Champion De Arment Tool Company

Front Cover of Champion De Arment Catalog No. 67, 1928.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Champion De Arment Tool Company became most famous for their Channellock plier design, described by patent #1,950,362 and arguably one of the most important tool patents of the 20th century. The company later changed its name to Channellock, Inc., but we'll use the older name here.

Company History

Champion De Arment is actually one of the older American tool makers in continuous operation, with original roots going back to 1886 when its founder, George B. De Arment, operated a blacksmith shop. The company maintains a web site with an interesting page on the Company History [External Link], and readers are encouraged to check there for further information.

Fig. 1. 1900 Advertisement for Champion Tool. [External Link]

Fig. 1 shows an early advertisement for Champion Tool, as published on page 117 of the December 27, 1900 issue of The Iron Age.

At this time the company was located in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania and specialized in farrier's tools.

Fig. 2. 1909 Advertisement for Champion Tool.

The scan in Fig. 2 shows an advertisement for Champion Tool, as published on page 2 [External Link] of the January, 1909 edition of The American Blacksmith.

The ad shows several Champion products, including the No. 80 "Favorite" pincer and No. 81 "Our Pride" hoof shears, the latter of which are noted as having a ball bearing joint and interchangeable knives. Note also the small "Patented January 5, 1909" text between the handles; the patent for the hoof shears was issued to G.B. De Arment as 908,969 in 1909.

It's also interesting that the ad shows an "Electric Sharpening Hammer" (an electric hammer?) apparently intended for sharpening calks. This shows that the company was offering at least some types of hammers by 1909, somewhat before the time noted in the official company history.

According to the company history, the founder's two sons Almon W. De Arment and J. Howard De Arment became partners in the business in 1911.

Name Change to Champion De Arment Tool

By 1924 the company had changed its name from Champion Tool to Champion De Arment Tool, reflecting its operation as a family business under the founder's sons.

Fig. 3. 1924 Advertisement for Champion De Arment Tool Company. [External Link]

As a note of interest, this ad shows the "Champion De Arment" name being used even before the first use date of January 15, 1925 in a later trademark filing.

Patents

Champion De Arment is rightfully famous for its brilliant 1934 Manning "Channellock" patent #1,950,362, easily one of the most important tool patents of the 20th century.

Trademarks

Champion registered the trademark "Champion De Arment" with the first use listed as January 15, 1925. The "Channellock" trademark was registered with the first use listed as May 1, 1932.

Tool Identification

Anvil-Logo

Fig. 3B. Anvil-Logo from Trademark #166,796.

The scan in Fig. 3B shows the Champion Anvil-Logo as it was presented for trademark #166,796.

Manufacturing Dates

Champion De Arment tools are not known to be marked with any date codes, so estimates of manufacturing dates must be made on the basis of markings, patents, or other factors.

• Hammer Production. Hammers were first produced in 1914.
• Champion De Arment. The Champion De Arment name was first used in 1925.
• Early Channellock Patent. Tongue-and-Groove pliers made with the original patented design were produced from 1932 until the early 1950s.
• Middle Channellock Patents. Pliers in the second-generation design were produced from the early 1950s onward.
• Channellock Name. Tools marked with the Channellock name instead of Champion De Arment were made in 1963 or later.
• Late Channellock Patent. Pliers marked with patent #3,192,805 were produced from 1965 onward.
• Rivet Construction. In 1982 Channellock filed a patent for the use of a rivet for tongue-and-groove pliers, replacing the bolt and nut used previously.
• Blue Handles. Pliers were being supplied with blue plastic handgrips by the mid 1980s (or possibly earlier).

References and Resources

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

Channellock maintains a web site with an informative page on the Company History [External Link], and readers are encouraged to check there for more information on this company.

Catalog Coverage

Product information was obtained from several Champion De Arment and Channellock catalogs, as summarized in the table below.

Industrial Distributors

Champion De Arment tools were widely available through industrial distributors. We'll add references as time permits.

