Cheshirechappie
Established Member
During a spell of vintage tool acquisition a couple of years ago, a pair of pincers by Thewlis & Co came my way.
I own two other pairs of pincers; both 6" pairs, one bought new in the 1980s, and one older, which I may have inherited. Neither pair are much to write home about. The inherited pair are rather lightweight, and stamped "British Made". The 1980s pair have plastic covered handles, and the jaws are ground such that they grip in the middle of the forging rather than at the outside edge; they are all but useless.
The Thewlis pair on the other hand are 8" long, and about twice as heavy. The jaws grip at the outside edge, and the handles have a nice curve to them that makes them quite comfortable in the hand, even when being used hard. One handle ends in a flattened split making a sort of tack-lifter, the other in a strange cone-like 'thing'. The finish is 'workmanlike' - not very polished, but no burrs or lumps where they'd hurt the hands, and the jaws meet nicely. I was using them not long ago whilst dismantling some old fence panels, and they worked very effectively.
From somewhere, I knew that Thewlis were a Warrington firm, but I knew nothing more about them, except that the name crops up from time to time on vintage tools - the solid old-type dividers being one example. Last night, I whiled away a couple of hours seeing what Google could unearth about them.
Well - not very much. Apparently, the firm was founded in 1813, and at some point (maybe from the start) was known as Thewlis and Griffith.
There seems to be some info about a chap called Shaw Thewlis, born 1814 in Huddersfield, who became a significant figure in the public life of Warrington - he was Mayor in 1865-66, and there's a Thewlis Street near Bank Quay. In the 1881 census, Shaw Thewlis is stated as age 57 (I think that should be 67 - read on!), occupation "Alderman and Magistrate, File and Tool Manufacturer employing 65 men, 5 boys and 2 girls". A report from the Warrington Guardian about the sale of his sideboard tells that he died in 1885 in his early 70s, and in his will left a legacy of £500 for 'the aged poor of Warrington'. He was remembered as a very kind man, apparently.
A 'Useful Registered Design' of 1848 gives the firm's address as 'Phoenix Iron and Tool Works, Warrington, Cheshire' [sic - Warrington was in Lancashire at the time, and many people say it still is!] but frustratingly, no street name. The application was for a Churn, as in dairy equipment. I've also seen Ebay listings for railway carriage keys by the firm, too - so their product range was eclectic.
The trail then goes cold, until a Grace's Guide entry for Herbert Plumpton (including George Plumpton, Thewlis Griffith and Edelsten Ltd, and the Lancashire Tool Company), becoming incorporated into Sheffield Steel Products in 1920.
Thus - two questions. (Well - more than two, really!)
1) What is the cone thing for on pincer handles?
2) Can anybody offer any more information about Thewlis? They were clearly a long-established firm, of medium size, with a varied product range. They couldn't have been formed by Shaw Thewlis - maybe his father? When did the firm become defunt, or their trademark cease to be used? Who were Griffith and Edelsten?
I own two other pairs of pincers; both 6" pairs, one bought new in the 1980s, and one older, which I may have inherited. Neither pair are much to write home about. The inherited pair are rather lightweight, and stamped "British Made". The 1980s pair have plastic covered handles, and the jaws are ground such that they grip in the middle of the forging rather than at the outside edge; they are all but useless.
The Thewlis pair on the other hand are 8" long, and about twice as heavy. The jaws grip at the outside edge, and the handles have a nice curve to them that makes them quite comfortable in the hand, even when being used hard. One handle ends in a flattened split making a sort of tack-lifter, the other in a strange cone-like 'thing'. The finish is 'workmanlike' - not very polished, but no burrs or lumps where they'd hurt the hands, and the jaws meet nicely. I was using them not long ago whilst dismantling some old fence panels, and they worked very effectively.
From somewhere, I knew that Thewlis were a Warrington firm, but I knew nothing more about them, except that the name crops up from time to time on vintage tools - the solid old-type dividers being one example. Last night, I whiled away a couple of hours seeing what Google could unearth about them.
Well - not very much. Apparently, the firm was founded in 1813, and at some point (maybe from the start) was known as Thewlis and Griffith.
There seems to be some info about a chap called Shaw Thewlis, born 1814 in Huddersfield, who became a significant figure in the public life of Warrington - he was Mayor in 1865-66, and there's a Thewlis Street near Bank Quay. In the 1881 census, Shaw Thewlis is stated as age 57 (I think that should be 67 - read on!), occupation "Alderman and Magistrate, File and Tool Manufacturer employing 65 men, 5 boys and 2 girls". A report from the Warrington Guardian about the sale of his sideboard tells that he died in 1885 in his early 70s, and in his will left a legacy of £500 for 'the aged poor of Warrington'. He was remembered as a very kind man, apparently.
A 'Useful Registered Design' of 1848 gives the firm's address as 'Phoenix Iron and Tool Works, Warrington, Cheshire' [sic - Warrington was in Lancashire at the time, and many people say it still is!] but frustratingly, no street name. The application was for a Churn, as in dairy equipment. I've also seen Ebay listings for railway carriage keys by the firm, too - so their product range was eclectic.
The trail then goes cold, until a Grace's Guide entry for Herbert Plumpton (including George Plumpton, Thewlis Griffith and Edelsten Ltd, and the Lancashire Tool Company), becoming incorporated into Sheffield Steel Products in 1920.
Thus - two questions. (Well - more than two, really!)
1) What is the cone thing for on pincer handles?
2) Can anybody offer any more information about Thewlis? They were clearly a long-established firm, of medium size, with a varied product range. They couldn't have been formed by Shaw Thewlis - maybe his father? When did the firm become defunt, or their trademark cease to be used? Who were Griffith and Edelsten?
=D>
