Alloy Artifacts  

McKaig-Hatch, Inc.


Table of Contents

Introduction

McKaig-Hatch was a merchant drop-forger and tool maker operating in Buffalo, New York during the early to mid 20th century.

Company History

McKaig-Hatch was founded in 1913 in Buffalo, New York by Archibald McKaig Sr., Chauncy R. Hatch, and Frank S. Leary. One of the founders, Archibald McKaig Sr., was an inventor and former principal of the McKaig-Dorntge Drop Forging Company.

[1913 Notice of Incorporation for McKaig-Hatch]
Fig. 1. 1913 Notice of Incorporation for McKaig-Hatch. [External Link]

Fig. 1 shows a notice of the founding of the company, as published on page iii of the June 2, 1913 issue of Industrial World.

The text notes the company's planned products as "mechanical tools and contrivances", and the address is given as 528 Prudential Building in Buffalo, NY.

[1913 Notice for McKaig-Hatch]
Fig. 2. 1913 Notice for McKaig-Hatch. [External Link]

Fig. 2 shows a later notice giving the company's address as 1584 Niagara Street, as published on page 34 of the October 16, 1913 issue of Motor World. The company remained at this location for many years.

Their products are listed more specifically as drop forgings and combination pliers. A later advertisement lists an address at 125 Skillen Street in Buffalo, probably a secondary facility.

[1921 Advertisement for McKaig-Hatch Pliers]
Fig. 3. 1921 Advertisement for McKaig-Hatch Pliers. [External Link]

Fig. 3 shows an ad for McKaig-Hatch pliers, as published on page 49 of the April 1921 issue of Forging and Heat Treating, a trade publication for the drop-forging industry.

The text in the upper left corner identifies these as "Auto Kit Pliers".


The Quiet Decades

From the mid 1920s through the late 1940s there is relatively little in the public record for McKaig-Hatch. There were occasional notices regarding labor relations and a couple of patents issued, but we haven't found any advertisements or new product notices for this period.

This suggests that during this time the company was working with a stable group of customers, without the need to find new business. Based on the known capabilities of the company, the company was probably making pliers and wrenches for automotive tool kits, along with a mix of drop forgings for automotive and industrial applications.

McKaig-Hatch Tools

[1949 Ad for McKaig-Hatch Tools]
Fig. 4A. 1949 Advertisement for McKaig-Hatch Tools.

After decades of working behind the scenes as a contract manufacturer, in the late 1940s McKaig-Hatch began planning a new line of tools for the hardware trade and consumer markets. The new tools were intended to meet professional standards and included popular styles such as open-end, combination, and box-end wrenches, pipe wrenches, pliers, and hammers.

The new line was announced in July of 1949 in a full-page ad placed in Hardware Age, which appears to have been the first ad from McKaig-Hatch in decades.

The scan in Fig. 4A shows the ad announcing the new tool line, as published on page 567 of the July, 1949 issue of Hardware Age.

The illustration shows tools including hammers, pliers, wrenches, a Stillson-pattern pipe wrench, and a Crescent-style adjustable wrench, and the text notes that the tools were forged from alloy steel.

The inclusion of Crescent-style adjustable wrenches in the new line is a bit surprising, as this category of tool, while extremely popular, was also highly competitive. There were at least five major makers of these tools at the time — Danielson, Diamond, Utica, Williams, and of course Crescent itself — and all of these companies made high quality tools.

[August, 1950 Ad for McKaig-Hatch Tools]
Fig. 4B. August, 1950 Advertisement for McKaig-Hatch Tools.

After the 1949 ad in Hardware Age to alert the hardware trade, McKaig-Hatch followed up with a series of ads in the fall of 1950 in Popular Mechanics, a consumer-facing publication.

The scan in Fig. 4B shows an ad for McKaig-Hatch tools, as published on page 254 of the August, 1950 issue of Popular Mechanics.

The illustration shows a selection of mechanic's tools, including an adjustable wrench, open-end, combination, and box-end wrenches, pliers, hammers, and pipe wrenches.

The text notes that the tools were forged from alloy steel and finished with polished chrome.


The Sears Contract

By the late 1940s or early 1950s McKaig-Hatch had landed a contract to make tools for the Sears Craftsman and Dunlap brands. The first readily recognizable tools attributable to McKaig-Hatch were adjustable wrenches in a distinctive style with the hanging hole in the interior of the shank. These tools were first observed in a Craftsman catalog printed in late 1951.

Prior to this time McKaig-Hatch may have supplied Dunlap pliers or adjustable wrenches with a more conventional design, with the maker not easily discerned from a catalog listing.

