GUARANTEED #8 Pipe wrench

[6PTsocket]

I do not normally collect or pay attention to old rusty wrenches but I just noticied I am the proud owner of one. In the recessed logo it looks like it says GUARANTEED. There is a #8 on a couple of the parts. The recess on the handle is painted black. I did a search and found a couple of similar ones on ebay for $4-6, so I assume it has no great value. One claimed to be German but if the 8 is for 8" I would doubt that. Can anybody fill me in on the age, CO,and any company history? I looked but came up dry. Thanks.

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[Musicinabottle]

No idea but it's cool!

 

[Climatecreator]

That might have had I wooden handle on it at one time. I have a similar one but doesn't say guaranteed on it. The one in the middle LOOKS similar in design....

CC

 

[6PTsocket]

That might have had I wooden handle on it at one time. I have a similar one but doesn't say guaranteed on it. The one in the middle LOOKS similar in design....

CC

There are several on ebay that are a closer match with a painted handle. In fact the brand name on those would be covered by a wood handle. Several say Guarranteed on the handle but not the logo that I have. Mine has the word in a recess with rounded ends and a diamond in the middle. You can just make it out in the picture.

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[Climatecreator]

I think sometimes the handles were added by the owners too. It seemed like all the old tools had them even if they were functional comfortably without one....

CC

 

[DadsTools]

I researched these markings before, but it's been awhile, and I don't save the info once I dispose of the tool. But I do recall it took quite some time to nail it (requiring obsessive persistence). It's a bit confusing and obscure. Here's my recollections.

See the attached photos. Examples of the GUARANTEED forging in the diamond-oblong recess can be found bearing a stamped logo for Atlas Tool Co (see my 2nd photo). But Atlas did not make these. After much research, I traced the wrench to the Erie Tool Works. A 1921 ad at this link shows examples of their goods with the GUARANTEED slogan. You can even see the GUARANTEED cartouche in the illustrations.

https://books.google.com/books?id=P...=bookclip#v=onepage&q=erie tool works&f=false

If you also perform a google search on "erie tool works diamond e" and click on the Images link, you will find similar examples.

On the wrench in my photos, the recess on the dynamic jaw shows the diamond-E of ETW. I lucked out on this because some of these wrenches only have various shapes of recesses with no markings inside. Erie did a lot of contract work for other mfrs and retail chains, which resulted in some ambiguous and misleading marks. But I'm confident that any wrench bearing the GUARANTEED diamond-oblong cartouche is an Eire Tool forging regardless to any of the other markings.

As for dating, the info is kind of sketchy. Based on the few available ads, doesn't look as if the GUARANTEED slogan was used in the 1900s, but was in use by 1921. Because it has no wood handle, and the metal handle of yours looks different than the ad illustration, I'd guess later, 1930s or 1940s for your pipe wrench. If we can determine when the GUARANTEED cartouche was discontinued, that might narrow it down.

Anyway, these are my recollections on the wrench.

EDIT: Look at this too, especially the ads in the margins.
http://www.lakeviewforge.com/about-us/company-history.html

 

[6PTsocket]

Wow!! Thanks so much. The history of ETW was fastinating reading. It was really good to see an old family business continue to thrive. Usually, when they are bought out, that eventually is the kiss of death. They don't often get bought back by the family. I can think of one other instance. After Harley Davidson was run into the ground by AMF, the family bought it back. I will call my question answered and assume ETW made my wrench, probably in the 30s or 40s. Thanks again for all that research.

I researched these markings before, but it's been awhile, and I don't save the info once I dispose of the tool. But I do recall it took quite some time to nail it (requiring obsessive persistence). It's a bit confusing and obscure. Here's my recollections.

See the attached photos. Examples of the GUARANTEED forging in the diamond-oblong recess can be found bearing a stamped logo for Atlas Tool Co (see my 2nd photo). But Atlas did not make these. After much research, I traced the wrench to the Erie Tool Works. A 1921 ad at this link shows examples of their goods with the GUARANTEED slogan. You can even see the GUARANTEED cartouche in the illustrations.

https://books.google.com/books?id=P...=bookclip#v=onepage&q=erie tool works&f=false

If you also perform a google search on "erie tool works diamond e" and click on the Images link, you will find similar examples.

On the wrench in my photos, the recess on the dynamic jaw shows the diamond-E of ETW. I lucked out on this because some of these wrenches only have various shapes of recesses with no markings inside. Erie did a lot of contract work for other mfrs and retail chains, which resulted in some ambiguous and misleading marks. But I'm confident that any wrench bearing the GUARANTEED diamond-oblong cartouche is an Eire Tool forging regardless to any of the other markings.

