Bemis & Call Company

Table of Contents

Introduction

Bemis & Call was an early maker of tools and hardware dating back to a partnership between Stephen C. Bemis and Amos Call in the early 1840s. The company produced a variety of tools, including dividers, compasses, squares, and wrenches of various types.

Company History

Bemis & Call began as a partnership between Stephen C. Bemis and Amos Call in the early 1840s.

A biograpical essay on Stephen C. Bemis noted that in 1855 he turned over the management of the company to his son W. Chaplin Bemis and Amos Call.

Fig. 1. 1865 Notice for Bemis & Call. [External Link]

Fig. 1 shows an entry for the Bemis & Call Hardware and Tool Company on page 54 of Treasurer's Report, part of the 1865 Annual Reports for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The text states that the Bemis & Call Hardware and Tool Company had been certified on June 5, 1855.

Fig. 2. 1867 Ad for Bemis & Call. [External Link]

Fig. 2 shows an ad for the Bemis & Call Hardware and Tool Company, as published on page 180 of the August, 1867 issue of Once A Month.

The text notes that the company produced goods previously made by S.C. Bemis, showing the continuity of the business.

Nut and Pipe Wrenches

Fig. 3. 1893 Ad for Bemis & Call Pipe and Nut Wrench. [External Link]

Fig. 3 shows an ad for a Bemis & Call pipe and nut wrench, as published on page 97 of the April 27, 1893 issue of The Iron Age.

Adjustable "S" Wrenches

In later years B&C became especially well known for their "S"-shaped adjustable wrenches. The sliding jaw design was very similar to the 1857 E.J. Worcester patent 17,531, with a slotted jaw running in a rectangular keyed passageway. The line of adjustable "S" wrenches was introduced in 1894 and proved to be very popular.

Fig. 4. 1895 Catalog Listing for Bemis & Call Adjustable "S" Wrench.

The scan in Fig. 4 shows a catalog listing for B&C adjustable "S" wrenches, as published on page 51 of the 1895 Strelinger catalog.

The wrenches were available in sizes 8, 10, 12, and 14 inches.

Fig. 5. 1907 Ad for Bemis & Call Wrenches. [External Link]

Fig. 5 shows an ad for Bemis & Call wrenches, as published on page 2 of the August, 1907 edition of Machinery.

The illustration shows a new steel-handled monkey wrench as well as the No. 48 adjustable "S" wrench.

No. 80 Adjustable Wrench

In 1915 Bemis & Call began offering a Crescent-style adjustable wrench designated as model No. 80.

Fig. 6. 1915 Notice for Bemis & Call No. 80 Adjustable Wrench. [External Link]

Fig. 6 shows a notice for the new wrench model, as published on page 27 of the November 6, 1915 issue of American Artisan and Hardware Record.

Fig. 7. 1916 Ad for Bemis & Call No. 80 Adjustable Wrench. [External Link]

Fig. 7 shows an ad for the Bemis & Call No. 80 adjustable wrench, as published on page 136 of the August, 1916 issue of National Hardware Bulletin.

The illustration identifies this as a No. 80 adjustable wrench. An example of this model can be seen as the B&C No. 80 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench in a later figure.

Later Operations

In 1928 Bemis & Call acquired the rights to the wrench designs of the Coes Wrench Company, a well-known maker of adjustable wrenches operating in Worcester, Massachusetts.

In 1939 B&C was acquired by Billings & Spencer, which continued production of the B&C (and Coes) wrench models for some years thereafter. (See our article on Billings & Spencer for more information.)

Patents

Trademarks

Tool Identification

Bemis & Call tools were frequently marked with just "B&C" instead of the full company name.

BC-Circle Logo

Fig. 8. BC-Circle Logo from Trademark 73,931.

Bemis & Call registered a trademark showing "B&C" in a circle outline, and we will refer to this as the BC-Circle logo in the text.

The scan in Fig. 8 shows the BC-Circle logo as it was presented in trademark #73,931.

This logo was frequently stamped on or forged into tools, but when used as a forged-in marking, the surrounding circle was generally omitted.

References and Resources

Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in the Alloy Artifacts Collection.

Currently we do not have any catalogs for Bemis & Call.

Industrial Distributors

Bemis & Call tools were widely available from industrial distributors.

• Chas. A. Strelinger 1895. The 1895 catalog from Chas. A. Strelinger & Company lists the Bemis & Call combination nut and pipe wrench on page 183. Also listed are Bemis & Call dividers on page 15, and adjustable "S" wrenches on page 51.

