Kraeuter & Company

Table of Contents

Introduction

Kraeuter & Company was an early tool maker, established in the mid nineteenth century and best known for their high quality pliers.

Company History

Kraeuter & Company was founded by August Kraeuter, a German immigrant who came to America in 1859 at 22 years of age.

Although the company's later catalogs and advertisements state that the company was established in 1860, the historical record doesn't support such an early founding date. A biography of August Kraeuter on page 247 of the 1898 Biographical and Genealogical History of the City of Newark [External Link] notes that Kraeuter began employment working for a pistol maker in Newark, New Jersey, and then worked with Henry Sauerbier in the manufacture of arms for the government.

By 1864 August Kraeuter was in the partnership of Heuschkel, Kraeuter & Company, and by 1869 with Foerster & Kraeuter. Finally, in 1878 Kraeuter began his own business manufacturing tools.

Thus the historical record suggests 1878 as a more realistic founding date, and the claim of being established in 1860 appears to be a company myth.

The company's earliest products were primarily machinists' tools such as calipers.

Succession by Arthur A. Kraeuter

In 1902 August Kraeuter sold the business to Arthur A. Kraeuter, his eldest son by his second marriage. Arthur A. Kraeuter had worked with his father and knew the business well, and proved to be an adept manager. Kraeuter & Company's products around this time included ticket punches, calipers, and specialty tools, but the company soon became a major manufacturer of pliers.

The scan in Fig. 1 shows a notice published on page 77 [External Link] of the November 26, 1903 issue of The Iron Age, illustrating the Kraeuter No. 305 universal pliers and explaining how they work with objects of different shapes.

By 1904 Kraeuter was producing a wide range of tools and hardware items, including ticket punches, calipers, chisels, punches, pliers, and wrenches.

The full line of Kraeuter products was available through Tower & Lyon, a distributor and manufacturer's agent, and their 1904 catalog devoted pages 39 through 64 to Kraeuter.

The scan in Fig. 2 shows a notice published on page 50 [External Link] of the February 13, 1904 issue of The Metal Worker, Plumber and Steam Fitter. The illustration shows a "Bonney Adjustable Alligator Wrench" made by Kraeuter.

The "Bonney" in the notice refers to Charles S. Bonney, who received a patent for the tool. An example of this tool can be seen as the Kraeuter Adjustable Alligator Wrench in a later figure.

Fig. 3 shows a small ad for "The Victor" universal slip-joint pliers, as published in the July, 1904 issue of the Hardware Dealers' Magazine.

These pliers were one of the company's most popular models and remained in production for many years.

Nickel Steel and the "Dreadnought" Line

In 1914 Kraeuter introduced a significant new product, the No. 2801 "Dreadnought" lineman's pliers. These pliers were forged from nickel alloy steel and featured a new "Don't Slip" gripping pattern, for which Kraeuter received design patent D46,682 in that same year.

The scan in Fig. 4 shows a catalog listing for the No. 2801 pliers, as published on page 15 of the 1916 catalog from Central Automobile Supply of Des Moines, Iowa.

A close look at the illustration shows the text "Dreadnought" and "Nickel Steel" on the face, with "Forged Nickel Steel" on the underside of the handle.

We were fortunate to acquire an early example of the No. 2801 pliers, which can be seen as the Kraeuter No. 2801 Lineman's Pliers in a later figure.

The usage of nickel steel for these pliers is one of the earliest confirmed instances of alloy steel in hand tools, and significantly predates the widespread adoption of alloy steel by Bonney and others in the early 1920s.

Kraeuter also used nickel steel for a premium line of chisels, which shared the "Dreadnought" moniker as well, suggesting that Kreauter was considering this as a brand to denote its alloy steel.

Combination Side-Cutting Pliers and "Beauty Handles"

By around 1915 Kraeuter had started developing a new type of slip-joint combination pliers with a novel feature, side-cutting edges. For most combination pliers the slip joint was too sloppy to allow side cutters to align properly, but Kraeuter thought they could make it work. The result was the No. 1873 "Gripkut" slip-joint side-cutting pliers, which were available by 1916.

To protect their new pliers from competition, Kraeuter apparently sought to get two patents for the pliers, one of which was to be a design patent for a new gripping pattern. Once the new gripping pattern was ready, Kraeuter used it for a new model No. 1973 "Gripkut" pliers, which were probably available by 1917.

No functional patent for the pliers is known, but the design patent was eventually issued as patent D59,602 in 1921. (A more in-depth discussion of the mystery around this patent can be found in the section on Handle Patterns.)

Kraeuter was apparently much enamored of the new handle pattern, which they referred to as "Beauty Handles" in a catalog from around 1921.

Within a few years the new gripping pattern was being used for other models of pliers.

Fig. 5 shows an ad for Kraeuter [No. 1305] "Victor" pliers, as published on page 1138 of the July, 1920 edition of The Automobile Trade Directory.

The illustration shows the new "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern. Although not mentioned in the text, these pliers were given model No. 1305 and were functionally equivalent to the older No. 305 "Victor" pliers, but with a new handle pattern.

By 1921 Kraeuter was offering No. 1356 combination pliers with the "Beauty Handles" pattern, which were functionally equivalent to the older No. 356 pliers. The new model can be found on a price list published on page 98 of the July, 1921 edition of The American Machine & Tool Record.

A Kraeuter catalog from around 1921 listed five models with the new "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern: the original No. 1973 pliers, as well as Nos. 1305, 1356, 1821, and 1824.

Factory Expansion

In 1917 Kraeuter saw an opportunity to expand by adding a new factory, which was to be built in nearby Irvington, New Jersey. A profile of the company in the 1945 The Story of New Jersey states that the immediate reason for the factory was to manufacture shell forgings for the US government, as the country geared up for World War I.

Fig. 6 shows a notice announcing plans for Kraeuter to erect a new factory in Irvington, as published on page 716 of the June 15, 1917 issue of Metallurgical and Chemical Engineering.

This notice of the factory expansion was a welcome discovery, as it provides a reasonable explanation of an otherwise puzzling facet of Kraeuter's history. In the years before 1920 Kraeuter had consistently marked its tools with the company's Newark location, but by 1920 had removed the Newark marking from most of its catalog illustrations. We have known of the removal of the Newark marking around 1920 for quite a while, and have even used it as an approximate clue to the manufacturing date for tools, but the motivation for the change has not been clear until now.

When the second factory returned to civilian production in 1918, the company would have faced a choice of marking the tools made in Irvington either with the new location, with the older Newark location (the company headquarters), or with no location marking at all.

The company apparently decided that having tools marked for multiple locations would not be worth the trouble, and so began phasing out the Newark marking instead. Presumably the tools made in Irvington would have been marked with just the company name from the beginning, and the marking dies with the Newark location were gradually replaced as they wore out.

The new factory had substantial capacity, as we can learn from a noise nuisance lawsuit [External Link] that the factory in Irvington had 28 drop-hammers ranging in size from 400 to 2000 pounds falling weight.

Company Treasurer

By 1919 Camille L. Gairoard had become the company's treasurer. Gairoard had been associated with the company since 1905, but somewhat curiously was also the sales manager for the J.Wiss & Sons Company, a manufacturer of scissors and cutlery.

By 1921 Gairoard had become the sales manager for Kraeuter & Company as well.

Fig. 7 shows a full-page ad providing a snapshot of the Kraeuter line of that time, as published on page 147 of the March, 1922 edition of Hardware Retailer.

The illustration at the upper left appears to show a point-of-sale display board with many models of pliers.

Magazine Advertisements

In the mid 1920s Kraeuter placed advertisements in some of the popular magazines of the day.

The scan in Fig. 8 shows a full-page ad for Kraeuter pliers, as published on page 93 [External Link] of the May, 1924 issue of Popular Science Monthly.

Included in the illustration (from the top) are the No. 1661 Needle Nose Side-Cutting Pliers, No. 356 Slip-Joint Pliers, No. 1973 Slip-Joint Side-Cutting Pliers, No. 1831 Electrician's Pliers, and No. A1618 Open-End Wrench.

Note that the No. 1973 pliers are illustrated with the "Beauty Handles" variant of the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern. This pattern was used as early as 1917, but later production of the No. 1973 pliers used the 1914 "Don't Slip" pattern. (See Fig. 39 for reference.)

Note also that the underside of the handles (visible for the No. 1973 and No. 356 pliers) shows "Kraeuter U.S.A." instead of the older "Forged Steel". This advertisement provides an important clue to estimating production dates.

The 1929 Catalog

In 1929 Kraeuter published their catalog No. 14, which highlights the company's product line with 72 pages of exquisite illustrations. (This is easily the highest quality tool catalog we've ever seen.)

The catalog shows most of their pliers with the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern or the "Beauty Handles" variant, and the plier handles generally show "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside.

This catalog also introduces the "Supreme" classification, first applied to the No. 4801 lineman's pliers and in later years selectively extended to a few other models.

The Craftsman Contract

In 1930 Kraeuter landed an important contract to supply pliers for the Sears Roebuck Craftsman brand. The Craftsman brand was relatively new at the time and 1930 was the first year to offer Craftsman branded pliers. Kraeuter provided pliers of several types, including linemen's, electrician's, Button's pattern, and diagonal cutters.

To identify Kraeuter as a supplier to Craftsman, we have provided a detailed analysis of certain production characteristics of the Button's pattern pliers, which can be found in the Maker Kraeuter case study in our article on Craftsman manufacturer's codes.

