MARION Ford wrench

[johnsironsanctuary]

I know who Marion Shovel Co is and I know who Marion body Co is, but Marion wrench? Does anyone know anything about the company? Alloy Artifacts goes from MacDonald to Mayhew. The only mark is MARION.

[johnsironsanctuary]

Better photo

[rusty]

There was also the Marion motor car company of Indiana , The Marion car co of Marion , OH, ... : )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_(automobile)


NB: Stray interesting note, The Marion Motor car co of Indianapolis,IA, became one of the factories for Willys Overland [1908]

[skipskip]

I have a similar wrench.

I have always assumed Marion car co.


Skip

[johnsironsanctuary]

Thanks guys. It was disconcerting to Google Marion wrench and find out that Marion Wrench is a person.

[rusty]

LOL!
Yeah, there is some fellow named Wrench that pops up when I search patent files also, it kinda throws the whole thought process out of gear...

[Papaw]

I used to get a lot of Foo Fighters stuff when searching for monkey wrenches before I figured out how to eliminate things not relevant to my search.

[johnsironsanctuary]

OK, I've been thinking about this wrench and I'm not buying it. So far, I know about 3 of these. Mine, Papaws, and one in a Don Haury auction. That's too many found quickly for a little one horse car maker that made a few hundred cars. This isn't Cadillac, Indian or Nash. There has to be another explanation. OK, maybe Mr. Marion's brother in law worked for Moore Drop Forge and pulled the Ford insert from the forge tools and made a Marion insert from what appear to be stock letter inserts. How about a Marion Auto Parts Co that sold Model T aftermarket parts and had there own tools forged. WAGs, yes, but there has to be a better explanation.

[skipskip]

Four, I have one too.

Skip

[Bus]

I have a couple and have sold at least three. I agree that thay are to common to be associated with the Marion automobile. I think the Marion Tool Corporation of Marion, Indiana is a likely candidate for the wrench manufacturer.

[rusty]

There are others tho....

[Mining and Engineering World, 1908 ]
The Marion Tool & Specialty Co., Marion, [Ohio], recently organized, will manufacture ratchet and combination wrenches, ratchet drills, vises, molders' bellows, sprocket chains, etc. W. W. Radcliffe is president; Walter Bolander, vice-president; F. E. Disbennett, treasurer, and O. A. Parr, secretary.
[a 1909 article also mentions pipe wrenches]

There is also:
Marion Steam Shovel Company [1890's-?]
Marion Tool Company [ohio]
Marion Implement Manufacturing Company [ohio?
Marion Malleable Iron Company.[ohio?]
MARION TOOL WORKS, Inc. Subsidiary of Chicago Railway Equipment Co. Marion, Indiana
(Which in 1923 was selling axe's under the crecoite name)
Marion Manufacturing Co (MI, seems to have been making wood products [1909])

hmm

[Bus]

This information is from Jack Devitt's book Indiana Tool Makers and Their Tools.

Marion Tool Co. - Marion Tool Works Inc. - Marion Craftsman Tool Co.

In 1923 the company was listed as Marion Tool Works Inc., but by 1928 the name had changed to Marion Tool Co. In 1931 it was listed as  Marion Craftsman Tool Co.. The 1937 City Directory listed the company as Marion Tool Company again.

1931 Hardware Age Directory  listed them as manufactures (among other things) of automobile hammers and wrenches.

From a Wikipedia article on  Craftsman Tools
"The Craftsman trademark was registered by Sears on May 20, 1927. Arthur Barrows, head of the company's hardware department, liked the name Craftsman and reportedly bought the rights to use it from the Marion-Craftsman Tool Company for $500."

I also have tools marked   "Craftsman Tools Made in USA" - "Cushman Co. Champaign, Ill"

Does anyone know for sure which company sold the rights to Sears for the Craftsman name?

[rusty]

Cushman Tool Co of Champaign,IL was listed in recievership in 1922...
[Carpenter, V42]
In theory they could have surviverd it, but I doubt it, they did a bad thing with stocks (Telling investors you are selling stocks to expand the factory and then using the money to pay the bills doesn't go over well)

There is a reference to axe's , so I assume woodworking/edge tools?

> reportedly bought ..
Why is it always reportedly? Every reference to this story says the same thing.
Where is the name of the person who sold the rights?
and did they also buy the rights from The Craftsman Tool Company of Ashtabula, Ohio?
*sigh*

[Bus]

There was also the Craftsman Tool Co. of Conneaut, Ohio makers of the Craft roller jaw pipe wrenches.

Here's a picture of my Craftsman tools form the Cushman Co. of Champaign, IL.

Top is a hammer, pry bar and nail puller combination tool.
"Craftsman Steel Tools - Made in USA" / The Cushman Co. Inc. - Champaign, ILL"

Middle is a multi-wrench
"Ford All in on Wrench" / "Craftsman - Made in USA - Cushman Co. Inc. - Champaign, ILL" 

Bottom is yet another after market Ford Model "T" spark plug and cylinder head bolt wrench.
"Craftsman Tools - Made in USA" / "Cushman Co. - Champaign. ILL"

[johnsironsanctuary]

Thanks guys, I knew that there was a better explanation.

Soooo, Sears paid $500 for the Craftsman name.  $500 was more than the 1927 price of a Model T. If  I ran a podunk tool company today and somebody offered me more than the price of a new car for just the name on my tools, I'd probably go for it. Then again, Craftsman has a nice ring to it. It might sell a few tools. Maybe I should hold out for more......