Bergman Tool Manufacturing Company

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Bergman Tool Manufacturing Company was founded in 1904 in Buffalo, New York. The company was a manufacturer of adjustable wrenches, pliers, battery service tools, and other tools, and their products were sold under the Bergman, "Queen City", and "Blue Bird" brands.

Company History

The company was founded in 1904 as the Bergman Hardware and Tool Manufacturing Company.

Fig. 1. 1904 Notice for Bergman Hardware and Tool Mfg. [External Link]

The brief notice in Fig. 1 was published on page 25 of the November 5, 1904 issue of Iron and Machinery World and notes the founding of the company with $2,000 of capital.

The directors were listed as Solomon Bergman, Linn Bergman, and Aaron Fybush.

Another early reference to the company was found in a 1905 Annual Report of the State Treasurer, which noted taxes for the corporation.

Fig. 2. 1908 Notice for Bergman Saw Set. [External Link]

One of the company's early products was a saw set, a plier-like tool for adjusting the teeth of a hand saw.

The notice in Fig. 2 illustrates and describes the company's "B. B. Improved Saw Set", as published on page 48 of the September 25, 1908 issue of Hardware.

The company's address is given as 19-21 Douglas Street in Buffalo.

A New Factory

By late 1908 Bergman Hardware and Tool was apparently doing well enough to plan a new factory building.

Fig. 3. 1908 Notice for Bergman Hardware and Tool Manufacturing. [External Link]

The notice in Fig. 3 reports the purchase of a site for a new factory, as published on page 763 of the November 19, 1908 issue of American Machinist.

The company's products are listed as pliers, tap wrenches, and saw sets.

By April of 1909 the company had apparently shortened its name to just the Bergman Tool Manufacturing Company, and had moved into its new factory at 1573-1575 Niagara Street in Buffalo.

Fig. 4. 1909 Notice for Bergman Tool Manufacturing. [External Link]

The notice in Fig. 4 reports the recent move, as published on page 332 of the April 3, 1909 edition of Domestic Engineering.

The text also notes the company's business as pliers and hand tools.

Queen City Adjustable Wrenches

By 1915 the company was offering Crescent-style adjustable wrenches under the "Queen City" brand, and by 1920 the wrenches were being made with a distinctive curved handle.

One unusual feature of the wrenches was the square hole in the handle, which was intended for tightening set screws.

Fig. 5. 1920 Ad for Bergman Adjustable Wrench. [External Link]

Fig. 5 shows an ad for the "Queen City" adjustable wrench, as published on page 1317 of the December, 1920 issue of Hardware Dealers' Magazine.

Note the square hole at the end of the handle.

The Blue Bird Brand

By the late 1920s Bergman was using the "Blue Bird" brand for its tools, and the company registered "Blue Bird Tools" as a trademark in 1927.

By the 1930s the company was making battery service tools such as battery pliers and battery terminal pullers.

Later Operations

Bergman Tool Manufacturing continued as a family-owned business at least into the 1990s. Alan Freedman served as company president from around 1947 until 1987. Trademark renewals show activity until at least 1996, at which time the company's address was given as 8400 Lakeview Parkway in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Patents

Trademarks

In 1927 the company filed a trademark application for "BLUE BIRD TOOLS" in a design, with the company's products listed as tinner's snips and hand shears. The company directors were listed as Caroline E. Bergman, Jerome E. Bergman, and Ray W. Kempner.

In 1956 the company filed a trademark for "BLUE BIRD" as block text (no design), with the company's products listed as tinner's snips, battery service tools, and pliers. The trademark was issued as #629,907 on July 3, 1956. This trademark was renewed as recently as 1996, and the company's address is given as 8400 Lakeview Parkway in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

References and Resources

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

Catalog Resources

Industrial Distributors

Bergman tools were available from some industrial distributors. We'll add references as time permits.

• Fort Pitt Hardware 1926. The 1926 catalog from the Fort Pitt Hardware Company of Pittsburgh lists a Bergman No. 10 tool handle and bits on page 308.

