Alloy Artifacts

Slip-Joint Pliers

[6000] Early 7 Inch Box-Joint Slip-Joint Universal Pliers

We'll begin this section with the rarely seen Utica box-joint slip-joint pliers, a design combining the higher strength of the older box joint with the convenience of an adjustable pivot.

Fig. 61. Utica [6000] Early 7 Inch Box-Joint Slip-Joint Universal Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1920.

Fig. 61 shows a very rare pair of Utica 6000 box-joint slip-joint pliers with "universal" style jaws and side-cutters, marked with the 3-Diamonds logo and "Pat. Apd." forged into the handles. The model number is not marked on this example, but was identified by the illustration in the 1926 Utica catalog.

The overall length is 6.9 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The model 6000 pliers were available in three sizes with nominal lengths 7, 9, and 11 inches.

Early 6 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers

The next two figures show examples of early Utica slip-joint pliers.

Fig. 62A. Utica Early 6 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers, with Inset for Side View, ca. 1910-1920.

Fig. 62A shows an early pair of Utica slip-joint combination pliers, stamped with the 3-Diamonds logo on the handle.

The overall length is 6.6 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Fig. 62B. Utica Early 6 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1910-1920.

Fig. 62B shows an early pair of Utica slip-joint combination pliers, with markings "Pat. Apd. For" and the 3-Diamonds logo forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 6.4 inches. The finish is plain steel but with a few traces of black paint, possibly the original finish.

The patent corresponding to the patent notice has not yet been identified, but may refer to the design of the gripping pattern on the handles.

8-6 Slip-Joint Combination Pliers

Fig. 63. Utica 8-6 Slip-Joint Combination Pliers, with Inset for Handle Pattern, ca. 1967+.

Fig. 63 shows a pair of Utica 8-6 slip-joint combination pliers, marked "USA" near the pivot.

The overall length is 6.5 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

The model 8-6 pliers were lower cost tools intended for general service and maintenance applications. This particular example is of relatively recent origin; a forged-in triangle symbol can be seen on one handle, probably indicating production after Utica was part of Triangle Tool.

5000 Slip-Joint Pliers

Fig. 64. Utica 5000 Slip-Joint Pliers, with Insets for Logo and Handle Pattern.

Fig. 64 shows a pair of Utica 5000 slip-joint pliers with a recessed pivot pin, marked with the company name and 3-Diamonds logo.

The overall length is 6.5 inches, and the finish is black oxide.

The left inset shows the raised 3-Diamonds logo appearing on the underside of the handles, and the right inset shows the cross-hatched handle pattern.

The model 5000 pliers were specifically designed for automotive service applications, and the pivot pin is flush on both sides to improve access in tight places. These pliers were listed in a 1926 Utica catalog in 5, 6, and 8 inch nominal lengths.

Similar slip-joint pliers with a recessed pivot pin included the model 5001 with a bent nose, model 500 with a thin nose, model 502 with a thin bent nose, and model 503 with side-cutters.

511-8 Slip-Joint Pliers

Fig. 65. Utica 511-8 Slip-Joint Pliers, with Inset for Handle Pattern, ca. 1944-1960.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is black oxide.

511-10 Slip-Joint Pliers

Fig. 66. Utica 511-10 Slip-Joint Pliers, with Inset for Handle Pattern, ca. 1944-1960.

517-5 Miniature Ignition Pliers

The next figures show several generations of the Utica No. 517-5 miniature slip-joint pliers, intended primarily for ignition work.

Fig. 67. Utica 517-5 Miniature Ignition Pliers, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 67 at the left shows a pair of Utica No. 517-5 ignition pliers with recurved handles, marked "Utica Tools" and "Utica NY" near the pivot.

The overall length (fully extended) is 5.1 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Fig. 68. Utica 517-5 Miniature Ignition Pliers, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 68 shows the Utica 517-5 pliers with the more common bow handles, marked "Utica Tools" and "Utica, N.Y. U.S.A." near the pivot (see inset).

The overall length is 4.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Fig. 69. Utica 517-5 Miniature Ignition Pliers.

Fig. 69 shows a later pair of the Utica 517-5 ignition pliers, also with bow handles. The pliers are marked "Alloy Steel" and "U.S.A." near the pivot.

The overall length is 4.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

No. 517-10 Waterpump Pliers

The next figures show two generations of the Utica model 517-10 waterpump pliers.

Fig. 70. Utica 517-10 Waterpump Pliers, with Inset for Handle Pattern.

