J.P. Danielson Company

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Wrenches
• Pliers
• The Auto-Kit Brand
• The Controlled Steel Brand
• References and Resources
• What's New (Last Updated Oct. 25, 2007)
  Recent changes to this page:

  • 10/25/2007: Added a Danielson "Bet'R-Grip" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
  • 10/23/2007: Added a Controlled Steel 5-Piece Open-End Wrench Set.
  • 08/24/2007: Added J.P. Danielson 8 Inch Combination Pliers.
  • 08/21/2007: Added a Controlled Steel Open-End Wrench.
  • 08/03/2007: Added Danielson Waterpump Pliers.
  • 03/18/2007: Added an Auto-Kit No. 100 Open-Box Wrench.
  • 03/09/2007: Added a Controlled Steel Open-End Wrench.
  • 03/05/2007: Split into separate page, added a Danielson "Bet'R-Grip" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
  • 02/19/2007: Added an Auto-Kit No. 100 Open-Box Wrench.
  • 02/16/2007: Added a Danielson "Bet'R-Grip" 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
  • 02/07/2007: Added an Auto-Kit No. 100 Open-Box Wrench.
  • 02/02/2007: Added a Danielson "Bet'R-Grip" 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
  • 01/28/2007: Added an Auto-Kit No. 100 Open-Box Wrench.
  • 01/25/2007: Added an Auto-Kit No. 100 Open-Box "Controlled" Wrench and an Auto-Kit No. 200 Open-End Wrench.
  • 01/24/2007: Added an Auto-Kit No. 200 Open-End Wrench.
  • 01/20/2007: Added an Auto-Kit No. 100 Open-Box Wrench.
  • 10/22/2006: Added J.P. Danielson Thin-Nose Slip-Joint Pliers,
  • 07/15/2006: Added a J.P. Danielson Pipe Wrench.
  • 06/20/2006: Added J.P. Danielson Long-Nose Pliers.
  • 06/15/2006: Added J.P. Danielson Parrot-Head Pliers.

Introduction

Company History

J.P. Danielson & Company began in 1903 as a partnership between J.P. Danielson and Karl Peterson in Jamestown, New York, operating as a maker of pliers and wrenches. The company was reorganized as a corporation after Peterson left the partnership.

J.P. Danielson was probably best known as a maker of Stillson-pattern pipe wrenches and "Bet'R-Grip" brand Crescent-style wrenches. During the 1930s the company supplied adjustable wrenches (and probably other tools) to Western Auto Supply, a major retailer of tools and automotive supplies.

Recent findings (as part of this article) have established that J.P. Danielson was the maker of Auto-Kit wrenches, a popular brand of open-end and open-box wrenches typically sold in nested sets. Auto-Kit tools were likely sold by Western Auto and probably other high-volume retailers, and were available from around 1933 or possibly earlier. The evidence linking Auto-Kit with J.P. Danielson is presented in the section on Auto-Kit Tools shown below.

In 1947 the company was acquired by Plomb Tools, and prior to that may have been a supplier to Plomb as a contract manufacturer. After the acquisition by Plomb, the J.P. Danielson factory is believed to have supplied adjustable wrenches for all of the brands in the Plomb (later Proto) family: Plomb, Proto, Penens, Fleet, P&C, and later even Vlchek.

Patents

Trademarks

J.P. Danielson is not known to have registered any trademarks.

Wrenches

Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrench

Fig. 1. J.P. Danielson 10 In. Pipe Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 1 shows a Danielson 10 inch pipe wrench of the Stillson design, marked "J.P. Danielson Co. Inc." and "Jamestown N.Y. U.S.A." in raised letters, with "Drop Forged Steel" on the reverse. The overall (closed) length is 9.6 inches.

Adjustable Wrenches

During the 1930s (and possibly earlier) J.P. Danielson produced a line of adjustable wrenches marked with the "Bet'R-Grip" brand. These Crescent-style wrenches were made of alloy steel and incorporated a double-hex broached opening in the end of the handle, in place of the plain hole typically found there.

