My Small But Growing Collection of BICYCLE WRENCHES (7 inches or less only!)

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

With the recent proliferation of threads discussing Monkey Wrenches and Auto Wrenches and the like, it's appropriate at this time to start a thread dedicated exclusively to the BICYCLE WRENCH.
There were "Monkey" wrenches before there were "Bicycle" wrenches, but the "Bicycle" wrench predates the "Auto" wrench by at least a couple decades.

Simply put: the BICYCLE WRENCH is less than 7 inches in overall length. It can be an adjustable type wrench, employing any variety of adjustment mechanisms, or it may be a simple stamped steel model, like the ubiquitous Musselman.

I'll start with Gormully & Jeffery, one of the country's biggest bicycle manufacturers during the last two decades of the 19th Century.
Gormully and Jeffery / Gormully and Jeffery Co., 222 and 224 North Franklin St., North Franklin and Pearson Streets, Chicago, IL / "Rambler" bicycles & tools / https://chicagology.com/cycling/gormullyjeffery/

They had their name stamped on this tiny little 3-inch "bicycle wrench". GJ member Private Lugnutz also owns a copy of this, as I recall, and I am hoping he'll post it.
I'm not convinced G&J actually made it, though, as I've seen many other units - exactly the same - with various names stamped on them.
I'm thinking more along the lines of "made in Brooklyn, New York". G&J certainly had the capacity to make them - they made big heavy forged DOEs. But this one... :dunno:

Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. 3-inch bicycle wrench 01.jpg

Gormully & Jeffery 3-in bicycle wrench

Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. 3-inch bicycle wrench 02.jpg

Gormully & Jeffery 3-in bicycle wrench

Gormully & Jeffery were big players. The bicycle was big business.

1886 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery ad pp 30.jpg

October 1886 "The Cycle" Gormully & Jeffery ad

1886 The Cycle Gormully & Jeffery news.jpg

The Cycle - 1886 and 1887

1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog front cover.jpg

1891 Gormully & Jeffery catalog front cover

1891 Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. catalog rear cover.jpg

1891 Gormully & Jeffery catalog rear cover

Mr. Thomas Buckland Jeffery was really quite the innovator. He wasn't just about bicycles. He's also the guy who gave us the tire as we know it today. (patent 466789) here's everything you ever wanted to know and then some:

Thomas B. Jeffery Gormully & Jeffery Rambler.jpg

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Remember now... LESS THAN SEVEN INCHES

Moving right along here (in no particular order), we have a couple nice Billings & Spencer model "D" units, both of which employ the same thumbwheel adjusting mechanism - one plated, and one with a black finish.

Billings & Spencer D 6-in bicycle wrench

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Iver Johnson 5-in bicycle wrench

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Peter Lowentraut 5-in bicycle wrench

Peter Lowentraut 5-in bicycle wrench

Peter Lowentraut 5-in bicycle wrench

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Mossberg A1 5-in bicycle wrench (patent 661800 695072)(second quality)

Mossberg A1 5-in bicycle wrench (patent 661800 695072)(second quality

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Mossberg No. 1 Sterling 5-in bicycle wrench

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Wakefield 5-in bicycle wrench (GWT)

Wakefield 5-in bicycle wrench (GWT 01)

Wakefield 5-in bicycle wrench (GWT)

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Wakefield 5-in cycle wrench (PAT.APL'D.FOR)(E.C. Stearns & Co.)

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Wakefield Unique 5-in bicycle wrench

close-up of "Indian Head" logo used by the J.E. Wakefield Wrench Co. on this "Unique" bicycle wrench

Wakefield made a vast array of different models of bicycle wrenches.

Wakefield / J.E. Wakefield Wrench Co., 89 Exchange St., Worcester, MA / patent 454893 Jun 30 1892 & 545323 Aug 27 1895 & 657326 Sep 4 1900 & 886448 May 5 1908 John E. Wakefield & 963895 Jul 12 1910 Herbert L. Houghton & 1435548 Nov 14 1922 Joseph F. Oliver and Joseph P. Fleming & 1436049 Nov 21 1922 Joseph F. Oliver / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers-p3.html#wakefield / https://wrenchwiki.com/wakefield-wrench-co/

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Although the original patent drawings show a slightly different design, the unit in the middle of the image below is the aforementioned "Musselman Universal Bicycle Wrench".

Musselman / Musselman Products Co., Cleveland, OH (Musselman Hub Brake Co.) / patent D120489 May 14 1940 A.J. Musselman / Musselman Universal Bicycle Wrench /

* Also included in the image, but NOT, by definition, "bicycle wrenches" are a Roebling "Alligator" and a Forsyth "alligator type" *

Roebling / Musselman / Forsyth

Maxcustody · Sep 27, 2022

Very nice collection and appreciate the history lesson

I had no idea................

