Fuller Tool Company

Table of Contents

Introduction

Company History

The Fuller Tool Company was founded in May of 1937 by Bernard Fuller in Whitestone, New York, a section of Queens. (The founding date is based on the first use date in a later trademark filing.) The company's early products included screwdrivers and nut drivers.

The company was incorporated on July 26, 1946.

Fig. 1. 1944 Ad for Fuller Screwdrivers.

During the 1940s and 1950s the company advertised its screwdrivers in publications such as Hardware Age, Popular Mechanics, and Popular Science.

The scan in Fig. 1 shows an ad for Fuller "De Luxe" screwdrivers, as published on page 36 of the December 7, 1944 issue of Hardware Age.

Note that the list of sales offices below the illustration already includes an office in Montreal. Fuller Tool would later open a subsidiary in Canada, and eventually the company moved to Canada.

Tool Imports

By the late 1950s Fuller had started importing tools, probably initially from Europe. By 1958 the company was advertising a selection of fixed-pivot pliers, which were probably imported from England, based on observed examples.

Sourcing from Japan

Fuller was also interested in sourcing tools from Japan, and the company may have worked with the Daido Corporation to arrange its Japanese imports. Daido was the U.S. subsidiary of a major Japanese distributor and had been set up specifically to assist American companies with finding Japanese manufacturing partners.

Fig. 2. 1960 Notice for Fuller Adjustable Wrenches.

The scan in Fig. 2 shows a notice for Fuller adjustable wrenches in a merchandising stand, as published on page 28 of the October, 1960 edition of Hardware World.

The adjustable wrenches in the illustration are probably of Japanese origin.

By 1961 Fuller Tool was using Kyoto Kikai Kōgu (KTC) of Japan as a contract manufacturer of Fuller brand tools. Production by KTC included adjustable wrenches, open-end wrenches, and combination wrenches.

Fuller was one of the pioneers in importing tools from Japan and worked with other Japanese companies in addition to KTC. For example, Hokuyo Sangyō ("Sanki") is known to have supplied adjustable wrenches to Fuller, and Maruto Hasegawa is known to have supplied pliers.

We hope to discover other Japanese suppliers as well.

Country of Origin Labeling

In 1963 the FTC issued a cease-and-desist order against Fuller for complaints including improper labeling of country of origin. The FTC order notes that at that time Fuller was importing tools from Japan, England, Holland, Italy, and Portugal.

Acquisition of Award Tool Company

In 1965 Fuller Tool acquired the Award Tool Company of Flushing, New York. Award Tool appears to have been an importer and reseller of tools, similar to the operations of Fuller Tool by that time.

Our information on the Award Tool Company comes from a small notice regarding Martin H. Rieger, the founder of Award Tool.

Fig. 3. 1969 Notice for Award Tool.

The scan in Fig. 3 shows a notice indirectly mentioning the Award Tool Company, as published on page 28 of the June 1, 1969 issue of Hardware Age.

The text notes that Martin H. Rieger had become president of Steelcraft Tools, having previously been the executive vice president of the Award Tool Company.

The notice provides additional background information that Award Tool had been founded by Rieger in 1963, and that Award had been a subsidiary of the Fuller Tool Company since 1965.

Prior to founding Award Tool, Rieger had been an employee of the Fuller Tool Company, and in 1947 was promoted to the position of sales manager at Fuller.

As a side note, the Steelcraft Tool Company was later acquired by the Daido Corporation, a Japanese company best known for its "Truecraft" tools.

Award Tool filed a trademark application for "AWARD" on April 16, 1964, with the first use date noted as April 1, 1964 and serial #191,242. The application was published on October 20, 1964, and the company received trademark #782,779 on January 5, 1965. The applicable goods were listed as screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches.

