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

four.cycle · Dec 22, 2024

duddly said:
I am also still curious about the actual maker.

Most likely Speirs.

Metz / Charles H. Metz, Waltham, MA / wrench / patent D29520 Oct 18 1898 C.H. Metz / wrench manufactured by J.C. Spiers see patent 536301 /

Speirs / J.C. Speirs & Co., Worcester, MA / adjustable wrench / patent 459218 Sep 8 1891 Reinhard T. Torkelson & 536301 Mar 26 1895 John C. Speirs / adjustable wrench /

MajorTaylor13 said:
Here's a fairly obscure little c.1890s (?) spoke wrench made by the Overman Wheel Co. Boston, MA.

Fabulous, and I believe that is the first one of those we've seen here.

MajorTaylor13 said:
Sterling No. 1 & 2. I'm curious about the use of the different font for these since the patent dates are the same. Maybe to distinguish the different sizes ?

Curiously, I have not photographed any of my Mossberg bicycle wrenches, but I did skim through my "Mossberg ebay photos" folder, and Mr. Mossberg made about a dozen different iterations of that little 5-inch bicycle wrench, using both the 1900 and 1902 patents (661810 695072, respectively), with a variety of "names" on them, all displaying different font styles.
I'm not sure if there's a rhyme or reason to any of it, to be honest - I've always looked at it as more "marketing gimmickry", but what do I know?

MajorTaylor13 said:
Rollfast Perfect spoke wrench

Could you do us a huge favor? Could you provide the dimensions of that ****** wrench? (Overall length is what I'm looking for.)
There was some speculation about Dudly having manufactured same for Stevens & Co., but I don't believe that to be the case. Maybe your "Rollfast" model was made in a different size than this one here.

====

I've always thought that square tang sticking out of the back end of that Speirs wrench was intended to be used as a hammer. Examples online show evidence of them having been used in that matter.

Private Lugnutz · Dec 22, 2024

four.cycle said:
I've always thought that square tang sticking out of the back end of that Speirs wrench was intended to be used as a hammer. Examples online show evidence of them having been used in that matter.

But you followed my link to MT13 showing photos of its actual use on a Metz bike, correct?

MajorTaylor13 · Dec 22, 2024

four.cycle said:
Could you do us a huge favor? Could you provide the dimensions of that ****** wrench? (Overall length is what I'm looking for.)
There was some speculation about Dudly having manufactured same for Stevens & Co., but I don't believe that to be the case. Maybe your "Rollfast" model was made in a different size than this one here.

It's 3 3/4" long.

MajorTaylor13 · Dec 22, 2024

Here's another interesting one. 5 1/2", maker unknown. Stamped American Bicycle Company, Syracuse Factory. ABC was formed in 1899 by Col. Pope by consolidating several smaller companies into a larger one in order to control supply and limit competition. They closed their doors in 1903.

four.cycle · Dec 22, 2024

Private Lugnutz said:
But you followed my link to MT13 showing photos of its actual use on a Metz bike, correct?

I did, and that would definitely explain Metz's reason for including that little feature in the design patent, although the text in the patent document doesn't specify any intended use for the "the rectangular extensions 6", so we are left with only our suppositions in that respect, but they certainly seem to be well-founded.

four.cycle · Dec 22, 2024

MajorTaylor13 said:
American Bicycle Company, Syracuse Factory.

You already knew about these guys, right?

Interesting piece. Love the built-in pin spanner.
Hard to say who actually stamped it out. Pope - at any of his facilities - would certainly have had the capacity for making it himself, but many bicycle manufacturers appear to have outsourced their wrenches, so it's difficult to assign a "who" to it.

MajorTaylor13 · Dec 23, 2024

four.cycle said:
You already knew about these guys, right?

Yes, I'm a member of (too) many bicycle related internet groups

FWIW, my avatar photo and forum handle are a reference to African-American cyclist Marshall "Major" Taylor, 1899 World Champion. Before that he was an accomplished machinist and worked at the Worcester Cycle Manufacturing Co. for his mentor Louis "Birdie" Munger. In the pic he's holding his Massey-Harris bicycle. Note the adjustable stem. He is sometimes credited with inventing the sliding stem but there's more evidence that he mainly popularized its use. He rode for a number of different companies including Metz/Orient Cycles and Iver Johnson.

Private Lugnutz · Dec 23, 2024

four.cycle said:
...the text in the patent document doesn't specify any intended use for the "the rectangular extensions 6", so we are left with only our suppositions in that respect, but they certainly seem to be well-founded.

