Fairmount Tool and Forging Company

Fairmount Logo from 1933 Catalog.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Fairmount Tool and Forging was a tool maker and drop-forger in Cleveland, Ohio. The company became well known as a manufacturer of automobile tool kits and also specialized in tools for automobile body work.

Company History

Fairmount Tool and Forging was founded in December of 1917 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Fig. 1. 1917 Notice of Founding of Fairmount Tool and Forging. [External Link]

Fig. 1 shows a notice of the company's founding, as published on page 436d of the December, 1917 edition of Industrial Management.

The text notes the company officers as J. Wentworth Smith, B.G. Gilmore, and Charles W. Yarham.

A later listing in a 1931 "Corporations and Directors" directory confirms that Fairmount Tool and Forging was incorporated in 1917, with J. Wentworth Smith as President.

Fig. 2. 1918 Ad for Fairmount Tool & Forging. [External Link]

Fig. 2 shows an ad for Fairmount Tool and Forging, as published on page 539 of the January, 1918 issue of the Chilton Automobile Directory, just shortly after the founding of the company.

It lists the company address as 10585 Quincy Avenue in Cleveland and notes their products as tools, tool kits, and forgings.

Fig. 3. 1921 Ad for Fairmount Valve Lifter. [External Link]

Fig. 3 shows an ad for a Fairmount valve lifter, as published on page 959 of the May, 1921 edition of the Hardware Dealers' Magazine.

A careful look at the illustration reveals that the FTF-Triangle logo was already in use, even earlier than the date claimed in a later trademark.

Automobile Tool Kits

Automobile tool kits were an important product for Fairmount.

Fig. 4. 1925 Catalog Listing for Fairmount No. 350 Tool Kit.

The scan in Fig. 4 shows a catalog listing for a Fairmount No. 350 tool kit, as published on page 378 of the 1925 Williams Hardware Company catalog.

Auto Body Work Tools

By 1928 Fairmount was offering hammers and dollies for auto body work. A small brochure from 1928 lists their automobile body tools and offers their new auto body work instruction manual "The Key to Metal Bumping" for $0.25 postpaid. (As an aside, this little book became very popular, and remains in print today!)

The brochure shows the use of an inverted diamond logo enclosing the "FTF" company initials.

Acquisition of U.S. Hame Company

At some point Fairmount acquired the U.S. Hame Company of Buffalo, New York, the maker of a pipe wrench which was originally produced by Lawson Manufacturing of Cleveland.

Production of the Lawson pipe wrench continued under Fairmount.

Engineer's Wrenches and "Sharps"

Fairmount had produced double-open engineer's wrenches from its earliest days, at first in carbon steel and then by the 1930s in alloy steel. The early open-end wrenches were designed with a fairly round head, but by the 1930s Fairmount was making wrenches with pear-shaped heads as well.

By the 1940s Fairmount was offering alloy steel wrenches with pear-shaped heads, and with the smaller heads made possible by alloy steel, the tips of the jaws of these wrenches came to a distinctly sharp point, leading them to be called "sharps". An example can be seen as the Fairmount 28-S Open-End Wrench.

The pear-shaped head was really just a stylistic variant and made little functional difference, although it might be argued that the sharp jaws would work better in tight spots. But the Fairmount "sharps" turned out to have some curious connections to other parts of tool industry history.

The first will be familiar to our readers with an interest in government surplus Jeeps. It turns out that the only authenticated original tool kit from a WWII Jeep was populated with Fairmount sharps for its wrenches. Fairmount also made round-headed wrenches for Jeep tool kits, and there were several other makers of Jeep wrenches as well, so there are many potential variants for the wrenches in a Jeep tool kit. But with an observational sample of one, Fairmount sharps are sometimes considered to be the most authentic.

The next connection will be much less familiar, and we haven't seen it discussed anywhere else. In postwar Japan a number of Japanese tool companies (and presumably tool users) became quite enamored with open-end wrenches with sharply pointed jaws, which they call "spear type" (ヤリ形 in Japanese). It's easy to see how Fairmount sharps could have been the inspiration for this style, since in Occupied Japan there would have been many examples of Fairmount sharps in use at the military bases.