• Cray Brothers 1912. The 1912 catalog from Cray Brothers, an industrial distributor in Cleveland, lists Champion farrier's tools on pages 91-92. The listings include the No. 23 "Maud S." pincers, No. 24 common pincers, No. 25 cutting nippers, No. 26 hoof parers, No. 80 "Favorite" pincers, No. 81 "Our Pride" hoof parers, and No. 82 Casterlin compound hoof nippers.

  Also listed are Champion hammers on page 86, including the No. 4 "Maud S." rounding, No. 11 electric sharpening, No. 12 Mallery electric sharpening, and the No. 87 self-cleaning hammer.

• Cray Brothers 1916. The 1916 catalog from Cray Brothers of Cleveland lists lists Champion farrier's tools on pages 86-87. The listings include the No. 23 "Maud S." pincers, No. 24 common pincers, No. 25 cutting nippers, No. 26 hoof parers, No. 29 clinch tongs, No. 80 "Favorite" pincers, No. 81 "Our Pride" hoof parers, No. 82 Casterlin compound hoof nippers, and No. 91 "Clean Cut" hoof nippers.

  Also listed are Champion hammers on page 81, No. 8 shoers' tongs on page 83, and Nos. 20, 21, and 22 common bolt tongs on page 83.

• H. Channon 1936. The 1936 catalog No. 102 from the H. Channon Company lists Champion De Arment No. 307 battery pliers, No. 407 Channellock battery pliers, and No. 410 Channellock pliers on page 183. Also listed are Champion De Arment hammers on pages 258 and 259.

Hammers and Striking Tools

According to the company's history page, Champion De Arment first started making hammers in 1914. Champion offered a wide selection of ballpeen hammers, with head weights ranging from 3 ounces up to 40 ounces.

Ballpeen hammer sizes are commonly specified by a number indicating the weight of the head without the handle. In this number system a No. 0 hammer head weighs approximately 16 ounces, but since hammers with lighter heads are often needed, the system was extended to include Nos. 00, 000, and so on, up six zeros.

Marking a long string of zeros could become a bit cumbersome, so an alternate notation is commonly used, with a number followed by a "/0" to indicate the number of zeros. For example, 2/0 indicates No. 00, 3/0 is No. 000, and so on. But to add confusion, the slash separator is sometimes omitted, so that a "3/0" size may be marked "30".

Fig. 4. 1928 Catalog Listing for Champion De Arment Ballpeen Hammers.

Fig. 4 shows a catalog listing for Champion ballpeen hammers, as published on page 13 of the 1928 catalog.

The table shows the specifications for hammers ranging in size from 6/0 to 8.

Champion De Arment 3/0 8 Ounce Ballpeen Hammers

The next two figures show examples of Champion ballpeen hammers in the 3/0 or 8 ounce size.

Fig. 5. Champion De Arment 3/0 8 Ounce Ballpeen Hammer, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 5 shows a Champion 3/0 8 ounce ballpeen hammer, stamped with "Champion De Arment Tool Co." and an anvil logo on the face.

The overall length is 13.2 inches, and the head is 3.3 inches long.

Fig. 6. Champion De Arment 3/0 8 Ounce Ballpeen Hammer, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 6 shows a Champion 3/0 8 ounce ballpeen hammer, marked on the face with "Champion De Arment Tool Co." and an anvil logo.

The overall length is 13.0 inches, and the head is 3.2 inches long.

Champion De Arment No. 6 40 Ounce Ballpeen Hammer

Fig. 7. Champion De Arment No. 6 40 Ounce Ballpeen Hammer, with Insets for Marking Detail.

Fig. 7 shows a much larger Champion No. 6 40 ounce ballpeen hammer, stamped "Champion De Arment" on the face.

The size "6" is marked on the underside of the head, as shown in the lower inset.

The overall length is 16.1 inches, and the head measures 1.7x5.3 inches.

Wrenches

Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrenches

Fig. 8. 1928 Catalog Listing for Champion Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrenches.

Fig. 8 shows a catalog listing for Champion Stillson-pattern pipe wrenches, as published on page 16 of the 1928 catalog.

Two models were available, No. 33 with a wooden handle in sizes 6, 8, 10, and 14 inches, and No. 34 with a metal handle in sizes 6, 8, 10, 14, 18, and 24 inches.

The listing notes that the wrenches were forged from tool steel. A separate page offered spare parts for the wrenches.