I consider a square Metz peg fitting a square Metz hole more than supposition. Sometimes empirical evidence is just as worthy if not moreso than a document and this is clearly one of those cases for me. But you and other collectors can certainly decide for yourselves how much or little weight you give that example of integral design and manufacturing.

four.cycle · Dec 23, 2024

MajorTaylor13 said:
Yes, I'm a member of (too) many bicycle related internet groups

Which begs the question:
Have you run your hypothesis by any of them yet regarding that wrench and the holes in the cycle frame?
Enlarging the images of your bicycle frame, they both appear to be more "square" than "rectangular".

MajorTaylor13 · Dec 23, 2024

four.cycle said:
Which begs the question:
Have you run your hypothesis by any of them yet regarding that wrench and the holes in the cycle frame?
Enlarging the images of your bicycle frame, they both appear to be more "square" than "rectangular".

So you're not convinced the extrusion is for the fittings on the bike ? I've owned the wrench in the past, I sold it and the bike, about 10 years ago. I recently bought the bike back from the person I sold it to. The wrench went elsewhere, that's why I'm looking for one. It fits the set binder and the draw bolt on the crank, which are square.

I think the "rectangular" description is confusing. I believe it is describing the extension, not the shape of the extrusion, which is most definitely square.

Private Lugnutz · Dec 23, 2024

I think Mr. Metz's description is clearly calling the extension (keyed as "6" on the diagram) "rectangular." I don't think this poses any issues whatsoever. A square is a rectangle. It's a design patent. That the bicycle wrenches were eventually manufactured with that extension being a rectangle with four equal sides to match the female rectangular openings with four equal sides in the set binder and crank draw bolt of the bicycles is perfectly evocative of the design patent and vice versa.

MajorTaylor13 · Dec 31, 2024

One more from my stash. I'm guessing this is from the 70s. 3" "Racing Wrench". I love that they labeled this Item No. 1999.

four.cycle · Jan 6, 2025

Wald Mfg. Co., Maysville, TN
Wald 5-inch stamped steel bicycle wrench
very similar to a Weber-Knapp wrench posted previously in the thread.

slowtwitch73 · Jan 6, 2025

MajorTaylor13 said:
One more from my stash. I'm guessing this is from the 70s. 3" "Racing Wrench". I love that they labeled this Item No. 1999.

That's neat. Never knew they sold wrenches like that into the '70's

four.cycle · Jan 24, 2025

Whitman & Barnes Acme 6 in. adjustable wrench (patent 273170) 012425 01.jpg

Whitman & Barnes "ACME" 6-inch adjustable wrench (patent 273170)

Fred Knox · Mar 2, 2025

Here’s a relatively recent pickup - a 5” bicycle wrench. It is stamped:

Made for
Pope Manufacturing Co.
Pat’d March 26, 1895

I went to datamp.org, but could not track down the actual patent that applied.

Mike'smeatshop · Mar 2, 2025

Fred Knox said:
Here’s a relatively recent pickup - a 5” bicycle wrench. It is stamped:

Made for
Pope Manufacturing Co.
Pat’d March 26, 1895

I went to datamp.org, but could not track down the actual patent that applied.

Very cool. That will get everyone down the rabbit hole.

d42jeep · Mar 3, 2025

This unmarked Baxter wrench my old buddy gave me yesterday meets the size requirement and I could see it being used on a bicycle.

-Don

Private Lugnutz · Mar 3, 2025

@Fred Knox
Ungatz, as they say around here. I'm assuming you know that Pope Manufacturing made Columbia bicycles. I don't know if that will help. They seem to have had may tool suppliers. And I see what you mean about the patent. The date matches Spiers' method patent (536,301), but the design doesn't seem to. Hopefully someone knows it.

four.cycle · Mar 3, 2025

@Fred Knox -
The applicable patent on your wrench is 536301 - most likely manufactured BY Spiers FOR Pope (as well as a few other companies.)
The patent deals with the manner in which the static jaw is forged (or in your case, the dynamic jaw.)