But for Kraeuter experts, there's an easier way to establish Kraeuter as a supplier to Craftsman. In their haste to sell products to the big new customer, the first catalog listings for the Craftsman linemen's pliers were illustrated using the easily recognizable "Don't Slip" gripping pattern!

The scan in Fig. 9 shows the listing for Craftsman linemen's pliers, as published on page 1060 of the 1930 Sears catalog No. 161.

For subsequent catalog illustrations, Kraeuter developed a custom diamond-checkered gripping pattern for its Craftsman production.

We haven't actually seen any examples of Craftsman pliers marked with the "Don't Slip" pattern, so it's possible that the illustration was just a catalog tease, with the new custom gripping pattern ready by the time the tools were actually produced. But if Craftsman pliers with the "Don't Slip" pattern do exist, it would indicate production in late 1930 to early 1931.

Kraeuter's Craftsman production probably kept the company pretty busy, but the company also continued to develop pliers for other markets as well.

The scan in Fig. 10 shows a notice for Kraeuter brake pliers, as published on page 59 of the November 12, 1931 issue of Hardware Age.

The text describes the operation of the No. 751-7 brake shoe washer spreader pliers and No. 851-10 brake band pliers.

New Management

In 1933 Camille L. Gairoard purchased Kraeuter & Company and became company president. Gairoard was a long-time employee and had been the company's treasurer since around 1919, and sales manager since 1921.

At the same time Gairoard also purchased The Kroydon Company, a maker of golf clubs established by Arthur A. Kraeuter around 1920.

We haven't found any contemporary notices of the company succession in the trade press, which seems surprising since Kraeuter & Company was well known at the time. A much later profile of the company in a 1960 issue of Hardware Age clarified the ownership transition.

After selling the company, Arthur A. Kraeuter appears to have devoted his time to golf and golf equipment, as he received several patents for golf clubs in the 1930s and 1940s.

The scan in Fig. 11 shows an ad for Kraeuter pliers, as published on page 83 of the May 7, 1936 issue of Hardware Age.

The illustration shows several new models of pliers, including the model 236-238 diagonal cutters, model 936-938 "Hy-Power" diagonal cutters and cotter-pin pullers, and models 516 and 518 "Grip-It" pliers.

A close look at the illustration for the "Hy-Power" pliers reveals a "Pat. Appld. For" notation, a reference to patent 2,043,373, filed in 1935 by Camille Gairoard and issued in 1936.

A notable detail in the ad is the absence of a "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking on the underside of the handles, visible in the illustrations for the Nos. 236-238 diagonal cutting pliers (middle left) and No. 2801-S lineman's pliers (lower left).

Just as an earlier ad in 1924 provided evidence that the "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking was in use, the present 1936 ad shows that the marking had been (or was being) discontinued. This is an important clue for estimating production dates.

This ad is currently our only published reference for the model 236-238 diagonal cutters. By 1939 these models had been renumbered to 246-248 respectively, which are listed in the 1939 Kraeuter catalog as "Extra-Heavy-Duty" diagonal cutters.

The text in the lower right corner mentions the availability of catalog No. 16. No copies are currently known, but hopefully it will turn up at some point.

The Supreme Line

In the mid to late 1930s Kraeuter appeared to be building out its "Supreme" line of pliers, models that had been designated as representing the highest quality in utility and finish. The line had started in 1929 with the No. 4801 "Supreme" lineman's pliers.

To facilitate studying these models, we gathered our "Supreme" pliers into the section The Supreme Line, and this lead to the observation that most of the examples had been produced in the mid to late 1930s. In addition, most of the "Supreme" pliers were not new models, so the new designation was just a recognition of certain models as the pinnacle of quality.

The logical conclusion of selecting and marking the "Supreme" pliers should have been a triumphant announcement of the "Supreme Collection" in the next catalog edition, which appeared in 1939. But Kraeuter's plans appear to have been disrupted by an adverse event.

The 1939 Catalog

Kraeuter's catalog No. 18 of 1939 shows a significant (and abrupt) change for the company's line of pliers.

After decades of producing pliers with intricate forged-in gripping patterns, most of the pliers in this catalog are illustrated with plain handles. Only four models (Nos. 356, 1903, 1913, and 1973) mention the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern, and for each of these cases a second model with plain handles was available. Even the flagship No. 4801 "Supreme" lineman's pliers are shown with plain handles.

There are a few cases where the illustration shows the "Don't Slip" pattern without it being mentioned in the text description, but for the most of the pliers there is no indication of a gripping pattern.

We think this change indicates that Kraeuter was struggling with production costs and was trying to find an acceptable compromise. The cases where pliers were available with or without the "Don't Slip" pattern could be viewed as an experiment to test customers' preferences.

The change is all the more surprising when we consider that Kraeuter had been adding models to its "Supreme" line in the mid 1930s, all of which had either the "Don't Slip" or "Beauty Handles" gripping patterns.

Wrecked by Sears?

We think we can offer an explanation for the company's sudden change of fortunes, and it's closely connected with the Sears contract for Craftsman pliers.

Recent (2024) research suggests that Sears wanted its pliers made from vanadium steel so they could be marked "Craftsman Vanadium", but Kraeuter resisted changing to chrome-vanadium steel, probably citing the superiority of its own alloys and the disruption to production from changing alloys.

Then around 1936 Sears responded by bringing in a new supplier willing to use vanadium steel, who turned out to be Champion DeArment. The new vendor marked its production with "Craftsman Vanadium" from the beginning, and also adopted a simple geometric "Nested Diamonds" gripping pattern. As production ramped up, Sears steered its purchases to the "Craftsman Vanadium" pliers.

By 1938 Kraeuter realized it had made a serious misjudgement and switched its Craftsman production to chrome-vanadium steel, as Sears had requested years earlier. But the consequences of the delay would have been severe, both from reduced sales due to sharing the market with Champion DeArment, as well as increased costs due to the disruption of Kraeuter's own production.

Further discussion of the events noted above can be found in the section Craftsman Vanadium Pliers. Our explanation is still hypothetical, but is well supported by observations of Craftsman pliers, and the timing of the changes fits the notable change in the 1939 catalog.

Stratification of Product Lines

By 1946 Kraeuter had regrouped all of its pliers models into six product lines, termed "Supreme", "Industrial", "Combination", "Professional", "Jewelers", and K-Diamond. The 1946 catalog identifies the lines and indicates to which line each model belongs.

This was basically a marketing change, most likely driven by rising costs and competition, and apparently was intended to group models, features, and finish options into categories that would have greater appeal for specific industries.

By this time the use of forged-in gripping patterns had been discontinued. Most pliers had smooth handles, with a few models offering a "knurled" pattern that only hinted at the earlier elegant and highly detailed gripping patterns.

The "Supreme" line was now distinguished by a full polish finish.

Management Succession

After the death of Camille Gairoard in 1956 his daughter Marie-Louise Gairoard became the owner and president of the company.

Cushion Grip Handles

By 1957 Kraeuter was offering color-coded plastic "Cushion Grip" handles for most of its fixed-pivot pliers. The company placed an ad for the new "CG" pliers on page 204 [External Link] of the August, 1957 issue of Popular Mechanics.

Around this time Kraeuter also began offering Crescent-style adjustable wrenches in its catalogs, with design features that identify Utica as the likely contract manufacturer.

Acquisition by Symington Wayne

By 1964 (or possibly 1963) Kraueter & Company had become a division of Symington Wayne, the corporate parent of Sherman-Klove (S-K) and the Lectrolite Corporation. The headquarters of Kraeuter was listed in Defiance, Ohio, the long-time home of Lectrolite, although the company still operated its facility in Newark, New Jersey.

The 1964 S-K Wayne catalog listed a number of pliers made by Kraeuter, with the new model numbers cross-referenced to the old Kraeuter numbers.

By 1965 the Kraeuter line had been expanded to include sockets and drive tools, with production by S-K.

Later Operations

By 1968 Symington Wayne (along with Kraeuter) had been acquired by Dresser Industries, a conglomerate making tools and machinery. In later years Kraeuter was listed as a division of Dresser Industries.

Patents

Trademarks

Unlike most of its competitors, Kraeuter did not make use of trademarked brand names, preferring to use just the company name. Even the company name was not registered until the 1960s, when "Kraeuter & Company" was registered as #775,742 on August 25, 1964.

The first use date given with this late registration was 1910, but we know from earlier advertisements that Kraeuter was using its name well before then. This shows the danger of relying on first-use dates provided at a much later time.

On January 14, 1964 the company filed a trademark application for the K-Diamond logo, with the first use date listed as 1910. The application was published on May 26, 1964, and the trademark was issued as #774,955. (This registration was canceled in 1970.)

On October 24, 1972 Dresser Industries filed a trademark application for "KRAEUTER" for use with socket wrenches and sets, with the first use date listed as February of 1965. The application was published on October 29, 1974 with serial 439,213. The trademark was issued as #1,002,227 on January 21, 1975.

Tool Identification

K-Diamond Logo

Fig. 12 shows the K-Diamond logo forged into a tool.

Manufacturing Dates

Kraeuter tools were not marked with an explicit manufacturing date or code, so any estimate of the manufacturing date must be made based on construction, markings, or other factors. In order to assist with estimating manufacturing dates, we hope to develop some guidelines based on tool markings and other characteristics.

