Vintage X-Acto, Exactly, Exclusively!

[four.cycle]

Never mind the Kwik Skrape.

Your "Kwik-Skrape" window scraper has its own dedicated thread

Master / Master Machine Co., Plantsville, CT / "Kwik Skrape" "Window Paint Scraper" / patent 2787056 Apr 2 1957 Robert E. Dobratz / TM 611403 Aug 16 1954 first use Jul 12 1954 / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/robert-e-dobratz-pat-no-2-787-056-kwik-skrape.465425/ /

 

[INSP380]

Your "Kwik-Skrape" window scraper has its own dedicated thread

Master / Master Machine Co., Plantsville, CT / "Kwik Skrape" "Window Paint Scraper" / patent 2787056 Apr 2 1957 Robert E. Dobratz / TM 611403 Aug 16 1954 first use Jul 12 1954 / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/robert-e-dobratz-pat-no-2-787-056-kwik-skrape.465425/ /

Thanks, Here is an ad for it… :O

Steve

 

[Private Lugnutz]

@INSP380
You should post that ad on the Kwik-Skrape thread. I am sure woody (who started that thread) would be happy to see it. 4.c provided you the link directing you to it in his reply above.

 

[Stubby1743]

I've just been looking through the online X-Acto catalogues and I am very surprised to see that the C clamps shown in my post #240 above have a body made of magnesium and not aluminium as I have thought for 60 years.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Someone should start a thread on vintage stationary and office equipment. I would love to see some vintage staplers, hole punches, pencil sharpeners.

Well, it's not a new thread, but you may be interested in seeing the antique (ca. 1920) pencil sharpener I just found and posted here, William.

 

[four.cycle]

Someone should start a thread on vintage stationary and office equipment. I would love to see some vintage staplers, hole punches, pencil sharpeners.

^ I must have missed this when you first posted it, @William Payne.

There's an entire world of objects that were invented and manufactured exclusively for "the office", but it opens up a gigantic can of worms that few have dared to delve into.

A few that may have been mentioned here:

Art Metal Works, Newark, NJ (aka "Ronson")
Art Steel Co., New York, NY
Geo. J. Meyer Co., Milwaukee, WI
Yawman & Erbe, Rochester, NY
Eclipse Office Furniture Co., Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

There is a website dedicated solely to this genre:
https://www.officemuseum.com/

Personally I find it all fascinating. Others - not so much.

These "gray areas" delve into industries and trades that are not really "garage" related, so they tend to be ignored here for reasons which are more than understandable - we don't spend a lot of time discussing manufacturers of horse collars or pointe shoes here either.

 

[William Payne]

^ I must have missed this when you first posted it, @William Payne.

There's an entire world of objects that were invented and manufactured exclusively for "the office", but it opens up a gigantic can of worms that few have dared to delve into.

A few that may have been mentioned here:

Art Metal Works, Newark, NJ (aka "Ronson")
Art Steel Co., New York, NY
Geo. J. Meyer Co., Milwaukee, WI
Yawman & Erbe, Rochester, NY
Eclipse Office Furniture Co., Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

There is a website dedicated solely to this genre:
https://www.officemuseum.com/

Personally I find it all fascinating. Others - not so much.

These "gray areas" delve into industries and trades that are not really "garage" related, so they tend to be ignored here for reasons which are more than understandable - we don't spend a lot of time discussing manufacturers of horse collars or pointe shoes here either.

I know exactly what you mean. Its the same in any hobby though. Take music, lots of people are fans of certain bands and styles of music. But few are interested in music in its entirety.

Same in manufacturing I guess. Some people love cars. I just happen to find the manufacture of all things from a horse show to a nuclear reactor to be equally as fascinating.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Same here, which is why I tend to go off on weird tangents.
Can openers, jar wrenches, lid lifters, and corkscrews are an interesting genre. Lots of creative inventors. Lots of weird gadgets.
Kitchen appliances gets nutty because it's such a huge world. A guy could spend a lifetime just studying toasters. Same with coffee pots.
Coffee pots are particularly fascinating because they involve style and design, whereas for the most part tools are generally solely focused on function.

It may be worth noting that Landers Frary & Clark's "Universal" bread maker was a major game changer for American housewives at the turn of the century - they were ubiquitous with a few years of their introduction.
Their "Universal" chopper was found in homes worldwide, and some specimens are still in operation over a century later.
This one was definitely an interesting rabbit hole.