Strange little wrench

[Stillgottimefor1]

These have probably come up before but I missed . Who made it and is it a pipe wrench?it.


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[4xdog]

An alligator wrench that almost looks too small to be useful. For others more knowledgeable than I -- was this intended to be turned with a pipe or some other tool>

 

[The Cobbler]

I have a similar, larger version wrench, thread here https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=291924

 

[DadsTools]

Alligator wrench. I believe these were more often intended for turning fasteners rather than pipes, one wrench to handle multiple sizes. I suppose one could use it on a pipe if only a little torque was needed.

 

[four.cycle]

I'm having a difficult time making out the detail on your sample.
Is that "RIVAL" stamped on the piece?
Only thing I have matching "Rival" is "S & I"
S. & I. / S. & I. Co., 55-57 Governor St., Springfield, MA / "Never Break" "Reliable" "Rival" /
(* Whether or not that's the same "RIVAL" as yours remains a question. *)

"Alligator" wrenches go way back - they were designed to fit a broad range of fasteners. Here are some examples from early catalog listings:



They were made in all kinds of sizes:

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice double-alligator.

Most "alligator" wrenches, which came in a multitude of sizes, from very small to very large, had one side of the jaw serrated and the other smooth, and were intended for pipe, secondarily for fasteners. If you look at old catalogs, the tables would include a column for the pipe sizes each would handle. 4.c's ads illustrate the same point.

Like Crescent, Kleenex, and Xerox, the name was colloquialized from a brand name. You won't find the word "Alligator" on any alligator wrench but one, those made by American Saw Works, which trademarked the term in 1887, or Roebling, which bought out ASW in 1901. Bonney literally called their alligator wrenches "Crocodile" wrenches, among other names, to avoid infringement. EDIT: More on that here.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I did not know that!

I just noticed the lettering stamped on those models shown on that catalog page.... is that "Whitman and Barnes" ??

(I know I've seen that same wrench the OP posted in a catalog page somewhere but I can't recall where!) :

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

It does say Rival. Above that almost looks like W.Co. Maybe.


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[Private Lugnutz]

I just noticed the lettering stamped on those models shown on that catalog page.... is that "Whitman and Barnes" ??

It is. That "Always Ready" wrench appears in early Bonney catalogs, too, so I'm not sure who made it.

 

[thisistheshow]

Nice double-alligator.

Most "alligator" wrenches, which came in a multitude of sizes, from very small to very large, had one side of the jaw serrated and the other smooth, and were intended for pipe, secondarily for fasteners. If you look at old catalogs, the tables would include a column for the pipe sizes each would handle. 4.c's ads illustrate the same point.

Like Crescent, Kleenex, and Xerox, the name was colloquialized from a brand name. You won't find the word "Alligator" on any alligator wrench but one, those made by American Saw Works, which trademarked the term in 1887, or Roebling, which bought out ASW in 1901. Bonney literally called their alligator wrenches "Crocodile" wrenches, among other names, to avoid infringement. EDIT: More on that here.

Very interesting!
Thank you!