As for dating, the info is kind of sketchy. Based on the few available ads, doesn't look as if the GUARANTEED slogan was used in the 1900s, but was in use by 1921. Because it has no wood handle, and the metal handle of yours looks different than the ad illustration, I'd guess later, 1930s or 1940s for your pipe wrench. If we can determine when the GUARANTEED cartouche was discontinued, that might narrow it down.

Anyway, these are my recollections on the wrench.

EDIT: Look at this too, especially the ads in the margins.
http://www.lakeviewforge.com/about-us/company-history.html

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[woody 73]

In case you wanted any more information:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=324514&highlight=lakeview+forge

 

[DadsTools]

Wow!! Thanks so much. The history of ETW was fastinating reading. It was really good to see an old family business continue to thrive. Usually, when they are bought out, that eventually is the kiss of death. They don't often get bought back by the family. I can think of one other instance. After Harley Davidson was run into the ground by AMF, the family bought it back. I will call my question answered and assume ETW made my wrench, probably in the 30s or 40s. Thanks again for all that research.

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[DadsTools]

In case you wanted any more information:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=324514&highlight=lakeview+forge

A useful link, Woody, as the Lakeview/Lakeside artifacts can also be a source of confusion. I suspect the OP's wrench was made before the Lakeview/ETW connection, so it may be little help in establishing a more definitive date-range for this wrench. Wish we could find more ETW ads spanning the 1940s into 1950s, but since it appears as if they were focused primarily on contract production, publication ads will be scarce.

 

[6PTsocket]

A useful link, Woody, as the Lakeview/Lakeside artifacts can also be a source of confusion. I suspect the OP's wrench was made before the Lakeview/ETW connection, so it may be little help in establishing a more definitive date-range for this wrench. Wish we could find more ETW ads spanning the 1940s into 1950s, but since it appears as if they were focused primarily on contract production, publication ads will be scarce.

I wonder who Guarranteed was made for. Maybe ETW has a long corporate memory.
I might just email them. That Stillson ad picture looks a lot like my wrench, too. Could they have made it before being bought out?

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[DadsTools]

I wonder who Guarranteed was made for. Maybe ETW has a long corporate memory.
I might just email them. That Stillson ad picture looks a lot like my wrench, too. Could they have made it before being bought out?

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The history at that Lakeview link states that ETW wasn't bought out. It was ETW doing all the buying! I suspect other companies beside Atlas Tool also bought these GUARANTEED marked wrenches from ETW. Looks like Erie was producing pipe wrenches under its own name at least through the 1950s, although available print ads don't seem to show the GUARANTEED mark on the tool that late. You can try contacting them to see if they have any more historical information.

 

[6PTsocket]

The history at that Lakeview link states that ETW wasn't bought out. It was ETW doing all the buying! I suspect other companies beside Atlas Tool also bought these GUARANTEED marked wrenches from ETW. Looks like Erie was producing pipe wrenches under its own name at least through the 1950s, although available print ads don't seem to show the GUARANTEED mark on the tool that late. You can try contacting them to see if they have any more historical information.

I excerpted this from the official ETW history they have online:


1965 The company is bought by Textron for its defense work. At the time, Dewitt Bull is President and F. Warner Bacon is Vice President, both grandsons of the founder.

1968 Dewitt Bull resigns; Bacon becomes General Manager.

1970 ETW obtains a patent for a Flange Tightener.

1972 ETW obtains a patent for a Pipe Cutter.

1972 Textron decides to sell the company. F. Warner Bacon forms a buyout for both ETW and Lakeview Forge. He makes Lakeview Forge the parent company with ETW as a division.

1975



It does look like they were sold and bought back by the family.

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[DadsTools]

I excerpted this from the official ETW history they have online:


1965 The company is bought by Textron for its defense work. At the time, Dewitt Bull is President and F. Warner Bacon is Vice President, both grandsons of the founder.

1968 Dewitt Bull resigns; Bacon becomes General Manager.

1970 ETW obtains a patent for a Flange Tightener.

1972 ETW obtains a patent for a Pipe Cutter.

1972 Textron decides to sell the company. F. Warner Bacon forms a buyout for both ETW and Lakeview Forge. He makes Lakeview Forge the parent company with ETW as a division.

1975



It does look like they were sold and bought back by the family.

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Good to know. I was focusing on the era relating to the likely age period for the OP's wrench, which would likely be before ETW bought out Lakeview. Didn't pay much attention to the later history. All good info.