Was looking in a toolbox at a flea market today and the vendor said everything in the box was $1.
I got to digging around and found 1/2 of these pliers and put them back in because who needs 1/2 of a plier, right. After digging and getting what I wanted I found the other half and I've never seen these before so I snagged them. Y'all may have seen them but they are pretty strange to me.

A clever design that allows you to explore the Zen koan, what is the use of one plier?

Always amazing to see how many brilliant ideas didn't pan out in the market.  If I'd seen those when my kids were young, I'd have recognize the flaw immediately: they're destined to come apart.  You're extremely lucky to have found both parts in the same box.

Yes, I have a pair.
They harken back to the 19th Century A. A. Pease patents [ 1876 ] -- ( http://www.datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?number=172649&typeCode=0 ) and [ 1882 ] -- ( http://www.datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?number=252248&typeCode=0 ).  Early Billings & Spencer slip joint pliers cited the 1876 patent.

The only advantage to these is the pivot points are firmly set & not subject to the "worn out slip joint" problem that we've all experienced with cheap "slip joint water pump pliers." As to losing half -- no worse than keeping a socket set intact (IMHO) ;-)

Those are a first for my eyes. Thanks for sharing

New to me.

Somebody gave me a pair of these about 15 years ago.  Kinda weird they seemed.  And now I've seen a second pair.  Wondered if Sears was trying to get around the Channellock patent.  Apart, they do take up less space in a tool box...

Interesting, I wonder when they were made. Any one know what years these were manufactured?

Didja pay $1 or $2 for the pair?

Quote from: DM11 on August 11, 2014, 12:03:38 AM
Interesting, I wonder when they were made. Any one know what years these were manufactured?

They're from the 1940s. They were in the 1947/8 catalogue, but not the 1941/2 or 1950 catalogues...

Gang,

Just an update--  These Crafty (N-square) water pump pliers (catalog number 4492) were available from 1946-1948.  Prior to 1946 and after 1948 the water pump pliers were a slip-joint design.

Little is known about the N-square mark; the OEM is unknown, and only three types of tools have been identified that have this mark (pliers, chisels, & punches).  This mark has been found on Dunlap branded tools in addition to Craftsman branded tools.

Being a 1947 model myself, I can envision someone putting together a "same age as me" display board -- So if I were to do one this CRAFTY would be a feature for sure (especially if I had a copy of the catalog listing to go with it) .

Quote from: mvwcnews on August 11, 2014, 07:51:48 PM
...(especially if I had a copy of the catalog listing to go with it) .

There you have it, Stan!

Quote from: Papaw on August 11, 2014, 09:50:42 PM
There you have it, Stan!

And me, too.  I'm another "47 model.

I've seen those before, but not in the flesh. Nice find!