Handle Patterns

Over the years Kraeuter used various handle patterns for its pliers, and these provide a rich source of clues to the manufacturing dates, both in the patterns themselves and in the text commonly forged into the underside of the handles.

Two of the handle patterns were described by design patents and deserve special discussion. Specifically, these were the 1914 "Don't Slip" pattern in patent D46,682, and the 1921 variant in patent D59,602, which Kraeuter referred to as "Beauty Handles". (Kraeuter actually filed a third design patent for a handle pattern, but it is not known to have been produced.)

Fig. 13 shows the "Don't Slip" handle pattern described in design patent D46,682, filed on July 22, 1914 and issued on November 24, 1914.

The 1914 "Don't Slip" pattern was initially used only for the No. 2801 "Dreadnought" lineman's pliers, and the Kraeuter catalog from around 1921 still shows only this model with the 1914 pattern. However, by 1929 most other pliers had been updated to use the 1914 "Don't Slip" pattern.

Fig. 14 shows the "Beauty Handles" pattern described in design patent D59,602, filed on April 8, 1920 and issued on November 8, 1921.

The "Beauty Handles" pattern was originally thought to have followed a path similar to the 1914 patent, but with a slightly longer period between the filing and issue date.

However, a recent discovery (January 2022) has revealed a much more confusing history. While doing some routine cross-referencing of tools in distributor catalogs, we ran across a listing for the Kraeuter No. 1973 "Gripkut" pliers clearly illustrated with the "Beauty Handles" pattern, and bearing a "Pats Pending" marking, but published in the 1918 Buhl Sons catalog, two years before the design patent filing!

The scan in Fig. 15 shows a catalog listing for Kraeuter No. 1973 "Gripkut" pliers, as published on page 344 of the 1918 Buhl Sons catalog.

Note that the illustration is marked "Pats Pending" near the pivot, with "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J." below.

With this unexpected discovery of a 1918 published reference to the No. 1973 "Gripkut" pliers with the "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern, we did some further research and found even earlier public references to "Gripkut". The 1916 Central Auto Supply catalog offered No. 1873 "Gripkut" pliers with the older handle pattern, and the January, 1917 edition of the Chilton Automobile Directory lists the Kraeuter "Gripkut" brand under "Pliers" on page 361 [External Link], along with their other brands "Dreadnought" and "Victor".

We can use this newly discovered information to construct a hypothetical narrative for the origin of the No. 1973 "Gripkut" pliers and the "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern.

Around 1915 Kraeuter apparently began developing a new model of combination pliers with a novel side-cutting feature. The result became the No. 1873 slip-joint side-cutting pliers, for which Kraeuter coined the term "Gripkut" as a brand. The No. 1873 "Gripkut" pliers were available as early as 1916 based on a catalog listing, and Chilton was informed of the "Gripkut" brand early enough to include it in its January 1917 directory,

In order to fend off competition, Kraeuter sought to protect the pliers with patents, one of which was to be a design patent for a new gripping pattern, with another patent possibly for the functional addition of side-cutters. Kraeuter proceeded to design a new handle pattern as a variant of its 1914 "Don't Slip" pattern, but decided to use the new pattern on a new model No. 1973 "Gripkut" pliers.

As the No. 1973 pliers neared production, Kraeuter prepared the illustration for the catalog engraving, with markings including "Gripkut" and "Pats Pending", along with the standard "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J." used at that time. The "Pats Pending" marking would have been made in good faith, as the company planned to submit patent applications in the near future.

By around 1917 the pliers were ready for production, and catalog engravings were made available to any distributors planning to carry the new No. 1973 pliers. From our observations, at least two distributors (Buhl Sons Company and Tool Specialty Company) received and published the early engravings for the No. 1973 pliers. But for whatever reason, the patent applications either didn't get filed, or were filed and rejected.

By 1920 Kraeuter had revised most of its catalog illustrations for pliers, including the No. 1973 model, with the markings now limited to just the "Kraeuter" name. (The newly simplified illustrations were published in the 1920 Pittsburgh Auto Equipment catalog.) The company also filed a belated application for a design patent on the gripping pattern for the No. 1973 pliers, which became patent D59,602 in 1921.

Our hypothesis above may not have captured every detail of the actual events, but we believe it provides a plausible and reasonable explanation of the known facts.

Factors for Estimating Production Dates

The following list of events and observations may be helpful in estimating the manufacturing date for some tools.

• Polished (Non-Patterned) Handles.

  The 1904 Tower & Lyon catalog shows Kraeuter pliers with smoothly polished handles. This type of handle finish is believed to have been used until around 1910, when patterned handles were introduced.

• Dimple-Diamond Handle Pattern.

  Some time around 1910 Kraeuter began offering patterned handles on its pliers, initially using a dimpled field with a raised diamond in the center. The pattern was actually forged into the handles, initially with a "Forged Steel" marking appearing on the underside. We'll refer to this as the "Dimple-Diamond" pattern in the text. The exact date of the introduction of patterned handles is not yet known, but hopefully the estimate can be refined by advertisements or catalogs.

• "Forged Steel" Handle Marking.

  When Kraeuter introduced its patterned handles, it also added a "Forged Steel" marking forged into the underside of the handles. The "Forged Steel" marking remained in use until the mid 1920s, when it was replaced by the "Kraeuter, U.S.A." marking (see below).

• "Don't Slip" Handle Pattern.

  In 1914 A.A. Kraeuter received design patent D46,682 for a decorative pattern for plier handles, as illustrated in Fig. 13 above. The Kraeuter catalogs referred to this as the "Don't Slip" pattern, making it clear that the pattern was intended to be functional as well as decorative.

  The "Don't Slip" pattern was initially used only for the No. 2801 "Dreadnought" lineman's pliers, and as late as 1921 the No. 2801 pliers were still the only model with this pattern. During the 1920s the "Don't Slip" pattern gradually replaced the older Dimple-Diamond pattern on most other models, and by 1929 the 1914 "Don't Slip" pattern had become Kraeuter's primary handle pattern.

• No. 1873 "Gripkut" Slip-Joint Side-Cutting Pliers.

  By 1916 the Kraeuter No. 1873 "Gripkut" slip-joint side-cuttng pliers were available, based on a listing in the 1916 Central Automobile Supply catalog.

• "Beauty Handles" Variation of "Don't Slip" Handle Pattern.

  In 1920 A.A. Kraeuter filed a design patent for a decorative gripping pattern similar to the earlier "Don't Slip" pattern, and the patent was issued as D59,602 in 1921, as illustrated in Fig. 14 above. This new gripping pattern was referred to as "Beauty Handles" in a catalog from around 1921.

  The "Beauty Handles" pattern was initially used for the No. 1973 "Gripkut" pliers and later found use on several additional models, but by 1929 the earlier 1914 "Don't Slip" pattern had become Kraeuter's primary handle pattern.

  Originally we thought that the presence of the "Beauty Handles" pattern should indicate production in 1920 or later, but the recent discovery (2022) of a 1918 catalog listing for No. 1973 pliers with this pattern, and even earlier public references to the "Gripkut" brand, has pushed the estimated production date to 1917 for the No. 1973 model.

• No. 1973 "Gripkut" Combination Side-Cutting Pliers.

  By 1918 (or possibly earlier) the Kraeuter No. 1973 "Gripkut" Pliers with the new "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern were available, based on a listing in the 1918 Buhl Sons catalog.

• "Newark, N.J." Marking.

  Older Kraeuter tools were generally marked with the Newark factory location, and older catalog illustrations usually show a "Newark, N.J." marking as well. However, later Kraeuter tools were typically marked with just "U.S.A." and the company name.

  By observation most (but not all) tools with the "Forged Steel" marking are also marked for Newark, and some pliers with the "Beauty Handles" variant of the "Don't Slip" handle pattern also bear a Newark marking.

  The 1920 Pittsburgh Auto Equipment catalog has illustrations for ten models of Kraueter pliers, and all except one show the company name without the Newark location. These observations suggest that the Newark marking was in general use before 1920, but was being phased out after that.

  The recent discovery (January 2022) that Kraeuter built a second factory in Irvington in 1917 has provided a rationale for the company's decision to remove the "Newark" marking. The new factory likely began production in late 1917 or early 1918, and this timeline supports our observations, with the added twist that some pliers without a "Newark" marking would have started appearing by 1918.

  Note that the significance of the Newark marking does not apply to the later K-Diamond line of tools, as apparently some models continued to be made exclusively in the older factory.

• No. 1305 "Victor" Universal Pliers.

  By 1920 Kraeuter was offering the No. 1305 "Victor" universal pliers with the new "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern, apparently the second model to use the new handle pattern. The No. 1305 pliers were functionally equivalent to the No. 305 pliers, one of Kraeuter's oldest models.

• No. 1356 Combination Pliers.

  By 1921 Kraeuter was offering the No. 1356 combination pliers with the new "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern, which were functionally equivalent to the No. 356 pliers.

• "Kraeuter U.S.A." Handle Marking.

  By 1924 Kraeuter was using a "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking forged into the underside of patterned handles, replacing the earlier "Forged Steel" marking. The 1924 date is based on advertisements published in Popular Science, such as the one in Fig. 8, which clearly show the use of this marking.

  We have some evidence that the "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking was phased in gradually, likely beginning around 1920 or 1921, as one example of Kraeuter 305-7 Pliers is known with a mix of older and newer markings. We will use "Mid 1920s" as the early manufacturing date estimate based on this marking.

  See below for the estimated discontinuation of this marking.