McKaig-hatch marked the tools made for Sears with a forged-in or stamped "Y-Circle" manufacturer's code, although the process of identifying McKaig-Hatch as the maker was not entirely straightforward. Readers interested in more information on the attribution of this code can refer to the section Tracking Maker "Y-Circle" in our Craftsman article.

The list below shows the types of tools currently known to have been made for Sears by McKaig-Hatch.

This list may not be complete, and if any readers know of additional tools with a "Y-Circle" marking, please let us know via email.

The time span of the supplier relationship with Sears is still uncertain, but probably began not before 1949, and had probably ended by the early 1960s. Not all of the tools supplied by McKaig-Hatch were distinctive enough to recognize in the Craftsman catalogs, but the interior-hole adjustable wrenches, heavy-duty pipe wrenches, and tire irons can be identified in catalog listings, and these recognizable listings span the period 1951-1957.

McKaig-Hatch may have continued supplying tools after 1957 of a generic design that can't be identified in catalogs, and of course it's possible that the tools were still available in stores, even if not illustrated in the catalogs.

Later Operations

By 1965 McKaig-Hatch pliers were being offered in the Harry J. Epstein Company catalog, a seller of bargain merchandise purchased as surplus inventory or closeouts. This suggests that the McKaig-Hatch tool operations were not doing well, or may have already closed.

By the late 1960s McKaig-Hatch was listed as a subsidiary of the Tasa Coal Company. References to McKaig-Hatch have been found into the 1970s but not later, suggesting that the company had been closed (or possibly acquired) somewhat after this time.


Patents

McKaig-Hatch: Issued and Licensed Patents
Patent No.InventorFiledIssuedNotes and Examples
629,045 A. McKaig09/10/189807/18/1899 Adjustable Wrench
1,698,474 H.J. Friedl05/16/192301/08/1929 Chain Repair Pliers
Chain Repair Pliers
1,769,705 C.I. McGee   Combined Nut and Washer
1,972,051 K.F.W. Kempf03/28/193208/28/1934 Upsetting Machine
2,572,492 K.F.W. Kempf09/11/194810/23/1951 Method of Making Adjustable Wrenches
2,813,444 C.R. Hatch, Jr.07/23/195611/19/1957 Lockable Adjustable Wrench
2,817,259 R. Heuser07/31/195612/24/1957 Lockable Adjustable Wrench

Trademarks

[1954 Trademark Application for Buffalo Tools]
Fig. 4B. 1954 Trademark Application for McKaig-Hatch "Buffalo Tools".

On November 5, 1952 the company filed a trademark application for "Buffalo Tools" with a bison in the center, with the first use date given as September of 1951. The application was published with serial 637,662 on November 30, 1954, with the products listed as wrenches, pliers, hammers, and tire irons.

The scan in Fig. 4B shows the trademark application for "Buffalo Tools", as published on page 842 of the November 20, 1954 issue of the Official Gazette.

The trademark was issued as #602,319 on February 22, 1955.


Tool Identification


MH-Circle Logo

[MH-Circle Logo]
Fig. 4C. MH-Circle Logo from McKaig-Hatch Catalog.

The scan in Fig. 4C shows the MH-Circle logo, as published on page 3 of a 1950s era McKaig-Hatch catalog.

This logo was typically stamped on or forged into McKaig-Hatch tools. When used as a forge-mark, the outer legs of the "M" and "H" letters were typically straight rather than curved.


References and Resources

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


Catalog Coverage

Currently we have only one catalog for McKaig-Hatch, undated but paired with a 1956 price list. The catalog lists adjustable wrenches in sizes from 4 to 16 inches, open-end wrenches in carbon steel and alloy steel, box-end and combination wrenches in alloy steel, several models of pliers, pipe wrenches in two designs, and a few miscellaneous tools.

McKaig-Hatch: Catalog Resources
Catalog Date Notes
    McKaig-Hatch Inc (1950s?):
McKaig-Hatch, Inc. Mid 1950s No copyright, undated. 24 pages.
Available for Download [External Link] from ITCL.
Lists Ridged-pattern pipe wrenches with "finger-grip" handles.

Industrial Distributors

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


Selected Tools


Pliers


McKaig-Hatch Chain Repair Pliers

[McKaig-Hatch Chain Repair Pliers]
Fig. 5. McKaig-Hatch Chain Repair Pliers, ca. 1923-1929.

Fig. 5 shows a pair of McKaig-Hatch chain repair pliers, marked "McKaig-Hatch" and "Buffalo, N.Y." with a "Pat. Apld. For" notice.

