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Thread: 3 new toys

  1. #1
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    Cool 3 new toys

    During that Road Trip, yesterday....picked these 3 items ($12 +Tax)...
    Heart of OH, 3 for .JPG
    Got these home, and began to get a better look at each one..
    3 new toys, J Stevens.JPG
    Top of the spring down to the sharp points,,just over 3" long...Logo says J. Stevens A&T Co. of Chicopee, MASS.
    3 new toys, J Stevens, add a handle.JPG
    Someone long ago made a copper or brass handle for the top of the spring. Mister Stevens was bought out by Savage Arms Co. about 1897-ish....hmmm

    Next..
    3 new toys, General 5 in..JPG
    5" long, no handle on top. Logo says GENERAL USA.....has a weird point..
    3 new toys, blade point.JPG
    More of a blade than a pointy thing...knurled keeper. Maybe extend the blade as a scribe follower? Blade follows the edge, while the point makes it's mark?

    Lastly...
    3 new toys, brass plated.JPG
    Not sure if that is brass/gold paint, or just brass plated....Steel parts are black. Has some fancy joinery going on...
    3 new toys, fancy joints.JPG
    There are steel pins in where the spring sits. Joint looks the same on both sides. The steel point sits in a groove, so one could replace with a new point. Adjuster wheel is 2 parts, steel wheel with a brass cone. Have not found any logo on this one.

    These might come in handy, sometime...( still have to rehab the Stanley No. 8c I also picked, yesterday...)

    Stay tuned...
    A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use

  2. #2
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    Any clues as to the Compass' maker?

    Have never heard of "General USA" brand...either..it looks like you set a scribe distance, and use the flat to follow and edge...while the pointy end scribes a mark.

    Apparently, Mr. James Stevens was also an Arms maker..until bought out by Savage Arms Co. Seems the same quality he made those arms to....was also the standards he used on the tools he sold, as well...
    A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use

  3. #3
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    I don’t know General and have never seen dividers like that. Scribing is a not unreasonable guess it seems like, but neither of my grandpas ever described such a thing.

  4. #4
    There are quite a lot of General Tools. I have several myself.

    https://generaltools.com

    73,
    Rick

  5. #5
    Oh, gosh, I was expecting to see a 16” jointer, 52” drum sander, and a 20” disc sander…….

  6. #6
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    Went and checked out that General Tools site just now...Did not see the divider/scriber..BUT..they still sell that Pencil Compass....in fact, I have both of the ones they still sell...

    Looks like both Lowes and Menard's carry that line of marking tools.

    As for that James Stevens A & T Co. one.......might be as old as 1897, the last year that company was around, before taken over by Savage Arms Co.......
    A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by steven c newman View Post
    [edited]
    Has some fancy joinery going on...
    3 new toys, fancy joints.JPG
    There are steel pins in where the spring sits. Joint looks the same on both sides. The steel point sits in a groove, so one could replace with a new point. Adjuster wheel is 2 parts, steel wheel with a brass cone. Have not found any logo on this one.

    These might come in handy, sometime...( still have to rehab the Stanley No. 8c I also picked, yesterday...)

    Stay tuned...
    The steel pins are likely the pivot points. This may have been made when the patent for the round spring and single pivot pin was still active.

    Could the 2 part adjuster be similar to the one on some Starrett models?

    Starrett Dividers.jpg

    The Starrett adjuster can disengage for fast setting:

    Starrett Dividers QR.jpg

    Mine was missing a finial so a brass fitting for a lamp switch was used. Tapped it for a 4-40 thread and it works well.

    Compasses and dividers for drafting almost always have a finial. The same tools made for the metal working trade often do not.

    jtk
    Last edited by Jim Koepke; 01-16-2022 at 5:32 PM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  8. #8
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    Upon further review: the "J" stands for Joshua....Mr. Joshua Stevens Arms & Tool Co.

    Not sure IF Savage continued to make tools after the take-over...they do continue to sell "Stevens" brand of rifles, shotguns....
    A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use

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