Fig. 70 shows an earlier pair of Utica No. 517-10 waterpump pliers, stamped "U.D.F. & T. Co." with "Alloy Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the handle.

The overall length is 10.1 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Fig. 71. Utica 517-10 Waterpump Pliers, with Inset for Handle Pattern, ca. 1944-1960.

Fig. 71 shows a similar but somewhat later pair of Utica 517-10 waterpump pliers, marked "Utica Tools" and "Utica, N.Y. U.S.A." on the handle.

The overall length is 10.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

529 Soft-Grip Pliers

Fig. 72. Utica 529 Soft-Grip Pliers, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 72 shows a pair of Utica 529 soft-grip pliers, stamped "USA" on the reverse.

The overall length is 9.3 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

531-8 Slip-Joint Pliers

Fig. 73. Utica 531-8 Slip-Joint Pliers, ca. 1944-1960.

The overall length is 8.3 inches, and the finish is black oxide.

The Utica Tongue-and-Groove Pliers Patent

In 1951 W. Daugherty of Utica Tool filed a patent for a new method of making tongue-and-groove pliers. At this time the original Manning 1934 patent #1,950,362 for tongue-and-groove pliers had only recently expired, and Utica was interested in adding pliers of this type to its product line. The Utica patent was issued in 1952 as patent #2,622,484.

Daugherty's patent describes a method for directly forging the curved ribs of the tongue-and-groove design, so that no machining needs to be done to the forged surfaces. As the patent document explains, avoiding the need for machining preserves the grain structure established by the forging process, and this results in greater strength and less likelyhood of cracking.

The Utica patent was an important second-generation improvement on the original tongue-and-groove design. The use of the forging method potentially lowered the cost of production for the pliers, at least for companies with the expertise to create precision forging dies. In addition, Utica Tool was apparently willing to license their patent to other companies. Shortly after the Utica patent was issued, the Diamond Calk Horseshoe Company began using their "Groove-Joint" trademark for tongue-and-groove pliers, and the corresponding pliers appear to have forged ribs as described in the Utica patent. (See for example the Diamalloy HL18 Groove-Joint Pliers shown in our article on Diamond.)

507-10 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers

Fig. 74. Utica Model 507-10 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers, with Inset for Marking Detail, ca. 1951-1952.

Fig. 74 shows a pair of Utica 507-10 tongue-and-groove pliers, marked "Utica Tools" and "Utica N.Y. U.S.A." with a "Pat. Apl'd For" patent notice.

The overall length is 9.6 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The patent notice indicates the pending status of patent #2,622,484, filed in 1951 by W. Daugherty and issued in 1952. This is a second-generation patent based on the tongue-and-groove ("Channellock") design, originally described in the Manning patent #1,950,362 of 1934. (Earlier versions of this article had incorrectly assumed that the patent notice implied a license for the Manning patent.)

Adjustable Wrenches

Makers of pliers were often makers of adjustable wrenches as well, as the examples of Crescent Tool or J.P. Danielson illustrate. However, Utica did not produce adjustable wrenches in its early years, and as late as 1926 did not offer adjustable wrenches in its catalog.

Utica introduced its No. 90 carbon steel adjustable wrenches sometime after 1926, and during the 1930s began offering the No. 91 alloy steel wrenches. Originally the carbon steel wrenches were made with substantially thicker heads and larger handles, so that the thinner and lighter construction of the alloy models was one of their main selling points.

Utica's early carbon-steel adjustable wrenches were generally similar to the popular Crescent-style models, but when the alloy steel wrenches were introduced, Utica made a design change worth noting here. For the alloy steel wrench design, the fixed jaw joins the milled track of the sliding jaw in a 90 degree angle, with only a small rounded corner to relieve stress. This contrasts with the earlier carbon-steel wrench design (and the Crescent standard), in which the fixed jaw has an extended shoulder at a 60 degree angle, giving the wrench opening a hexagonal gullet.

The obvious consequence of this design change is that the Utica alloy-steel wrenches could grip square objects more closely, with possibly some slight loss of strength due to the smaller reinforcing area. Apparently Utica decided that the greater strength of the alloy steel made the change to the square-jaw design preferable. The change to the square-jaw design is documented in the 1939 Utica catalog (page 19), which shows the No. 91 alloy-steel wrenches with square openings, while the illustration of the No. 90 carbon-steel wrench has a hexagonal opening.

In practice of course both designs work fine on a variety of shapes, but the better grip for square nuts is mentioned in some catalogs as a feature. A quick review of other brands of adjustable wrenches shows that J.P. Danielson also used the square-jaw design, but that many other makers, including Crescent, Diamond, and Williams, produced hex-jaw style wrenches.