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

These were interesting finds - a couple Soviet-era Russian-made stamped-steel bicycle wrenches. The prices are stamped right on them to make it easier to maintain price controls! How nice of them! Your choice - 7 kopeks or 15 kopeks, comrade!

* these are the photos from the ebay listing I bought them off of - much better images than what I could get. *

Soviet-era Russian-made stamped steel bicycle wrench

Soviet-era Russian-made stamped steel bicycle wrench

Soviet-era Russian-made stamped steel bicycle wrench

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Here's the enigmatic "brownie" or "leprechaun" wrench which was the subject of another thread here on GJ.

Note that one of the figures faces left, the other faces right. The manufacturer of this unit has yet to be ascertained.

brownie leprechaun 5-in bicyle wrench 01.jpg

brownie leprechaun 5-in bicycle wrench

brownie leprechaun 5-in bicyle wrench 02.jpg

brownie leprechaun 5-in bicycle wrench

brownie leprechaun 5-in bicyle wrench 03.jpg

brownie leprechaun 5-in bicycle wrench

brownie leprechaun 5-in bicyle wrench 04.jpg

brownie leprechaun 5-in bicycle wrench

(* I have attached below images from GJ members and ebay listings to show the little guy in better detail. *)

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Wakefield 5-in bicycle wrench (Worcester Mass PAT APL'D FOR) 01.jpg

Wakefield Cycle Wrench - stamped "Spalding" - Worcester Mass. PAT APL'D FOR

Wakefield 5-in bicycle wrench (Worcester Mass PAT APL'D FOR) 02.jpg

Wakefield Cycle Wrench - stamped "Spalding" - Worcester Mass. PAT APL'D FOR

d42jeep · Sep 27, 2022

Here is one that shouldn’t be too surprising.
-Don

d42jeep · Sep 27, 2022

Here is a Mossberg A-2
-Don

Here it is with some larger Auto Wrenches

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Another Billings & Spencer 6-inch bicycle wrench, this one stamped with a "B" and featuring a very plain steel finish under what was once a black Japanned finish.

Billings & Spencer B 6-in bicycle wrench plain steel

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Thanks, Don. The Barcalo and the Mossberg A-2 are models I do not own.

I am down to the last few decent photo images I was able to get before I lost my photo editing software. I haven't figured out how to use the new program yet, so the next half a dozen or so will be it until I figure out how to edit images. (This was just the small box. I didn't get to the big box yet.)

BK

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Springfield Drop Forging 5-in bicycle wrench (Union Mfg & Specialty Co. Buffalo N.Y. U.S.A.)(P...jpg

Springfield Drop Forging 5-in bicycle wrench (Union Mfg & Specialty Co. Buffalo N.Y. U.S.A.)(PAT PNDG)

Springfield Drop Forging 5-in bicycle wrench (Union Mfg & Specialty Co. Buffalo N.Y. U.S.A.)(PAT PNDG)

It would appear that information about the company simply doesn't exist.

Springfield / Springfield Drop Forging Co., Springfield, MA /

No idea what the "PAT PNDG" refers to, but note the interesting manner in which the dynamic jaw has been constructed.

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Wakefield Wrench No. 5 Made in Worcester Mass. U.S.A.

Wakefield Wrench No. 5 Made in Worcester Mass. U.S.A.
Stamped:
Wakefield Wrench No. 5 Made in Worcester Mass. U.S.A.
Patents Pending in U.S.A. and Foreign Countries

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Elastic Tip Co. 5-in bicycle wrench (Speirs patent 536301) 01.jpg

Elastic Tip Co. 5-in bicycle wrench (patent 536301)

Elastic Tip Co. 5-in bicycle wrench (Speirs patent 536301) 02.jpg

Elastic Tip Co. 5-in bicycle wrench (patent 536301)

The patent date stamped on the wrench refers to the John C. Speirs patent 536301 issued Mar 26 1895 - the patent drawings for which in no way resemble anything about this particular unit.
Purely speculation on my part, but my guess is that Speirs (who most likely made the wrench for Elastic Tip Co.) was just trying to put their mark on the piece. It is commonly known that Speirs was supplying wrenches to a number of other companies.

The Elastic Tip Co. of Boston was making all kinds of widgets, but wrenches do not appear to have been among those items they made in house.

