on the subject of pincers and pliers...

[sunnybob]

heres todays mystery object.
Anyone seen these before?

 

[AJB Temple]

They look like lifting pincers. I have seen farriers use similar to pull shoe nails out, but they could work on nails or be used by a cobbler perhaps?

 

[sunnybob]

Nope. I actually do know what they are for.
next?

 

[toysandboats]

Are they used in basket making?

David

 

[Bm101]

Jesus Bob. I have a Dentist's appointment tomorrow. Just stop!

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Tightening or loosening pipe joints in restricted spaces?

 

[sunnybob]

Toys and boats... NOPE

BM101... no, not dentist (I'm going on thursday by the way)

Cheshire chappy... warm, quite warm. But no cigar.

 

[woodpig]

I don't know what they're for but I have a pair somewhere in better condition than those!

 

[knockknock]

angled hose clamp pliers

 

[sunnybob]

Nope. Although you can use them for that, its not the intended use.
Answer tomorrow.

 

[jim_hanna]

Reminds me of something used on car trims.

A bit like this
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d....oap?ck=Search_N1693_-1_-1&pt=N1693&ppt=C0063

 

[bugbear]

The holes in the jaw look like the ones in gas pliers.

Googling implies they're some kind of gas crimping tool.

This rather nice box jointed example is from eBay

BugBear

 

[sunnybob]

Bugbear wins the day! but still not entirely right.

So now theyve been partially identified heres the full story....
I've owned these since 1965 when they accidentally got lost in one of my tool chests (honest). They were issued by the gas boards to their gas fitters (thats me) and were known as "GAS BOARD PLIERS" .
Made by order of the gas board (or so I was told at the time) solely to undo pilot jets on sink gas water heaters. Anybody remember those foul smelling metal cylinders that exploded every time you turned the water on? "WHOOOOMP!"

In the olden days of town gas the pilot jets were ceramic tubes mounted on brass threaded bases, set right up inside the cylinder so the gas ignited cleanly. Without these pliers it could take an hour to dismantle the thing in order to change or clean the pilot jet.

Here ends the modern history lesson for today.

No, there wasnt a prize!

 

[AndyT]

There are so many weird special purpose plier type tools that it's nice to see one positively identified.

 

[bugbear]

They were issued by the gas boards to their gas fitters (thats me) and were known as "GAS BOARD PLIERS" .

What does the G.L.C.C. stand for on the one I found?

BugBear

 

[NazNomad]

What does the G.L.C.C. stand for on the one I found?

Gas Light and Coke Company?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_Light ... ke_Company

 

[bugbear]

What does the G.L.C.C. stand for on the one I found?

Gas Light and Coke Company?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_Light ... ke_Company

Very plausible - good find!

BugBear

 

[sunnybob]

being a Londoner thats an easy one. Greater London County Council would be my first thoughts.
Or could just be an owners initials.

Possibly they were available to national institutions or maybe repurposed? Mine has no stampings at all.

 

[AndyT]

Bob, I thought the same, but when I checked I found that the old London County Council (LCC) was replaced by the Greater London Council (GLC). There never was a GLCC council.
So I think NazNomad's explanation is a better one, given the special trade in question.

 

[bugbear]

Bob, I thought the same, but when I checked I found that the old London County Council (LCC) was replaced by the Greater London Council (GLC). There never was a GLCC council.
So I think NazNomad's explanation is a better one, given the special trade in question.

I did the same research as AndyT - LCC -> GLC!!

BugBear