McKaig-Hatch, Inc.

Table of Contents

Introduction

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.

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.

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.

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.

Much later in its history McKaig-Hatch began advertising in magazines such as Popular Mechanics.

Fig. 4A. 1950 Advertisement for McKaig-Hatch Tools.

The scan in Fig. 4A 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.

Later Operations

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

Trademarks

No trademarks have been found for McKaig-Hatch.

Tool Identification

MH-Circle Logo

Fig. 4B. MH-Circle Logo from McKaig-Hatch Catalog.

The scan in Fig. 4B 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.

Industrial Distributors

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

• E.J. Willis Company "A" 1912. The 1912 catalog "A" from the E.J. Willis Company, a dealer of automobile supplies in New York City, lists McKaig combination "Sure Cutter" pliers on page 12, and adjustable wrenches in sizes 6, 8, and 10 inches on page 12.

Selected Tools

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Fig. 12. McKaig-Hatch 15/16x1 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 manganese steel, a medium-carbon alloy with good hardening properties.

McKaig-Hatch 1559 7/8 Combination 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.

McKaig-Hatch 9/16 Combination Wrench

Fig. 14. McKaig-Hatch 9/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Back Side Detail.

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.

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 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 16. McKaig-Hatch 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 16 shows a McKaig-Hatch 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.

McKaig-Hatch 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench

Fig. 17. McKaig-Hatch 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 17 shows a McKaig-Hatch 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.

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.