• More "Don't Slip" Handles.

  By 1925 five additional models had been converted to "Don't Slip" handles, in addition to the original No. 2801 pliers. The 1925 Dunham, Carrigan Catalog illustrates the Nos. 1863 gas and burner, 1913 bent thin nose, 1933 thin nose, 1951 end nippers, and 2611 diagonal cutting pliers with the 1914 pattern.

• Screwdriver Tips.

  The 1929 catalog showed most models of combination pliers with screwdriver tips for the models of size 6 inches and over. By 1934 the models 356 and 1923 pliers no longer had screwdriver tips, and by 1939 none of the models had screwdriver tips.

• Discontinuation of "Kraeuter U.S.A." Marking.

  By 1936 pliers were being advertised without the "Kraeuter U.S.A." handle marking in general use before this time. This can be seen in a 1936 Ad, in which the pliers are illustrated with smooth undersides on the handles. This leads to mid 1930s estimate for the discontinuation of this marking.

  In addition, a few plier models developed in the early 1930s (e.g. No. 2003) appear to have never used the "Kraeuter U.S.A." handle marking.

• K-Diamond Line.

  In the late 1930s Kraeuter introduced the K-Diamond line of economy pliers.

• Reduced Use of Gripping Patterns.

  By 1939 Kraeuter had greatly curtailed the use of the forged-in gripping pattern. The 1939 catalog illustrates most pliers with smooth handles, with only a few models (Nos. 356, 1903, 1913, 1973, and possibly a few more) continuing to use the "Don't Slip" pattern.

• Simplified "Knurled" Handles.

  By 1946 Kraeuter had discontinued the use of forged-in gripping patterns in favor of smooth handles or a simplified "knurled" pattern. This change was likely introduced to reduce production costs.

• Circular Stamped Markings.

  By 1946 Kraeuter had adopted a marking style with "Kraeuter" and the model number in a circle, with "USA" across the center, for most fixed-pivot pliers models. (Some models had "Kraeuter" and "USA" around the circle, with the model number across the center.) Although the 1946 catalog also illustrates many slip-joint pliers with the circular markings as well, in practice the slip-joint pliers appear to have kept the older linear markings, and the later 1959 catalog shows most slip-joint pliers with linear markings. Thus the presence of the circular marking style likely indicates production in 1946 or later.

References and Resources

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

Catalog Coverage

Product information was obtained from a number of Kraeuter catalogs, as summarized in the table below. The catalogs note that the company was established in 1860 and incorporated in 1907, and list their address as 569 Eighteenth Avenue, Newark, New Jersey.

Most of the catalogs in the table have a definite copyright or publication date, but the catalog from around 1921 was undated and requires some discussion of the date estimate. For brevity, we'll refer to this as the "1921 catalog" as we seek to justify our publication date estimate.

This catalog offers an extensive selection of pliers, including Nos. 56, 305, 355, 356, 450, 451, 1305, 1356, 1581, 1591, 1593, 1601, 1611, 1621, 1631, 1641, 1651, 1661, 1671, 1681, 1691, 1701, 1711, 1721, 1731, 1741, 1751, 1781, 1771, 1801, 1821, 1824, 1831, 1834, 1841, 1850, 1851, 1873, 1880, 1903, 1913, 1923, 1973, 2601, 2801, 4250, 4251, 4252, and 4460.

The 1921 catalog lists five models of pliers with a distinctive "Beauty Handles" (Kraeuter's term) gripping pattern described by design patent D59,602, filed in 1920 and issued in 1921. If there were no complications, this fact alone would support a 1920+ publication date estimate. But of course there are complications.

We recently (January 2022) found a catalog listing for Kraeuter No. 1973 "Gripkut" pliers in a 1918 Buhl Sons catalog, clearly showing the "Beauty Handles" pattern and with a "Pats Pending" marking. (The Kraeuter "Gripkut" brand had been used as early as 1916.) This establishes the puzzling fact that Kraeuter had been selling pliers with its new gripping pattern for at least two years before the actual design patent filing.

However, the discovery of the 1918 listing does not support an earlier publication date for the 1921 catalog, because the illustrations are quite different. The 1918 illustration has markings for "Gripkut" and "Pats Pending" as well as the "Newark, N.J." location, but the illustration in the 1921 catalog has been simplified to just a "Kraeuter" marking.

Kraeuter actually simplified most of its illustrations to remove the "Newark, N.J." marking, not just for the No. 1973 pliers. These later illustrations were also published in the 1920 catalog No. 7 from Pittsburgh Auto Equipment, so once again we have a circa 1920 publication date estimate, but by a very circuitous route.

Now let's consider the other pliers illustrated with "Beauty Handles" in the 1921 catalog. The No. 1305 pliers were listed in the 1920 Pittsburgh Auto Equipment catalog, and we also found a 1920 advertisement for the pliers. These references are consistent with a 1920+ publication date, and show that over time Kraeuter was adding other models with the new gripping pattern.

A public reference to the No. 1356 pliers can be found in a price list published on page 98 of the July, 1921 edition of The American Machine & Tool Record. (There's no illustration, but the No. 1356 pliers were the same as the No. 356 pliers but with "Beauty Handles".) We also found a listing for the No. 1356 pliers in the 1922 Marwedel catalog. These references suggest that the No. 1356 pliers may have been first offered in 1921, and provide some evidence to push up the publication date estimate to 1921.

For the Nos. 1821 and 1824 pliers we have no references until the 1929 Kraeuter catalog, suggesting that the 1921 catalog may have been the first publication to show these models with the "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern. So although these models provide no evidence to change the date estimate, they may (along with the No. 1356) suggest the motivation for publishing the catalog: with three new models sporting the "Beauty Handles" pattern, Kraeuter may have decided it was time for a new catalog edition.

We will offer one further piece of evidence which should clinch the 1921 publication date estimate. The 1921 catalog listing for the No. 1973 pliers includes the text "design patent plier", and this is the only one of the "Beauty Handles" models noted in this way. After the embarrassment of offering the No. 1973 "Pats Pending" pliers some years before the patent filing, we think it's unlikely that Kraeuter would have added this text unless the design patent had been granted, or at least definitely approved. The patent was granted in 1921, and this increases the confidence in our 1921 publication date estimate.

Could the catalog have been published slightly later? The above arguments would still hold into 1922, but during this period Kraeuter was phasing in the "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking on the underside of the handles, replacing the older "Forged Steel". (We have examples with mixed markings.) Thus a significant delay in publication might suggest that some illustrations should show the new handle marking. From all of these considerations, we think that a 1921 publication date best fits the evidence.

Industrial Distributors

Kraeuter tools were widely available from industrial and automotive distributors, and the catalogs of these companies provide descriptions and illustrations of the tools available at that time. The list below shows a sampling of these distributor catalogs.

• Tower & Lyon 1904. The 1904 catalog No. 12 of the Tower & Lyon Company has an extensive listing (26 pages) of Kraeuter tools. The listings include ticket punches, machinists calipers, gas pliers, the Victor universal pliers, chisels, and even carpet stretchers! This catalog is available as a reprint and is probably the best early catalog resource for Kraeuter tools.

• Chanslor & Lyon 1910. The 1910 catalog from the Chanslor & Lyon Motor Supply Company, a West Coast dealer, lists the Kraeuter "Victor" pliers on page 172.

• Central Automobile Supply 1916. A 1916 catalog from Central Automobile Supply of Des Moines, Iowa lists Kraeuter pliers on pages 15-16, including model Nos. 305, 356, 1621, 1631, 1721, 1781, 1801, 1850, 1863, 1873, 1903, 1923, 2601, and 2801. The No. 356 combination pliers are listed in sizes 5.5, 6, 8, and 10 inches, all with a nickel finish. The No. 1873 "Gripkut" slip-joint side-cutting pliers are listed in sizes 5.5 and 7 inches, with a nickel finish. This is our earliest reference for the "Gripkut" pliers.

  Illustrations for all models show the Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern, except for the No. 2801 "Dreadnought" pliers which have the new (at that time) "Don't Slip" pattern. The listings for the No. 356 and No. 1903 pliers show the company name plus "Newark, N.J.", but most other illustrations don't show even the company name.

  Other listings include the No. 365 "Victor" adjustable alligator wrench on page 15, and bearing scrapers, chisels, and punches on page 19. Regarding the chisels, the catalog notes that they are forged of nickel steel, and states "... considered by experts the best chisel line ever made."

• J.M. Waterston 1916. The 1916 catalog No. 22 from J.M. Waterston, a tool distributor based in Detroit, lists Kraeuter pliers on pages 192-193 and 196, including model Nos. 356, 1801, 1834, 1850, 1873, 1903, 1923, and 2601. In the illustrations, all of the pliers have the Dimple-Diamond handle pattern, and the undersides of the handles have a "Forged Steel" marking. The illustrations for Nos. 356, 1834, 1903 and 1923 show a company name plus "Newark, N.J." marking.

  Other listings include the No. 365 "Victor" adjustable alligator wrench on page 177, No. 1202 bearing scrapers on page 209, and Nos. 191-194 scrapers on page 210.

• Buhl Sons Company 1918. The 1918 catalog from the Buhl Sons Company of Detroit lists Kraeuter No. 1973 "Gripkut" Pliers on page 344, with the illustration showing the new "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern. The No. 1873 "Gripkut" pliers had been offered in 1916, but this is the earliest known catalog listing for the No. 1973 "Gripkut" pliers.

