P&C Hand Forged Tools history website

[J.Johnson]

Have the website up and running. Wanted to extend an invitation so anyone interested can check it out. The page for P&C Under Plumb - Proto is not complete but other pages are done. Have more planned but decided to "kick the tires and light the fires!"

If you notice any errors, snafus, glitches or other discombobulations please let me know. Hope you enjoy all the hard work. Some really nice pics, especially if you like old cars. Definitely a joint effort...a lot of people helped to "deliver the baby". Thanks to everyone for the encouragement.

http://www.pnctools.com

 

[Smokeshow69]

Cool web site!! I live near by where the factory was in Oregon and do agree with the web site , the tools just feel right in your hand! I like p&c tools because they are well made and I enjoy the local tie as well!! It also doesn't hurt that they made tools for my favorite tool brand plvmb

 

[jabberwoki]

At last P&C out of the shadows!!!!! Very cool site.

 

[Outlawmws]

I think this is great that a Family member is interested enough to want to work to put this together! Especially since you can (presumably) use family historical resources to add touches a company might not have once the family was no longer involved!

Oustanding, and marked for future reference and watching for future growth!

Any thought to putting in Pics of actual tools? I'd be able to contribute to some of that, partly from tools my father had and partly from tools I've collected since.

 

[Provincial]

Thanks for putting up the web site JJ!

I have been using P&C tools since my first set in 1964 (a birthday gift from a family friend who assembled it from pawn shops and junk stores), which had a few P&C items included. I buy more whenever I run into them at sales or second hand/junk stores. Mine still earn their keep daily!

I live down by Salem, OR so these tools are local to me.

Keep up the good work. Thanks again for putting up the web site!

 

[J.Johnson]

Short answer is yes. Tool pics are planned and still working on how that will fit in the organization of the site.

Several people have expressed to me their appreciation for seeing the human side. Not just a "P" and a "C" on the tools, but now able to put faces to the initials. I've always thought the human side makes every story more interesting and compelling. Having seen the human side of Uncle Charlie all my life, the fun for me on this project has been seeing the business side.

Thanks for all the kind comments and encouragement.

 

[north]

Excellent site J. Both content and layout. I'm gonna enjoy reading it. Many thanks.

 

[Thedrewdude]

Awesome website! Well done so far. Eager to see more updates. My grandfather's tool set was composed of a lot of P&C Tools and now I have the privilege to use them and they are some of my favorite tools. It's great to learn not only the history of the company but also about the people that ran it. Good luck in your research!

 

[woody 73]

Very nice web site Hope you get a chance to add the GJ under the recommended sites.

 

[J.Johnson]

Sheesh. Thought I had a GJ link on there. Thanks for catching that. Done and fixed.

 

[WWIIjeep]

Nice job on the website! Looking forward to seeing future additions.

Here's a P&C tool you probably won't see every day:

6" combination square. Still has the P&C price sticker. Guessing it's '50s or '60s vintage. I was hoping to find it in one of the P&C catalogs, but didn't see it in the '53 or '63.

 

[J.Johnson]

WWIIjeep.....Thanks! "Looking forward to seeing future additions." That was a little coincidental...Jabberwoki sent me a 1965 P&C catalog that is a carpentry specialty catalog. I was just getting ready to scan it in tonight so I can get it posted on the website. It lists your square on page 18. Should have it done and added to the site in the next few days.

That square scores a lot of bonus points for the P&C sticker. Sweet.

 

[J.Johnson]

By the way....nice jeep! Here's mine.

 

[J.Johnson]

Got that 1965 carpentry catalog added along with the suggest resale price list.

Also under the Patents page added photos for the second patent down.

 

[WWIIjeep]

Got that 1965 carpentry catalog added along with the suggest resale price list.

Same list price as marked on the little 6" square. Cool.

Nice jeep. YJ, right? What year?

 

[J.Johnson]

Just wanted to update the website URL. I've done that in the initial post for this thread. The website is now pnctools.com. Should give the site a little more visibility and definitely makes it shorter and easier to remember.

Hope to be adding a 1930 catalog and draft versions of catalogs for 1931, 32 and 33 in the next few months. Also will be completing the last chapter "P&C under Plomb - Proto" in the next month or so.

As always, if anyone has found some historical photos, catalogs, or additional information over the winter, I would love to see them for possible inclusion in the website.

Thanks!

 

[woody 73]

Good job Is there any way we could move this whole post over to the vintage tool section.

 

[pauls_workshop]

J.J, awesome stuff here. Welcome to GJ! Keep up the great work! - Paul

 

[lilcraigford]

I've only had a chance to skim the contents of the site; the organization and presentation of information is really well done. You've created a wonderful and attractive resource and I certainly look forward to seeing the rest of the site fill out!

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

Excellent website. I look for old tools at garage sales flea markets and seen a few P&C tools here and there but did not know much about them till now. Thank you very much and will be visiting your website often as I collect Plomb tools and might start a new P&C collection.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a ToolAholic,Sometimes I regret it,Especially when the Toolman wont give me no credit

 

[twertsy]

Very cool site! I'd be interested in a "logo timeline history," something similar to what I've seen done for the Plomb logos/stampings. Any chance that exists?

I have a couple socket sets I've compiled from the local Pawn shops. Oddly though, with all the pickin' I do, I've never once seen anything other than sockets.