The overall length is 9.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

These pliers were designed for repairing links in automobile tire chains.

The pending status refers to patent #1,698,474, filed by H.J. Friedl in 1923 and issued in 1929, with assignment to McKaig-Hatch.


[McKaig-Hatch] "Ford" 6 Inch Combination Pliers

[McKaig-Hatch Ford 6 Inch Combination Pliers]
Fig. 6. McKaig-Hatch "Ford" 6 Inch Combination Pliers, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 6 shows a pair of [McKaig-Hatch] 6 inch combination pliers produced for Ford, marked with the Ford script logo forged into one handle, with the MH-Circle logo forged into the other.

The overall length is 6.6 inches, and the finish is plain steel.


[McKaig-Hatch] 6 Inch Combination Pliers

[McKaig-Hatch 6 Inch Combination Pliers]
Fig. 7. McKaig-Hatch 6 Inch Combination Pliers, with Inset for Handle Pattern.

Fig. 7 shows a pair of [McKaig-Hatch] 6 inch combination pliers, marked with the MH-Circle logo forged into the handle.


McKaig-Hatch 438 8 Inch Combination Pliers

[McKaig-Hatch 438 8 Inch Combination Pliers]
Fig. 8. McKaig-Hatch 438 8 Inch Combination Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 8 shows a pair of McKaig-Hatch 438 8 inch slip-joint combination pliers, stamped "McKaig-Hatch Inc." and "Buffalo, N.Y. U.S.A." in an outer circle with the MH-Circle logo in the center (see lower inset). The MH-Circle logo is also forged into each of the handles.

The overall length is 7.8 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.


McKaig-Hatch 10 Inch Waterpump Pliers

[McKaig-Hatch 10 Inch Waterpump Pliers]
Fig. 9. McKaig-Hatch 10 Inch Waterpump Pliers, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 9 shows a pair of McKaig-Hatch 10 inch waterpump pliers, marked "McKaig-Hatch Inc." and "Buffalo, N.Y. U.S.A." with the MH-Circle logo.

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


Arc-Joint Heavy Duty Pliers

[Catalog Listing for McKaig-Hatch Arc-Joint Pliers]
Fig. 9B. Catalog Listing for McKaig-Hatch Arc-Joint Pliers, ca. Mid 1950s.

Fig. 9B shows a catalog listing for McKaig-Hatch "Arc-Joint" pliers, as published on page 14 of a mid 1950s McKaig-Hatch catalog.

The description notes that the tongue-and-groove ribs were forged, which suggests that McKaig-Hatch had licensed patent 2,622,464 from Utica Tools. This patent describes a method of directly forging the interlocking ribs for tongue-and-groove pliers, thereby avoiding the need to cut the ribs with a later milling operation.

The Utica patent was issued in late 1952 and is believed to have been licensed to several other companies, including Diamond, McKaig-Hatch, and Wilde Tool. Some McKaig-Hatch pliers of this type have been observed with a "Licensed" marking.

The illustration unfortunately does not show the gripping pattern on the handles, but based on observed examples it was a rectangular grid pattern.

Sears later filed for a trademark on "ARC JOINT" and received trademark #898,688 in 1970. The use of "Arc-Joint" in the McKaig-Hatch catalog provides a strong hint that the company was working with Sears on pliers of this type.

We've seen photographs of Dunlap Arc-Joint pliers with a "Y-Circle" marking to indicate production by McKaig-Hatch.


Wrenches


McKaig-Hatch 5/16x11/32 Open-End Wrench

[McKaig-Hatch 5/16x11/32 Open-End Wrench]
Fig. 10. McKaig-Hatch 5/16x11/32 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

Fig. 10 shows a McKaig-Hatch 5/16x11/32 open-end wrench, marked with "McKaig-Hatch, Inc" forged into the shank, with "Made in U.S.A." and the fractional sizes forged into the back side.

The overall length is 3.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel.


McKaig-Hatch 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench

[McKaig-Hatch 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench]
Fig. 11. McKaig-Hatch 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

Fig. 11 shows a McKaig-Hatch 15/16x1 open-end wrench, marked with "McKaig-Hatch, Inc." and the fractional sizes forged into the shank, with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.

The overall length is 9.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.


[McKaig-Hatch] 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench

[McKaig-Hatch 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench]
Fig. 12. McKaig-Hatch 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

Fig. 12 shows a [McKaig-Hatch] 1/2x9/16 open-end wrench identified by the MH-Circle logo forged into the shank. The shank has forged-in markings "Drop Forged" with the fractional sizes on the front panel, with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back panel.