By the mid 1950s the "spear type" wrenches were important enough to be codified in the JIS Standard, and a company passing the relevant test could then mark their wrenches with the JIS-Circle logo followed by "S". We don't know for certain that the Japanese "spear type" style can be traced back to Fairmount, but it seems plausible and it's interesting to explore these possible connections. Interested readers can find more information in our article on Japanese Tool Makers.

Acquisition by Frontier Industries

Fig. 4B. 1948 Notice of Frontier Acquisition.

In 1948 Fairmount was acquired by Frontier Industries of Buffalo.

The scan in Fig. 4B shows a notice of the acquisition of Fairmount by Frontier Industries, as published on page 120 of the September 9, 1948 issue of The Iron Age.

The text notes that Fairmount would continue to operate as a subsidiary.

Acquisition by Houdaille Industries

Based on information printed in the 1953 Third Edition of "The Key To Metal Bumping", by 1953 Fairmount had become a subsidiary of Houdaille Industries, an industrial conglomerate.

Acquisition by Martin Sprocket and Gear

Fairmount remained as a division of Houdaille until July of 1984, when the company was acquired by the Martin Sprocket and Gear Corporation. The Fairmount operations were renamed as the Martin Tools division, and the line of tools continues in production today under the Martin brand.

Patents

A check for patent records turned up two patents assigned to Fairmount, one for a valve spring lifter and the other for a wrench set holder.

Trademarks

Fig. 5. 1952 Trademark Application for Fairmount "FTF" Logo.

Fairmount used a distinctive "FTF" logo as a forge mark, which consisted of the letters "FTF" (with the left one reversed) inside an inverted triangle.

In March of 1949 the company filed a trademark application for the design, with the first use date claimed as February of 1923.

The scan in Fig. 5 shows the application for the Fairmount "FTF" logo, as published on page 234 of the July 8, 1952 issue of the Official Gazette.

The trademark was issued as #567,302 on December 2, 1952.

On August 23, 1951 Fairmount filed a trademark application for "Lawson", and with it claimed ownership of trademark #286,485.

Tool Identification

Fairmount tools are generally easy to identify based on stamped or forged-in markings.

FTF-Triangle Logo

Fig. 6. FTF-Triangle Logo from Trademark #567,302.

Fairmount tools may be marked with "FTF" in an inverted triangle, referred to as the FTF-Triangle logo in the text.

The scan in Fig. 6 shows the FTF-Triangle logo as it was presented in a trademark application filed in 1949.

References and Resources

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

Catalog Coverage

Industrial Distributors

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

• Mossman-Yarnelle 1931. The 1931 catalog No. 31-T from the Mossman-Yarnelle Company of Fort Wayne (Indiana), an industrial distributor, lists Fairmount body tools on pages 434-436, including file holders, dolly blocks, spoons, and a wide selection of hammers.

  Also listed are a Fairmount fender bracket bending assortment on page 430, and Fairmount chisels and punches on page 437.

Carbon Steel Tools

Fairmount 9 Inch Auto Wrench

Fig. 7. Fairmount 9 Inch Auto Wrench.

Fig. 7 shows a Fairmount 9 inch auto wrench, marked with "Fairmount Cleve" forged into the shank.

The overall length is 9.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Fairmount 11 Inch Auto Wrenches

Fig. 8A. Fairmount 11 Inch Auto Wrench, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 8A shows a Fairmount 11 inch auto wrench, marked with "Fairmount Cleve." forged into the shank, with "Fairmount Cleveland" and the FTF logo stamped on the moveable jaw.

The overall length is 11.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Fig. 8B. Fairmount 11 Inch Auto Wrench, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 8B shows a Fairmount 11 inch auto wrench, marked with "Fairount Cleve" and "USA" forged into the shank.

The overall length is 11.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Did anyone notice the typo on this wrench? Years after taking the photograph, we finally noticed that the "M" is missing from the forged-in company name!

Fairmount "Protane" 308 5/8x5/8 Spark Plug Wrench

Fig. 9. Fairmount "Protane" 308 5/8x5/8 Spark Plug Wrench.

Fig. 9 shows a Fairmount 308 9/16x9/16 spark plug wrench, marked with "Protane Corpn" forged into the shank, with "Fairmount Cleve." forged into the back side.