The "Bet'R-Grip" mark was an informal brand at that time, although it was registered as a trademark much later (in the 1960s) by Pendleton Tool Industries. This brand is significant in that it provides a connection to Western Auto Supply, a major retailer of hardware and automotive supplies. Some of the 1930s Western Auto catalogs show illustrations of adjustable wrenches with the "Bet'R-Grip" mark clearly visible, indicating that J.P. Danielson was the supplier of these tools to Western Auto.

The J.P. Danielson adjustable wrenches had another distinctive feature in addition to the broached hole, in that the fixed jaw joined the milled base in a 90 degree angle, with only a small rounded corner for stress relief. This is in contrast to the 60 degree shoulder found on wrenches made by Crescent, Diamond, and most other makers, and was intended to provide a closer grip for square nuts. (Possibly this is the origin of the "Bet'R-Grip" moniker.) Utica adjustable wrenches were also made in the square-jaw style.

"Bet'R-Grip" 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 2. J.P. Danielson "Bet'R-Grip" 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 2 shows a Danielson "Bet'R-Grip" 4 inch adjustable wrench, marked "J.P. Danielson Co. Inc." and "Jamestown N.Y. U.S.A." in raised letters, with "Forged Vanadium Steel" on the reverse.

The overall length is 4.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel with some pitting from rust.

A small forged-in code "U.5.2" can be seen on the righthand end of the inset. This pattern of letters and digits is very similar to the forged-in markings seen on Auto-Kit open-box wrenches, and on wrenches from Penens as well.

"Bet'R-Grip" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrenches

The next figures show two generations of the "Bet'R-Grip" 6 inch adjustable wrench.

Fig. 3. J.P. Danielson "Bet'R-Grip" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 3 shows a Danielson "Bet'R-Grip" 6 inch adjustable wrench, marked "Bet'R-Grip" and "Forged Steel" in raised letters, with "Mfd. By J.P. Danielson Co. Inc." and "Jamestown N.Y. U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 6.1 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The wrench has a 1/2 inch double-hex broached opening at the end.

A code "T-12-4" is forged into the shank on the right.

Fig. 4. J.P. Danielson "Bet'R-Grip" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 4 shows a similar example of the Danielson "Bet'R-Grip" 6 inch wrench, but with some differences in the markings. The front is marked "Bet'R-Grip" followed by "J.P. Danielson Co. Inc." and "Jamestown N.Y. U.S.A." in forged raised letters, with "Forged Vanadium Steel" forged into the reverse.

The overall length is 6.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

A forged-in code "D-11-2" can be seen on the reverse shank at the right.

"Bet'R-Grip" 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 5. J.P. Danielson "Bet'R-Grip" 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 5 shows a larger example of the "Bet'R-Grip" brand, a Danielson 12 inch adjustable wrench, marked "Bet'R-Grip" and "Forged Steel" in raised letters, with "Mfd. By J.P. Danielson Co. Inc." and "Jamestown N.Y. U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 12.3 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.3 inches. The finish is plain steel.

The top inset shows a side view of the wrench to illustrate the proportions, with the maximum head thickness measured at 0.74 inches. The wrench is likely made of alloy steel, though not marked as such.

A code "K-7-2" is forged into the shank on the right.

Pliers

8 Inch Combination Pliers

Fig. 6. J.P Danielson 8 Inch Combination Pliers, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 6 at the left shows a pair of Danielson 8 inch combination pliers, marked "J.P. Danielson Co. Inc." and "Jamestown, N.Y. U.S.A." on the handle.

The overall length is 8.0 inches. The finish was originally nickel plating, but most has been lost due to rust.

Parrot-Head Combination Pliers

Fig. 7. J.P Danielson Parrot-Head Combination Pliers, with Insets for Handle and Detail.

