefsberg made a pair of 3-inch calipers marked "G&J Products Made In U.S.A".

G&J Products 1933.jpg
 
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Private Lugnutz

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Could it be that G&J Products was not related to Gormully & Jeffery?
Very interesting!

If the attribution of the ubiquitous Little Crackerjack Wrench and Screwdriver to Gormully and Jeffery does turn out to be an old pervasive case of mythinformation, I will find it hilarious. The entire hand tools websphere has made that association for a long time.

Thoughts:

/ It's not just seeing the initials "G&J" or the whole term "G&J Products" on these various objects that is startling. It's the fact that the term is inside a diamond or rhombus-shaped outline! Too much to be a coincidence. And note that the whole logo is apparently trademarked (Gesetzlich Geschutzt) in Germany.

/ When do we think most of these other G&J Products were made? They certainly don't all look antique. Why is that important? Gormully & Jeffery were only a business entity until 1900. There was no G&J after that. Jeffery formed the Jeffery Company to make Rambler automobiles in Kenosha, WI.
 
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Private Lugnutz

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I think Eric just debunked this one. We should've questioned it earlier. The yellow NOS carboard packaging (see post #4) is not old enough for G&J to be in reference to Gormully & Jeffery despite the vague bicycle connection.
 

RTM

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I think Eric just debunked this one. We should've questioned it earlier. The yellow NOS carboard packaging (see post #4) is not old enough for G&J to be in reference to Gormully & Jeffery despite the vague bicycle connection.
I was going to say the same about the ratcheting screwdriver noted above. I see many Yankee looking screwdrivers stamped Germany and West Germany, and they seem to pick up the later (newer) features, making me wonder if they were part of war reconstruction factories. Did maybe MF send outdated equipment there when they upgraded (just a pet tin foil hat theory of mine)? Would then make more sense as the second company than a pre 1900 company.
 
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Private Lugnutz

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I was going to say the same about the ratcheting screwdriver noted above.
None of the products look 19th century. That's what I was referring to here...
When do we think most of these other G&J Products were made? They certainly don't all look antique. Why is that important? Gormully & Jeffery were only a business entity until 1900. There was no G&J after that. Jeffery formed the Jeffery Company to make Rambler automobiles in Kenosha, WI.
My point was that Eric thankfully posting all these other < G&J Products > (which none of us have ever seen or noticed before) broke the ice, but that well-known bicycle wrench in a yellow cardboard pkg that had been sitting here on the thread never made any of us go, 'Uh-oh', and it should have.
 

four.cycle

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^
I just sent you a P/M because I didn't want to clutter this up with my speculative ramblings, but we're (I think) kind of on the same page.
make more sense
yes. "makes sense" is one of my first questions.

totally unrelated to this discussion about Gormully & Jeffery / Greenberg & Josefsberg -

regarding your point about U.S. companies sending old equipment over for reconstruction: there has been more than one German-made Doppelganger of a U.S. made tool seen. I can't find the photo image right now, but somewhere here I have photos of exact copies of the early Indestro "Auto-Kit" type wrenches stamped "Germany".
 

four.cycle

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I'm not done reading the court document that you cited above. I'll dig into it if I can.
This is baffling, considering that none of those other items Eric just posted have yet been seen here. We've got what? Three items? Wrench, ratcheting screwdriver, whistle, vernier caliper. Four items.
In light of the number of old "ratcheting screwdrivers" we see here - and how many are on the web - that a "G & J" hasn't made an appearance yet is a bit puzzling.
Is this stuff super rare? Or was it simply that nobody's really been paying attention to a low-end, imported line.?
And yes, starting to sound (even though I've only gotten part way into that document) that they're right along the same lines as a Spiegel Brothers.
 
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Private Lugnutz

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My take is a classic case of a good postulation ('Hey, look at this little bicycle wrench, G&J, hmmm, must be Gormully & Jeffery, famous for bicycles') without evidence followed by waves of repetitive confirmation bias, combined with how big the hobby is. Apparently everyone else with a little G&J bicycle wrench had no previous knowledge of all these other G&J products - or vice versa! It happens.
 

RTM

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regarding your point about U.S. companies sending old equipment over for reconstruction: there has been more than one German-made Doppelganger of a U.S. made tool seen. I can't find the photo image right now, but somewhere here I have photos of exact copies of the early Indestro "Auto-Kit" type wrenches stamped "Germany".
My big one was ratcheting screwdrivers, lots that only said Germany, and were exact knockoffs. Then Schröder started making improved ones. Saw a NIB yesterday. Will haul some out one day and take some pix.

Here is an older pic, with only one Germany made.

 

3baygarage

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Oh great. Something new to collect to go with the something old that is actually new well newer than the something old we labeled it as because we all like old stuff not new stuff who wants new stuff anyway but we didn't acknowledge the old stuff we have is newer so now we're digging up new old information about new old stuff that isn't as old to prove the new stuff is new it's not old it's just different even if new in the package new old stock

Crackerjacks I mean Cracker Jacks anyone? :lol: 🍿

Nice job cracking the case guys.
 
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Private Lugnutz

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I haven't done any further reading than the FTC blurb I found, but it wouldn't surprise me to see G&J Products to be very much like a Spiegel Brothers type outfit.
Spent about 30 minutes on Google Books this morning and I lost count of the periodicals, journals, and law reviews of them being cited or involved in some litigation surrounding them skirting or bending the rules on tariffs or customs in the 1930's, and then again in the late 1940's and 1950's, including Occupied Japan, Occupied Germany, and China! Also, several patent infringement cases. These guys were classic NYC importers and distributors. I also lost count of the articles, from watchbands to cigar lighters.
 

four.cycle

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not me... I've been fooled all along until last night!
in a way, this is hilarious, as so many of us have been operating under the same set of NON-facts for years.
 
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