Keystone Manufacturing Company

Table of Contents

Introduction

Keystone Manufacturing was a tool maker operating in Buffalo, New York. The company's products included ratchets, ratchet drills, adjustable wrenches, and socket sets. One of their better-known products was the Westcott adjustable "S" wrench, originally produced by the Westcott company but made by Keystone from about 1900 onward.

Company History

Fig. 1. 1892 Notice for Keystone Manufacturing. [External Link]

Keystone Manufacturing was in business by 1892, based on the notice in Fig. 1, published on page 585 of the September 29, 1892 issue of The Iron Age.

The text notes the election of the board of directors and officers of the company, with G.A. Schaefer as president.

Fig. 2. 1893 Ad for Keystone Manufacturing. [External Link]

Fig. 2 shows an early ad for Keystone ratchet wrenches, as published on page 61 of the December 28, 1893 issue of The Iron Age.

Fig. 3. 1902 Ad for Keystone Manufacturing. [External Link]

Fig. 3 shows another ad for Keystone Manufacturing, as published on page 130 of the May 8, 1902 issue of The Iron Age. The illustration shows a "Monarch" ratchet drill and Westcott "S" pipe and nut wrenches.

Patents

Trademarks

In 1907 Keystone received the "Westcott" trademark #62,642 on May 21 for pipe and nut wrenches, the "Monarch" trademark #63,021 on June 4 for hand ratchets, and the "Keystone" trademark #63,022 on June 4 for hand ratchets and nail sets.

References and Resources

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

Industrial Distributors

Keystone tools were widely available through industrial distributors.

• Chas. A. Strelinger 1895. The 1895 catalog from Chas. A. Strelinger & Company lists Keystone adjustable ratchet wrenches on page 55.

• H. Channon 1910 The 1910 catalog from the H. Channon Company of Chicago lists Keystone reversible ratchets on page 515, and Monarch and Keystone Weston ratchets on page 517. Westcott adjustable pipe wrenches are listed on page 546 in sizes 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 inches.

• Chandler & Farquhar 1910. The 1910 catalog from the Chandler & Farquhar Company of Boston lists Westcott adjustable "S" nut and pipe wrenches on page 174. Keystone reversible ratchets and Monarch ratchet drills are listed on page 184.

• Cray Brothers 1912. The 1912 catalog from Cray Brothers, an industrial distributor in Cleveland, lists Westcott adjustable "S" wrenches on page 55. Also listed are Keystone straight adjustable wrenches on page 55 and Keystone reversible ratchets on page 59.

• Pittsburgh Gage & Supply 1913. The 1913 catalog from the Pittsburgh Gage & Supply Company lists Keystone reversible ratchets on pages 814-816, Monarch ratchets on page 817, Keystone Weston ratchets on page 818, Keystone ratchet socket wrenches on page 819, Keystone ratchet tap wrenches on page 820, and Keystone ratchet stud drivers on page 820. Other listings include Westcott adjustable "S" nut wrenches on page 839 and Westcott adjustable "S" pipe wrenches on page 839.

• H. Channon 1916. The 1916 catalog No. 80 from the H. Channon Company lists Keystone reversible ratchets on page 220.

• Chandler & Farquhar 1919. The 1919 catalog from the Chandler & Farquhar Company, an industrial distributor in Boston, lists Westcott adjustable "S" wrenches and adjustable "S" pipe wrenches on page 153. Also listed are Keystone reversible ratchets on page 205.

• Cragin & Company 1921. The 1921 catalog No. 2 from Cragin & Company of Seattle lists Westcott adjustable "S" wrenches on page 203 in sizes 6, 8, 10, and 12 inches. Also listed are Monarch ratchet drills on page 232, Keystone reversible ratchet drills on page 233, and Keystone ratchet tap wrenches on page 234.

• Ducommun "G" 1926. The 1926 catalog "G" from the Ducommun Corporation lists Westcott adjustable "S" wrenches on page 228, in sizes 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 inches. Also listed are Keystone reversible ratchets on page 344.