The advantages of alloy steel for adjustable wrenches were significant, and as early as 1941 Utica was listing both the No. 90 and No. 91 models with alloy steel construction; the main difference at this point appears to be the finish, with chrome plating for No. 91 and plain steel for the No. 90 wrenches. The Utica price list No. 57 of 1941 shows both models with square jaw openings, and the shanks of both show a web-like raised panel.

Somewhat confusingly, the 1952 Utica catalog 63-D went back to listing the No. 90 wrenches as "Carbon Steel" models with a black finish and polished heads. However, the description states that the design pattern was identical to No. 91, and a table of specifications lists the same thickness and weight for both models in each of the various sizes. In addition, the spare parts for the two wrenches were identical. This strongly suggests that the No. 90 and No. 91 wrenches were actually the same, except for the finish. Both models are shown with stamped markings on the shank, instead of the earlier forged-in markings.

Utica Catalog 67 makes it clear once again that both No. 90 and No. 91 were of alloy steel, with the former finished in black and the latter in chrome plating.

The interested reader may want to compare the Utica wrenches with examples from other makers, such as the Danielson "Bet-R-Grip" Wrench, Crescent Adjustable Wrench, Diamond Adjustable Wrench, and Williams Adjustable Wrench.

Early No. 90 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 75. Utica Early No. 90 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. 1930s.

Our first example is shown in Fig. 75, an early Utica No. 90 8 inch model with a raised oval panel. The wrench has a mix of stamped and forged-in markings, with forged-in markings "8 In." and "Drop Forged Steel" on the front, and another "8 In." plus "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse. The raised panel is stamped with the 3-Diamonds logo on one side, with "U.D.F.&T.Co." and "Utica, N.Y." on the reverse.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.0 inches. The head thickness was measured at 0.62 inches. The top inset shows a side view of the wrench, and the relatively thicker head of this carbon steel model can be clearly seen.

The finish is plain steel with polished faces.

This example is not marked with a model number, but was identified as a No. 90 carbon steel wrench based on the catalog description. Note that this wrench has a hexagonal gullet, as expected for this earlier carbon-steel model.

The mix of stamped and forged markings suggests that this wrench style was designed for contract production, with the final brand being added after the manufacturing was complete.

Early No. 91 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Our next figure shows a rare early example of Utica's alloy steel adjustable wrenches.

Fig. 76. Utica Early No. 91 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. Late 1930s.

Fig. 76 shows an early Utica No. 91 4 inch model with a raised oval panel, stamped with the 3-Diamonds logo on both sides. The forged-in markings on the shank show "4 In." and "Alloy Steel" on the front, with another "4 In." and "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 4.4 inches, and the maximum opening is 0.6 inches. The head thickness was measured at 0.34 inches. The top inset shows a side view of the wrench, illustrating the thin profile of this alloy steel model.

The finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Early No. 91 10 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 77. Utica Early 91-10 Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. 1941.

Our next example is shown in Fig. 77, an early Utica No. 91 10 inch adjustable wrench with a web-like raised panel. As with the previous example, the wrench has a mix of stamped and forged-in markings. The panel is stamped with the 3-Diamonds logo on the front, with "U.D.F.&T.Co." and "Utica, N.Y." stamped on the reverse panel. The front of the shank has "Drop Forged Alloy Steel" forged near the end, with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the reverse.

The overall length is 10.1 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.1 inches. The maximum head thickness was measured at 0.60 inches. The top inset shows a side view of the wrench, illustrating the relatively thinner head made possible by the alloy steel construction.

The original finish has been lost due to rust, except for a few remaining patches of chrome. The model number is not marked on this wrench, but was identified by the illustration in the Utica price list No. 57 of 1941. The illustration there shows the distinctive web-like panel on the shank, with "Drop Forged Alloy Steel" forged at the end for the No. 91 wrench. (Note that by 1941, both the No. 90 and No. 91 models had similar designs in alloy steel, and differed only in the finish and markings.)

The mix of stamped and forged markings suggests that this wrench model was designed for contract production, with the final brand being added after the manufacturing was complete. The distinctive web-like raised panel on the handle of this wrench has been observed on wrenches marked for Bonney, Herbrand, and Plomb, confirming that all of these companies used Utica as a contract manufacturer at some point. Not unexpectedly, the catalogs of these companies mention the improved handling for square nuts.