• White, Van Glahn 1902. The 1902 catalog from White, Van Glahn & Company of New York City lists Bemis & Call belt punches, round punches, metal punches, and rivet sets on page 93.

• Biddle Hardware 1910. The 1910 catalog from the Biddle Hardware Company of Philadelphia lists Bemis & Call combination pipe and nut wrenches in both the No. 43 "short nut" and No. 45 "long nut" models. The sizes listed were 10, 12, and 15 inches.

• Ducommun "G" 1926. The 1926 catalog "G" from the Ducommun Corporation lists Bemis & Call combination pipe and nut wrenches on page 252, in sizes 10, 12, and 15 inches.

• Waterston No. 25 1926. The 1926 catalog No. 25 from J.M. Waterston of Detroit lists Bemis & Call adjustable "S" wrenches on page 157, in sizes 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 inches. Note that this catalog is undated, but is referenced in the trade press in November of 1926.

• H. Channon 1930. The 1930 catalog No. 101 from the H. Channon Company lists Bemis & Call No. 48 adjustable "S" wrenches on page 239, in sizes 4, 6, and 8 inches.

• Sligo Iron Store 1930. The 1930 catalog No. 70 from the Sligo Iron Store Company lists Bemis & Call No. 70 monkey wrenches on page 116, Nos. 44 and 46 pipe and nut wrenches on page 117, and No. 48 adjustable "S" nut wrenches on page 117.

Selected Tools

B&C 6 Inch S-Shaped Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 9. B&C 6 Inch S-Shaped Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 9 shows our first example of the B&C "S" wrenches, a B&C 6 inch adjustable wrench, marked with "6-In" forged into the handle, and with "B&C" forged into the back side (see lower inset). The face is stamped "Bemis & Call Company" and "Springfield" (see middle inset), although the markings are very worn and difficult to read.

The overall length is 6.1 inches, and the finish is plain steel with traces of black paint.

The upper inset shows a profile view of the wrench. Note the details of the jaw construction, with the milled slot in the jaw running in the keyed opening.

B&C 8 Inch S-Shaped Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 10. B&C 8 Inch S-Shaped Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 10 shows a B&C 8 inch S-shaped adjustable wrench, stamped "Bemis & Call Co." on the face. The nominal size "8 In." is forged into the handle, with "B&C" forged into the back side (see lower inset).

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is black paint with polished steel faces.

The upper inset shows a profile view of the wrench. Note the details of the jaw construction, with the milled slot in the jaw running in the keyed opening.

B&C 10 Inch S-Shaped Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 11. B&C 10 Inch S-Shaped Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

Fig. 11 shows a B&C 10 inch S-shaped adjustable wrench, marked with the nominal size "10 In" forged into the handle, with "B&C" forged into the back side (see lower inset).

The overall length is 10.1 inches, and the finish is black paint.

B&C No. 80 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 12. B&C No. 80 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail, ca. 1915 to 1920s.

Fig. 12 shows a B&C No. 80 8 inch adjustable wrench, marked with "B&C" forged into the shank, with "8 IN" and "No 80" forged into the back side.

The overall length is 8.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

B&C 10 Inch Monkey Wrench

The next two figures show examples of B&C 10 inch monkey wrenches, with minor differences in markings.

Fig. 13. B&C 10 Inch Monkey Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 13 shows a B&C 10 inch monkey wrench with wooden handle inserts, stamped with the B&C trademark logo on the upper (fixed) jaw, with "Bemis & Call Company" and "Springfield, Mass. Made in U.S.A." on the back side.

The overall length is 10.1 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.75 inches. The finish is plain steel.

B&C 10 Inch Monkey Wrench for Fulton Brand

Fig. 14. B&C 10 Inch Monkey Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. 1920s to 1930s.

Fig. 14 shows another B&C 10 inch monkey wrench with wooden handle inserts, stamped with the B&C trademark logo on the upper (fixed) jaw, with "Bemis & Call Co." and "Springfield, Mass. Made in U.S.A." on the back side.

The overall length is 10.3 inches, and the maximum opening is approximately 2 inches. The finish is plain steel.

The wrench is also stamped with "Fulton" and "AD" on the lower jaw, indicating that it was made as contract production for Sears Roebuck.

This tool shows an example of a stamped BC-Circle marking, with the addition of "Trade Mark".