William Hjorth & Company

Table of Contents

Introduction

William Hjorth & Company was a maker of pliers, wrenches, and other tools during the early part of the 20th century.

Company History

William Hjorth & Company was established in Jamestown, New York in the late 19th or early 20th century. We haven't found a notice of the company's founding, but it was definitely in operation by 1903 based on references in trade publications.

Fig. 1A. 1903 Notice for Wm. Hjorth & Company. [External Link]

Fig. 1A shows a notice for the "Empire" pipe wrench offered by the Hjorth company, as published on page 26 of the December 10, 1903 issue of Hardware.

The "Empire" pipe wrench was described by patent 735,289, filed by Karl Peterson in 1902 and issued on August 4, 1903, with assignment to William Hjorth & Company.

(Somewhat curiously, the illustration seems to show the wrong patent date for the wrench.)

Fig. 1B. 1904 Advertisement for Wm. Hjorth & Company. [External Link]

Fig. 1B shows an ad for several of the tools offered by the Hjorth company, as published on page 547 of the July, 1904 issue of the Hardware Dealers' Magazine.

The advertisement was placed by Wiebusch and Hilger, acting as manufacturer's agents for the Hjorth company.

The illustration at the top shows a "Lightning Wrench", a plier-wrench combining pipe and nut gripping surfaces. The patent date on the tool refers to patent 738,444, filed by A.W. Hjorth in 1902 and issued on September 8, 1903, with assignment to William Hjorth & Company.

The middle illustration shows the "Empire" pipe wrench, with a patent date referring to patent 735,289. This patent was filed by Karl Peterson in 1902 and issued on August 4, 1903, with assignment to William Hjorth & Company. (Karl Peterson went on to become the founder of the Crescent Tool Company.)

Finally, the bottom illustration shows a pair of combination pliers.

A similar reference can be found in the January 18, 1905 issue of The Horseless Age, which notes Hjorth as the maker of a "Lightning" plier wrench, an "Empire" pipe wrench, and combination pliers.

Fig. 2. 1908 Notice for Hjorth Bent-Nose Pliers. [External Link]

Fig. 2 shows a notice describing the recently introduced Hjorth bent-nose pliers, as published on page 178 of the February 12, 1908 issue of The Horseless Age.

Adjustable Wrenches

In 1914 Wm. Hjorth introduced a line of crescent-style adjustable wrenches, initially in sizes 6, 8, and 10 inches.

Fig. 3. 1914 Ad for Hjorth Adjustable Wrenches. [External Link]

Fig. 3 shows an ad for Hjorth adjustable wrenches, as published on page 458 of the September, 1914 edition of the Hardware Dealers' Magazine.

Forged Tool Products Corporation

In 1920 William H. Hjorth formed a new venture, the Forged Tool Products Company, with the intention of manufacturing wrenches and other forged products.

Fig. 4. 1920 Notice for Forged Tool Products Corporation. [External Link]

Fig. 4 shows a notice of the incorporation of the Forged Tool Products Company, as published on page 1415 of the May 13, 1920 issue of The Iron Age.

The text notes the company capital as $500,000, which was a very substantial sum in those days.

Hjorth Tool Corporation

In 1922 William Hjorth & Company was succeeded by the Hjorth Tool Corporation. A notice of the incorporation can be found on page 1653 of the December 14, 1922 issue of the Iron Trade Review.

The notice states that the company would make pliers, wrenches, and hardware specialties. The capital was noted as $75,000, with officers (and shareholders) E.D. Cook, president, W.F. Opdyke, vice president, and Alvin D. Stitt, secretary and treasurer.

Fig. 5. 1923 Notice for Hjorth "Sta-Set" Adjustable Wrenches. [External Link]

Fig. 5 shows a notice for the Hjorth "Sta-Set" adjustable wrench, as published on page 36 of the November 3, 1923 issue of Motor World.

The illustration shows a spring-loaded plunger to apply drag to the adjusting knurl, thereby preventing accidental movement. The wrenches were available in sizes 6, 8, 10, and 12 inches.

Similar notices for the "Sta-Set" wrench appeared in other trade publications around the same time.

Later Operations

We haven't found any public references to the Hjorth Tool Corporation after the mid 1920s, and the later history of the company is uncertain.

Patents

Trademarks

No trademarks are known for William Hjorth & Company.

References and Resources

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

Catalog Coverage

Currently we do not have any catalogs for William Hjorth & Company.

Selected Tools

Hjorth 8 Inch "Lightning Wrench" Pliers with Early Patent

Fig. 5. Hjorth 8 Inch "Lightning Wrench" Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. Early 1900s.

Fig. 5 shows an early pair of Hjorth 8 inch "Lightning Wrench" pliers, stamped with "Wm. Hjorth & Co." and "Jamestown, N.Y." on the upper jaw, and with a "Pat. Dec. 15, 1896" patent notice.

The overall length is 8.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The patent date refers to patent 573,313, filed by J.F. Tiner in 1896 and issued later that year. Hjorth "Lightning Wrench" pliers marked with this early patent are less commonly found.

Hjorth 12 Inch "Lightning Wrench" Pliers

Fig. 6. Hjorth 12 Inch "Lightning Wrench" Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. Early 1900s.

Fig. 6 shows a pair of Hjorth 12 inch "Lightning Wrench" pliers, stamped with "Wm. Hjorth & Co." and "Jamestown, N.Y." on the upper jaw, and with a "Pat. Sept. 8, 1903" patent notice.

The overall length is 12.6 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The patent date refers to patent 738,444, filed by A.W. Hjorth in 1902 and issued in 1903, with assignment to William Hjorth & Company.

Hjorth 9 Inch "Lightning Wrench" Pliers

Fig. 7. Hjorth 9 Inch "Lightning Wrench" Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1910.

Fig. 7 shows a pair of Hjorth 9 inch "Lightning Wrench" pliers, stamped with "Wm. Hjorth & Co." and "Jamestown, N.Y." on the upper jaw, and with a "Pat. Sept. 8, 1903" patent notice.

The overall length is 9.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The patent date refers to patent 738,444, filed by A.W. Hjorth in 1902 and issued in 1903, with assignment to William Hjorth & Company.

These pliers are fitted with a replaceable lower jaw secured by a machine screw. This feature would suggest somewhat later production than the pliers in the prior figure.

Hjorth 6 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers

Fig. 8. Hjorth 6 Inch Slip-Joint Combination Pliers, with Inset for Detail, ca. Early 1900s.

Fig. 8 shows a pair of Hjorth 6 inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped "Wm. Hjorth" and "Jamestown" near the pivot.

Hjorth 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 9. Hjorth 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. 1914 to Early 1920s.

Fig. 9 shows a Hjorth 6 inch adjustable wrench, marked with "Wm. Hjorth & Co" forged into the shank, with "Jamestown NY" forged into the back side.

The overall length is 6.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.