Fuller as Distributor

As Fuller's imports expanded in selection and volume, the company's operations would have changed from that of a pure-play manufacturer of screwdrivers to be more like a distributor, with products sourced from many different manufacturers. The company's catalogs from the early 1980s show a wide range of products, including screwdrivers, open-end and combination wrenches, adjustable wrenches, pipe wrenches, pliers, socket sets, bolt cutters, C-clamps, twist drills, hammers, bit braces, wood chisels, and vises.

Later Operations

In the 1990s Fuller Tool moved its operations to Montreal, Canada, and in 1995 Fuller was acquired by Johnson Level, a Canadian company.

Patents

We haven't found any patents issued to or used by the Fuller Tool Company.

Trademarks

References and Resources

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

Catalog Resources

Industrial Distributors

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

Wrenches

Currently all of our examples of Fuller wrenches were made by KTC. KTC's production for Fuller goes back to the early 1960s, and based on KTC's reputation we would expect these to be high quality tools.

Wrenches made by KTC have been observed in three styles:

1. Recessed oval panels;
2. Raised oval panels;
3. Raised parallelogram panels.

The sections below will offer production date estimates partly based on catalog references, but with a large degree of uncertanty due to a lack of early catalogs.

Recessed Oval Panels

Wrenches with recessed oval panels are believed to represent the earliest production period and were likely made in the 1960s. Wrenches in this style were made with forged-in markings, and the known examples were marked for chrome vanadium steel.

Raised Oval Panels

The second style was characterized by raised oval panels and stamped markings. Production of this style probably began in the late 1960s and continued through the 1970s, and possibly beyond. The earliest known catalog reference is from 1976.

Wrenches in this style were marked either as "Drop Forged" for open-end wrenches or "Forged Alloy" for combination wrenches, but no specific alloy references are known.

Another characteristic of this style is a forged-in "Fx" manufacturing code, with the "F" prefix believed to indicate a Fuller-specific forging die.

The stamped markings and absent (or less specific) alloy references suggest that this style was intended for lower cost production.

Raised Parallelogram Panels

The third style is characterized by raised paralleogram panels and stamped markings, with production commencing in the late 1970s. The earliest published reference is in a 1979 catalog, as noted in the figure below.

Wrenches in this style were marked with a specific alloy as either "Chrome Vanadium" or "Chrome Molybdenum".

Based on paired comparisons with the raised oval group, the larger wrenches in this group were somewhat longer. For example, a 5/8 parallelogram panel wrench was 7.8 inches long, compared to 7.0 inches for the oval panel wrench.

This style has a forged-in manufacturing code of the form "Ux".

Catalog Listing with Parallelogram Panels

Fig. 3B. 1979 Catalog Listing for Fuller Combination Wrenches.

Fig. 3B shows a 1979 catalog listing for Fuller combination wrenches with raised parallelogram panels, as published on page A-54 of a 1979 La Cross Roofing catalog.

The text notes that the wrenches were drop forged of chrome vanadium steel.

This catalog is currently the earliest known published reference showing the use of parallelogram panels on Fuller wrenches.

Open-End Wrenches

Fuller "KTC" 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench, Recessed Panels

Fig. 4. Fuller 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side, ca. 1960s.

Fig. 4 shows an early Fuller 3/4x7/8 open-end wrench with recessed oval panels, marked with "*Fuller*" and "Chrome Vanadium" plus the fractional sizes forged into the front, with "Drop Forged" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo forged into the back.

The overall length is 8.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating, with extensive losses due to wear and rust.

Fuller "KTC" 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench, Oval Panels

Fig. 5A. Fuller 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side, ca. Late 1960s to 1970s.

Fig. 5A shows a Fuller 9/16x5/8 open-end wrench with raised oval panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the fractional sizes on the front panel, with "Forged Alloy" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in "F20" code visible at the right.

The overall length is 6.4 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Fuller "KTC" 11/16x3/4 Open-End Wrench, Oval Panels

Fig. 5. Fuller 11/16x3/4 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side, ca. Late 1960s to 1970s.