Champion De Arment [No. 33] 10 Inch Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrench

Fig. 9. Champion De Arment [No. 33] 10 Inch Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 9 shows a Champion De Arment [No. 33] 10 inch Stillson-pattern pipe wrench, marked with "Champion De Arment" and an anvil logo forged into the shank.

The back side is marked with "Champion De Arment" and "Meadville, PA. U.S.A." forged into the shank, but partially obscured by the jaw carrier assembly (see middle inset).

The jaw is also marked with the anvil logo forged into the top, with "Meadville, Penna. U.S.A." partially visible on the shank, and "Champion Dearment" on the back side (not shown).

The overall length is 9.4 inches closed and 10.8 inches full extended.

The wooden handle is secured to a tapered tang by a nut on the end. We didn't find a model number marked on the tool, but the wooden handle identifies this as a No. 33 wrench.

"S"-Shaped Wrenches

While perusing the 1928 Champion catalog we ran across a listing for "S"-shaped double-open wrenches, tools we hadn't known were produced by Champion. We recall seeing some wrenches like this with a "Champion" marking, but since many companies used "Champion" as a brand, we didn't make the connection to Champion Tool.

Fig. 10. 1928 Catalog Listing for Champion "S"-Shaped Wrenches.

The scan in Fig. 10 shows a catalog listing for Champion "S"-shaped wrenches, as published on page 20 of the 1928 catalog. Ten sizes in a 5xx model series were available.

The listing has been stamped "Discontinued", suggesting that the tools had been dropped shortly after the catalog had been prepared.

Hopefully we'll be able to find some examples of these wrenches and put them on display.

The Channellock Patent

The famous 1934 Manning Channellock patent #1,950,362 changed the course of Champion De Arment, as the company quickly realized the importance of this innovation.

In conventional pliers the pivot pin is forced to bear both tensile and shear loads, limiting the force that can be applied without distorting or breaking the pin. The Channelllock patent transfers the shear load to a curved ridge and groove of a much larger radius, leaving only a modest tensile load (to hold the jaws together) for the pin. It was a startling innovation to a sleepy tool that had been largely unchanged for hundreds of years.

And since it was easy to make the pliers with multiple ridges (or "tongues"), Channellock pliers could be easily adjusted for different opening sizes without losing overall strength.

First Generation Pliers

Early Channellock No. 410 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers

We'll begin with an early example of the Channellock design.

Fig. 11. Channellock No. 410 Pliers, with Inset for Back Side Detail, ca. 1932-1934.

Fig. 11 shows a pair of Channellock No. 410 pliers, marked "Champion De Arment" and "Meadville, PA." on one handle, with the model number and Channellock logo on the other.

The inset shows the "Pat. Appl'd For" notice on the back side.

The overall length is 9.8 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The patent pending status for these pliers suggests a manufacturing date from 1932-1934, between the patent filing and issue dates.

Channellock No. 420 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers

Fig. 12. Channellock No. 420 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1934-1951.

Fig. 12 shows a pair of Channellock No. 420 tongue-and-groove pliers of the original patented design, stamped with the Channellock logo and "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off." on the lower handle (but barely visible), with "Champion De Arment" and "Meadville, PA." on the upper handle.

The inset in the middle shows a close-up of the patent notice "Pat. In Can. 1933 U.S. Pat. 1950362" on the back side.

The overall length is 10.0 inches when fully extended, and the finish is plain steel.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the simple linear gripping pattern on the handles.

The patent notice refers to the original Channellock patent #1,950,362, filed by H.H. Manning in 1932 and issued in 1934.

Channellock No. 407 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers

Fig. 13. Channellock No. 407 Pliers, with Insets for Marking Detail and Handle Pattern, ca. 1934-1951.

Fig. 13 shows a pair of Channellock No. 407 tongue-and-groove pliers, stamped with the Channellock logo and "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off." on the handle, with "Champion De Arment" and "Meadville, PA." on the back side.

The upper inset shows a close-up of the patent notice "Pat. In Can. 1933 U.S. Pat. 1950362" on the back side.