Thin-Nose Combination Pliers

Fig. 8. J.P. Danielson Thin-Nose Slip-Joint Pliers, with Inset for Handle Pattern.

Fig. 8 shows a pair of Danielson thin-nose combination pliers, with "J.P. Danielson Co. Inc." and "Jamestown, N.Y. U.S.A." stamped near the pin. The overall length is 6.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel with a black oxide coating.

Long Thin-Nose Pliers

Fig. 9. J.P. Danielson Long Thin-Nose Pliers, with Inset for Handle.

Danielson "Controlled Steel" 10 Inch Waterpump Pliers

Fig. 10. J.P. Danielson 10 Inch Waterpump Pliers, with Insets for Marking Detail.

Fig. 10 shows a pair of Danielson 10 inch waterpump pliers, stamped "J.P. Danielson Co. Inc." and "Jamestown, N.Y. U.S.A." on the handle. The reverse has forged-in markings "Forged Controlled Steel" with code "T.10.4" on one handle, and "Made in U.S.A." with code "S.10.4" on the other.

The overall length is 9.9 inches fully extended, and the finish is plain steel.

These pliers are currently our only example of a tool bearing both the J.P. Danielson company name and the "Controlled Steel" marking (see below.) The use of the "Controlled Steel" mark by Danielson had been established by examination of construction and marking details, and this tool helps to confirm the usage.

The Auto-Kit Brand

The Auto-Kit brand is frequently seen on older open-end and open-box wrenches, two styles that were popular items for automotive tool kits. Although Auto-Kit appears to have been a popular and well-known brand at some point, the name was not registered as a trademark, and no catalog references or advertisements for the brand are known.

This raises some uncertainty as to whether Auto-Kit was a company name, or just a brand name used by an established tool company. Recently however, we have gathered several bits of information that (collectively) make a convincing case that Auto-Kit was a brand used by the J.P. Danielson Company.

The first evidence comes from the observation of the similarity of certain forged-in codes seen on J.P. Danielson and Auto-Kit wrenches. These codes consist of a letter and two numbers, such as "K-7-2" or "H.9.4", and examples can be seen in the figures here. The meaning of the codes is not known, but since the codes are present as raised letters in the tools, the forging dies would have been incised with the coding.

The second piece of evidence is an observation based on the extensive collecting activities associated with this web site, and confirmed by other collectors. The observation is that there were only three distinct makes of open-box wrenches of any importance: Auto-Kit, Indestro, and Barcalo. Of these three, the latter two were well-known manufacturers capable of producing and selling in high volumes, and in fact may have labeled some of their production for other brands. This suggests that the maker of Auto-Kit would also have been a high-volume manufacturer, yet the Auto-Kit brand is known only on open-box and open-end wrenches.

The third piece of the puzzle comes from the USPTO patent records, specifically from patent #2,083,131, issued in 1937 with assignment to J.P. Danielson. The patent describes a tapered pin used to hold sets of wrenches, and the patent illustration clearly shows a nesting set of open-box wrenches. This patent provides strong evidence that J.P. Danielson was a maker of open-box wrenches, yet no examples are known of such wrenches marked with the Danielson name.

Our last bit of information was gleaned from a review of Western Auto Supply catalogs from the 1930s. Western Auto is known to have sourced some tools from J.P. Danielson, as an illustration clearly shows a "Bet'R-Grip" adjustable wrench. The catalogs show that Western Auto offered nested sets of open-box wrenches beginning in 1933, and the catalog descriptions note the use of chrome-vanadium steel in the wrenches. Of the three known brands of open-box wrenches, only the Auto-Kit wrenches are marked as using vanadium steel. (Indestro's "Select Steel" was a carbon-manganese alloy.) This suggests that the wrench sets offered by Western Auto were the Auto-Kit wrenches.

All of the above clues fit together neatly if J.P. Danielson was the maker of the Auto-Kit brand tools, and that will be our assumption unless further information proves otherwise.