• Harron, Rickard & McCone 1918. The 1918 catalog No. 2 from Harron, Rickard & McCone, an industrial distributor, lists five models of Kraeuter pliers on pages 140-141, with model numbers 305, 356, 1873, 1903, and 1923. The illustrations all show the older Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern with "Forged Steel" on the underside. (Some descriptions note the use of the "Don't Slip" handle pattern, but we think this was a misunderstanding on the part of the writer, thinking that the term applied to any knurled handle.)

  The No. 1903 pliers are marked with the company name plus "Newark, N.J.", but two other models show just the company name.

• Chandler & Farquhar 1919. The 1919 catalog "A" from the Chandler & Farquhar Company, an industrial distributor, lists Kraeuter fixed-pivot pliers on pages 220-223. The models include a wide selection of needlenose pliers, plus the No. 1841 Button's pliers, No. 1851 Giant end nippers, No. 1880 fence pliers, and No. 2801 lineman's pliers. All of the pliers with patterned handles show the older Dimple-Diamond pattern, except for the No. 2801 lineman's pliers with the 1914 "Don't Slip" pattern. Illustrations that show the company name also show a "Newark, N.J." marking.

• Pittsburgh Auto Equipment 1920. The 1920 catalog No. 7 from the Pittsburgh Auto Equipment Company, a wholesale distributor, lists Kraeuter pliers on pages 253-254. The listings include the Nos. 305, 356, 1305, 1661, 1781, 1801, 1831, 1834, 1850, 1851, 1873, 1903, 1923, 1973, and 2601. The illustrations all show the older Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern, except for the No. 1305 and No. 1973 models, which show the "Beauty Handles" pattern. Most of the illustrations show only the company name and "Forged Steel" markings, and only the No. 1850/1851 pliers have the older "Newark, N.J." marking.

  Note that this catalog is the earliest known catalog reference to the No. 1305 pliers, which were the same as the No. 305 "Victor" universal pliers but with the "Beauty Handles" pattern.

  Other Kraeuter listings include the No. 365 adjustable alligator wrench on page 221, a belt punch on page 252, and No. 4250 web pliers on page 318.

• Tool Specialty Company 1920. The 1920 catalog No. 4 from the Tool Specialty Company of Kansas City, Missouri lists Kraeuter pliers on pages 58-62, with most illustrations showing the older Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern. The illustration of the No. 1973 Combination Pliers shows the handles with the "Beauty Handles" variant of the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern, and the markings show "GripKut" and "Pats Pending".

  Other listings include Kraeuter revolving punches and arch punches on page 57, chisels and punches on pages 102, 103, and 105, bearing scrapers on page 124, and "Dreadnought" Ford connecting rods (!) on page 191.

• Marwedel 1922. The 1922 catalog No. 11 from the C.W. Marwedel Company, an industrial supplier, lists Kraeuter pliers on page 401, but not all models are illustrated. Models Nos. 1863 (9 inch) and No. 1873 (7 inch) are illustrated with "Kraeuter" on the face and the Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern, with "Forged Steel" on the underside. Models No. 356 (sizes 5.5, 6, 8, and 10) and No. 1356 (sizes 5.5 and 6) are not illustrated.

  One model of bent nose slip joint pliers is illustrated with "Kraeuter" on the face and the Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern, and "Forged Steel" on the underside. The listing offers sizes 8 and 10 inches, but the model number [No. 1923] is not stated.

• Waterhouse & Lester 1924. The 1924 Waterhouse & Lester catalog No. 20 lists Kraeuter pliers on pages 377-380. The models include Nos. 305, 356, 450, 1621, 1631, 1641, 1651, 1661, 1671, 1821, 1831, 1850, 1903, 1913, 1923, 1933, 1973, 2601, 2611, and 4250.

  Most of the illustrations show the older Dimple-Diamond handle pattern, but a few models show the 1914 or 1921 design patent patterns. In particular, the No. 1933 thin nose and No. 2611 diagonal cutting pliers have the 1914 "Don't Slip" pattern, and the No. 1821 universal side-cutting and No. 1973 combination side-cutting pliers have the 1921 "Beauty Handles" pattern.

  Also listed are Kraeuter No. 1203 bearing scrapers on page 482.

• Dunham, Carrigan 1925. The 1925 catalog No. 73 from the Dunham, Carrigan & Hayden Company, a wholesale hardware supplier, offers an extensive selection of Kraeuter pliers on pages 164-169. The models include Nos. 305, 356, 1591, 1593, 1601, 1611, 1621, 1631, 1641, 1651, 1671, 1701, 1711, 1721, 1731, 1771, 1781, 1801, 1821, 1831, 1841, 1851, 1863, 1880, 1903, 1913, 1923, 1933, 1951, 1973, 2601, 2611, and 2801. Most pliers are marked with just the Kraeuter name and model number, but the No. 1851 giant end nippers show a "Newark, N.J." marking.

  Most of the illustrations show the older Dimple-Diamond handle pattern, but some models show the 1914 or 1921 design patent patterns. In particular, the Nos. 1863 gas and burner, 1913 bent thin nose, 1933 thin nose, 1951 end nippers, 2611 diagonal cutting, and 2801 lineman's pliers have the 1914 "Don't Slip" pattern. Only the No. 1821 universal side-cutting and No. 1973 combination side-cutting pliers are illustrated with the 1921 "Beauty Handles" pattern.

  Also listed are Kraeuter arch punches on page 182, No. 330 cold chisels on page 184, and open-end wrenches on pages 226-227. This is one of the few catalog references for Kraeuter wrenches.

• Waterston No. 25 1926. The 1926 catalog No. 25 from J.M. Waterston of Detroit offers a modest selection of Kraeuter pliers on pages 220-222 and 224-226. The models include Nos. 356, 1771, 1801, 1821, 1831, 1841, 1851, 1923, and 2601. All of the illustrations show the 1914 "Don't Slip" handle pattern, except for the No. 356 and No. 1821 pliers, which show the 1921 "Beauty Handles" pattern.

• Sligo Iron Store 1930. The 1930 catalog No. 70 from the Sligo Iron Store Company lists a modest selection of Kraeuter pliers on pages 147-148. The listings include Nos. 356, 451, 1661, 1671, 1771, 1801, 1851, 1903, 1933, 1973, and 2601. The illustrations all show the 1914 "Don't Slip" handle pattern, except for the No. 451 glass pliers which have plain handles.

• Mossman-Yarnelle 1931. The 1931 catalog No. 31-T from the Mossman-Yarnelle Company of Fort Wayne (Indiana), an industrial distributor, lists Kraeuter pliers on pages 414-416, including model Nos. 305, 356, 1631, 1661, 1721, 1751, 1781, 1801, 1831, 1851, 1903, 1913, 1923, 1973, 2601, 2611, and 4261. The illustrations all show the 1914 "Don't Slip" gripping pattern, except for the No. 4261 bronze battery pliers, which have smooth handles.

• Ducommun "H" 1933. The 1933 catalog "H" from the Ducommun Corporation lists Kraeuter bearing scrapers on page 178, and offers a number of Kraeuter pliers on pages 182 to 186.

• Neill-LaVielle 1942. The 1942 Red Book 8 catalog from Neill-LaVielle Supply (Louisville, Kentucky) lists Kraeuter pliers on pages 364-367.

Advertisements

• An advertisement on page 95 [External Link] of the November 1926 issue of Popular Science shows the No. 1661 Needle Nose Side-Cutting Pliers, No. 356 Slip-Joint Pliers, No. 1973 Slip-Joint Pliers, and No. 1831 Electrician's Side-Cutting Pliers.

  In the illustration, the No. 1831 pliers have the "Don't Slip" handle pattern, and three of the models have "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles. (The other plier handles were not visible in the illustration.)

Early Tools

4 Inch Calipers

Fig. 16 shows a pair of Kraeuter 4 inch calipers, stamped "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J." near the pivot.

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

"The Victor" Adjustable Alligator Wrench

Fig. 17 shows a distinctive Kraeuter "The Victor" adjustable alligator wrench, stamped "The Victor" and "Pat. May 26, 03" on the head, with "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." on the movable jaw (see inset).

The handle is marked with "Pat May 26 03" forged into a dimpled background, with "Forged High Carbon Steel" on the back side (not shown).

The overall length is 7.0 inches. Some traces of the original nickel plated finish can be seen on the jaws, but most has been lost due to extensive rust.

The patent date refers to patent #728,842, filed in 1902 by Charles S. Bonney.

Early [1821] 8 Inch Lineman's "Universal Combination" Pliers

Fig. 18 shows an early pair of Kraeuter [1821] 8 inch "Universal Combination" pliers, combining flat and rounded gripping surfaces, lineman's side-cutters, Button's slot cutters, and awl plus screwdriver handle tips. The pliers are stamped "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J." on the back side lower handle, with a faint (unreadable) marking "??SUR?? PAT?" on the upper handle.

The overall length is 7.9 inches, and the finish is polished steel with a black oxide coating.

One notable feature of these pliers is the addition of a pin to limit the opening such that the Button's style cutting slots come into alignment. (The surface of the pin can be seen below and to the right of the central pivot on the back side.)

The limit feature was described by patent #953,170, filed by A.A. Kraeuter in 1908 and issued in 1910. This patent may be the subject of the unreadable marking on the back side.