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

A forged-in code "1045" can be seen on the shank to the left of the back panel. This is believed to indicate the use of AISI 1045 carbon-manganese steel, a medium-carbon alloy with good hardening properties.

The use of the AISI code marking may indicate production during the wartime years, when manufacturers were often forced to use substitute grades of steel.

The mid 1950s McKaig-Hatch catalog offered carbon-steel wrenches of this design in a choice of plated or black finish.


[McKaig-Hatch] 1559 7/8 Combination Wrench

[McKaig-Hatch 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench]
Fig. 13. McKaig-Hatch 1559 7/8 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 13 shows a [McKaig-Hatch] 1559 7/8 combination wrench with depressed panels on the shank, marked with "Drop Forged" and the MH-Circle logo forged into the front panel, with "Made in U.S.A." and the model number forged into the back panel.

The overall length is 11.4 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.

The shank is also marked with a forged-in code "1045" visible at the right of the back panel. This is believed to indicate the use of AISI 1045 carbon-manganese steel, a medium-carbon tool steel with good hardening properties.

The use of the AISI code marking may indicate production during the wartime years, when manufacturers were often forced to use substitute grades of steel.


McKaig-Hatch 9/16 Combination Wrench

[McKaig-Hatch 9/16 Combination Wrench]
Fig. 14. McKaig-Hatch 9/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail, ca. Late 1940s to 1950s.

Fig. 14 shows a McKaig-Hatch 9/16 combination wrench, marked with "McKaig-Hatch Inc." and the fractional size stamped on the raised panel, with "Forged Alloy U.S.A." on the back panel.

The overall length is 6.9 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.


Adjustable Wrenches

The mid 1950s catalog from McKaig-Hatch lists two grades of adjustable wrenches, one made of forged alloy steel with a chrome finish, and the other of "Forged Steel" — presumably a less expensive grade — with a satin nickel finish.

The alloy steel wrenches had model numbers in a 2xx series ranging from 204 (4 inches) to 216 (16 inches), with the model number forged into the shank, based on the example in the next figure.

The economy-grade wrenches used the same model numbers but with an "N" suffix. Based on the examples here, the economy wrenches were not marked with the model number.


McKaig-Hatch 204 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench

[McKaig-Hatch 204 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench]
Fig. 15. McKaig-Hatch 204 4 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

Fig. 15 shows a McKaig-Hatch 204 4 inch adjustable wrench, marked with "McKaig-Hatch Inc." forged into the shank, with the model number and "Forged in U.S.A." on the back side.

The overall length is 4.3 inches.


McKaig-Hatch [206N] 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench

[McKaig-Hatch 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench]
Fig. 16. McKaig-Hatch [206N] 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. Late 1940s to Early 1950s.

Fig. 16 shows a McKaig-Hatch [206N] 6 inch adjustable wrench, marked with "Mfd. by McKaig-Hatch Inc." and "Buffalo, N.Y." forged into the shank, with "Forged Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.

The overall length is 6.3 inches and the maximum opening is 0.8 inches. The head thickness was measured at 0.40 inches.

The finish is plain steel with traces of cadmium plating.

This example is not marked with a model number, but based on the mid 1950s catalog would probably be model 206N.

By the mid 1950s the economy grade adjustable wrenches were specified with a satin nickel finish, so the cadmium finish on this tool may indicate earlier production.


McKaig-Hatch [212N] 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench

[McKaig-Hatch 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench]
Fig. 16B. McKaig-Hatch [212N] 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. Late 1940s to Early 1950s.

Fig. 16B shows a McKaig-Hatch [212N] 12 inch adjustable wrench, marked with "Mfd. by McKaig-Hatch Inc." and "Buffalo, N.Y." forged into the shank, with "Forged Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.

The overall length is 12.2 inches and the maximum opening is 1.4 inches. The maximum head thickness was measured at 0.71 inches.

The finish is cadmium plating.


Pipe Wrenches

The mid 1950s catalog from McKaig-Hatch offered pipe wrenches in both a Stillson-pattern and in a heavy-duty Ridgid pattern.

Catalog Listing of McKaig-Hatch Heavy-Duty Pipe Wrenches

[Catalog Listing for McKaig-Hatch Heavy-Duty Pipe Wrenches]
Fig. 17. Catalog Listing for McKaig-Hatch Heavy-Duty Pipe Wrenches, ca. Mid 1950s.