Fig. 5 shows a Fuller 11/16x3/4 open-end wrench with raised oval panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the fractional sizes on the front panel, with "Drop Forged" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in "F24" code visible at the right.

The overall length is 7.3 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Fuller "KTC" 13x15mm Open-End Wrench

Fig. 6. Fuller 13x15mm Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side, ca. Late 1960s to 1970s.

Fig. 6 shows a Fuller 13x15mm open-end wrench with raised oval panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the metric sizes on the front panel, with "Drop Forged" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in "F35" code visible at the right.

The overall length is 5.9 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Fuller "KTC" 17x19mm Open-End Wrench

Fig. 7. Fuller 17x19mm Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side, ca. Late 1960s to 1970s.

Fig. 7 shows a Fuller 17x19mm open-end wrench with raised oval panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the metric sizes on the front panel, with "Drop Forged" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in "F79" code visible at the right.

The overall length is 7.1 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Fuller "KTC" 15/16x1 Inch Open-End Wrench, Parallelogram Panels

Fig. 8. Fuller 15/16x1 Inch Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side, ca. Late 1970s to 1980s.

Fig. 8 shows a Fuller 15/16x1 inch open-end wrench with parallelogram panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the fractional sizes on the front panel, with "Chrome Molybdenum" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in code "U02" visible at the right.

The overall length is 11.9 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Combination Wrenches

We have a good selection of Fuller combination wrenches with examples available for all three stylistic periods.

The combination wrenches are presented by style of construction, providing a roughly chronological sequence.

Fuller "KTC" 9/16 Combination Wrench, Recessed Panels

Fig. 9A. Fuller 9/16 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Edge View, ca. 1960s.

Fig. 9A shows an early Fuller 9/16 combination wrench with recessed oval panels, marked with "*Fuller*" and "Chrome Vanadium" plus the fractional size forged into the front panel, with "Drop Forged" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo forged into the back panel.

The top inset shows a side view of the wrench.

The overall length is 7.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces and ends.

Fuller "KTC" 3/8 Combination Wrench, Oval Panels

Fig. 9B. Fuller 3/8 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Side View, ca. Late 1960s to 1970s.

Fig. 9B shows a Fuller 3/8 combination wrench with raised oval panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the fractional size on the front panel, with "Forged Alloy" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in code "F2" visible at the left.

The overall length is 4.5 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces and ends.

Fuller "KTC" 7/16 Combination Wrench, Oval Panels

Fig. 9C. Fuller 7/16 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Edge View, ca. Late 1960s to 1970s.

Fig. 9C shows a Fuller 7/16 combination wrench with raised oval panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the fractional size on the front panel, with "Forged Alloy" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in code "F4" visible at the left.

The overall length is 5.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces and ends.

Fuller "KTC" 1/2 Combination Wrench, Oval Panels

Fig. 10. Fuller 1/2 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Edge View, ca. Late 1960s to 1970s.

Fig. 10 shows a Fuller 1/2 combination wrench with raised oval panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the fractional size on the front panel, with "Forged Alloy" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in code "F6" visible at the left.

The overall length is 5.5 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces and ends.

Fuller "KTC" 5/8 Combination Wrench, Oval Panels

Fig. 11. Fuller 5/8 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Edge View and Back Side Detail, ca. Late 1960s to 1970s.

Fig. 11 shows a Fuller 5/8 combination wrench with raised oval panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the fractional size on the front panel, with "Forged Alloy" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in "F6" code visible at the left.

The overall length is 7.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces and ends.

Fuller "KTC" 11/16 Combination Wrench, Oval Panels

Fig. 11B. Fuller 11/16 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Side View, ca. Late 1960s to 1970s.

Fig. 11B shows a Fuller 11/16 combination wrench with raised oval panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the fractional size on the front panel, with "Forged Alloy" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in "F2" code visible at the left.

The overall length is 7.9 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

Fuller "KTC" 3/8 Combination Wrench, Parallelogram Panels

Fig. 13A. Fuller 3/8 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Side View, ca. Late 1970s to 1980s.