The overall length is 9.7 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Fairmount "Cleve" 1-7/16x2-1/8 Hub Wrench

Fig. 10. Fairmount "Cleve" 1-7/16x2-1/8 Hub Wrench.

Fig. 10 shows a Fairmount hub wrench with a 1-7/16 open end and a 2-1/8 hex box opening, marked with "Fairmount Cleve." forged into the shank.

The overall length is 8.7 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Fairmount "Cleve" 1/2x9/16 Inline Socket Wrench

This next figure shows an early type of socket wrench intended to be turned with an open-end or adjustable wrench.

Fig. 11. Fairmount "Cleve" 1/2x9/16 Inline Socket Wrench, with Inset for Construction.

Fig. 11 shows a Fairmount 1/2x9/16 inline socket wrench, stamped "Fairmount Cleve." on the shank.

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

The hex socket openings have been forged into a bar of steel, and the 1/2 square shank has been ground to size and hardened to withstand the turning force.

ISN Open-End Wrenches

Fig. 12A. 1933 Catalog Listing for Fairmount ISN Open-End Wrenches.

The scan in Fig. 12A shows a catalog listing for Fairmount open-end engineer's wrenches in industry-standard numbers, as published on page 24 of catalog 335 from 1933.

The text at the top notes that the wrenches were drop-forged from S.A.E. 1040 steel, a medium-carbon tool steel.

Fairmount 723 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 13. Fairmount "Cleve" [723] 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench.

Fig. 13 shows a Fairmount open-end wrench with measured sizes 3/8x7/16, corresponding to the industry-standard No. 723 model. The wrench is marked with "Fairmount Cleve." forged into the shank.

The overall length is 3.9 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Fairmount 25 "Ford" 1/2x19/32 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 14. Fairmount 25 "Ford" 1/2x19/32 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 14 shows a Fairmount 25 1/2x19/32 open-end wrench produced for Ford, stamped on the face with "Made in U.S.A." and the Fairmount logo, and with the Ford script logo as well (see inset). The shank is marked "Fairmount, Cleve." in forged raised letters.

The overall length is 5.4 inches, and the finish is black paint.

Fairmount 26 1/2x11/16 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 15. Fairmount 26 1/2x11/16 Open-End Wrench.

Fig. 15 shows an open-end wrench in a somewhat unusual size, a Fairmount 26 1/2x11/16 open-end wrench. The face is stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the Fairmount logo, and the shank has "Fairmount U.S.A." in forged raised letters.

The overall length is 6.4 inches, and the finish is black paint.

Fairmount 730-A 5/8x7/8 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 17. Fairmount 730-A 5/8x7/8 Open-End Wrench.

Fig. 17 shows a Fairmount 730-A 5/8x7/8 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the Fairmount logo on the face, with "Fairmount U.S.A." forged into the shank.

The overall length is 8.7 inches, and the finish is black paint. This wrench was found with some of its protective cosmoline coating still on the faces, suggesting that it received little or no use.

Fairmount "Cleve" 731 3/4x13/16 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 18. Fairmount "Cleve" 731 3/4x13/16 Open-End Wrench.

Fig. 18 shows a Fairmount 731 3/4x13/16 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face, and with "Fairmount Cleve." forged into the shank.

The overall length is 8.6 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.

Fairmount "Cleve" 1/2x9/16 S-Shaped Open-End Wrench

Fig. 19. Fairmount "Cleve" 1/2x9/16 S-Shaped Open-End Wrench.

Fig. 19 shows a Fairmount 1/2x9/16 S-shaped open-end wrench, marked with "Fairmount Cleve." forged into the shank.

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

Fairmount 629D 5/8x3/4 Check-Nut Wrench

Fig. 20. Fairmount 629D 5/8x3/4 Check-Nut Wrench.

Fig. 20 shows a Fairmount 629D 5/8x3/4 check-nut wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face.

The overall length is 6.9 inches, and the finish is black paint.

Fairmount 207A 1-5/32 Single-Open "Spud" Wrench

Fig. 21. Fairmount 207A 1-5/32 Single-Open Spud Wrench, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 21 shows a Fairmount 207A 1-5/32 single-open "spud" wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the shank.

The overall length is 16.1 inches, and the finish is plain steel, with pitting due to rust.

