3 Jan
2002
3 Jan
'02
7:35 a.m.
! From: Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) [mailto:cisin@xenosoft.com]
!
!
! On Tue, 1 Jan 2002, Chris wrote:
! > I know the facts, and I know exactly why it carries that
! > name (much like
!
! It's a nice analogy, but only partially relevant for this particular
! issue.
! 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
! adjustable wrench of that particular design as a "Crescent
! Wrench". They
! do NOT use the term "Crescent Wrench" to refer to any other style of
! adjustable wrench, and would consider THAT misuse as comparable to
! referring to a box-end wrench as a "socket".
Maybe I'm dating myself, or just sounding stupid, but with my basic
hands-on mechanic experience, I always called them 'adjustable' wrenches,
because that's what they did. They adjusted to the size you nedd.
Never quite realized what exactly a Cresent wrench was...
--- David A Woyciesjes
--- C & IS Support Specialist
--- Yale University Press
--- mailto:david.woyciesjes@yale.edu
--- (203) 432-0953
--- ICQ # - 905818
3 Jan
3 Jan
9:58 a.m.
Well I've worked most of my life with tools, including Garages, machine
shops, construction , the oil-patch, the film industry as grip and "electric",
the railways, had a bicycle shop, and many other mechanical things and in
Canada it was always specifically referred to as a crescent wrench. Before I
learned that Cresent was a company I always thought it referred to the
shape. A request for a"adjustable" wrench would have elicited a momentary
pause and then a caustic "vice-grip" or "monkeywrench"?
Then again each region has it's own language like "tubes" and
"valves".
Lawrence
! From: Fred Cisin (XenoSoft)
[mailto:cisin@xenosoft.com]
!
!
! On Tue, 1 Jan 2002, Chris wrote:
! > I know the facts, and I know exactly why it carries that
! > name (much like
!
! It's a nice analogy, but only partially relevant for this particular
! issue.
! 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
! adjustable wrench of that particular design as a "Crescent
! Wrench". They
! do NOT use the term "Crescent Wrench" to refer to any other style of
! adjustable wrench, and would consider THAT misuse as comparable to
! referring to a box-end wrench as a "socket".
Maybe I'm dating myself, or just sounding stupid, but with my basic
hands-on mechanic experience, I always called them 'adjustable' wrenches,
because that's what they did. They adjusted to the size you nedd.
Never quite realized what exactly a Cresent wrench was...
--- David A Woyciesjes
--- C & IS Support Specialist
--- Yale University Press
--- mailto:david.woyciesjes@yale.edu
--- (203) 432-0953
--- ICQ # - 905818
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net
11:44 a.m.
New subject: Crescent wrenches (was: Nomenclature (was: NEXT Color Printer find
On Thu, 3 Jan 2002, Lawrence Walker wrote:
Well I've worked most of my life with tools,
including Garages, machine
shops, construction , the oil-patch, the film industry as grip and "electric",
the railways, had a bicycle shop, and many other mechanical things and in
Canada it was always specifically referred to as a crescent wrench. Before I
learned that Cresent was a company I always thought it referred to the
shape. A request for a"adjustable" wrench would have elicited a momentary
pause and then a caustic "vice-grip" or "monkeywrench"?
Then again each region has it's own language like "tubes" and
"valves".
I got out of auto (Honda primarily) repair 20 years ago. But in THOSE
days, in northern California (and presumably a few other places),
"Crescent" WAS used by otherwise competent professionals to refer to any
of that type of adjustable wrenches, regardless of manufacturer. (Simple
lapse of trademark into common usage, like "Xerox") In extremely formal
usage, manufacturer would be specified (again, just like usage of "Xerox")
"Adjustable wrench" was used some, but was considered to be not a narrow
enough term.
"Vise-Grips" and "Swiss Army Knife" were used ONLY for those specific
brands. That was because the imitations were NO GOOD, and no professional
mechanic would be caught dead with such poor quality.
BTW, there are two brands of Swiss Army Knife: Victorinox and
Wenger. With a few exceptions, for certain special models such as
left-handed, Victorinox is the better one.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com
6:51 p.m.
New subject: Crescent wrenches (was: Nomenclature (was: NEXT Color Printer find
And then there is "Leatherman" the modern eqivalent of the "Swiss Army
Knife" of which there is no eqivalent I know qualitywise altho the quality is
declining as demand increases.
Lawrence
On Thu, 3 Jan 2002, Lawrence Walker wrote:
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net
Well I've worked most of my life with tools,
including Garages, machine
shops, construction , the oil-patch, the film industry as grip and "electric",
the railways, had a bicycle shop, and many other mechanical things and in
Canada it was always specifically referred to as a crescent wrench. Before I
learned that Cresent was a company I always thought it referred to the shape.
A request for a"adjustable" wrench would have elicited a momentary pause and
then a caustic "vice-grip" or "monkeywrench"?
Then again each region has it's own language like "tubes" and
"valves".
I got out of auto (Honda primarily) repair 20 years ago. But in THOSE
days, in northern California (and presumably a few other places),
"Crescent" WAS used by otherwise competent professionals to refer to any
of that type of adjustable wrenches, regardless of manufacturer. (Simple
lapse of trademark into common usage, like "Xerox") In extremely formal
usage, manufacturer would be specified (again, just like usage of "Xerox")
"Adjustable wrench" was used some, but was considered to be not a narrow
enough term.
"Vise-Grips" and "Swiss Army Knife" were used ONLY for those
specific
brands. That was because the imitations were NO GOOD, and no professional
mechanic would be caught dead with such poor quality.
BTW, there are two brands of Swiss Army Knife: Victorinox and
Wenger. With a few exceptions, for certain special models such as
left-handed, Victorinox is the better one.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com
4 Jan
4 Jan
7:34 a.m.
New subject: Crescent wrenches (was: Nomenclature (was: NEXT Color Printer find
On Thu, 3 Jan 2002, Lawrence Walker wrote:
And then there is "Leatherman" the modern
eqivalent of the "Swiss Army
Knife" of which there is no eqivalent I know qualitywise altho the quality is
declining as demand increases.
In addition to the crappy generic wannabes, there are similar or related
tools now from many of the major, legit tool companies. I think that
there is even one from Crescent. Some of those are decent quality.
Very recently, Vise-Grips has come out with one! It's called the
"Vise-Grips Toolbox". Check Harbor Freight item #46380-0VGA. In additon
to vise-grips, Shrade blades, it also has a 1/4" bit driver (without that
silly ADD-ON of the real Leatherman)
3 Jan
3 Jan
6:22 p.m.
I always call them Crescent Wrenches. I always thought Adjustable
Wrench was the silly name that knock-offs were called. I have a few
smaller ones that are made by Craftsman, but the big 15 incher I have is
a genuine Crescent Wrench.
I'm just guess, but I assume that the Crescent Tool Company, now owned
by Cooper Tools, came up with the design first.
Chad Fernandez
Michigan, USA
Lawrence Walker wrote:
Well I've worked most of my life with tools, including Garages, machine
shops, construction , the oil-patch, the film industry as grip and "electric",
the railways, had a bicycle shop, and many other mechanical things and in
Canada it was always specifically referred to as a crescent wrench. Before I
learned that Cresent was a company I always thought it referred to the
shape. A request for a"adjustable" wrench would have elicited a momentary
pause and then a caustic "vice-grip" or "monkeywrench"?
Then again each region has it's own language like "tubes" and
"valves".
Lawrence
8213
days inactive
8214
days old
5 comments
4 participants
participants (4)
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cisin＠xenosoft.com -
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lgwalker＠mts.net