Walworth Stillson wrenches

[Alan Douglas]

There seems to be no specific thread for Stillsons, but here's a 6" I picked up yesterday at a "Harvest Festival" junk sale. It seems too small to be of much practical use, which is perhaps why it shows little wear.

My grandfather and uncle ran a plumbing shop, and every pipe wrench was a "Stillson" no matter who made it. I don't know if this was common elsewhere (the shop was in Brunswick, Maine).

 

[ganymede]

Walworth was right here in Mass.
I think the factory was in Cambridge and offices in Boston.
Stillson worked for Walworth when he invented the wrench.
In my years collecting Ive seen as many marked Stillson type wrenches as un marked regardless of brand.
Anyway, nice wrench and that's a beautiful ruler too.

 

[CNGsaves]

Nice find OP . . . . that baby is pristine !!

Those little pipe wrenches were like "pocket cresent wrench" for a plumber !!

You haven't told us what you paid at the "junk" sale ???

Was this a score . . . or purchase of quality old tool ??

 

[Private Lugnutz]

On the utility of the 6" wrench...
The first WWII Motor Vehicle Mechanics Tool-Set, a carryover from a prewar 1938 manual, had a 10" pipe wrench. In 1942 they must've thought that insufficient for all jobs, as the updated manual specified a 6" and a 14", heavy duty.* One of the most common brands collected is Walworth WALCO. Another is Trimont TRIMO. But the most common is Ridge RIDGID, which is not a Stillson pattern wrench.

* in addition to metallurgical composition, the Army distinguished heavy duty from normal duty by a removabe jaw insert, which was more efficient to replace than the whole wrench if the fixed jaw cracked. Pipe wrenches without this feature are normal duty.

 

[Alan Douglas]

I was under the impression that a Stillson pivoted on a pin while a heavy-duty pipe wrench pivoted on the adjusting nut. Or is that oversimplified?

All the tools were $2 each. I bought ten but this was the first one I picked up. I'm sure it qualifies as a "score" but on the other hand, I'm building this stone wall for them, gratis, so it all comes out in the end:

There's a website: http://www.bournepreservation.org/

 

[Alan Douglas]

This doesn't seem to want to attach to the previous post:

I'm building on the foundation stones of the 1840 wall, which was dismantled about 1905 when the town needed crushed stone for road improvement and bought walls at 10 cents a ton delivered, there being no bedrock on Cape Cod.

 

[ZRX61]

I have one or two. Company went **** up in about 1919 I think.

 

[jakemac]

Here's my collection of restored rust. (not an original paint color )
6, 8, 10, 14, 18, 24, and an unrestored 36. I'm only missing a 48" to complete the set.
I also took closer pics of the 14 to show the arrow stamp that I believe was used earlier on the wrenches with the diamond logo. About half of mine have the diamond logo and the other half have the rectangular logo. Some have tapered handles the others have a rectangular handle. I'm not sure how that fits into the timeline.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have one or two. Company went **** up in about 1919 I think.

What company are you referring to?

 

[Alan Douglas]

My 18" has an arrow and "Stillson" in a diamond but no maker's name. The 24" is a Stillson pattern but no other markings.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Alan,
I admire your 'preservation' approach to that wall.

I was under the impression that a Stillson pivoted on a pin while a heavy-duty pipe wrench pivoted on the adjusting nut. Or is that oversimplified?

The difference between a Stillson pattern pipe wrench and the initial Ridge patent (1,552,091, 1925) and all the Ridge licensed or unlicensed knock-offs has to do with the adjusting nut being behind the housing and various mechanism improvements internal to the housing.

Both Stillson pattern pipe wrench makers (e.g., Walworth, Trimont, etc) and RIDGID pattern pipe wrench makers (e.g., RIDGID, Erie, etc) made pipe wrenches classified as normal duty and heavy duty according to federal specifications from the 1930's through the 1950's. I don't know anything about commercial/industrial specifications, but I would assume they followed suit. The federal government has always been the largest customer.

The only noticeable difference between a normal duty and a heavy duty pipe wrench (again, the other differences being metallurgy and heat treatment in forging) is the removable jaw insert. Vintage pipe wrenches that have them are heavy duty. Vintage pipe wrenches that do not are normal duty.

Heavy duty "Stillsons" made by Trimont...

Normal duty "Stillsons" made by Plomb...

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have one or two. Company went **** up in about 1919 I think.

If you are referring to Walworth, I don't know when the company was dissolved, but they were alive and kicking throughout the 1940's. According to this two-volume reference...

