Pritzlaff Hardware chisels, who made them?

[Alfred Kraemer]

In the midwest one comes across chisels with a regional hardware company name quite regularly: Shapleigh, Wedgeway, and Pritzlaff among them. I have had some Pritzlaff chisels with the name on the socket and an asterisk below, and one marked Everkeen, for some time, and wondered who made them? They look like Greenlee but maybe someone here knows.
A short time ago I found an interesting article about Pritzlaff Hardware in the Milwaukee newspaper:

http://m.jsonline.com/opinion/a-rebirth-for-the-pritzlaff-building-b99278612z1-261323881.html

Alfred







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[lowell holmes]

I can't answer your question, but there is another regional hardware company. It is or was Bluegrass. I have two of their hammers, a 16 oz and a 7 oz.. I prize both hammers.
I also have a 3/8" Bluegrass chisel that I like. It is equal to the Stanley's from the same era.

I found the copy below on line. I removed a name so no one would be upset that they showed up in this forum.


> > I keep running into some tools by the company Bluegrass. So far a
> According to xxxxxxx, Bluegrass was a product line distributed by The
> Belknap Hardware and Mfg. Co. of Louisville, Ky. In business from c. 1912 to
> 1970. He indicated that at least the planes they sold were manufactured by
> Stanley and Sargent. Probably a manufacturer who had items private labeled
> to round out their line.

[Alfred Kraemer]

Lowell,

Bluegrass is good example of a regional hardware store brand that made high quality tools. I had a one inch bluegrass chisel that was made of some of the toughest steel I have ever encountered in chisels. It just wasn't designed for paring.

Alfred

[Bill Beverly]

Alfred,

The name WEDGEWAY shows up on axes in the Midwest. That trade name was used by Morley-Murphy Co. in Green bay WI. They are still in business. I have seen fancy WEDGEWAY axe head markings which were also stamped Morley Murphy and Green Bay.
I have also seen WEDGEWAY socket chisels which do not mention Morley- Murphy but that is probably because there isn't much room on a chisel to stamp anything.

Bill,