| Alloy Artifacts |
H.K. Porter was founded in 1880 by Henry K. Porter and operated as a maker of bolt cutters and wire cutters.
H.K. Porter, Incorporated was founded in 1880 as a maker of bolt cutters and wire cutters. The founder was Henry K. Porter, an inventor with numerous patents for bolt clippers and related tools.
The company initially operated in Boston and became well known for their line of "Easy", "New Easy" and "O.K." compound-leverage bolt cutters.
By 1890 H.K. Porter was offering the "Easy" bolt clippers.
Fig. 321A shows an ad for the H.K. Porter "Easy" bolt clippers, as published on page 100 of the July 20, 1893 issue of The Iron Age.
A close look at the handle of the clippers shows patent dates of April 6, 1880, January 18, 1881, and August 9, 1881.
Fig. 321B shows a notice for the H.K. Porter "Easy" bolt clippers, as published on page 32 of the October 10, 1894 issue of Hardware.
The text claims that over 29,000 bolt clippers had been sold prior to the start of 1894.
By 1902 the company had moved to nearby Everett, Massachusetts, with an office and factory at 6 Ashland Street.
An announcement in the May, 1902 issue of The Blacksmith and Wheelwright gave the running sales tally as 77,000 clippers sold.
By 1940 H.K. Porter had established a Porter-Ferguson division after acquiring the Ferguson Auto Body and Fender operations from Trimont Manufacturing of Roxbury, Massachusetts.
By 1948 H.K. Porter had moved to nearby Somerville, Massachusetts.
| Patent No. | Inventor | Filed | Issued | Notes and Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 584,191 | H.K. Porter | 02/10/1897 | 06/08/1897 | Bolt Clipper |
| 909,663 | H.K. Porter | 08/01/1908 | 01/12/1909 | Bolt Clipper |
| Text Mark or Logo | Reg. No. | First Use | Date Filed | Date Issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "NEW EASY." | 153,825 | 11/01/1893 | 03/28/1922 | Block text.
For bolt clippers. |
|
| PORTER'S | 246,233 | 01/01/1881 | 05/11/1928 | 09/04/1928 | Text "PORTER'S" in stylized font.
For clippers and rod cutters. Serial 266,269. Published June 19, 1928. |
| HKP [stylized] | 270,480 | 11/01/1917 | 05/06/1930 | Text "HKP" in stylized font.
For two-hand cutting tools. |
|
| FORESTER | 310,125 | 08/18/1933 | 02/13/1934 | Block text.
For brush cutting, pruning, and trimming tools. |
|
| HKP [stylized] | 349,385 | 11/01/1917 | 08/24/1937 | Text "HKP" in stylized font.
For two-hand and single-hand cutting-off tools. |
Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in the Alloy Artifacts Collection.
| Catalog | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Catalog No. 303C | 1939 | Copyright 1939 H.K. Porter, Inc. 40 pages.
Available for Download [External Link] from ITCL. |
| Catalog No. 530A | 1950 | No copyright, dated 5-50 on back cover. 24 pages.
Company address in Somerville, Massachusetts. Notes Porter-Ferguson division for auto body and fender tools. Available for Download [External Link] from ITCL. |
| Catalog No. 779 | 1958 | No copyright, dated 11-58 on back cover. 12 pages.
Available for Download [External Link] from ITCL. |
H.K. Porter tools were available from some industrial distributors. We'll add references as time permits.
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