Fairmount "Lawson" 8 Inch Angle-Head Pipe Wrench

Fig. 22. Fairmount "Lawson" 8 Inch Angle-Head Pipe Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Side View.

Fig. 22 shows a Fairmount "Lawson" 8 inch angle-head pipe wrench, marked with "Lawson" and "Forged Steel" forged into the shank, with "Fairmount Tool & Forging Inc." and "Cleveland Ohio Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.

The shank is also marked with a forged-in FTF-Triangle logo.

The overall length is 8.0 inches closed and about 9.3 inches fully extended. The finish is black paint.

The Lawson pipe wrench design is covered by patent #1,362,014, filed by G.C. Lawson in 1920 and issued later that year.

The Lawson pipe wrench was originally produced by Lawson Manufacturing. Lawson was later acquired by the U.S. Hame Company of Buffalo, and at some point Fairmount acquired the U.S. Hame Company. Production of the Lawson pipe wrench continued under Fairmount.

Alloy Steel Tools

By the early 1930s Fairmount was offering tools made of alloy steel. Catalog No. 335 from 1933 notes the use of chrome-vanadium steel for chisels, chrome-molybdenum steel for open-end wrenches, and unspecified alloys for some other tools.

Open-End Wrenches

Fig. 23A. 1933 Catalog Listing for Fairmount Chrome-Molybdenum Open-End Wrenches.

The scan in Fig. 23A shows a catalog listing for Fairmount chrome-molybdenum open-end wrenches, as published on page 25 of catalog 335 from 1933.

These wrenches were assigned ISN model numbers offset by 1000, the same numbering convention used by industry leaders J.H. Williams and Bonney Forge & Tool for their alloy-steel open-end wrenches.

The catalog does not specify the finish of the wrenches, but based on observed examples the finish was likely nickel plating.

In later years Fairmount marked its alloy-steel wrenches with "Chrome-Alloy" and/or "Fairalloy" rather than the more specific marking used in 1933.

In 1933 the distinction between Fairmount's carbon-steel and alloy-steel open-end wrenches was very clear, with carbon-steel (S.A.E. 1040) models bearing regular ISN model numbers, and chrome-molybdenum wrenches bearing 1xxx ISN numbers.

In later years though Fairmount used regular ISN numbers for alloy-steel wrenches, and this can be a cause of confusion, especially for tools made during the wartime years when alloy content was not necessarily marked.

Fairmount 723 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench

This next example is not marked for alloy content, but is believed to be made of alloy steel based on the length. (Fairmount's carbon-steel 723 wrench had a length of about 3.9 inches.)

Fig. 23B. Fairmount 723 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench, ca. 1942-1945.

Fig. 23B shows a Fairmount 723 3/8x7/16 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the Fairmount logo on one face.

The overall length is 4.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The plain finish suggests production during the wartime era.

Fairmount 1727 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrenches

The next two figures show examples of the Fairmount 1727 wrench, with minor differences in the markings.

Fig. 24A. Fairmount 1727 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail, ca. 1930s.

Fig. 24A shows a Fairmount 1727 9/16x5/8 open-end wrench, stamped "Fairmount Cleveland" on the face. The shank is stamped "Chrome Molybdenum" on the front, with "Fairmount Cleve" on the back side.

The overall length is 6.5 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with losses due to wear and rust.

Fig. 24B. Fairmount "Twin Coach" 1727 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail, ca. 1930s.

Fig. 24B shows another Fairmount 1727 9/16x5/8 open-end wrench, stamped "Twin Coach" and "Fairmount Cleveland" on the shank, with "Chrome Molybdenum" on the back side.

The overall length is 6.5 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The "Twin Coach" marking is made in a distinctive format, suggesting that it is the logo for a specific customer.

Fairmount "Fairalloy" 27-C 9/16x11/16 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 25. Fairmount "Fairalloy" 27-C 9/16x11/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

Fig. 25 shows a Fairmount 27-C 9/16x11/16 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the Fairmount logo on the face. The shank has forged-in markings "Chrome-Alloy" on the front, but partially ground off, with "Fairalloy" forged into the back side.