Private Lugnutz · Mar 9, 2025

Last November, in post #234, I reported a Zilliox patent bicycle wrench, which I posted in the Park Metalware thread, here. Today I found a variant that is much closer to the patent. Re-posting the patent diagram and the other variant here for comparison. (4.c also has an example of the other one, posted earlier in this thread in post #86.) You can see that the sheet metal housing for the knurled adjusting nut that also forms the dynamic jaw has a long channel in it, as shown in the patent diagram. You can also see that it's pinned together with two pins at the jaw, as show in the patent diagram, instead of crimped tab. It doesn't have the third pin at the bottom/back, though. Not sure what the story is with the other variant since both bear the same patent date marking (AUG.2.1921, indicating 138647).

Stubby1743 · Mar 14, 2025

This style of adjustable spanner appears with lots of different brandings and they appear to have been made over a long period of time. Lucas called it the "Girder".

Private Lugnutz · Mar 15, 2025

Mossberg No. 74 "sleeve" wrench. 4-1/2" OAL in fully-closed position.

four.cycle · Mar 15, 2025

Stubby1743 said:
This style of adjustable spanner appears with lots of different brandings and they appear to have been made over a long period of time. Lucas called it the "Girder".

^ And "Girder wrench", unless I am mistaken, became the catch-all term used in the UK for that style. I think @Dave455 might have better insight on that one than me.
We called them "pocket wrench" here (among other things.)

Targa68 · Mar 18, 2025

A set of small bicycle spanners, only labelled "Made In Germany", guessing 50s - 60s.

Mike'smeatshop · Mar 18, 2025

Targa68 said:
A set of small bicycle spanners, only labelled "Made In Germany", guessing 50s - 60s.

Very cool. Are they the original color?

Targa68 · Mar 18, 2025

Mike'smeatshop said:
Very cool. Are they the original color?

They are chrome, never been used

RTM · Mar 18, 2025

Targa68 said:
A set of small bicycle spanners, only labelled "Made In Germany", guessing 50s - 60s.

As a child of the 60s, I had a similar set with the left 2 for certain, maybe the third one. Mine were full ugly metal. Used mostly to fix flat after flat after flat. We had some nasty sticker weeds back then.

Private Lugnutz · Mar 21, 2025

Picked this up at the flea this morning. No markings. Looking very Billings-y or British to me. Odd longitudinal strip on the flip side almost like they filled in an open channel on a previous design. The screw shaft goes all the way through. I'll have to nut it over further.

d42jeep · Apr 11, 2025

Here is a Mossberg “Sterling” #1 bicycle wrench I found last week at an estate sale.

-Don

four.cycle · Jun 14, 2025

Whitman & Barnes Acme 6-in wrench (patent 273170) 061125 01.jpg

Whitman & Barnes "ACME" 6 inch adustable wrench (patent 273170 Feb 27 1883 Frederick H. Seymour)

kwigly · Aug 30, 2025

Got an unanticipated instant bicycle wrench collection as part of a box lot at a local auction of a Collector's hoard.
Top row is three variations from Billings & Spencer (Pat Feb 18 1879 version, a no. 96 and a no. 97), then a german "Belcher's DRP105813" "Schlusselkovig" (1899 patent, missing its adjuster nut)
Second row is a "W&B Co Diamond" (who's that ?), a "Mossberg Wrench Co pat Dec 31 1895" (#552325), a "Lavigne & Scott, New Haven Con, feather weight, pat Dec 31 1895"(#552324), and a "Pat Aug 2 1921" (#212298 Park Metalware)
Alongside is a "J P Donaldson" - 4" crescent style
(There were also a couple of the ubiquitous flat stamped-plate multiwrenches, with no name stamps)

four.cycle · Aug 30, 2025

kwigly said:
"Belcher's DRP105813" "Schlusselkovig" (1899 patent, missing its adjuster nut)

could you please provide me with clear, full straight-on photo images of both sides of that unit? ("schlussel" is wrench... not sure about the "kovig" part... maybe Olli can help us on that one.)(as an adjustable wrench, the term is "schraubenschlussel", but there are variants for different types.)

kwigly said:
"W&B Co Diamond" (who's that ?),

Whitman / Whitman & Barnes Mfg. Co., Akron, OH / patent D28487 Apr 19 1898 Henry J. Martin & D29108 Jul 26 1898 & D29109 Jul 26 1898 Sanford S. Vaughan and Lemuel M. Bushnell & 273170 Feb 27 1883 Frederick H. Seymour & 670681 Mar 26 1901 Henry J. Martin / http://alloy-artifacts.org/whitman-barnes-manufacturing.html / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...ing-company-w-b-diamond-tool-pictures.456771/ /

excellent find

kwigly said:
"Lavigne & Scott, New Haven Con,

Lavigne & Scott / Lavigne & Scott Mfg. Co., 260 York St., New Haven, CT / auger bit, "Sandow" "Protection" wrench / patent 533711 Feb 5 1895 & 533712 Feb 5 1895 Joseph P. Lavigne / https://datamp.org/patents/search/xrefPerson.php?id=6103 /

highly collectible. fabulous find.

