Author Topic: Eifel Geared Plierench help  (Read 1220 times)

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Offline Northwoods

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Eifel Geared Plierench help
« on: October 11, 2019, 11:56:46 AM »
I have several Plierenches, picked them up over the years, with different markings, but I cannot for the life of me make sense of their values.
Is there a site that can help me make sense of which ones are more or less desirable?
 Ebay advanced is all over the place on prices.
Obviously condition, extra jaws, pouches, etc. are factors, but
Got my first 48 one with a pouch and 3 extra jaws (including my first tubing cutter) yesterday and that has gotten me curious. 
The ORIGINAL Northwoods.

Offline Yadda

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Re: Eifel Geared Plierench help
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2019, 07:25:33 PM »
There are essentially five versions. 
The 1921A is 8 inches with smooth handles. It has a groove on the jaws.
The 1922B is 8.5 inches with dimpled handles.
Between 1923 and 1931 there are no dates on the tools.  These are World Flight versions with 8.5 inch dimpled handles. 1923 to around 1925 the jaws have straight gears.  Starting around 1925 the gears are angled.  All of the prior versions have three jaws.  Straight, pipe and spring.
Eifel came out with a new patent and new versions of the Plierench in 1932.  The 8.5 inch with dimpled handles was joined by a 7 inch with dimpled handles. These versions are thiner.  The 8.5 was introduced with 8 jaw options large and small pipe, large and small straight, pipe cutter, spring, large reversible and the rare Clamp jaw. The geared jaws were replaced by the straight gears again.  There is also a pipe clip to help keep the pipe centered for the pipe cutter jaw.

Sets sell better than the pliers alone. The 21 and 22 are the least common.  In my opinion prices are higher now than 5 years ago.  The 7 inch sets were higher in price, but seem to have come down some lately.
You might say I have a tool collecting problem....

Offline Northwoods

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Re: Eifel Geared Plierench help
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2019, 11:36:11 AM »
Wow!
Now that I start looking at mine, I realize it would take a spread sheet to note all the differences.
Some have a parallelogram on the front with a slick back and slanted gears.  Some have SLS, with CHI
CAGO but some have S'L'S while some add C'N.
Some identify as EIFEL FLASH, some as EIFEL (dot) FLASH, and some as EIFEL--FLASH.
Some have the 5-2-16 patent date while others have both the 8-22 patent date and the May 2, 1916 patent date
Some have the parallelogram with other info on the back.

And then the more modern ones have no "header" at all, but with a bewildering variety of dates, lengths, dimple counts gear ratios, and prices. And straight gears.

And then there is one lone second cousin, my little GRIP N STIK 707 out of Dover O. April 13, 1924 

https://www.google.com/search?q=grip+n+stik+dover&sxsrf=ACYBGNQUGtFVgKE6CbJjiu-p9moumaFXhQ:1570897895073&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiQmI7YkpflAhXJvp4KHaUpCBgQ_AUIEigC&biw=1600&bih=755

To paraphrase Rudyard Kipling, if you can sort this all out, you're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.
The ORIGINAL Northwoods.

Offline Yadda

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Re: Eifel Geared Plierench help
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2019, 03:24:50 PM »
There are several people including me that have dabbled with collecting them on this board,  Chuck had a huge collection that he sold at auction a few years back.  Bus has a nice collection, including some from Chuck's collection.  I've been meaning to do a pseudo case study on plierenches, but kind of lost the Drive.  Still on my list, but low priority.
You might say I have a tool collecting problem....