Fig. 13A shows a Fuller 3/8 combination wrench with raised parallelogram panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the fractional size on the front panel, with "Chrome Molybdenum" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in "U2" code visible at the left.

The overall length is 4.5 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces and ends.

Fuller "KTC" 5/8 Combination Wrench, Parallelogram Panels

Fig. 13B. Fuller 5/8 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Edge View, ca. Late 1970s to 1980s.

Fig. 13B shows a Fuller 5/8 combination wrench with raised parallelogram panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the fractional size on the front panel, with "Chrome Molybdenum" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in "U0" code visible at the left.

The overall length is 7.8 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces and ends.

Fuller "KTC" 11/16 Combination Wrench, Parallelogram Panels

Fig. 13C. Fuller 11/16 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Edge View, ca. Late 1970s to 1980s.

Fig. 13C shows a Fuller 11/16 combination wrench with raised parallelogram panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the fractional size on the front panel, with "Chrome Vanadium" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in "U1" code visible (upside-down) at the left.

The overall length is 8.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces and ends.

Fuller "KTC" 3/4 Combination Wrench, Parallelogram Panels

Fig. 14. Fuller 3/4 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Edge View and Back Side Detail, ca. Late 1970s to 1980s.

Fig. 14 shows a Fuller 3/4 combination wrench with raised parallelogram panels, stamped with "Fuller" and the fractional size on the front panel, with "Chrome Molybdenum" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back panel.

The back side of the shank also has a forged-in "U4" code visible at the left.

The overall length is 9.5 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces and ends.

Pliers

Fuller 8 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers

Fig. 15. Fuller 8 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 15 shows a pair of Fuller 8 inch combination pliers, stamped with "Fuller" and "Drop Forged" near the pivot, and with "Japan" forged into the undersides of the handles.

The handles of the pliers are also marked with a forged-in "H" code at the ends.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is polished chrome.

Fuller 192 "ITO" 6 Inch Needlenose Pliers with Side-Cutters

Fig. 16. Fuller 192 6 Inch Needlenose Pliers with Side-Cutters, with Insets for Back Side, Side View and Marking Detail, ca. Mid 1970s.

Fig. 16 shows a pair of Fuller No. 192 6 inch needlenose pliers with side-cutters, stamped with "Fuller" and "Drop Forged" around the pivot, with "BF Japan" and "ITO" on the back.

The handles of the pliers are covered with vinyl plastic grips.

The overall length is 6.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

These pliers were found in a vehicle toolkit we used in the mid 1970s to 1980s.

The Fuller 192-6 needlenose pliers were listed in the company's 1981 catalog. The pliers were also available in 5 and 8 inch sizes.

The "ITO" marking is believed to indicate the Japanese maker, but we need to do more research to identify the specific manufacturer. The "BF" code likely indicates that the maker was also producing pliers for Sears Roebuck.

Lineman's Pliers

Fuller also offered lineman's pliers, and by 1979 was sourcing the pliers from Maruto Hasegawa.

Fig. 16B. 1979 Catalog Listing for Fuller "Maruto" Lineman's Pliers.

Fig. 16B shows a 1979 catalog listing for Fuller "Maruto" lineman's pliers, as published on page A-51 of a 1979 La Cross Roofing catalog.

The pliers were available in 7 and 8 inch sizes.

In the illustration the "Maruto" marking is visible below the pivot.

Other Tools

Fuller 7218 "BF" 18 Ounce Claw Hammer

Fig. 17. Fuller 7218 18 Ounce Claw Hammer, with Insets for Marking Detail, ca. 1970s.

Fig. 17 shows a Fuller No. 7218 18 ounce claw hammer, stamped with "Fuller" plus "#7218" and "18oz" on the front, with "Japan-BF" on the back side.

The tubular steel handle is fitted with a rubber cushion grip, making the hammer comfortable to hold and use.