The marking and construction features of this example indicate an early production date, probably before 1910. The highly polished but plain (not patterned) handles closely resemble the illustrations in the 1904 Tower & Lyon catalog, although this particular model is not shown. The plain marking style and inclusion of the Newark location is also characteristic of Kraeuter's early production.

These pliers are significant as a good example of Kraeuter's production before the introduction of handle patterns, and in establishing the use of the limit pin feature in early Button's pliers. A later example of the 1821 pliers can be seen as the Kraeuter 1821 7 Inch Lineman's Pliers.

Chisels

Kraeuter was producing chisels by 1904 or earlier, as these tools are listed in the Tower & Lyon catalog from that year. However, since chisels (even of high quality) are slowly consumed by resharpening and eventually discarded, older chisels tend to be harder to find than other tools. Currently we don't have any early examples of chisels to display.

By around 1914 Kraeuter was using nickel steel for its chisels, which shared the "Dreadnought" brand with the No. 2801 Lineman's Pliers. We are fortunate to have an early catalog listing for these tools.

The scan in Fig. 19 shows a catalog listing for Kraeuter chisels, as found on page 19 of the 1916 Central Automobile Supply catalog. Although the "Dreadnought" brand is listed only above the cold chisels, the text at the top implies that the entire line was made with nickel steel, and the similarity in pricing provides confirmation.

The illustration shows the markings "Kraeuter&Co." and "Newark,N.J.U.S.A." on the flat of the cold chisel, with other types marked simply "Kraeuter&Co." on the shank.

One of our readers sent photographs that show "Dreadnought" and "Nickel Steel" on the back side of the cold chisel, in the same marking style as the No. 2801 Lineman's Pliers.

It's not known whether the other chisel types, with their more limited space for markings, also received the "Dreadnought" marking.

1202-13 Bearing Scraper

Fig. 20 shows a Kraeuter 1202-13 bearing scraper with a wooden handle, stamped "Made in USA" and "Patd. 3-09-10" on the shank.

The overall length is 12.7 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The patent date refers to patent #953,171, filed in 1909 by A.A. Kraeuter and issued in 1910.

The 1916 catalog listing in Fig. 19 shows this model of bearing scrapers at the lower right. The present example appears to be somewhat later than the catalog illustration, based on the plain "Kraeuter" marking.

Slip-Joint Combination Pliers

Kraeuter had a long history of producing slip-joint pliers, with production of the No. 305 "Victor" pliers going back to the early 1900s. Most of the slip-joint models were considered "combination" pliers, in the sense that they offered multiple gripping surfaces, or cutters and other features.

Combination Pliers

305-7 "The Victor" 7 Inch Slip-Joint Universal Pliers

Fig. 21 shows a pair of Kraeuter 305-7 "The Victor" 7 inch slip-joint universal pliers, stamped "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." on the handle.

These pliers have an unusual mix of markings on the underside of the handles, with "Forged Steel" forged into the lower handle, but "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the upper handle and visible in the photograph.

The overall length is 7.3 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The middle inset shows the Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern on the handles, the earliest of the major handle patterns used by Kraeuter.

The mixed markings of "Forged Steel" and "Kraeuter U.S.A." on these pliers suggest that the newer "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking was being phased in over time, possibly as the forging dies became worn and needed replacing anyway. Another example of pliers with mixed markings can be seen as the No. 1913-7 Pliers.

The older and newer forged-in markings together with the stamped "Newark" marking suggest production around 1920-1921.

356-5½ 5.5 Inch Combination Pliers

The next figures show two generations of the Kraeuter 356 pliers in the 5.5 inch size.

Fig. 22 shows an early pair of Kraeuter No. 356-5½ 5.5 inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." on the handle, with "Forged Steel" forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 5.4 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with minor losses due to wear.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern on the handles. This is the earliest of the major handle patterns used by Kraeuter.

Fig. 23 shows a later pair of Kraeuter No. 356-5-/12 5.5 inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter" and the model number on the handle, with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 5.8 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with losses due to rust.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the forged-in gripping pattern on the handles, referred to as "Don't Slip" in the 1939 catalog.

The "Don't Slip" gripping pattern was registered as design patent #D46,682, issued to A.A. Kraeuter in 1914.

356-6 6 Inch Combination Pliers

Fig. 24 shows an earlier pair of Kraeuter No. 356-6 6 inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." on the handle, with "Forged Steel" forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 6.6 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The handle pattern for these pliers is a dimpled field with a central diamond.

Fig. 25 shows a later version of the Kraeuter 356-6 6 inch combination pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter" and the model number near the pivot, and with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

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

The handles are forged with a geometric pattern referred to as "Don't Slip" in the 1939 catalog. This pattern was registered as design patent #D46,682, issued to A.A. Kraeuter in 1914.

The screwdriver tip indicates production before 1934.

356-8 8 Inch Combination Pliers

The next figures show several generations of the Kraeuter 356-8 pliers. By 1934 the model 356-8 pliers were being produced with three slip-joint positions.

Fig. 26 shows a earlier pair of Kraeuter No. 356-8 8 inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." on the handle, with "Forged Steel" forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 8.2 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The top inset illustrates the "Dimple-Diamond" pattern on the handles.

This was the earliest of the gripping patterns used by Kraeuter.

Fig. 27 shows a later pair of Kraeuter No. 356-8 8 inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter" and the model number near the pivot, with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 8.2 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with some losses due to rust.

The top inset illustrates the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern on the handles.

The "Don't Slip" gripping pattern was registered as design patent #D46,682, issued to A.A. Kraeuter in 1914.

The "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking suggests production in the mid 1920s or later, and the two-position slip joint indicates production before 1934.

Fig. 28 shows another later pair of Kraeuter 356-8 8 inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped with the company name and "U.S.A." near the pivot.

The overall length is 8.1 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The inset shows the simplified "knurled" gripping pattern on the handles.

The knurled handle pattern suggests production from the mid 1940s onward.

These larger pliers have three working positions for the slip-joint mechanism, a feature noted as early as the 1934 catalog.

356-10 10 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers

The next two figures show examples of the Kraeuter 356-10 pliers. By 1934 the 8 and 10 inch models were being produced with three slip-joint positions.

Fig. 29 shows an earlier pair of Kraeuter 356-10 10 inch combination pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter" and the model number near the pivot, with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 9.8 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with some losses due to wear.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern on the handles.

The screwdriver tip and two-position slip-joint indicate production before 1934.

Fig. 30 shows a later example of the Kraeuter 356-10 10 inch combination pliers, stamped with the company name and "U.S.A." near the pivot.

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

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the simplified gripping pattern for the knurled handles.

The simplified gripping pattern suggests production from the mid 1940s onward.

These larger pliers have three working positions for the slip-joint mechanism, a feature noted as early as the 1934 catalog.

1356-6 6 Inch Combination Pliers

The No. 1356 pliers were functionally equivalent to the No. 356 models, but had the new (at that time) "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern.

Fig. 31 shows a pair of Kraeuter No. 1356-6 6 inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." on the handle, with "Forged Steel" forged into the underside of the handles.

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

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern.

The "Beauty Handles" pattern was a variant of the Kraeuter "Don't Slip" pattern and is described by design patent #D59,602, filed by A.A. Kraeuter in 1920 and issued in 1921.

Our earliest public reference to this model is from 1921. The use of the "Newark" marking with the "Beauty Handles" variant of the "Don't Slip" pattern is consistent with a manufacturing date around 1921.

360-6 6 Inch Combination Pliers

Fig. 32 shows a pair of Kraeuter No. 360-6 6 inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter" and the model number near the pivot, and with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 6.4 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern.

The "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern is similar to the "Don't Slip" pattern and is described by the design patent #D59,602, filed by A.A. Kraeuter in 1920 and issued in 1921.

The model 360 pliers were not listed in a Kraeuter catalog from around 1921, and were also missing from the 1934 catalog, suggesting that production occurred only from the early 1920s to early 1930s.

The "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking on the underside of the handles suggests production from the mid 1920s or later.

Bent-Nose Combination Pliers

1923-8 8 Inch Bent-Nose Combination Pliers

The next figures show two generations of the Kraeuter model 1923-8 pliers.

Fig. 33 shows an earlier pair of Kraeuter 1923-8 8 inch bent-nose combination pliers, stamped "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." with the model number near the pivot, with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 8.1 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with extensive losses due to wear and rust.

The top inset illustrates the bent-nose construction and the older dimpled gripping pattern on the handles, although without the central diamond panel.

The "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged-in marking is somewhat unexpected on pliers with the older dimpled gripping pattern and "Newark" marking. This example may represent an early use of the handle marking.

Fig. 34 shows a later pair of Kraeuter 1923-8 8 inch bent-nose combination pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter" and the model number near the pivot, with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 8.1 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The top inset illustrates the bent-nose construction and the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern on the handles. This handle pattern is described by the Kraeuter 1914 design patent #D46,682.

The lack of a screwdriver tip on this example indicates production some time after 1929, and the "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking suggests production up to the mid 1930s.

1923-10 10 Inch Bent-Nose Combination Pliers

Fig. 35 shows a pair of Kraeuter 1923-10 10 inch bent-nose combination pliers, stamped "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." near the pivot, with "Forged Steel" forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 9.6 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the bent-nose construction and the older dimpled gripping pattern on the handles.

Side-Cutting Combination Pliers

Combination pliers with side-cutters are someting of a rarity, as the loose fit of most slip-joint pliers makes it hard to keep the cutting edges aligned properly.