 

[J.Johnson]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. The website has been a huge amount of work but very rewarding. Made more than a few new friends and have learned a ton of stuff regarding P&C.

@twertsy...that is one page I will be working on this spring after I complete the Plomb - Proto chapter. A page devoted to dating P&C tools. There are not as many definitive changes/trademark variations etc. as other tool manufacturers but there are a lot of subtle things to watch for. Fortunately I have a nice pool of P&C experts to pull from so that page will be fun just in networking with everyone and watching them blow my theories into pieces.

 

[amac70]

don't have any sockets but I do have a 3/4 drive ratchet, the kind with exposed gear don't know what you call it. Still use it great ratchet. Its probably twice as old as me. Site looks good.

 

[Outlawmws]

I think I have that same P&C exposed gear ratchet. It belonged to my Dad. Definitely old. Possibly pre WWII.

 

[Qualitytools]

Very Nice site, on the photo with the picknic it reads "eft to right" missing the L. Looking forward to the expansion.

 

[J.Johnson]

@Qualitytools:

Nice catch! I did lose my "L". Fixed. Had to re-do the captions when I moved to the dedicated domain and didn't quite copy and paste enough right there.

 

[organ]

Nice site. I have a flathead keyring screwdriver marked P & C Tool Co. that belonged to my granddad, never knew anything about the company.

 

[Flatland Dave]

Great info on the site. Very interesting. As I got the old tool bug, I ended up collecting Plomb, which led me to P&C which quickly became my favorite as the history of the founders in relation to where I have lived in the past. Great story. Thanks!

 

[zeet]

Wow, JJ.. Great job on the website! It's now bookmarked and I'll be visiting often to see what's new!

Kudos and appreciation!

 

[J.Johnson]

Thanks everyone!

Recently I called the museum in Milwaukie, Oregon to ask about the possibility of scanning some of the P&C photographs displayed in the museum for use on the website. The result of the conversation was being asked to speak at their monthly historical meeting. I accepted and will be speaking regarding the P&C website on April 14th. I will be taking digital copies and printed photographs of some of the pictures used on the website and hoping they will allow me to scan some of theirs while I'm visiting. Hoping for a little quid pro quo.

This will delay publishing the P&C under Proto page until after that meeting. Keep your fingers crossed that they will allow me to play with the laptop and scanner I will be bringing.

Meantime, I've added a blog update and I've also added another main menu topic called "Extras". Under that heading I've started a miscellaneous download section by adding a P&C employee handbook from around 1967 as well as an employee newsletter called "Forgings", which is from September of 1957. Both are interesting reading but the foreword of the employee handbook by the P&C president, will flare up the old debate regarding P&C possibly using Ford axles as a source of their tool steel.

I have another source document regarding the axle issue (possibly an anti-axle position?...or at least in addition to), which I will post later when I have an opportunity to do a big scan.

Jerry

 

[redwrench60]

Cool website. There's not much info out there about P&C tools. Looking forward to reading more.

I have one and only P&C tool, a 3/4" drive breaker bar. That thing is as tough as woodpecker lips. I don't know if it's ever been deployed without a cheater bar. That thing has seen more pipe than a steam fitter's pipe wrench.

 

[J.Johnson]

Just wanted to update everyone.

Recently added items to the website include:

1. New page that covers history of the P&C factory from 1941 to 1990.
2. New picture of the original old building with either John or Charlie's model T parked in front (found at the top of the page entitled "P&C Factory: John & Charlie".
3. P&C sales brochure geared towards retail stores found under "Extras".
4. Tweaked the website to make it easier to browse from cell phone or tablet.

Planned future additions include:
1. Tool page....guidelines for dating P&C tools as well as pictures of interesting tools, etc.
2. Page called "Keith's Page" about one family who had a lot of combined years working at P&C.
3. Adding more catalogs including recently acquired 1930, 1931-33 and 1949.
4. Other odds & ends.

Jerry

 

[Rileysan]

Thanks everyone!

Recently I called the museum in Milwaukie, Oregon to ask about the possibility of scanning some of the P&C photographs displayed in the museum for use on the website. The result of the conversation was being asked to speak at their monthly historical meeting. I accepted and will be speaking regarding the P&C website on April 14th. I will be taking digital copies and printed photographs of some of the pictures used on the website and hoping they will allow me to scan some of theirs while I'm visiting. Hoping for a little quid pro quo.

This will delay publishing the P&C under Proto page until after that meeting. Keep your fingers crossed that they will allow me to play with the laptop and scanner I will be bringing.

Meantime, I've added a blog update and I've also added another main menu topic called "Extras". Under that heading I've started a miscellaneous download section by adding a P&C employee handbook from around 1967 as well as an employee newsletter called "Forgings", which is from September of 1957. Both are interesting reading but the foreword of the employee handbook by the P&C president, will flare up the old debate regarding P&C possibly using Ford axles as a source of their tool steel.

I have another source document regarding the axle issue (possibly an anti-axle position?...or at least in addition to), which I will post later when I have an opportunity to do a big scan.

Jerry

Thanks for the info on your P&C website as well as the info on the Milwaukie History museum. I take it you live in the Portland area?

What brought me to this thread was that I picked up a set of P&C combination wrenched at an estate sale ... wait for it ... in Milwaukie, this past weekend! I will continue searching, but I want to find out the vintage as well as which wrenches I may be missing from the set (aside from the obvious 1/2" and 7/16")


Brian