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Statite Corp Lockmatic plier

Started by jimwrench, July 25, 2011, 08:07:31 PM

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jimwrench

  Heres a locking plier made by (STATITE CORP). Stamped Statite Corp Lockmatic pat pend. Don't know when they were made or if patent was issued but they were interesting enough to gain a place on my basement wall. Any information about them would be appreciated.
Jim
Mr. Dollarwrench

rusty


Wow, there's a design you don't see every day, doggable handles....

Yep, that would get a place on my wall too...

[Pop Sci - 1957]
Just a weathered light rust/WD40 mix patina.

jimwrench

  Thanks Rusty Thats what I neeed;the actual maker. Sarvie Tool Co patent 2539865
                                                                                                               Jim
Jim
Mr. Dollarwrench

rudeawakening55

  Thanks for the post, I didn't have the patent no. for my Lockmatic plier.  Just aquired it recently.
                   rudeawakening55

Fins/413

Cool looking but I wonder how useful it actually was?
1959 Chrysler New Yorker
1982 E150 Ford van

jimwrench

 Probably not too useful;but definately more useful than these pseudo visegrips. Don't ask why I have three pair. Sloooow learner may come to mind.
Jim
Mr. Dollarwrench

Fins/413

1959 Chrysler New Yorker
1982 E150 Ford van

jimwrench

 I don't use them,they just provide a place for dust to accumulate in a spare tool box. Release is by pulling handles apart. My main objection is the little knurled screw to adjust the pressure doesn't fit my normal sized fingers.
Jim
Mr. Dollarwrench

1930

I inherited a pair of those from my father and ended up breaking them not long ago, not the best design and I saw little advantage to them over regular pair of vice grips
Always looking for what interests me, anything early Dodge Brothers/Graham Brothers trucks ( pre 1932 or so ) and slant six / Super six parts.

ron darner

I was at a swap meet last weekend, at Baraboo, Wisconsin.  I found a pair of pliers of this type, but with a different name on them, and got them for $3.  They were missing the spring that tensions the lock/release tab, and had a dot of weld spatter, but were otherwise decent.  Later, I came across another pair, this time with the Sta/Tite name & logo, also patent pending like those in this thread.  [I thought] I took a photo of the Stat/Tites, which were marked $45, but discovered that I'd used up my external memory on a digital camera, so don't have it.  Here is a photo of mine, with a quick-&-dirty replacement spring.  Side-by-side, the two pliers appeared identical in tooling.  However, mine are stamped "JAPAN" on one handle, and laser-marked "GIBBSVILLE CHEESE CO.  Bob & Lee Van Tatenhove" on the other.
The latching system seems to permit a very tight grip, though not like Vise-Grips (tm) with their toggle-locking action, of course.  The release tab works easily and positively.  The spring can be lost while changing pivot points (they're slip-joint in that regard), but otherwise, they seem to be very well designed and made.
The Gibbsville Cheese Company exists: see http://gibbsvillecheese.com/about-gibbsville-cheese/.  I'll try to find out the story behind these custom pliers.
Arrogance and Ignorance have more in common than their last four letters!

toolmaker

I'm replying to an old topic because i can clear up some of the mystery on these. i knew Walt Sarvie and his son richard in person, and they were fine people.
I worked  for lockmatic part time in about 1965 or 6 when he had his company in maple plain mn.

I helped to build the compound hot stamp diss that made the 3 pliars on the left. the 3 on the right were forged ,and were earlier models, the one in the single photo was the first made and showed pat. pend. and alexandria mn. on it-------  the  forged models were made before i knew the sarvie's------------- i  also worked as an apprentice diemaker  for huot mfg. in st. paul in 1950-3  i still have one of the very first metal machinist boxes they made .---------- gene

Yadda

Who bought these?  What principle use?
You might say I have a tool collecting problem....