What are these pliers for?

[Jagmandave]

Found these in the bottom of my dad's old tool box, they seem too small and light to be hog ring pliers....approx 6" long overall and they have an odd small hook like thing on the end of one handle. I thought the plier ends might have been home modified, but when I look under the magnifying glass I can see the broach marks in the rounded out ends.

Any ideas?

They say JPDanielson, Jamestown, NY USA

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[rodsnratfinks]

Maybe they're for those factory spring type hose clamps found on a lot of cars.

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[Jagmandave]

I think they're way too old for that, those didn't come around till the 90's and later....I'd bet these are at least 50 - 60 years old or more.

Plus I don't think the jaws are heavy enough nor the handles long enough to get enough leverage to squeeze those tough ring clamps.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Maybe they're for those factory spring type hose clamps found on a lot of cars.

Nope.

 

[The Cobbler]

fish hook pliers?

 

[Jagmandave]

Here are a couple more shots for detail, you may be able to see the very fine broach marks (I assume - they're very straight and fine, I don't think they would be if it was done on a grinding wheel or with a file)

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And a couple of pics for size reference.....

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And what about that odd tiny hook on the handle end?

 

[Brownsfan]

T-taps or scotch lock installation pliers? They look like they would work for that. But I highly doubt it.

 

[Jagmandave]

Fish hook pliers? Like to bend the J in the end of a fish hook?

Again, I think they pre-date scotchloks by a number of decades.....

 

[trentonmakes]

Gas pliers?

For small Dia pipe

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[Jagmandave]

One thing I found out, the company was bought out by Plomb in 1947, so these were made between 1930 and 1947.

I'm not ruling out the idea that they could have been modified by someone along the line, the only thing that makes me wonder about that is the little hook on the end of the handle, that doesn't look homemade.

They look a lot like these.....which were made in 1942.

 

[Youngguns]

Is that a hook on the end, or a burr from the original forging? Also, I've seen some pretty clean modifications, never doubt that as an option.

 

[Steevo]

The jaw configuration, at the tips, anyway, is sorta kinda similar to some grozing, or glass breaking pliers, used in stained glass work. I don't think I have ever seen any with slip joints or the gripping jaws and wire cutter like those though.
I am gonna vote for modified after manufacture, but that doesn't explain that odd hook thing. The handle with the hook looks shorter than the other, so maybe that was modified as well, removing material and leaving a hook/point/scratcher.


Edit/Update:
I thought the pattern on the grips of your pliers looked familiar, so I went and checked my pliers drawer. I have a pair of ancient electricians pliers that have the same design on the grips. I have had them for so long that I can't even remember ever not having them. They have no manufacturer or other markings, but I'd bet they are also JP Danielson, given the grip design.

 

[Jagmandave]

J.P. Danielson & Company began in 1903 as a partnership between J.P. Danielson and Karl Peterson in Jamestown, New York. The company initially operated as a maker of pliers and wrenches, including a type of plier-wrench known as a "lightning wrench". The company was reorganized as a corporation after Peterson left the partnership. (Karl Peterson went on to found the Crescent Tool Company.)

J.P. Danielson was probably best known as a maker of Stillson-pattern pipe wrenches and "Bet'R-Grip" brand Crescent-style wrenches. During the 1930s the company supplied adjustable wrenches (and probably other tools) to Western Auto Supply, a major retailer of tools and automotive supplies. J.P. Danielson was also a contract manufacturer for Sears Roebuck and supplied adjustable wrenches for the Sears Craftsman and Merit brands.

In the mid 1940s Danielson began providing contract manufacturing services to Plomb Tool of Los Angeles, and shortly after this (in 1947) J.P. Danielson was acquired by Plomb

 

[iajonesy]

Those are for grasping the two ends of a small drive chain and holding them while inserting a master link. I always made mine out of a cheap pair of common pliers. They are very handy if you are working alone inside of a machine, the chain in one hand, the master link in the other, and the flashlight in your mouth.

Mike

 

[radrush]

Those are for grasping the two ends of a small drive chain and holding them while inserting a master link. I always made mine out of a cheap pair of common pliers. They are very handy if you are working alone inside of a machine, the chain in one hand, the master link in the other, and the flashlight in your mouth.

Mike

Mike, can you provide pics to demonstrate this...

 

[trever]

Now that I know what they are I want a pair! I could have used them a few times.

 

[jsaw]

I have a pair similar to that I use for circlips on u joints

 

[Jagmandave]

I always used one of these for that job, but I could see using the pliers on a small motorcycle or bicycle chain....

Here you go, radrush....

 

[CJM8515]

What Mike means is putting the masterlink clip on itself. YOu put the clip on then use these to push it onto the other pin.

 

[theoldwizard1]

What Mike means is putting the masterlink clip on itself. You put the clip on then use these to push it onto the other pin.

I agree with iajonesy. Pulls the end of the chain together. Too fat for a bicycle.

 

[Sine Swept]

I have a pair of Crescent chain pliers, made in USA. It would seem the chain history is long. Since the bicycle moved from pedals on the front wheel to a chain to drive the rear.

 

[rick carpenter]

Whether they're home-modded or factory, they look like they haven't been damaged by time and/or misuse, so you might ask what did your father, or your grandfather, or your uncles do or what hobbies did they have?

 

[iajonesy]

Dave and theoldwizard are correct. I guess I didn't 'splain it very well. The chain I worked with was anywhere from #41 up to #80. Those chain stretchers Dave shows do a good job, they just take a little bit longer to use than the chain pliers did.
Thanks to both of you guys for posting the pics.

Mike

 

[Jagmandave]

Whether they're home-modded or factory, they look like they haven't been damaged by time and/or misuse, so you might ask what did your father, or your grandfather, or your uncles do or what hobbies did they have?

Unfortunately all those folks are long gone, so I can't ask them anymore.....none of them were mechanics, although my dad was a mechanical engineer and did a lot of his own work on cars and such.

He gave me his grandfather's old tool box and these were in the bottom of that, they may or may not have belonged to my great grandfather as my dad also used the box to store his tools in when he had it before he passed it along to me. My great grandfather was a carpenter and built houses for a living in the late 1800's in Excelsior Springs, Mo..