J.M. King & Company

Table of Contents

Introduction

J.M. King & Company was an early maker of taps, dies, and pliers operating in Waterford, New York. The company is best known as the originator of "Button's Pliers", a popular style of wire-cutting pliers.

Company History

J.M. King & Company was an early maker of taps, dies, and related tools in Waterford, New York. The company was established by Daniel B. King in 1829, and by 1849 had been organized as J.M. King & Company.

In the late 1860s the company introduced a line of wire-cutting pliers that became their best known product and most enduring contribution to the tool-making art. These pliers came to be called "Button Pliers", for reasons not yet clear, and in later years other makers referred to the design as "Button's Pattern".

Fig. 1A. 1886 Reference to J.M. King & Company. [External Link]

Fig. 1A shows a notice for J.M. King & Company, as published in the 1886 book The City of Troy and Its Vicinity by Arthur James Weise (Edward Green, Troy 1886).

The description notes the particulars of the founding of the company, and mentions their products as including button pliers, stocks and dies, and various types of taps.

This is currently our earliest reference to the term "Button Pliers".

Button pattern pliers were actually based on the 1867 patent 67,370, issued to W.X. Stevens of Waterford, New York.

The patent document doesn't mention an assignment to J.M. King or any other party, and it's unclear whether the patent was later purchased or just licensed.

Fig. 1B. 1891 Ad for J.M. King Botton's Pliers. [External Link]

Fig. 1B shows an ad for J.M. King Button's pliers, as published on page 70 of the February 18, 1891 issue of The Iron Age.

Fig. 2. 1897 Strelinger Catalog Listing for J.M. King Button Pliers. [External Link]

Fig. 2 shows a catalog listing for King "Button's Pliers", as published in the 1897 catalog from Charles A. Strelinger & Company.

Note that the text cites J.M. King as the original maker of this style and mentions that other companies were producing copies. The patent for the design would have expired in 1884.

Fig. 2B. 1897 Sears Roebuck Catalog Listing for J.M. King Button Pliers.

Around this same time the King Button pliers were also being offered by Sears Roebuck.

Fig. 2B shows a catalog listing for King "Button's Plier and Cutter", as published on page 82 of the 1897 Sears Roebuck catalog.

The pliers were available in sizes 6, 8, and 10 inches.

Incorporation in 1906

Fig. 3. 1906 Notice of Incorporation for J.M. King Company.

Fig. 3 shows a notice of incorporation for the J.M. King Company, as published on page 42 [External Link] of the March 1, 1906 issue of The Iron Trade Review.

The text notes the incorporators as Thomas Breslin, Charles L. Mitchell, and Chauncey J. Hamlin, with the capital stock stated as $40,000.

Fig. 4. 1909 Advertisement for J.M. King Button's Pattern Pliers. [External Link]

Fig. 4 shows an ad for J.M. King Button's pliers, as published on page 250 of the March 4, 1909 issue of The Iron Age.

This is the last advertisement for J.M. King & Company that we've been able to find.

Note that the illustration includes a "Button Pliers" marking, indicating that the later production of the pliers probably included this marking.

Later History

Thomas Breslin served as the company's president and treasurer from its incorporation in 1906 until his death in 1911. Apart from some obituary notices for Breslin in 1911, no further references in the trade press for J.M. King & Company have been found.

Patents

Trademarks

J.M. King is not known to have registered any trademarks.

References and Resources

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

Currently we do not have any catalogs for J.M. King & Company.

Industrial Distributors

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

Selected Tools

J.M. King 5 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers

Fig. 5. J.M. King 5 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1880s to Early 1900s.

Fig. 5 shows a pair of J.M. King 5 inch Button's Pattern pliers, stamped "Button Pliers" on the face, with "King & Co" and "Waterford" on the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 4.9 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Although not marked with a patent notice, these pliers are covered by patent 67,370, issued to W.X. Stevens on July 30, 1867. The absence of a patent notice suggests that this example was probably made after the patent had expired.