The overall length is 7.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Channellock No. 427 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers

Fig. 14. Channellock No. 427 Pliers, with Inset For Back Side Detail, ca. 1934-1951.

Fig. 14 shows a pair of Channellock No. 427 tongue-and-groove pliers, stamped with the Channellock logo and "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off." on the handle, with "Champion De Arment" and "Meadville, PA." on the back side.

The overall length is 7.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Later Channellock Pliers

The original "Channellock" patent expired in 1951, and as the expiration date approached Champion De Arment worked on improvements to the original design, hoping to extend the life of the product line. The first of these improvements was the addition of a flat rib extending outside the machined grooves, designed to provide greater strength. This design change is described by patent #2,592,927, filed by H.H. Manning in 1949 and issued in 1952. Several other patents followed in later years.

In this section we'll look at examples of these later generation Channellock pliers.

Second-Generation Pliers

Channellock No. 420 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers

Fig. 15. Channellock No. 420 Pliers, with Inset for Marking Detail, ca. 1953-1962.

Fig. 15 shows a pair of Channellock No. 420 tongue-and-groove pliers, marked "Champion De Arment" and "Meadville, PA. U.S.A.", and with the patent notice "US Pats. 2592927 - 2640381" on the back side.

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

The first patent number noted on the pliers is #2,592,927, issued to H.H. Manning in 1952. It describes an improvement to the basic tongue-and-groove design for greater strength, consisting of a flat rib extending outside the machined grooves.

The second patent is #2,640,381, issued to H.H. Manning in 1953. This patent describes the use of undercut ridges on tongue-and-groove pliers.

Channellock No. 410 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers

Fig. 16. Channellock No. 410 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers, ca. 1953-1962.

Fig. 16 shows a pair of Channellock No. 410 tongue-and-groove pliers, stamped "Champion De Arment" and "Meadville, PA." on the upper handle, with the model number and Channellock logo on the lower handle.

The overall length is 9.8 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Channellock No. 426 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers

Fig. 17. Channellock No. 426 Pliers, with Inset for Back Side Detail, ca. 1963+.

Fig. 17 shows a pair of Channellock No. 426 tongue-and-groove pliers, marked "Meadville, PA. U.S.A." with the Channellock logo, and with the patent notice "US Pats. 2592927 2640381 Can. 1953" on the back side.

The overall length ranges from 6.6 inches closed to 7.1 inches fully extended. The finish is plain steel.

Third-Generation Pliers

In 1965 H.H. Manning received one additional patent related to the Channellock pliers design, an improved way of machining the undercut ridge. Patent #3,192,805 was filed in 1963.

Channellock No. 420 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers with Late Patent

Fig. 18. Channellock No. 420 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers, with Insets for Construction and Marking Detail, ca. 1965+.

Fig. 18 shows a later pair of Channellock No. 420 tongue-and-groove pliers, stamped with the Channellock name and "Meadville, PA. U.S.A." on the handle, and with "US Pats. 2592927 3192805" stamped on the back side.

The overall length is 10.0 inches, and the finish is polished steel.

The first patent number noted is the Manning 1952 patent #2,592,927, describing a ridge extending beyond the grooves for greater strength.

The second number is patent #3,192,805, filed by H.H. Manning in 1963 and issued in 1965. This patent describes a machining technique to cut a specific shape for the undercut ridge on the pliers.

The Blue Handle Era

Channellock later began providing pliers with plastic handgrips in a distinctive blue color, and in 1988 registered "Channellock Blue" as a color trademark, a new concept in trademark protection at the time.

Channellock No. 440 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers

Fig. 19. Channellock No. 440 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers, ca. 1980s+.

Fig. 19 shows a fairly recent pair of Channellock 440 tongue-and-groove pliers, marked "Meadville, PA U.S.A." and equipped with the familiar blue hand grips.

The overall length is 12.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Although not marked with a patent number, these pliers are held together by a rivet as described in patent #4,603,607.

Channellock No. 460 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers

Fig. 20. Channellock No. 460 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers, ca. 1980s+.

Fig. 20 shows another example of recent Channellock production, the Channellock 460 tongue-and-groove pliers, marked "Made in U.S.A." and fitted with blue hand grips.