1890 Elastic Tip Co., Boston, Mass. advetising card

1929 Hardware Age Elastic Tip Millers Falls Oswego Vise ad pp 90.jpg

1929 Hardware Age Magazine Elastic Tip Co. advertisement

Elastic Tip / Elastic Tip Co., 370 Atlantic Ave., Boston, MA / patent 536301 Mar 26 1895 John C. Speirs / (5-inch adjustable bicycle wrench likely manufactured by Speirs) /

Speirs / J.C. Speirs & Co., Worcester, MA / patent 536301 Mar 26 1895 John C. Speirs / adjustable wrench / (this wrench design was either made by or sold to various bicycle manufacturers) /

d42jeep · Sep 27, 2022

Here is my Wakefield Indian Motocycles wrench. Is it a bicycle wrench? I suppose it could be.
-Don

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Here's a beautiful copy of a "Gendron" 5-inch adjustable bicycle wrench which uses a rather unique adjustment mechanism.

Marketed as the "Diamond Cycle Wrench", these came in two different versions: one with the "spoke wrench" feature (visible in the patent drawings, and one with plain jaws, like my example here.

Gendron was a major player in the bicycle industry, manufacturing much more than just little wrenches.

Gendron / Gendron Iron Wheel Co., 518-540 Superior, Toledo, OH / patent 476629 Jun 7 1892 Peter Gendron / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers-p2.html#gendron / https://wrenchwiki.com/gendron-diamond-g-bicycle-wrench/ /

Gendron 5-in bicycle wrench (patent 476629) 01.jpg

Gendron 5-inch bicycle wrench (patent 476629)

Gendron 5-in bicycle wrench (patent 476629) 02.jpg

Gendron 5-inch bicycle wrench (patent 476629)

Gendron 5-in bicycle wrench (patent 476629) 03.jpg

Gendron 5-inch bicycle wrench (patent 476629)

Gendron 5-in bicycle wrench (patent 476629) 04.jpg

Gendron 5-inch bicycle wrench (patent 476629)

1892 Iron Age Gendron Iron Wheel Co. ad pp 105

Gendron Iron Wheel Co. advertisement

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Excellent copy of that Wakefield "MotOcycle" wrench, Don, and yes, by every definition it most certainly IS a "bicycle wrench".

More importantly, it really epitomizes what the bicycle wrench was all about: an all-in-one tool kit that was carried in a pocket, not a pouch or tool bag or roll or box.
Sharp corners tear pockets open. Ergo: rounded shapes, sheathed mechanisms. The Indian "Motocycle" wrench is the best example of all that.

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

Here's a little 4-inch model, the only markings on it being a barely discernable " P & W " inside an oval stamped on the side of the dynamic jaw. (My photos just barely capture the oval.)

P & W (unknown) 4-in bicycle wrench 01.jpg

P & W (unknown) 4-inch bicycle wrench

P & W (unknown) 4-in bicycle wrench 02.jpg

P & W (unknown) 4-inch bicycle wrench

P & W (unknown) 4-in bicycle wrench 03.jpg

P & W (unknown) 4-in bicycle wrench 04.jpg

P & W (unknown) 4-inch bicycle wrench

If you took a look at my list, you would have found there is no "P & W" listed. (I just added it here at my end.)

So.... what do you do in this case?

You refer to the big list of brand names and manufacturers of bicycles at "The Wheelmen" site, and find that it's not there either.
Then you can speculate as to whether it might have come from "across the pond" (as so many of these did.)

In the end, the expedient, rational, and sensible thing to do is accept the fact that there are just too many of these "unidentifiable forged objects" to be able to identify each and every one. (Yeah, yeah... already ran 'em all by Stan and Bill and some of these just defy all attempts at identification.)

Two years from now, some new member will read this post and say "Oh yeah, my uncle used to work there!"

Until then, I remain mystified.

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

This little unit has puzzled me since the day it arrived. I've got it patched with a tiny piece of wire. It's got a rather wonky adjustment mechanism with the screw pulling and pushing the dynamic jaw up and down on the main shank of the wrench.
In the fully open position, the bottom end of the screw does double-duty as a screwdriver.

The stampings on this unit are not clear.
As near as I can make out, on the side of the stationary jaw it looks like:

SPAULDING
MACH.SCREW.O.
XXXXXXX

(I cannot make out anything on the third line - it appears as though that was all over-stamped by some maniac with a center punch.

On the handle, near the adjustment screw, I can very clearly make out

X DICKS
*** NOV 21 '89

(* the character in front of the word "Dicks" has been over-struck by something and is not discernable.)
(* the three characters in front of the date have been overstruck, but it's pretty obvious they are PAT.)

Again, the possibility that this is from out of country comes up.

Dicks (patent Nov 23 1889) Spaulding Machine Screw Co 5-in bicycle wrench

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

That's all I have photo images for at the moment. I will have to read the tutorial on this new photo editing software so I can get the rest of these photographed and the images uploaded here. As I said - this was the small box. The other box has twice as many in it. I think there are more scattered around in various boxes.

Look forward to seeing what kind of gems the GJ membership has to address the needs of the two-wheeled, pedal-pushing crowd.

