Fellow galoots - that wrench guy ( me) has been deep under the porch
lately , busy with life and work . I have been killing some electrons
building a shop behind our house . I did use old tools wherever possible ,
but not enough to report on .

Reading about the NOS Coe's wrenches did spark an interest . Coe's
wrenches and the like are my favorites , but I can tell you they are a
dime a dozen these days . Now , those still in the wrappers MIGHT be
valuable to some collector somewhere . Email me or send me photos off list
and I can promote them on my site , or you might contact Martin J.
Donnelly , and feel them out on pricing and a place to offer them for sale
. He has the market for high end tools and high end prices . E#*y would
not be worthwhile .

Ken , the Walworth wrench you mentioned is as you have discovered is a
Stillson , the first patented adjustable pipe wrench . An interesting
story in itself . They have not changed appreciately since the beginning
other than losing the wood handle .
papawswrench

Owner of papawswrench.com
Collector , buyer , & seller
of Antique , vintage , and
classic hand tools

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Didn't realize that anyone specialized in collecting wrenches, but I
should have figured.  Made me take a closer look at a little "perfect
handle" adjustable wrench and found that I had a Coe's as well --
6-1/2" long and kinda cute.

Not my smallest adjustable "monkey wrench" wrench, though; somewhere
in the debris downstairs is a little one -- all metal and about 4
inches long, if I recall correctly.

So, anything I should look for if I find a pile of random wrenches at
the next estate sale?

Ken Meltsner
Brookfield, WI
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Ken,

>Didn't realize that anyone specialized in collecting wrenches, but I
>should have figured.

Oh! You'd be amazed!  There's a body of literature on old wrenches and their 
patents, some of it available through Astragal Press.  There are collectors 
who buy them because of their ingenuity, and there's a different type of 
collector that is more interested in their geometry. The latter type often 
lays them out in attractive groupings on a painted backboard and then wires 
them in place through small drillholes in the wood, not the tool.  The 
boards are then hung on the wall.  It's a kind of folk art.  It's also 
galoot-approved folk art because "No Antique Tools Were Harmed in the 
Production or Testing of this Product."  (I'd like to trademark that!)

>Not my smallest adjustable "monkey wrench" wrench, though; somewhere
>in the debris downstairs is a little one -- all metal and about 4
>inches long, if I recall correctly.
>
Ebay completed auctions will give you some hints.  Here are some ideas I'd 
float as a "trial balloon":

1) Any Railroad-Marked wrench.  In general, "railroadania" is collectible.
I once saw a 24" Coes at a train show with a RR mark and an outrageous 
price.  It was presumably from the days of steam

2) Any wrench marked with the name of an automobile, truck, motorcycle, or 
argicultuaral implement maker.  The exception is that there a type of Ford 
wrench that is very common because it was in the toolkit that came with the 
model T.  (I had one of these as a teenager, was surprised to find it fit a 
LOT of the fasteners on my 1965 Mustang!)

3) Any wrench marked Roebling or John Robeling.  Usually "Alligator" 
wrenches.

4) Unusually small or unusually large wrenches.  I just picked up a 1/8" 
open-end marked Bonney Chrome Vanadium. Yep, one EIGHTH!!!     When I 
laughed over the use of high-strength steel on such a small wrench, my buddy 
said, with a wink, "Oh, that's for Titanium machine screws!"

You are on the right track with the 4" monkey wrench.

5) Wrenches made for use around antique machinery which had square-headed 
bolts.  The older engines (gas & steam), lathes and milling machines used a 
distinctive type of wrench, usually made by Armstrong or Williams, to adjust 
various parts. Having the name of a famous machine tool maker on the wrench 
is a plus.

I'd like to find out what wrenches some of the other galoots favor......I 
could keep my eyes open at Flea Mkts.

