Crescent wrenches (was: Nomenclature (was: NEXT Color Printer find

From: Doc <doc_at_mdrconsult.com>
Date: Wed Jan 2 15:25:04 2002

On Wed, 2 Jan 2002, Don Maslin wrote:
> On Wed, 2 Jan 2002, Chris wrote:
>
> > >I don't know what they're teaching kids these days, but in the time period
> > >for which this list is relevant, mechanics did/do indeed refer to any
> ________O/_______
> O\
> > At least around here, they are teaching that it is an Adjustable Wrench,
> > and specifically teaching that it is NOT a Crescent wrench.
>
> Consider, please, that a "pipe" wrench is also an adjustable wrench as
> is what we call a monkey wrench. Neither of which are anywhere close to
> the Crescent wrench configuration.
>
> > Also, flip open any tool catalog you want, you won't see a generic
> > adjustable wrench listed as a Crescent Wrench.

 I can't believe I'm jumping into this.
 I truly think that "proper" naming of tools is entirely dependent on
regional and professional groups. I grew up in a steel fab shop, where
any hammer without claws and less than 8 pounds was a "shop hammer" A
tool with a handle & perpendiculsr, opposed chisel point and spike was a
"slag hammer". The right-angle-grip, toothed one-directional-grab
adjustable wrench was a pipe wrench, what I call 18" Channel-Loks were
monkey wrenches, and the 40-degree adjustable hex wrench is a Crescent.
 Then I fell into the oil-feild, where calling a tool by the wrong name
might literally earn you a set of bruises. There's no such thing as a
"pipe wrench". Ever. There are 12-in. pipe-wrenches, 15-inch
pipe-wrenches, up to 6-foot pipe wrenches. What I called a 4lb
shop-hammer became a short hammer, and the 8-lb sledge became a short
sledge. Anything under 4lb was a ball-peen, as they _usually_ were.
Allen-wrenches became hex-heads.
 I think my own thesis is that after 30 years, or 2 generations, of use,
any tool likely has a "proper name" ditrectly tied to its local use.

        Doc
Received on Wed Jan 02 2002 - 15:25:04 GMT