kwigly said:
"J P Donaldson - 6" crescent style

Danielson / J.P. Danielson Co., Jamestown, NY / "Bet'r-Grip" "Auto Kit" "Controlled Steel" / acquired by Plomb 1947 / patent 2083130 Jun 8 1937 Carl E. Sunberg / http://alloy-artifacts.org/danielson-jp-company.html / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/jp-danielson.344578/ /

I don't know a heck of a lot about this company. One of the other members will know what you've got there.

kwigly said:
"Pat Aug 2 1921" (#212298 Park Metalware)

Park / Park Metalware Co., Thorn Avenue at Bank Street, Orchard Park, NY (1921-1973?) / patent 1386217 Aug 2 1921 & 1639831 Aug 23 1927 John Zilliox & 2476762 Jul 19 1949 John N. Petre and John O. Olsen & 2487174 Nov 8 1949 John N. Petre / acquired by Cooper Industries 1973 / became part of Apex Tool Group 2010 / see Xcelite / alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers-p3.html#park / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers-p3.html#park / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=414100 / https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Xcelite /

the genius of John Zilliox at work. that is the riveted version. great collectible.

the others were produced in massive quantities, so they are more common in the second-hand market. for info on those:

list of manufacturers: click my "signature" line below.

kwigly · Aug 31, 2025

Thanks for all the info 4Cycle
Some more (sorry, still poor) pics of the german one as requested (this tool is on Datamp under 105813, and I found another example on a web search). I misspelled the product name, should be Schlusselkonig, "wrench king" in german
Thanks for the Whitman & Barnes identification. "diamond" spelled out within the mark had me confused.
Unfortunately the Lavigne & Scott tool markings are faint, partially missing, but enough remaining under magnifying glass to get identification.
Not sure what I'll do with this little collection. I have far too many different "collections" piled up in my house already... No I don't, I'm just kidding

LesserSon · Aug 31, 2025

d42jeep said:
Here is a Mossberg “Sterling” #1 bicycle wrench I found last week at an estate sale.
-Don

Just picked this one up today. Needs derusting.

four.cycle · Aug 31, 2025

@kwigly - thank you

Becher / Becher & Co., Eckesey, Westphalia, Germany / "Schlusselkonig" adjustable wrench / patent DE 105813 Sep 22 1899 / https://datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?number=105813&typeCode=0&country=DE / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...ches-or-less-only.504288/page-7#post-11318101 /

gleman · Sep 1, 2025

Garage sale find. Stamped S on both pieces.

Oregon rock crusher · Sep 7, 2025

This little Rowe Products from Bellflower Cal spoke wrench was in a pile of cheap wrenches at a swap meet this weekend. Looks to be pretty well made. I haven't cleaned it up yet but couldn't leave it behind. Ed.

four.cycle · Sep 8, 2025

Rowe / Rowe Products, Bellflower, CA / bicycle spoke wrench /

Leviton · Sep 11, 2025

Have not been able to find out a lot about this.

"Motor Transportrad" seems to refer to a motorized bicycle or a cargo hauling bicycle or a motorized cargo bicycle.

“Torpedo” was the name of popular rear bicycle hubs made by the German company Fichtel and Sachs, starting in 1903.

“Torpedo” is also the brand name of a German bicycle made by Torpedo-Werk AG. (Torpedo-Werke AG also built typewriters, motorcycles and adding machines.) The Torpedo hubs mentioned in the previous paragraph were not built by Torpedo-Werke AG.

The wrench certainly looks like it could be used to work on a hub, so my guess is it’s related to the hubs rather than the Torpedo-Werke bikes.
Even with the unknowns, I think it is safe to conclude that this is a bicycle wrench and can be posted here.

Actual openings across flats, in millimeters, are:
10.3, 11.2 and 17.2 for the outer hex gullet cut-outs
8.2 for the inner square opening and 15.3 for the inner hex opening.

Based on the name for country of origin, I’m guessing this had to be made before 1949 or after 1990. I'm going with the former.

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

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