• Thorsen Tools 1938. The 1938 catalog No. 38-39 from Thorsen Tools, the distributor arm of Thorsen Manufacturing, lists Bergman "Blue Bird" battery tools on page 41. The listings include the No. 25 battery pliers, No. 52 battery pliers, a No. 20 clamp spreader, a No. 11 hex nut plier and post cleaner, a No. 21 universal clamp lifter, and a No. 375 battery service kit. The illustrations show "Blue Bird" markings on the tools.

Selected Tools

Pliers

Bergman No. 708 8 Inch Combination Pliers

Fig. 6. Bergman No. 708 8 Inch Combination Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 6 shows a pair of Bergman No. 708 combination pliers in the 8 inch size, stamped "Guaranteed" and "Buffalo U.S.A." near the pivot (see lower inset).

The overall length is 8.1 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

Bergman No. 117 7 Inch Bent Thin-Nose Combination Pliers

Fig. 7. Bergman No. 117 7 Inch Bent Thin-Nose Combination Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 7 shows a pair of Bergman No. 117 7 inch bent thin-nose combination pliers, stamped "Bergman" and "Buffalo U.S.A." near the pivot.

The overall length is 7.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel, with traces of nickel plating.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the bent thin-nose construction and the checkered gripping surface.

Blue Bird No. 11 Battery Pliers

Fig. 8. Blue Bird No. 11 Battery Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 8 shows a pair of Blue Bird No. 11 battery terminal pliers, marked with "Blue Bird" and "U.S.A." forged into the handle, with "Forged Alloy" and "No. 11" forged into the back side.

The overall length is 7.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Although not marked with a patent notice, these pliers resemble the design described in patent 1,775,270, filed by J.E. Bergman in 1928 and issued in 1930.

Adjustable Wrenches

By 1915 the company was offering Crescent-style adjustable wrenches under the "Queen City" brand, and by 1920 the wrenches were being made with a distinctive curved handle.

One unusual feature of the wrenches was the square hole in the handle, which was intended for tightening set screws.

Fig. 9. 1925 Catalog Listing for Queen City Adjustable Wrenches.

The scan in Fig. 9 shows a catalog listing for a display stand for the "Queen City" wrenches, as published on page 13 of Bergman catalog No. 4 from around 1925.

The stand held wrenches in five sizes from 4 inches up to 12 inches.

Bergman "Queen City" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 10. Bergman "Queen City" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. 1915-1919.

Fig. 10 shows a Bergman "Queen City" 6 inch adjustable wrench, marked with "Bergman Tool Mfg. Co." and "Buffalo N.Y. U.S.A." forged into the shank, with "Queen City" and "Drop Forged Steel" forged into the back side.

The overall length is 6.2 inches, and the maximum opening is 0.8 inches.

The finish is plain steel.

The straight handle suggests production before 1920.

Bergman "Queen City" 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 11. Bergman "Queen City" 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Back Side, ca. 1920 to 1930s.

Fig. 11 shows a Bergman "Queen City" 8 inch adjustable wrench with a curved handle.

The tool is marked with "Bergman Tool Mfg. Co." and "Buffalo New York, U.S.A." forged into the shank, with "Queen City" and "Warranted Forged Steel" forged into the back side.

The overall length is 8.1 inches, and the maximum opening is 0.9 inches. The square hanging hole has a 5/16 opening.

The finish is plain steel.

Other Tools

We currently have only a modest selection of Bergman tools to display, and will add a few catalog listings to show a wider variety of the company's products.

Catalog Listing for Bergman Tool Handle and Bits

Fig. 12. 1926 Catalog Listing for Bergman No. 10 Tool Handle and Bits.

The scan in Fig. 12 shows a Bergman No. 10 tool handle with 10 bits, as published on page 308 of the 1926 Fort Pitt Hardware Company catalog.

Blue Bird No. 21 Battery Terminal Puller

Fig. 13. Blue Bird No. 21 Battery Terminal Puller, with Inset for Marking Detail, ca. Mid 1930s to 1940s.

Fig. 13 shows a Blue Bird No. 21 battery terminal puller, stamped "U.S.A." and "Patented" on the yoke.

The overall length of the screw is 4.9 inches. The finish is plain steel, with a few traces of blue paint remaining.

The patent notice refers to patent 1,893,353, filed by J.E. Bergman in 1931 and issued in 1933.