• Waterston No. 25 1926. The 1926 catalog No. 25 from J.M. Waterston of Detroit lists Westcott 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.

Selected Tools

Westcott No. 78 8 Inch Adjustable "S" Wrench

Fig. 4. Keystone Westcott No. 78 8 Inch Adjustable "S" Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 4 shows a Westcott No. 78 8 inch adjustable "S" wrench, marked with "Westcott" and "The Keystone Mfg. Co." forged into the handle. The lower inset shows the model number and size forged into the reverse side, which is also marked "Buffalo NY USA" (not shown).

The overall length is 7.9 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.1 inches. The finish is black paint.

Westcott No. 80 10 Inch Adjustable "S" Wrench

Fig. 5. Keystone Westcott No. 80 10 Inch Adjustable "S" Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 5 shows a Westcott No. 80 10 inch adjustable "S" wrench, marked with "Westcott" and "The Keystone Mfg. Co." cast into the handle, with "10 Inch No. 80" and "Buffalo NY USA" cast into the reverse.

The overall length is 10.2 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.5 inches. The finish is black paint.

Westcott No. 82 12 Inch Adjustable "S" Wrench

Fig. 6. Keystone Westcott No. 82 12 Inch Adjustable "S" Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 6 shows a Westcott No. 82 12 inch adjustable "S" wrench, marked with "Westcott" and "The Keystone Mfg. Co." cast into the handle, with "12 Inch No. 82" and "Buffalo NY USA" cast into the reverse.

The overall length is 11.8 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.7 inches. The finish is black paint.

Keystone M1555 Ratchet

Fig. 7. Keystone M1555 1/2-Hex Drive Ratchet, with Inset for Reverse.

Fig. 7 shows a 1/2-hex drive Keystone M1555 ratchet, with "Ratchet Wrench" forged in the handle, and with "The Keystone Mfg. Co." and "Buffalo, N.Y. U.S.A." on the reverse.

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

Keystone 1/2-hex Drive Socket Set

The next several figures show a Keystone 1/2-hex drive socket set in a folding metal case.

Fig. 8. Keystone 1/2-Hex Drive Socket Set, with Inset for Top View.

Fig. 8 shows a 1/2-hex drive Keystone socket set in a compact folding case, as seen from the side and top. The set consists of an M1555 ratchet, an ell handle, eight sockets, and the metal case.

Fig. 9. Keystone 1/2-Hex Drive Sockets in Holder.

In Fig. 9 the metal holder has been opened to show the sockets in place. Note how the sides have been folded over and cut with scalloped openings to secure the sockets in place.

The sockets are broached with 12-point openings. The socket sizes are, from the left, 15/16, 7/8, 3/4, 11/16, 5/8, 9/16, 1/2, and 7/16.

Keystone 1/2-Hex Drive Ell-Handle and Ratchet from Socket Set

Fig. 10. Keystone 1/2-Hex Drive Ratchet and Ell Handle.

Fig. 10 shows the 1/2-hex drive M1555 ratchet and ell handle from the Keystone socket set.

The ratchet is shown with the 1/2-hex drive stud. The forged handle has raised-letter markings "Ratchet Wrench M1555" on one side, with "The Keystone Mfg. Co." and "Buffalo, N.Y. U.S.A." on the reverse. The overall length is 7.5 inches.

The ell handle is unmarked and has an overall length of 7.1 inches. The straight end of the handle does not have stop tabs, making it possible to push the handle through the ratchet for use as an extension.

Keystone 1/2-Hex Drive Sockets from Socket Set

Fig. 11. Keystone 1/2-Hex Drive Sockets.

Fig. 11 shows a closeup of three 1/2-hex drive sockets from the Keystone set. The sockets have a band of cross-hatched knurling around the base, and are marked with only the fractional sizes.

The sizes are, from the left, 7/16, 5/8, and 15/16.