The overall length is 6.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Fairmount 28-S 5/8x25/32 Open-End Wrench

This next wrench is an example of a variant of Fairmount's production with a more pear-shaped head, sometimes called a "sharp" after the sharply point tips.

The wrench is not marked for alloy content, but is believed to be made of alloy steel based on the shape of the head and the relatively long length. (Fairmount's carbon-steel 28-S wrench had a length of about 6.9 inches.)

Fig. 25B. Fairmount 28-S 5/8x25/32 Open-End Wrench, ca. 1942-1945.

Fig. 25B shows a Fairmount 28-S 5/8x25/32 open-end wrench, stamped on the face with "Made in U.S.A." and the Fairmount logo. The back side shank has a forged-in code "A" (not shown).

The overall length is 8.1 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The plain finish suggests production during the wartime era.

Fairmount "Fairalloy" 731A 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 26. Fairmount "Fairalloy" 731A 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side.

Fig. 26 shows a Fairmount 731A 3/4x7/8 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the Fairmount logo on the face. The shank is marked with "Chrome-Alloy" forged into the front, with "Fairalloy" forged into the back side.

The overall length is 9.2 inches. The original finish was chrome plating, but much has been lost due to wear and rust, with traces of the copper undercoating visible in some areas.

Box-End Wrenches

Fairmount 8727 9/16x5/8 Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 27. Fairmount 8727 9/16x5/8 Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 27 shows a Fairmount 8727 9/16x5/8 offset box-end wrench, marked "U.S.A." with the model number and fractional sizes.

The overall length is 9.8 inches, and the finish is plain steel with traces of black paint.

Fairmount 8039S 1-1/4x1-3/8 Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 28. Fairmount 8039S 1-1/4x1-3/8 Offset Box-End Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 28 shows a Fairmount 8039S 1-1/4x1-3/8 offset box-end wrench, marked "U.S.A." with the model number and fractional sizes.

The overall length is 18.6 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

Fairmount 9723 3/8x7/16 Short Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 29. Fairmount 9723 3/8x7/16 Short Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 29 shows a Fairmount 9723 3/8x7/16 short offset box-end wrench, marked "U.S.A." with "Fairalloy" and the model number on the back side. (Note that the lower inset has been rotated for ease of viewing.)

The overall length is 4.7 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Fairmount 9725B 1/2x9/16 Short Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 30. Fairmount 9725B 1/2x9/16 Short Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 30 shows a Fairmount 9725B 1/2x9/16 short offset box-end wrench, stamped "U.S.A." with "Fairalloy" and the model number on the back side. (Note that the lower inset has been rotated for ease of viewing.)

The overall length is 5.7 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Fairmount 9727 Special 5/8x3/4 Short Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 31. Fairmount 9727 Special 5/8x3/4 Short Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Detail.

Fig. 31 shows a Fairmount 9727 "Special" 5/8x3/4 short offset box-end wrench, marked "U.S.A." with "Fairalloy" and "9727 Spec" on the back side. (Note that the lower inset has been rotated for ease of viewing.)

The overall length is 6.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The "Spec" marking probably indicates a special-order item, as the 9727 model number would normally indicate 9/16x5/8 openings, according to the Industry-Standard Wrench Sizes.

Specialty Tools

Fairmount AN8505-17 1-5/16x1-3/8 Thin Hydraulic Wrench

Fig. 32. Fairmount AN8505-17 1-5/16x1-3/8 Thin Hydraulic Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

Fig. 32 shows a Fairmount AN8505-17 1-5/16x1-3/8 thin hydraulic wrench, stamped with the Fairmount logo and "Made in U.S.A." on the shank.

The overall length is 8.9 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The AN series model number indicates that this wrench was likely made for a military contract, but currently we don't have any information on the specific application.

Fairmount AN8505-19 1-7/16x1-1/2 Thin Hydraulic Wrench

Fig. 33. Fairmount AN8505-19 1-7/16x1-1/2 Thin Hydraulic Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

Fig. 33 shows a Fairmount AN8505-19 1-7/16x1-1/2 thin hydraulic wrench, marked with "Fairmount U.S.A." forged into the front, with the AN series model number forged into the back side.

The overall length is 9.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel with some of the original black paint.

The AN series model number indicates that this wrench was likely made for a military contract, but currently we don't have any information on the specific application.