John Ruth

_________________________________________________________________
View Athlete’s Collections with Live Search 
http://sportmaps.live.com/index.html?source=hmemailtaglinenov06&FORM=MGAC01

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At 12:49 PM 11/30/2006, John Ruth wrote:

>4) Unusually small or unusually large wrenches.

I ain't much in the wrench department of things but I know those 
small ones do have some collecting interest.  The 4" Coes is a good 
one.  Also Tower & Lyon made a small monkey wrench with a solid 
handle marked GEM, 3 to 4" and those in the right condition are worth 
some serious coinage.

Tony

                         Olde River Hard Goods
                             350 West Catawissa Street
                               Nesquehoning PA 18240
                                         570-669-9421
               The best old tool store in Pennsylvania!
                     http://www.oldetoolshop.com  

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ah, the dangers of guessing tool sizes:  the teeny wrench that I
remembered turned out to be 6" long, just a bit shorter than the much
heftier Coe's wrench.   The skinny handle (no wood) fooled me, I
guess.   Turned out to be a Stillson Walworth pipe wrench, with the
original red paint still in the recesses of the plain steel handle.

The fact that this tiny thing is actually 6" long is a good way to
show just how small (and rare!) 3" and 4" wrenches are.

Ken Meltsner
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quoting Ken Meltsner:
> Ah, the dangers of guessing tool sizes:  the teeny wrench that I
> remembered turned out to be 6" long, just a bit shorter than the much
> heftier Coe's wrench.   The skinny handle (no wood) fooled me, I
> guess.   Turned out to be a Stillson Walworth pipe wrench, with the
> original red paint still in the recesses of the plain steel handle.
>
> The fact that this tiny thing is actually 6" long is a good way to
> show just how small (and rare!) 3" and 4" wrenches are.
> Ken Meltsner

Ken,

Let's see it!

Ken

(ha ha)

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Ken and Assembled Galoots:

>>Turned out to be a Stillson Walworth pipe wrench, with the original
>>red paint still in the recesses of the plain steel handle.
>>
>>The fact that this tiny thing is actually 6" long is a good way to
>>show just how small (and rare!) 3" and 4" wrenches are.

Stopped by the local Market of Fleas this morning for a rust-hunting
fix. Spied a 6" Stilson, picked it up, suddenly realized that the
moveable jaw was broken off!!! Put it back down in disgust. Now, I'm
thinking that I should have offered him fifty cents so that I could
salvage the adjustment nut and the handle, as it is common to see
smaller Stilsons with bent handles.

John Ruth

_________________________________________________________________
Fixing up the home? Live Search can help http://imagine-
windowslive.com/search/kits/default.aspx?kit=improve&locale=en-
US&source=hmemailtaglinenov06&FORM=WLMTAG

------------------------------------------------------------------------

>  picked it up, suddenly realized that the moveable jaw was broken off!!!

> Now, I'm thinking that I should have offered him fifty cents so that I 
> could salvage the adjustment nut and the handle, as it is common to 
> see smaller Stilsons with bent handles.

This is true, except when you want one, then they hide on you.
 Let's see, I've got a 24" Stilson wanting a jaw and nut.  2 extra mint 
jaws for 18's and one for a 14 with a good spare nut. You'd think I'd be 
tripping over wrench parts, but so far, not.
    It took me 2 years to get a jaw and nut for a 10" Rapwrench (regular 
Stilson pipe wrench with a hammer face on the side, very handy)  through 
casual scrounging.  I had a Chinese clone on it for a while but they are 
a little skimpy in cross section.
 
     The 6" wrench size is what I think best for collecting.  Nobody 
wants them!  So you can have your pick of different companies and time 
periods and great condition for cheap!! Monkey and pipe wrenches galore. 
I must have 20 around the place here and there. I use a Coes for 
tightening and loosening my lathe attachments and it's a great pleasure.
  The smallest adjustable wrenches are pretty dear.  I'd love to have 
some but you can have a whole sack of 6's for a fraction of even one 
that is smaller. 