A wrench of this style made for Bonney can be seen as Bonney BW8 Adjustable Wrench, and an example made for Plomb is shown as the Early Plomb 708 Adjustable Wrench.

[90-8] 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Sometime later in the 1940s Utica dropped the raised panel design, but continued using forged-in markings on the shank. At this time the No. 90 and No. 91 wrenches were both made of alloy steel and were probably identical except for the finish.

Fig. 78. Utica [90-8] 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, ca. late 1940s.

Fig. 78 shows a somewhat later example of a Utica No. 90-8 8 inch adjustable wrench. The shank design no longer includes the raised panels, but does bear forged-in markings "8 In" and "Drop Forged Alloy Steel" on the front, with "Utica Tools" and "Utica NY USA" forged into the reverse. The finish is plain steel.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.0 inches. The maximum head thickness was measured at 0.48 inches, substantially thinner than the head on the corresponding carbon-steel model shown in a previous figure.

The model number is not marked on this wrench, but was identified as No. 90-8 based on the size and plain finish. Models No. 90 and No. 91 both designated alloy steel adjustable wrenches, which were available in nominal lengths from 4 to 18 inches.

[90-12] 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 79. Utica [90-12] 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. late 1940s.

Fig. 79 shows a Utica No. 90-12 12 inch adjustable wrench of alloy steel, with markings "Utica Tools" and "Utica NY USA" forged into the shank, and with "12 In" and "Drop Forged Alloy Steel" on the reverse. The finish is plain steel.

The overall length is 12.2 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.3 inches. The maximum head thickness was measured at 0.69 inches. The top inset shows a side view of the wrench, illustrating the relatively thinner head made possible by the alloy steel construction.

The model number is not marked on this wrench, but was identified as No. 90-12 based on the size and plain finish.

This is a ruggedly made wrench that has stood up well under very hard service -- the adjusting screw has been practically worn smooth from extensive use. But the jaws still operate smoothly and close tightly, a good indication of a well made tool.

92-8 8 Inch Locking Adjustable Wrench

In later years Utica engineers worked on developing locking mechanisms for adjustable wrenches, and at least two patents were issued for their efforts. This next figure shows one of the resulting products.

Fig. 80. Utica 92-8 8 Inch Locking Adjustable Wrench, ca. 1953-1956.

Fig. 80 shows a Utica 92-8 8 inch locking adjustable wrench, stamped "Utica Tools U.S.A." and "Pat. Apl'd. For" on the shank, with "Alloy-UTICA-Steel" stamped on the reverse (not shown).

The overall length is 8.1 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.0 inches. The maximum head thickness was measured at 0.50 inches.

The finish is chrome plating, but with significant losses due to rust.

The patent applied notice refers to patent #2,750,829, filed by W.A. Barnes et al in 1953 and issued in 1956.

Other Tools

Chisels, Punches, and Striking Tools

3/4 Star Drill

Fig. 81. Utica 3/4 Star Drill, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 81 shows a Utica 3/4 star drill marked "USA" on the shank.

References and Resources

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

Catalog Coverage

Product information was obtained from a number of Utica catalogs, as summarized in the table below.

Utica tools were available through many industrial and automotive distributors, and the catalogs from these companies offer additional product information.

• The 1910 catalog No. 115 from the Chandler & Farquhar Company, an industrial distributor, lists only one model of Utica pliers, the No. 3 Compound Nippers. The illustration shows the markings "U.D.F.&T. Co." with the 3-Diamonds logo.

• The 1919 catalog from Chandler & Farquhar lists two pages of Utica pliers, with the models including the No. 50 Side Cutting Pliers, No. 1000 Giant Button's Pliers, and No. 3 Compound Nippers.

• The 1921 catalog No. 2 from Cragin & Co. of Seattle lists two pages of Utica pliers. The models include Nos. 11, 20, 21, 42, 55, 60, 612, 655, 700, 1000, 1050, and 1950.

• The 1922 catalog No. 11 from the C.W. Marwedel Company, an industrial supplier, includes three pages of Utica pliers. The models shown include the No. 3 Compound Nippers, Nos. 60 and 360 End Nippers, No. 130 Gas and Burner Pliers, No. 1000 Giant Button's Pliers, and No. 4000 Slip Joint Box Joint Pliers.

• The 1931 catalog No. 57 from the Samuel Harris Company, an industrial supplier, lists several models of Utica pliers. The models listed are the No. 1 Battery Pliers, No. 16 Battery Terminal Lifters, No. 42 Diagonal Cutters, and No. 1000 Giant Button's Pliers.

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.

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