Kraeuter initially offered these features in the No. 1873 "Gripkut" combination side-cutting pliers, which were available as early as 1916, based on a listing in the Central Automobile Supply catalog. This catalog includes the "Gripkut" brand in its descriptions, although our examples of this model do not have the marking.

By 1917 or 1918 Kraeuter was offering its No. 1973 "Gripkut" combination side-cutting pliers, which were similar to the No. 1873 pliers except for a new handle pattern. The handles on these pliers were the first to use a new variant of the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern, for which Kraeuter coined the term "Beauty Handles", and which eventually became the 1921 design patent D59,602.

By the mid to late 1920s the handle pattern on the No. 1973 pliers had changed to the 1914 "Don't Slip" pattern.

1873-7 7 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers with Side Cutters

Fig. 36 shows a pair of Kraeuter 1873-7 7 inch slip-joint combination pliers with side cutters, stamped "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." near the pivot, with "Forged Steel" forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 7.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

These pliers have the Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern on the handles, the earlier of the major handle patterns used by Kraeuter.

Fig. 37 shows a similar pair of Kraeuter 1873-7 7 inch slip-joint combination pliers with side cutters, stamped "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." near the pivot, with "Forged Steel" forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 7.0 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

These pliers have the Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern on the handles, the earlier of the major handle patterns used by Kraeuter.

On these pliers the stamped markings are oriented transversely to the main axis, compared with the approximately parallel orientation in the previous example.

In addition, the pliers have an interesting code "711 0" stamped near the pivot on both pieces, shown as a close-up in the middle right inset. These numbers are partially visible through the holes for the slip-joint, but the pliers must be disassembled to view the full code.

The meaning of this code is not yet known, but similar codes have been observed on some other Kraeuter slip-joint pliers.

1973-5½ "Grip-Kut Junior" 5.5 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers with Side Cutters

The scan in Fig. 38 shows a catalog listing for the No. 1973 "Gripkut" combination pliers, as published in a Kraeuter catalog from around 1921.

Note that the illustration shows the handle pattern from design patent D59,602, and the text mentions "Beauty Handles" and calls this a "design patent plier".

Also note that the illustration shows only a "Kraeuter" marking, without the "Newark, N.J." marking typically found on earlier models.

Fig. 39 shows a pair of Kraeuter 1973-5½ 5.5 inch slip-joint combination pliers with side cutters, stamped with "USA" and the model number near the pivot, with "Grip-Kut Junior" and "Pat. Pending" on the back side (not shown). The handles have a forged-in "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking on the inside surface, as shown in the lower inset.

The overall length is 5.6 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The patent corresponding to the pending marking has not been found yet.

The 1939 Kraeuter catalog lists this model as a combination side cutting plier, and refers to the handle pattern as the "Don't Slip" design from a 1914 patent. Earlier production of this model used the "Beauty Handles" pattern from a 1921 patent, as the illustration in Fig. 38 shows. The 1925 Dunham, Carrigan Catalog listing for this model shows the 1921 pattern still in use at that time, but distributor catalogs don't always have up to date illustrations.

The "Don't Slip" handle pattern and "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking on the underside of the handles suggest production in the mid 1920s to mid 1930s.

A larger No. 1973-7 model was also available (see the Kraeuter 1973-7 Pliers), and pliers with smooth handles were available as a 1972 model series.

1973-5½ "GripKut Supreme" 5.5 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers with Side Cutters

Fig. 40 shows a later pair of Kraeuter 1973-5½ 5.5 inch slip-joint combination pliers with side cutters, stamped with "GripKut Supreme" near the pivot, with "Kraeuter" and the model number on the back side, and with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 5.7 inches, and the finish is plain steel, with coarse grinding marks remaining on the surface.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern on the handles. Note also that the forging parting line and trimming remnants are visible on the nose of the pliers.

The "Supreme" marking indicates that these pliers were part of Kraeuter's select group of pliers retaining the forged handle patterns and finest finish.

The coarse surface and plain finish suggest production during the wartime years, when labor shortages and production quotas sometimes forced abbreviated finishing operations. The deeply stamped "D" on the underside of the handles (see lower inset) is an unfamiliar marking and may denote government production. (Note that the No. 1973 pliers were one of the few models to retain the use of the forged-in gripping pattern after 1939.)

The "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking would not be expected for wartime production, as this marking was being phased out by the mid 1930s. However, it's possible that an older forging die was pressed into service again to maintain production quotas.

1973-5½ 5.5 Inch Combination Pliers with Side Cutters

In later years the 1973½ pliers no longer carried the "GripKut" moniker, and the patented gripping pattern had been replaced by simple knurling.

Fig. 41 shows a later pair of Kraeuter 1973½ 5.5 inch slip-joint pliers with side-cutters, stamped with "Kraeuter" and the model number near the pivot.

The overall length is 5.9 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the simplified version of the "Don't Slip" pattern widely used on earlier models. The undersides of the handles are smoothly finished with no markings.

Note that these pliers are fitted with a solid (flush) rivet, a detail mentioned in the 1946 catalog.

By this time the model 1973 pliers had obviously been dropped from the "Supreme" line, as the finely forged handle pattern of prior years has been replaced with a simple stamped pattern.

1973-7 "GripKut" 7 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers with Side-Cutters

Early versions of the Kraeuter No. 1973 combination side cutting pliers were made with the "Beauty Handles" variant of the "Don't Slip" handle pattern, as described by patent D59,602, filed in 1920 and issued in 1921.

The scan in Fig. 42 shows a catalog listing for the No. 1973 pliers, as published on page 61 of the 1920 Tool Specialty Company catalog.

Note that the illustration is marked "Pats Pending", with "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J." below.

This same illustration was published as early as 1918 on page 344 of the Buhl Sons catalog.

We're fortunate to have several generations of the 1973-7 pliers for your viewing pleasure.

Fig. 43 shows an early pair of Kraeuter 1973-7 "GripKut" 7 inch combination pliers with side-cutters, stamped with "GripKut" and "Pats. Pending" on the front side, with "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." on the back.

The handles are marked with "Forged Steel" forged into the underside.

The overall length is 7.1 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with losses due to wear and rust.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the "Beauty Handles" gripping pattern described by design patent D59,602.

Note that one handle includes a screwdriver tip, a feature of earlier versions of this model.

The marked patent notation is believed to refer to earlier (possibly rejected) patents, including possibly a functional patent.

Fig. 44 shows a somewhat later pair of Kraeuter 1973-7 "GripKut" 7 inch combination pliers with side-cutters, stamped with "GripKut" and "Pats. Pending" on the front side, with "Kraeuter" and the model number on the back.

The handles are marked with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside.

The overall length is 7.3 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern on the handles.

Note that one handle includes a screwdriver tip, a feature of earlier versions of this model.

The patent pending notation is believed to refer to earlier (possibly rejected) patents, including possibly a functional patent.

The "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking suggests production from the mid 1920s to mid 1930s, but the use of the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern instead of the "Beauty Handles" pattern suggests production from the late 1920s onward.

1973-7 7 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers with Side-Cutters

In later years the 1973-7 pliers no longer carried the "GripKut" moniker, and the patented gripping pattern had been replaced by simple knurling.

Fig. 45 shows a later pair of Kraeuter model 1973-7 slip-joint combination pliers with side-cutters, stamped "Kraeuter" and "USA" on the handle.

The overall length is 7.0 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the simplified gripping pattern based on the earlier "Don't Slip" pattern.

By 1946 the model 1973 pliers were being offered with a solid (flush) rivet, indicating somewhat earlier production for this example.

These pliers are significant in showing that the change to the simplified knurled handles occurred before the change to a flush rivet, suggesting a 1945 production date.

Note that the pliers are no longer furnished with a screwdriver tip.

Fig. 46 shows a later pair of Kraeuter model 1973-7 slip-joint pliers with side-cutters, stamped "USA" on the handle.

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

The inset shows the simplified gripping pattern on the handles.

By 1946 the Kraeuter catalog listed the model 1973 pliers with a solid (flush) rivet, as in the example here, and the description mentions a tapered nose. The flush rivet and tapered nose suggest production from 1946 onward.

Thin-Nose Combination Pliers

1903-7 7 Inch Thin-Nose Combination Pliers

The next figures show two generations of the model 1903-7 thin-nose combination pliers.

Fig. 47 shows an early pair of Kraeuter 1903-7 7 inch thin-nose combination pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." near the pivot, with "Forged Steel" forged into the underside of the handles.

The top inset illustrates the thin jaws of this model. Note the use of the Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern on the handles, the earliest of the major handle patterns used by Kraeuter.

The overall length is 7.1 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with losses due to wear.

The "Newark" marking and Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern suggest production in the range 1910-1921.

Fig. 48 shows a later pair of Kraeuter 1903-7 7 inch thin-nose combination pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter" and the model number near the pivot, with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the thin jaws and "Don't Slip" gripping pattern.

The overall length is 7.1 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

This example has a screwdriver tip on one handle, a feature that was still offered in 1934 but had been discontinued by 1939.

1933-5½ 5.5 Inch Thin-Nose Combination Pliers

By around 1925 Kraeuter was offering model 1933 thin-nose pliers, which featured "universal" jaws.

Fig. 49 shows a pair of Kraeuter 1933-5-1/2 5.5 inch thin-nose combination pliers with "universal" jaws, stamped with "Kraeuter" and the model number near the pivot, with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 5.3 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with losses due to wear.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the thin jaws and "Don't Slip" gripping pattern on the handles.