The scan in Fig. 17 shows a catalog listing for McKaig-Hatch heavy-duty pipe wrenches, as published on page 17 of a mid 1950s era McKaig-Hatch catalog.

The table notes that the wrenches were available in sizes 8, 10, 14, and 18 inches.

The wrench is constructed with a one-piece body and handle, a characteristic of Ridgid-pattern wrenches based on the 1929 Thewes patent 1,727,623, issued to W.O. Thewes in 1929. Wrenches in this pattern were first offered by Ridge Tool under the "Ridgid" brand.

Note that the illustration shows four "finger-grips" on the handle, an ergonomic feature not known from any other manufacturer of this style of wrench.

McKaig-Hatch supplied wrenches of this style to the Sears Craftsman brand in the mid 1950s, with forged-in markings for "Craftsman" and "Heavy Duty". The inclusion of the "finger-grips" on the handles of the Craftsman wrenches provided positive identification for McKaig-Hatch as the maker.

A listing of the wrenches in the 1954 Craftsman catalog can be seen as the Craftsman Model 5566 Pipe Wrenches.

Based on observed photographs, McKaig-Hatch is also known to have made pipe wrenches in this style using a conventional handle without the finger-grip feature. At this time we're unsure of whether the more conventional wrenches came before or after the finger-grip version.


Other Tools


McKaig-Hatch 301 Brake Adjusting Spoon

[McKaig-Hatch 301 Brake Adjusting Spoon]
Fig. 18. McKaig-Hatch 301 Brake Adjusting Spoon, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 18 shows a McKaig-Hatch 301 brake adjusting spoon, marked with "McKaig-Hatch Inc." and the model number forged into the shank, with "U.S.A." forged into the back side.

The overall length is 7.8 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.


Catalog Listing of McKaig-Hatch Tire Irons

[Catalog Listing for McKaig-Hatch Tire Iron]
Fig. 18B. Catalog Listing for McKaig-Hatch Tire Iron, ca. Mid 1950s.

The scan in Fig. 18B shows a catalog listing for the McKaig-Hatch tire iron, as published on page 19 of a mid 1950s era McKaig-Hatch catalog.

The catalog lists the overall length as 19 inches.


Production for Sears Roebuck

Late in its history McKaig-Hatch became a supplier to the Sears Dunlap and Craftsman brands, for tools including adjustable wrenches, pipe wrenches, pliers, and tire irons. In this section we'll look at some examples of tools made for the Sears brands.

It's often difficult to identify the maker of a Craftsman-branded tool, and the case of McKaig-Hatch was no different. McKaig-Hatch production can be identified by a forged or stamped Y-Circle logo, and the interested reader can find a discussion of the evidence leading to the attribution of this logo in the section Tracking Maker "Y-Circle" in our Craftsman article.

We have only a modest selection of tools made for the Sears brands, consisting of two Craftsman adjustable wrenches and one Dunlap adjustable wrench.


Craftsman "Y-Circle" 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench

The next two figures show examples of a distinctive style of adjustable wrenches, notable for the placement of the hanging hole in the interior of the shank, rather than at the extreme end.

This style of adjustable wrench was illustrated in Craftsman catalogs from 1951 to 1957, but was not shown in 1960 or later catalogs.

[Craftsman Y-Circle 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench]
Fig. 19. Craftsman "Y-Circle" 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. 1950s.

Fig. 19 shows a Craftsman 8 inch adjustable wrench, marked with "8 In." and the Craftsman double-line logo forged into the front, with "Forged in U.S.A." and a Y-Circle logo forged into the back side.

The overall length is 8.1 inches, and the maximum opening is 0.9 inches. The head thickness was measured at 0.47 inches.

The finish is plain steel with traces of plating, possibly zinc or cadmium.

Note that the hanging hole is located in the interior of the depressed panel, rather than at the extreme end.


Craftsman "Y-Circle" 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench

[Craftsman Y-Circle 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench]
Fig. 20. Craftsman "Y-Circle" 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail, ca. 1950s.

Fig. 20 shows a Craftsman 12 inch adjustable wrench, marked with "12 In." and the Craftsman double-line logo forged into the front, with "Forged in U.S.A." and a Y-Circle logo forged into the back side.

The overall length is 12.1 inches, and the maximum opening is 1.3 inches. The head thickness was measured at 0.72 inches.

The wrench has a bright plated finish that resembles zinc, and the finish is soft enough to leave a mark on paper.

The upper inset shows a close-up of the Y-Circle logo forged into the shank.


Alloy Artifacts Home Text and Photographs Copyright © 2005-2023 Alloy Artifacts Site Index