   The pocket wrenches are adorable! King Dick springs to mind. I'd love 
to have a tiny dinky one of those but apparently others would too. 
Everytime a 3" or less comes up, interest appears too. You can have 4's 
pretty cheap though.
  Never collect what everybody else already wants!
     yours, Scott
   
   
   

Scott Grandstaff, Box 409, Happy Camp, CA  96039
scottg@s...

Tools <http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/>
Tools <http://oldtoolsshop.com/Galoots/sGrandstaff/>
Kitty's PageWorks <http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/>
 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

GG,
 Re: the discussion on Coe's wrenches has prompted my adled brain to once again
remember a question I had, but then forgot..."sometimers disease".
 A couple months ago I acquired an Atol Machine Co. Rapid Transit Wrench...from
a collection, hence it came with a tag of relevant information. One salient fact
being a patent date of June 8, 1880. Another fact was that it is listed in MJD's
book as #13 on page 204. 
 I don't have the book and I can't find the patent...can or would anyone be
wiling to enlighten me? This is just idle curiosity as I don't collect wrenches
per say, it was just a nifty looking little 6" wrench and I couldn't resist.
 If you are interested, here is a picture of the wrench...
http://wdynamic.com/galoots/4images/details.php?image_id=4570

 Any information would be appreciated.


Roy Griggs roygriggs@w... www.shavingsandsawdust.com

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>http://wdynamic.com/galoots/4images/details.php?image_id 
>
Hey, Wait a minute Roy!
 It that a quick adjust collar I see hanging off the back??  Sure looks 
like it, mighty gracious perfect facsimile.
 Yikes, I don't see these so often. Not at all. Figures somebody would 
pop up with a rare 6" soon as I said you can usually have them cheap.  
Doh!!  'Course it'd have to be a close pal dangling it under my nose too!

 How is the rest of it?? Looks pretty squeaky nice to me!  Droolin here.
       You Suck!!
 yours, Scott
 
 
Scott Grandstaff, Box 409, Happy Camp, CA  96039
scottg@s...

Tools <http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/>
Tools <http://oldtoolsshop.com/Galoots/sGrandstaff/>
Kitty's PageWorks <http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/>
 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peter, Thats' the one, Thank you...

 I have had a personal phone call to explain to me why my searches
 weren't working...what a group. Should have asked about finding that
 $5 #1... roy


> From: Peter Robinson <pjrc@b...> Date: 2006/12/01 Fri PM 06:04:05 CST
> To: roygriggs@v... Subject: Re: [OldTools] Re:CXoes NOS wrenches
>
> Hi Roy, datamp has a patent that looks just like that one and it lists
> Atol as a manufacturer. Take a look here:
>
> http://www.datamp.org/displayPatent.php?number=228437&type=UT&co-
> untry=US
>
> I found it by searching datamp for patents on the patent date. Is that
> the one?
>
> regards, Peter
>
>
> roygriggs@v... wrote:
>
> > GG, Re: the discussion on Coe's wrenches has prompted my adled brain
> > to once again remember a question I had, but then
> > forgot..."sometimers disease". A couple months ago I acquired an
> > Atol Machine Co. Rapid Transit Wrench...from a collection, hence it
> > came with a tag of relevant information. One salient fact being a
> > patent date of June 8, 1880. Another fact was that it is listed in
> > MJD's book as #13 on page 204. I don't have the book and I can't
> > find the patent...can or would anyone be wiling to enlighten me?
> > This is just idle curiosity as I don't collect wrenches per say, it
> > was just a nifty looking little 6" wrench and I couldn't resist. If
> > you are interested, here is a picture of the wrench...
> > http://wdynamic.com/galoots/4images/details.php?image_id
> >
> >  Any information would be appreciated.
> >
> >
> >
> > Roy Griggs roygriggs@w... www.shavingsandsawdust.com
>
> --
>
> Peter Robinson, Brisbane, Australia
>
>

Roy Griggs roygriggs@w... www.shavingsandsawdust.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------