The overall length is 12.8 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

This hammer is very similar to the Sears Companion No. 3812 "BF" Claw Hammer, and the presence of the "BF" code suggests that they may have been made by the same manufacturer.

The No. 7218 hammer was listed in the 1979 "La Cross Roofing" Fuller excerpt catalog.

The manufacturer of this hammer has been identified as Nippon Riki, now known as Lobtex. The identification was made based on the close similarity in construction between this hammer and a Globemaster No. 60820 ripping hammer, which was stamped with Nippon Riki's trademark Lobster-Logo. This type of hammer was also made for the Truecraft brand.

Award Tools

The Award Tool Company was formed in 1963 by Martin H. Rieger, formerly a sales manager at Fuller Tool. The company operated independently only briefly, as by 1965 Award Tool had been acquired by Fuller Tool.

After the acquisition Fuller used "Award" as a second brand for tools, with most of the production done by KTC.

Based on the observed examples, production for the Award brand was identical to that for the main Fuller brand.

Award "KTC" 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 18. Award "KTC" 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Marking Detail, ca. Mid to Late 1960s.

Fig. 18 shows an Award 15/16x1 open-end wrench with recessed oval panels, marked with "Chrome Vanadium" and the fractional sizes forged into the shank, with "Drop Forged" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo forged into the back side.

The overall length is 11.9 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

The KTC-Oval logo indicates that the wrench was produced by the Kyoto Tool Company.

Award "KTC" 3/8 Combination Wrench, Recessed Panels

Fig. 19. Award "KTC" 3/8 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Edge View, ca. Mid to Late 1960s.

Fig. 19 shows an Award 3/8 combination wrench with recessed oval panels, marked with "Award" and "Chrome Vanadium" plus the fractional size forged into the shank, with "Drop Forged" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo forged into the back side.

The overall length is 4.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Award "KTC" 7/16 Combination Wrench, Recessed Panels

Fig. 20. Award "KTC" 7/16 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Side View, ca. Mid to Late 1960s.

Fig. 20 shows an Award 7/16 combination wrench with recessed oval panels, marked with "Award" and "Chrome Vanadium" plus the fractional size forged into the front panel, with "Drop Forged" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo forged into the back panel.

The overall length is 5.5 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Award "KTC" 5/8 Combination Wrench, Recessed Panels

Fig. 21. Award "KTC" 5/8 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Side View, ca. Mid to Late 1960s.

Fig. 21 shows an Award 5/8 combination wrench with recessed oval panels, marked with "Award" and "Chrome Vanadium" plus the fractional size forged into the shank, with "Drop Forged" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo forged into the back side.

The overall length is 7.8 inches, and the finish is chrome plating, with losses due to wear.

The wrench in the next figure at first seemed to be a duplicate of the one above, but something looked a little bit off. Can you spot the difference?

Fig. 21B. Award 5/8 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Side View, ca. Mid to Late 1960s.

Fig. 21B shows an Award 5/8 combination wrench with recessed oval panels, marked with "Award" and "Chrome Vanadium" plus the fractional size forged into the shank, with "Drop Forged" and "Japan" forged into the back side.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

Note that this wrench is not marked with the KTC logo! At first we thought it was just an omission, but then started noticing other small differences — the shank is a little thicker, the box end is thicker, the markings are slightly larger.

After noticing all of the small differences, we realized that this wrench is a copy made by another Japanese manufacturer rather than KTC.

Award "KTC" 11/16 Combination Wrench, Parallelogram Panels

Fig. 22. Award "KTC" 11/16 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Side View, ca. Late 1970s to 1980s.

Fig. 22 shows an Award 11/16 combination wrench with raised parallelogram panels, stamped with "Award" and the fractional size on the front panel, with "Chrome Molybdenum" and "Japan" plus the KTC-Oval logo on the back side.

The shank is marked with a forged-in "U1" code visible at the left on the back side.

The overall length is 8.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.