Never even thought to look in his tool chest up at the cabin in WI, so I did and rather than photograph it all, I just took a couple photos of a very unusually marked pair of needle nose pliers.  We got to discussing pre and post WWII tools in a previous thread, so here's another spin on the topic.  Pictured is a pr. of MANSCO needle nose pliers.  Says made in Germany US Zone.  My wife, the history buff, says after WWII, Germany was split up into 4 chunks and one was the US ZONE, so can anyone date these pliers any closer than "post-1945??  Never heard of Mansco either.  He also had a pr of Japanese made Truecraft needle nose too, but not sure of the age on them.  Also several other old wrenches, but rainy weather prevented me from doing a photo shoot on the rest of it.  BTW, my FIN passed away back some 10 or 15 years ago.  Very much a stand up kind of guy.

Here's what I did shoot....

DM&FS

If I recall, the zone was dropped from products, and West Germany was added by the mid-50s.  Maybe as early as 53'.

Can't say this is completely true, but- "Border changes and politics continued to offer clues to dating, however. From 1945 to 1950, German items may be marked "U.S. Zone" (or British or French Zone.) In the early 1950s, many items are marked Western rather than West Germany. After 1989, items are again marked Germany. "
From http://www.coxsackie.com/reference/cooaadt.htm

Also for reference-

no name                    maybe pre 1891
country name only    maybe 1891 -1914
made in...             maybe after 1914
Nippon                    1891 to 1921
Japan                    after 1921
Occupied Jap.            1945 - 1952
Czecho-Slovakia    1920's
U.S. Zone Germany    1945 - 50
Western Germany    1950 - 54
China                    1891-1949 or after 1978
People's Rep. of China    mid 1970s
Republic of China    probably 1949 - 1980
Taiwan                    1980s - 90s
Korea                    1970s - 90s
British Hong Kong    1950s - 60s
Hong Kong             1970s - 90s
Malaysia                    1980s - 90s
Indonesia                    1980s - 90s

Excellent info sir!!  Thanks


DM&FS

I had a pair of nippers that said "Made in Germany, British Zone."

NOw we need one from the French and Russian zones, and we'll be all set!!


DM&FS