The Wrenching News Message Board

Curved Handle Adjustables

Posted by Gordon Herschel on May 25, 2008, 8:31 pm
98.165.183.82

Howdy from a newbie collector/accumulator.
I have about 50 curved handle adjustables.
Barcalos, B&C, BR, Bergman, B&S, Circle T, Erie, Ford, Fordson, McKinnon, Robinson and Westcott plus a couple of non names.
I'd like to get ahold of a 4" & 12" Bergman to complete that series. Me and about a thousand other guys....
My Barcalos, B & Cs, McKinnon and Westcotts all look related. What is the connection? Also, what's w/ the swastika on the Buffums? Old time good luck symbol like the Indians had long ago?
Other than ebay can you recommend other sites to obtain vintage curved adjustable wrenches?
Thanks for your time.
Gordon Herschel in Phoenix AZ.

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Re: Curved Handle Adjustables

Posted by J. Metz on May 26, 2008, 11:40 pm, in reply to "Curved Handle Adjustables"
67.189.50.212

You can go to "Google" type in Buffum Tool Company, alot of information there.

Did not know the road signs in AZ. had the swastika on them. (before the war)

Good luck

Jim

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Re: Curved Handle Adjustables

Posted by Stan Schulz on June 2, 2008, 10:42 pm, in reply to "Curved Handle Adjustables"
76.84.232.169

Missouri Valley WRench Club members can place "for sale" & "wanted" ads in the club's quarterly newsletters. There are usually some for sale or trade at the club's spring & fall meetings. The collections auctioned in conjunction with the club's meetings usually have some.
BUFFUM TOOL CO. registered the trade mark in 1909 == the application was filed in 1908. The company was pretty much defunct by the early 1930s.
The "S" handle design goes back to before the Civil War .. the offset handle was sometimes a matter of personal preference & also worked better for some applications than the "in-line" handles of monkey wrenches.
REgards, Stan Schulz, editor
Missouri Valley Wrench Club Newsletter

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Re: Curved Handle Adjustables

Posted by Gordon Herschel on June 7, 2008, 2:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Curved Handle Adjustables"
98.165.183.82

Thanks for the info Gentlemen.
Since my previous posting I've acquired several more curved handle adjustables: B&C 6" and 12" closed handles and a Bergman 10". It appears to me that B&C and Westcott were the dominant manufacturers, B&C started w/ open handles then went to closed and so did Westcott but I see fewer open handle Westcotts. Recently there was a rare double headed 6" B&C on ebay that went for $200. Too much $$$ for me. That's at least two tanks of fuel for my pick up truck!

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