Auto-Kit No. 100 7/16x1/2 Open-Box Wrench

We'll begin with some examples of Auto-Kit open-box wrenches with patent pending notices, believed to be among the earliest production of this style.

Fig. 11. Auto-Kit No. 100 "Vanadium" 7/16x1/2 Open-Box Wrench, with Inset for Reverse.

Fig. 11 shows an Auto-Kit No. 100 7/16x1/2 open-box wrench, marked "Forged Vanadium Steel" and "Pat. Pend." in forged raised letters, with "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse. The fractional sizes are also forged in raised letters, with "1/2" appearing on the face and "7/16" near the box end.

The overall length is 4.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel, but possibly originally cadmium plating.

A forged-in code "1.5F" can be seen at the left end of the inset. The meaning of the code is not known, but it resembles the forged-in codes seen on adjustable wrenches from J.P. Danielson, for example the J.P. Danielson 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench. Similar codes are also found on some older Penens Corp. wrenches.

The patent pending notice and plain finish suggest that this may be an early example of this wrench style. The corresponding patent is not yet known however, and finding the patent would help determine the approximate manufacturing date. One possibility is patent #2,083,131, issued in 1935 to K.A. Tornebaum and assigned to J.P. Danielson. This patent describes a set of open-box wrenches held together by a tapered screw and nut.

Wrenches of this style were also made by other (known) manufacturers, including Barcalo and Indestro. Examples can be seen in the Indestro Chicago Open-Box Wrench and Barcalo Open-Box Wrench.

Auto-Kit No. 100 9/16x5/8 Open-Box Wrenches

Fig. 12 shows an Auto-Kit No. 100 9/16x5/8 open-box wrench, marked "Forged Vanadium Steel" and "Pat. Pend." in forged raised letters, with "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse. The fractional sizes are also forged in raised letters, with "5/8" appearing on the face and "9/16" near the box end.

Fig. 12. Auto-Kit No. 100 "Vanadium" 9/16x5/8 Open-Box Wrench, with Inset for Reverse.

The overall length is 6.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel, but possibly originally cadmium plating. A forged-in code "6M" can be seen in the inset at the left.

The patent pending notice and plain finish suggest that this may be an early example of this wrench style. The corresponding patent is not yet known however, and finding the patent would help determine the approximate manufacturing date.

Fig. 13. Auto-Kit No. 100 "Vanadium" 9/16x5/8 Open-Box Wrench, with Inset for Reverse.

Fig. 13 at the left shows a later Auto-Kit No. 100 9/16x5/8 open-box wrench, marked "Forged Vanadium Steel" in forged raised letters with "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse. The fractional sizes are also forged in raised letters, with "5/8" appearing on the face and "9/16" near the box end.

The overall length is 5.9 inches, and the finish appears to be a thin nickel plating. A forged-in code "6A" can be seen in the inset at the left.

Auto-Kit No. 100 3/4x7/8 Open-Box Wrenches

Fig. 14. Auto-Kit No. 100 "Vanadium" 3/4x7/8 Open-Box Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 14 shows another early Auto-Kit No. 100 3/4x7/8 open-box wrench, marked "Forged Vanadium Steel" and "Pat. Pend." in forged raised letters, with "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse. The fractional sizes are also forged into the face and shank, as is typical for this style.

The overall length is 7.4 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.

A small forged-in code "75K" can be seen at the left end of the inset.

Fig. 15. Auto-Kit No. 100 "Vanadium" 3/4x7/8 Open-Box Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 15 at the left shows a later Auto-Kit No. 100 3/4x7/8 open-box wrench, marked "Forged Vanadium Steel" in forged raised letters with "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 7.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

A small forged-in code "H.9.4" can be seen at the left end of the inset.