Currently our earliest catalog reference for this model is the 1925 Dunham, Carrigan catalog, which illustrates the pliers with the "Don't Slip" pattern as in this example.

2003-6 [40-6] "Supreme" 6 Inch Thin-Nose Combination Pliers

A funny thing happened while we were writing up the description for the No. 2003-6 pliers in this figure. We hadn't yet found a catalog reference for model 2003 and we were struggling to estimate the production date, but had decided that mid to late 1930s was the most likely.

Upon checking the 1939 catalog again, we found an overlooked table of model number changes at the back, and model 2003-6 was listed as having changed to model 40-6!

The scan in Fig. 50 shows a listing for Kraeuter No. 40 thin-nose combination pliers, as published on page 6 of the 1939 Kraeuter catalog No. 18.

A careful look at the illustration shows that the pliers are actually marked 2003-6, so our pliers were hiding in plain sight all along!

We later found a listing for the No. 2003 pliers in Kraeuter catalog No. 15, originally published in 1932 and revised in 1934. The illustration shows the No. 2003 pliers with the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern but with smooth undersides on the handles, even though most pliers at this time had "Kraeuter U.S.A." on the undersides.

The catalog did not mention a "Supreme" classification.

Fig. 51 shows a pair of Kraeuter 2003-6 6 inch thin-nose combination pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter" and the model number near the pivot, with "Supreme" on the back side.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the thin jaws and the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern.

Note that these pliers have smooth undersides on the handles, which matches the illustration in the 1932 Kraeuter catalog No. 15, suggesting that our example may have been produced as early as 1932.

The overall length is 6.4 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with some losses due to rust.

Model No. 2003-6 was changed to No. 40-6 in the 1939 Kraeuter catalog, allowing us to estimate the production date for this example as 1932-1938.

The next figure shows a later example of the No. 40-6 pliers, the successor to the No. 2003-6 model.

No. 40-6 6 Inch Thin-Nose Combination Pliers

Fig. 52 shows a pair of Kraeuter model 40-6 slip-joint thin-nose pliers, stamped "Kraeuter" and "USA" near the pivot.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the simple "knurled" gripping pattern.

The overall length is 6.4 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The simplified knurled handles for this example suggest production from the mid 1940s onward.

Prior to 1939 the model No. 40 pliers were marked as No. 2003, and an earlier example can be seen as the Kraeuter 2003-6 "Supreme" 6 Inch Thin-Nose Combination Pliers.

1913-7 7 Inch Bent Thin-Nose Combination Pliers

The next figures show two generations of the Kraeuter 1913-7 pliers, with some unexpected differences in construction and markings.

Fig. 53 shows a pair of Kraeuter 1913-7 7 inch bent thin-nose combination pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." near the pivot.

These pliers have rare mixed markings on the undersides of the handles, with "Forged Steel" forged into the underside of one handle and "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the other.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the bent thin jaws of this model and the older Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern.

The overall length is 7.0 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with extensive losses due to rust.

These pliers have an unusual combination of markings and construction, with the use of the older Dimple-Diamond gripping pattern, but with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into one handle. More commonly the gripping pattern had been changed to the newer "Don't Slip" pattern by the time the "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged-in marking came into use. The 1925 Dunham, Carrigan Catalog shows this model with the "Don't Slip" handle pattern.

Another example of pliers with of mixed markings can be seen as the No. 305 "Victor" Pliers.

These pliers may represent an early test of the forged-in "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking, which later became the standard.

Fig. 54 shows a somewhat later pair of Kraeuter 1913-7 7 inch bent thin-nose combination pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter & Co." and "Newark, N.J. U.S.A." near the pivot, with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the bent thin jaws of this model and the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern.

The overall length is 7.1 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with extensive losses due to rust.

These pliers have an unusual combination of markings, with both "Newark, N.J." stamped on the side and "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the handles. Previously we had thought that the Newark marking had been discontinued before the "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking was adopted, but this example shows that there was some overlap.

"Sure-Grip" Angle-Nose Pliers

Kraeuter's "Sure-Grip" No. 743 angle-nose pliers were introduced some time after 1929, possibly in response to the popularity of Wilde's "Wilde Wrench" Pliers.

The scan in Fig. 55 shows a catalog listing for the Kraeuter No. 743 "Sure-Grip" pliers, as published on page 6 of Kraeuter catalog No. 15, copyright in 1932 and revised in 1934.

The listing offered the No. 743 pliers in sizes 6, 7, and 8 inches, with a nickel-plated finish.

Although the illustration is not very clear, the pliers are shown with the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern and "Kreauter U.S.A." on the underside of the handles.

This is currently our earliest catalog reference for this model, but the revision date leaves some ambiguity as to whether the No. 743 pliers were listed in 1932.

We counted 11 major notches in the upper jaw in the illustration.

743-7 7 Inch Slip-Joint Angle-Nose Pliers

Fig. 56 shows a later pair of Kraeuter 743-7 7 inch slip-joint angle-nose pliers, stamped with "Kraeuter" and "USA" on the back side.

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

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

743-8 8 Inch Slip-Joint Angle-Nose Pliers

The next figures show two generations of the Kraeuter 743-8 pliers.

Fig. 57 shows a pair of Kraeuter 743-8 8 inch slip-joint angle-nose pliers, stamped with "Pat Appld For" on the handle, with "Kraeuter" and "743-8" on the back side (see center inset).

The overall length is 8.3 inches fully extended, and the finish is nickel plating.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern.

The undersides of the handles are smooth, without any markings.

The absence of a "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking on the undersides of the handles suggests production from the mid 1930s onward, and the presence of the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern indicates production in 1938 or earlier.

The patent applied notation indicates that Kraeuter hoped to patent some feature of these pliers, but no patent on angle-nose pliers has been found.

Note that the slip-joint slot has three circular openings joined by a narrow slot in the center. The upper jaw has 10 major notches.

Fig. 58 shows a later pair of Kraeuter 743-8 8 inch slip-joint angle-nose pliers, stamped "USA" on the handle, with the company name and model number on the back side.

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

The plain handles on these pliers may indicate wartime production, as knurled handles were standard as late as 1959.

Note that the slip-joint slot has three circular openings joined by a narrow slot in the center. The upper jaw has 10 major notches.

Gas and Burner Pliers

The standard "gas and burner" plier design incorporated rounded gripping surfaces for holding pipes, plus a smaller grip on the nose for adjusting burners. These models were generally made with a fixed pivot, and an example of the standard design can be seen in the Utica 1300 Gas and Burner Pliers.

Kraeuter's model 1863 gas and burner pliers departed from the standard by using slip-joint construction, making them more like combination pliers. By 1920 or so Kraeuter was using "Grip-All" as a trade name for its gas and burner pliers.

By 1934 the model 1863 pliers appear to have been discontinued, as they are no longer listed in the catalog from that year.

1863-9 9 Inch Slip-Joint Gas and Burner Pliers

Fig. 59 shows a pair of Kraeuter 1863-9 "Grip-All" 9 inch gas and burner pliers in an unusual slip-joint configuration, stamped with "Grip All" and the model number near the pivot, with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 8.9 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

Kraeuter has extended the basic gas-and-burner design by adding a slip joint, a wire-cutting slot, and a screwdriver blade at the handle end. (The screwdriver tip feature for this model is mentioned in Kraeuter's 1929 catalog.)

The Kraeuter 1863-9 pliers were listed in the 1922 C.W. Marwedel industrial catalog with the older Dimple-Diamond handle pattern, at a price of $18.20 per dozen. The 1925 Dunham, Carrigan Catalog listed this model with the "Don't Slip" handle pattern.

Fig. 60 shows a somewhat later pair of Kraeuter 1863-9 9 inch slip-joint gas and burner pliers, stamped with "Grip-All" and the model number near the pivot, with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The overall length is 8.8 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern.

Note that these pliers do not have the screwdriver tip seen in the previous figure, indicating a manufacturing date sometime after 1929.

1863-6-1/2 6.5 Inch Slip-Joint Gas and Burner Pliers

The next two figures show examples of gas-and-burner pliers in the 6.5 inch size, termed "Grip-All Jr".

Fig. 61 shows a pair of Kraeuter 1863-6-1/2 6.5 inch slip-joint gas and burner pliers, marked with "Grip-All Jr" and the model number near the pivot, and with "Kraeuter U.S.A." forged into the underside of the handles.

The top inset shows the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern on the handles.

The overall length is 6.4 inches, and the finish is nickel plating, with minor losses due to wear.

The No. 1863 pliers in this 6.5 inch size did not provide a wire cutting slot or screwdriver tip. The 1925 Dunham, Carrigan Catalog listed this model with the "Don't Slip" handle pattern.

Fig. 62 shows a pair of Kraeuter 1863-6-1/2 6.5 inch slip-joint gas and burner pliers, stamped with "Grip-All Jr" and the model number near the pivot.

The top inset shows a side view of the pliers, illustrating the "Don't Slip" gripping pattern on the handles. Note also that the forging parting line and trimming remnants are visible on the nose of the pliers.

The overall length is 6.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel, with coarse grinding marks remaining on the surface.

The coarse surface and plain finish indicate production during the 1942-1945 wartime years.

The underside of the handles of these pliers is smooth, without the "Kraeuter U.S.A." marking found on earlier production. Kraeuter had begun phasing out this marking by the mid 1930s.