...they had contracts for pipe wrenches and various fittings with several federal agencies, including the Army, Navy, and Treasury Department (Lend-Lease), worth $12,461,000 during WWII.

 

[Alan Douglas]

Thanks, that's very informative. I'm also impressed with that reference. My field is electronics more than mechanics, but I also look for reference books and periodicals. Even with google and the internet there's no substitute for having your own reference material.

 

[jkoll42]

Figured I would bump this half decade old thread instead of starting a new one. Here's a restored 14" Walworth Stillson. It's a very nice wrench. Certainly not as burly as the Rigid and Fuller I'm working on but it's a very nimble well made wrench. Seems like with the slimmer construction and the pivot point it would work very well in tight quarters.

 

[bonneyman]

Here's my collection of restored rust. (not an original paint color )
6, 8, 10, 14, 18, 24, and an unrestored 36. I'm only missing a 48" to complete the set.
I also took closer pics of the 14 to show the arrow stamp that I believe was used earlier on the wrenches with the diamond logo. About half of mine have the diamond logo and the other half have the rectangular logo. Some have tapered handles the others have a rectangular handle. I'm not sure how that fits into the timeline.

Nice collection!

A 48"? Wow! That must be some piece of pipe needing tightening for soemthing like that.

 

[jkoll42]

Nice collection!

A 48"? Wow! That must be some piece of pipe needing tightening for soemthing like that.

Well when your pipe has 6" of girth you've gotta manhandle it

 

[four.cycle]

 

[d42jeep]

From the 1942 catalog.
-Don

 

[jkoll42]

That's awesome - thanks for the old ads! Is there any knowledge out there to date based on handle design/branding design?

 

[woody 73]

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=335857&highlight=stillson

 

[four.cycle]

jkoll and Woody:
I have folders full of "Walworth" and "Stillson" catalog pages out of early hardware catalogs.
Those are only a few posted above.

Woody:
if you want me to post them in that other thread I will see if I can get to it after Christmas. I'm just jammed here right now.
I need to get busy and bake some pies for a gig tomorrow night.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

I messed up and put my post on the wrong Stillson thread, so here, I picked up a NOS 10 " Walworth Genuine Stillson from Lee Valley. On the handle was a 49 and under that a K

 

[d42jeep]

I’m not sure about the Walworth Stillsons, since I only have one, but on my Walworth Walco wrenches the year date is on the handle as well as the moving jaw. Here are some of my wartime Walcos.
-Don

 

[lardy1]

Thanks for all the good links and information. I have a few Stilson type wrenches and really knew nothing about them except I cleaned, derusted and lubed them and used them to replace my cheap *** Chinese modern style pipe wrenches. Now I know my Trimo is a heavy duty model. It appears to be superior in design, as well.

You guys must enjoy knowing that almost every morning I'm putting on my heavy coat and wandering out in the winter cold at 5AM to go out to the shop to compare something out there to whatever I read on GJ that morning.

 

[jkoll42]

I don't have any date but there is a "1" stamp on the top of the handle and jaw

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

lardy1, do you have to shovel a path ?

On closer inspection of my NOS 10", there was a 50 and a letter on the head. I had only walk a few feet to the heated garage workshop.

 

[Farmer J.]

I need to get busy and bake some pies for a gig tomorrow night.

Although I don't wish to offend those who love them I never did like any kind of stillson wrench, as years ago i found i prefer the Swedish type, but pleased i took a look at this thread because those pies look great! Happy Christmas.

 

[four.cycle]

^ funny.

I probably own at least a half a dozen various sizes of "pipe wrench" (similar to the Stillson design) and I cannot recall the last time I actually used one.
If I have to get under a sink it's usually with my 12-inch Diamond adjustable or a pair of 12-inch groove-joint pliers.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

I 'm a retired millwright, pipe fitting was one of those things we did. I had always wanted to pick up a small Stillson pattern. I figured a Stillson would be lighter than a Ridgid pattern . I only saw heavy cast Ridgid in the smaller size. In 14",18" and 24" I used aluminum . One use and you are a convert.

Farmer J, could you show the Swedish type ?, I had a couple of Spanish Ego Ridgid pattern wrenches, but I've never seen a Swedish type.

 

[Seabee]

Here is my collection of Walworth Stillson Pipe Wrenches. They are from left to right, 14", 18", 24", 36", and the large 48" wrenches. The 36" wrench is the oldest - it says patent pending on the jaw and handle, so it may be that it is older than the patent year of 1870....not sure maybe someone can enlighten me on this.