Gentle Galoots,

 no, I'm not talking about me. Since I discovered that there is a
 toolmaker bearing my name, I try to find out more about him. I have put
 up a small website about the planes I have from Jordan/Germany and
 would like to ask the assembled galoots for any information you can
 give: http://www.holzwerken.de/museum/jordan_e.phtml.

Thanks a lot.

Wolfgang Jordan in Munich/Germany

Guten Tag German Galoot,

On Monday, Wolfgang asked about Jordan tools made in Germany:

> Since I discovered that there is a toolmaker bearing
> my name, I try to find out more about him. I have put
> up a small website about the planes I have from
> Jordan/Germany and would like to ask the assembled
> galoots for any information you can give:
> http://www.holzwerken.de/museum/jordan_e.phtml.

I don't know any more than he does (in fact, probably a lot less), but I do
happen
to own two tools by this company that may help shed some light.  I have a
chisel
and a combination square, both of which were acquired at yard sales in
central
Massachusetts.  The 1 3/4 in. bevel-edged chisel has Jordan/Germany inside
a rhombus and says "Finest Quality Forged Steel".  Here are two pictures:
http://www.geocities.com/sawnutz/images/jordan_chisel_logo.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/sawnutz/images/jordan_chisel.jpg

(Note to self: gotta get a digital camera or scanner at home so I don't
have to
keep using the scanner at work--too many strange looks from people when I
put a chisel on the scanner!)

The combination square (model no. 51--does this match some standard
numbering?)  yields more information that might be useful.  It says
"JORDAN TRADING CO.    NEW-YORK N.Y.    GERMANY   GUARANTEED"

More pictures:
http://www.geocities.com/sawnutz/images/jordan_square_logo.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/sawnutz/images/jordan_square.jpg

Don't Know if the DAT has info on such a company in New York.

Hope this helps.

Brian Welch
Worcester, MA

Brian provided some pictures of his Jordan tools:

This is good info, Brian, thanks! Does anyone else have tools from
Jordan/Germany and can describe the marks or show pictures? From the
marking on Brian's combination square it seems possible, that Jordan is
not the manufacturer but merely the trader of these tools. Is there no
trace of this name in any of your guides? And what is the DAT Brian
mentioned, do they have an online database?

Wolfgang Jordan Munich/Germany

Hi Wolfgang & Brian & All,

Wolfgang Jordan asked about tools marked Jordan/Germany. Brian W. has
some marked Jordan, but seemingly from a NY company and he wondered what
the DAT might have to say. Now Wolfgang asks what the DAT is. I was a
bit too busy to jump in when I first read the message Brian posted and
assumed someone else would cover it. But I'm not as busy today and noone
else has, so here goes.

The DAT lists a Jordan Hdw. Corp., NY, NY, as an agent for and marker of
wooden planes made by Joh. Weiss & Sohn, Austria. The DAT has no dates
or other info about them, but post-1900 seems more likely than not.
Based on what Brian said, it might well be that Jordan also sold other
tools made by other German/Austrian makers. Which might raise a question
of whether there actually was a German maker named Jordan. But if not,
that raises a question of how so marked US tools got back to Germany. Oh
Sweet Mysteries of Life.

Re Wolfgang's other question, the DAT is a book - Directory of American
Toolmakers - with 1100+ pages of info re its subject. Primarily intended
to deal with American makers working before 1900, but also including
some info on non-US and post-1900 makers. Besides makers, it includes
tool markers, patent holders, brand names, etc., - about 25,000 names in
all. Minimal details on each such name, but basic highlight info re when
worked, where, what tools made, etc. I had the pleasure of compiling the
thing for the EAIA using info submitted by ca. 250 of their members.

Best Wishes,
Bob

Thanks Bob, for shedding some light on this company.

 It seems to be clear now, that the Jordan Corp. in New York, N. Y.
 marked and sold tools from Austrian planemaker Joh. Weiss & Sohn,
 Vienna, and probably other German or Austrian toolmakers. The Kunz
 factory (founded in 1910) comes to mind, as they were about the only
 maker of metal planes at this time in Germany. It could well be that
 they produced mainly for the American market, because metal planes
 never were used in big numbers over here. The few I found at flea
 markets and in old catalogs were American made.

 New questions arise: Did anyone ever see a wooden plane marked
 with Jordan/Germany? How could I find out more about the Jordan
 Corp. in New York?

 And an answer to Bob's question: These planes came to Germany, because
 I bought them in the US, two through Ebay and the little #75 from one
 of our dealers on the list. No mystery here;-)

Wolfgang

Thanks for this link, Louis. Seems like Mr. Donnelly may know more about
these tools. I sent him an email.

 Wolfgang

> -----Original Message----- From: Louis Michaud
> [SMTP:louis_michaud@u...] Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 8:16 PM To:
> oldtools@w... Subject: Jordan/Germany
>
> A little more information from the MJD catalog:
>
> http://www.mjdtools.com/tools/list_425/36791.htm
>
> Louis Michaud

 While thumbing through my reprint of a 1909 catalog from Austrian
 toolmaker Joh. Weiss & Sohn I found the Jordan Hardware Corp. mentioned
 in the introduction by Seth Burchard. I sure read this earlier but had
 completely forgotten about it. I put the full text (which is in
 English) on my web site as a reference to the history of Joh. Weiss:
 http://www.holzwerken.de/museum/european_maker/weiss_history.phtml

 Burchard describes a Weiss rabbet plane in his possession as marked
 with "JOH. WEISS & SOHN WIEN/(Austrian eagle and a C-clamp)/SOLE
 AGENTS/JORDAN HARDWARE CORP./NEW YORK USA. AUSTRIA". This too answers
 my question if there are wooden planes with the Jordan mark.

 Thanks to the knowledgable list members for helping me solving
 this puzzle.

Wolfgang