The overall length (fully extended) is 18.1 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The pliers are equipped with eight grooves, and can provide a parallel opening up to 3.8 inches wide. The rivet construction is described by patent #4,603,607.

Other Pliers

Although best known for their tongue-and-groove pliers, Champion De Arment also produced pliers in conventional designs.

Battery Pliers

Champion De Arment No. 307 Battery Pliers

Fig. 21. Champion De Arment No. 307 Battery Pliers.

Fig. 21 shows a pair of Champion De Arment No. 307 battery pliers, stamped with "Champion De Arment" and "Meadville, PA. U.S.A." on one handle.

The overall length is 7.1 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

These pliers are described by design patent #D94,156, filed by H.H. Manning in 1933.

Needlenose Pliers

Channellock 317-1/2 7.5 Inch Needlenose Pliers with Side Cutters

Fig. 22. Channellock 317-1/2 7.5 Inch Needlenose Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. 1963+.

Fig. 22 shows a pair of Channellock 317-1/2 7.5 inch needlenose pliers with side cutters, stamped with "Channellock" and "Meadville, PA. U.S.A." around the pivot, with the model number on the back side.

The overall length is 7.8 inches, and the finish is plain steel with polished faces.

Channellock 326 6 Inch Needlenose Pliers with Side Cutters

Fig. 23. Channellock 326 6 Inch Needlenose Pliers, with Inset for Side View, ca. 1963+.

Fig. 23 shows a pair of Channellock 326 6 inch needlenose pliers with side cutters, marked "Meadville, PA. U.S.A." near the pivot.

The overall length is 6.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel with polished faces.

Diagonal Cutters

Channellock 436 6 Inch Diagonal Cutters

Fig. 24. Channellock 436 6 Inch Diagonal Cutters, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. 1963+.

Fig. 24 shows a pair of Channellock 436 6 inch diagonal cutters, stamped "Channellock" and "Meadville, PA. U.S.A." around the pivot, with the model number on the back side face.

The overall length is 6.1 inches, and the finish is plain steel with polished faces.

Channellock 437 7 Inch Diagonal Cutters

Fig. 25. Channellock 437 7 Inch Diagonal Cutters, with Insets for Head and Handle Pattern, ca. 1963+.

Fig. 25 shows a pair of Channellock 437 7 inch diagonal cutters, stamped "Channellock" and "Meadville, PA. U.S.A." around the pivot, with the model number across the center.

The overall length is 7.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel with polished faces.

Channellock 447 Angle-Nose Diagonal Cutters

Fig. 26. Channellock 447 Angle-Nose Diagonal Cutters, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1963+.

Fig. 26 shows a pair of Channellock 447 7 inch diagonal cutters with an angled head, stamped "Channellock" and "Meadville, PA. U.S.A." on the back side.

The overall length is 7.7 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Lineman's Pliers

Channellock 3048-1/2 8-1/2 Inch Lineman's Pliers

Fig. 27. Channellock 3048-1/2 8-1/2 Inch Lineman's Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. 1963+.

Fig. 27 shows a pair of Channellock 3048-1/2 8-1/2 inch lineman's pliers, stamped "Channellock" and "Meadville, PA. U.S.A." around the pivot, and with the model number on the back side.

The overall length is 8.6 inches, and the finish is polished steel.

The Champion De Arment catalog No. 556 of 1956 refers to this model as "Bevel Nose Lineman's Pliers". Three sizes were available as models 3046, 3047, and 3048-1/2, with nominal sizes 6, 7, and 8.5 inches respectively.

Combination Pliers

Channellock 516 6 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers

Fig. 28. Channellock 516 6 Inch Combination Pliers, with Inset for Side View, ca. 1963+.

Fig. 28 shows a pair of Channellock 516 6 inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped "Channellock" and "Meadville, PA. U.S.A." on the handle.

The overall length is 6.4 inches, and the finish is polished steel.

Channellock 548 8 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers

Fig. 29. Channellock 548 8 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers, with Inset for Side View, ca. 1963+.

Fig. 29 shows a pair of Channellock 548 slip-joint combination pliers, stamped "Channellock" and "Meadville, PA. U.S.A." on the handle.

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