These pliers include the Waterford location and "Button Pliers" marking, but not the patent date, suggesting that the Waterford and Button markings were added at a later time.

J.M. King 6 Inch Button Pattern Pliers

Fig. 6. J.M. King 6 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1867 to 1880s.

Fig. 6 shows an early pair of J.M. King 6 inch Button's Pattern pliers, stamped with "J.M. King & Co" and "Pat'd July 30, 1867" on the underside of the handles.

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

The patent date refers to patent 67,370, issued to W.X. Stevens on the stated date. (For some reason this early patent doesn't list the filing date.)

J.M. King 8 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers

The next several figures show examples of the J.M. King 8 inch Button's Pattern pliers, with some differences noted in the markings.

Fig. 7. J.M. King 8 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers, with Insets for Side View, Construction, and Marking Detail, ca. 1867 to 1880s.

Fig. 7 shows a early pair of J.M. King 8 inch Button's Pattern pliers, stamped with "J.M. King & Co." and "Pat'd July 30, 1867" on the underside of the handles.

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

The middle left inset shows the angled cutting slot placed between the jaws, a distinctive feature of the J.M. King Button pliers.

The patent date refers to patent 67,370, issued to W.X. Stevens on July 30, 1867.

Fig. 8. J.M. King 8 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers, with Insets for Side View, Construction, and Marking Detail, ca. 1880s to Early 1900s.

Fig. 8 shows a pair of J.M. King 8 inch Button's Pattern pliers, stamped "Button Pliers" near the pivot, and with "King & Co." and "Wate..." on the underside of the handles.

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

The middle left inset shows the angled cutting slot placed between the jaws, a distinctive feature of the J.M. King Button pliers. The center inset shows a close-up of the "Button Pliers" marking.

Although not marked with a patent notice, these pliers are covered by patent 67,370, issued to W.X. Stevens on July 30, 1867. The absence of a patent notice suggests that this example was probably made after the patent had expired.

These pliers include the Waterford location and "Button Pliers" marking, but not the patent date, suggesting that the Waterford and Button markings were added at a later time.

Fig. 9. King 8 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1880s to Early 1900s.

Fig. 9 shows another pair of J.M. King 8 inch Button's Pattern pliers, stamped "King & Co." and "Waterford" on the underside of the handles. This pair is quite similar to the previous example, but lacks the "Button Pliers" marking.

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

The absence of a patent notice suggests that this example was probably made after the patent had expired.

These pliers include the Waterford location but not the patent date, suggesting that the Waterford marking was added at a later time.

J.M. King 10 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers

Fig. 10. J.M. King 10 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers, with Insets for Side View, Construction, and Marking Detail, ca. 1880s to Early 1900s.

Fig. 10 shows a pair of J.M. King 10 inch Button's Pattern pliers, stamped with "Button Pliers" on the face, and with "King & Co." and "Waterford" on the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 9.9 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The middle left inset shows the angled cutting slot placed between the jaws, a distinctive feature of the J.M. King Button pliers. The center inset shows a close-up of the "Button Pliers" marking.

Although not marked with a patent notice, these pliers are covered by patent 67,370, issued to W.X. Stevens on July 30, 1867. The absence of a patent notice suggests that this example was probably made after the patent had expired.

These pliers include the Waterford location and "Button Pliers" marking, but not the patent date, suggesting that the Waterford and Button markings were added at a later time.

Fig. 11. J.M. King 10 Inch Button's Pattern Pliers, with Insets for Side View, Construction, and Marking Detail, ca. 1880s to Early 1900s.

Fig. 11 shows another pair of J.M. King 10 inch Button's Pattern pliers, stamped with "Button Pliers" on the upper handle, and with "M. King & Co." and "Waterford NY" on the underside of the handles.

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

These pliers include an angled cutting slot placed between the jaws similar to that in the previous figure, and also have a screwdriver tip on one handle.

Although not marked with a patent notice, these pliers are covered by patent 67,370, issued to W.X. Stevens on July 30, 1867. The absence of a patent notice suggests that this example was probably made after the patent had expired.