Auto-Kit No. 100 3/4x7/8 Open-Box Wrench, Controlled Steel

Fig. 16. Auto-Kit No. 100 "Controlled Steel" 3/4x7/8 Open-Box Wrench, with Inset for Reverse.

Fig. 16 shows a much later version of the Auto-Kit open-box style, an Auto-Kit No. 100 3/4x7/8 open-box wrench marked "Forged Controlled Steel" in forged raised letters, with "Mfd. in U.S.A." on the reverse. As with the earlier wrench, the fractional sizes are also forged into the face and shank.

The overall length is 7.4 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

A small forged-in code "D.5.7." can be seen at the left end of the inset.

Auto-Kit No. 200 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 17. Auto-Kit No. 200 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 17 shows an Auto-Kit No. 200 1/2x9/16 open-end wrench, marked "Auto-Kit No. 200" and "Made in U.S.A." in forged raised letters (see inset), with "Forged Vanadium Steel" on the reverse. The fractional sizes are forged into each face, appearing as raised letters within a depressed box.

The overall length is 5.5 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

A small forged-in code "5.3.A" can be seen at the left end of the inset. The meaning of the code is not known, but the code is similar to the forged-in codes seen on some older Penens Corp. wrenches.

Auto-Kit No. 200 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 18. Auto-Kit No. 200 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 18 shows an Auto-Kit No. 200 5/8x3/4 open-end wrench, marked "Auto-Kit No. 200" and "Made in U.S.A." in forged raised letters (see inset), with "Forged Vanadium Steel" on the reverse. The fractional sizes are forged into each face, appearing as raised letters within a depressed box.

The overall length is 7.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

A small forged-in code "H 12.D" can be seen at the left end of the inset.

Controlled Steel

The Auto-Kit Controlled Steel Wrench shown above provides a link to another informal brand used by J.P. Danielson, the "Controlled Steel" mark. This mark was used primarily on tools made as contract production, but at least one example (the Danielson Waterpump Pliers) is known with the Danielson name marked as well.

Controlled Steel 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 19. Controlled Steel 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 19 at the left shows a Controlled Steel 5/8x3/4 open-end wrench, with forged-in markings "Drop Forged" and "U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 7.5 inches. The finish is chrome plating, with some pitting due to rust.

A forged-in code "Y-2-1" can be seen in the inset, on the left side of the shank.

Controlled Steel 25/32x7/8 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 20. Controlled Steel 25/32x7/8 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 20 shows a Controlled Steel 25/32x7/8 open-end wrench, with forged-in markings "Drop Forged" and "U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 8.0 inches.

A forged-in code "J.9.0" can be seen in the inset, on the left side of the shank.

Controlled Steel 5-Piece Open-End Wrench Set

Fig. 21. Controlled Steel 5-Piece Open-End Wrench Set, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 21 shows a set of five Controlled Steel open-end wrenches in a steel holder with a thumbscrew. The wrenches are forged with depressed panels on the shank, similar to the examples shown in the previous figures, and each is marked "Controlled Steel" and "Drop Forged U.S.A." in raised letters.

The lower inset shows the faint marking "Pat. 2083130" on the front of the holder, a reference to the Sundberg 1937 patent #2,083,130. This patent is one of only two known assignments to J.P. Danielson, and provides additional evidence of the association of the "Controlled Steel" mark with Danielson.

The wrench sizes are 5/16x13/32, 3/8x7/16, 1/2x9/16, 19/32x11/16, and 5/8x3/4.

The overall lengths range from 3/6 inches to 7.5 inches. The finish is chrome plating.

References and Resources

Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in my personal collection.

Catalog Coverage

Currently we have no catalogs from J.P. Danielson itself.

Patent and Trademark Information

Patent information was obtained from the U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office (USPTO) web site at uspto.gov. Patent documents were obtained from sites offering free downloads, notably freepatentsonline.com.

Feedback

If any readers have additional information about J.P. Danielson, please let us know via the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of any page. Your comments and suggestions are welcome as well.