Remember: if it's longer than SEVEN INCHES, it's not a bicycle wrench and belongs in another thread. Thanks! :thumbup:

BK

Mintgrun · Sep 27, 2022

This is the only bicycle wrench I have come across. It is a Mossberg model C. I almost left it behind, because the jaws were so chewed up, but I was delighted with how well they hammered back to flat.

I looked up the two patent dates. Here is the one for Nov. 19, 1895

US Patent: 550,025 - Wrench

US patent 550,025 Wrench was issued to Frank Mossberg of Attleborough, MA. It was granted on 11/19/1895. The patent describes a pocket wrench assembled from metal stampings. The handle and fixed jaw are 3 layers thick; the movable jaw is a stamping. Produ

www.datamp.org

Here is the one for Dec. 31, 1895

US Patent: 552,325 - Wrench

US patent 552,325 Wrench was issued to Frank Mossberg of Attleborough, MA. It was granted on 12/31/1895. The case is made of three stampings; the movable jaw of 2 pieces. The case is the 2nd state of the Mossberg Model C pocket wrench, superceding the "3-

www.datamp.org

Tom

four.cycle · Sep 27, 2022

excellent! :thumbup:

not an easy one to find.

RTM · Sep 28, 2022

While 4.C stops to take a breath, I will sneak my two into the mix.

First (top) is a Beckley - Ralston Chicago, tipping in at about 5-3/8". Jaws are slightly sprung

(Stealing from 4.C's list)
Beckley Ralston / Beckley Ralston Co., 80-82-84 Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers.html#beckley /

Bottom is a Model C Mossberg Wrench Co, Attleboro, Mass, USA Pat Nov 19 & Dec 31, 1895, tipping in at 5-1/8" (Looks a lot like @Mintgrun above, except more rust than his, a competition I'd rather not win)

Mossberg / Frank Mossberg Co., Lamb Street, Attleboro, MA. / "Alderman" "Bronko" "Sterling" "Gripsall" / http://alloy-artifacts.org/frank-mossberg-company.html / http://alloy-artifacts.org/frank-mossberg-company.html#history / http://toolarchives.com/index.php/node/239 / http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgIndex/detail.aspx?id=11693 /

four.cycle · Sep 28, 2022

^ Fabulous. Mossberg "C" models are not overly abundant, and the few I've seen listed on Ebay weren't worth carrying home for free.
That Beckley-Ralston is an odd duck. Great find.

No more photos until I get this photo editing program figured out. I did manage to get an image cropped earlier, but there were far too many steps required to get where I wanted to go. There has to be a shorter way. (My attempt attached below.)

Keep 'em coming, gentlemen. I know you've got them.

Private Lugnutz · Sep 28, 2022

I'm most jealous of Tom's and RTM's Mossberg "C" models, as well as your Wakefield No. 5, 4.c!

Private Lugnutz · Sep 28, 2022

four.cycle said:
...it's appropriate at this time to start a thread dedicated exclusively to the BICYCLE WRENCH.

Interestingly enough, my daughter, a student at the Westphal School of Design and Merchandising, is writing her senior paper on the impact of the bicycle on women's liberation, from the fashion perspective (i.e., pants!).

Not kidding. Much has been written in historical and academic circles about its importance (freedom of mobility, etc), but she is looking at how it changed women's fashion forever.

Private Lugnutz · Sep 28, 2022

four.cycle said:
Mossberg A1 5-in bicycle wrench

I'm not fond of posting redundant duplicates, but this A-1 is slightly different (with the notch on the back) than the model you posted, which I also have a few examples.

Private Lugnutz · Sep 28, 2022

"L (amson) & S (essions) CO. BUCKEYE"

Private Lugnutz · Sep 28, 2022

Wakefield B-1

Farmer J. · Sep 28, 2022

Private Lugnutz said:
Interestingly enough, my daughter, a student at the Westphal School of Design and Merchandising, is writing her senior paper on the impact of the bicycle on women's liberation, from the fashion perspective (i.e., pants!). Not kidding. Much has been written in historical and academic circles about its importance (freedom of mobility, etc), but she is looking at how it changed women's fashion forever.

These women seem pretty liberated, on their bicycle tyres. No pants for them!

Private Lugnutz · Sep 28, 2022

Early shop pin-up!

Private Lugnutz · Sep 28, 2022

I can't locate my very early Billings & Spencer "A" model, but if you'll excuse the motorcycle kit wrench (the "KING ****"), it's on the right in this triumvirate....

Private Lugnutz · Sep 28, 2022

I don't know much about the other one in that photo, this one below, except the obvious...

My Small But Growing Collection of BICYCLE WRENCHES (7 inches or less only!)

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