Welsh Tools?

[Rhyolith]

I have seen one bull nosed billhoke made by a blacksmith Aberaeron. Other than that no tools made in Wales.

Are/were there any tool manufactures in Wales?

 

[Jacob]

There must have been hundreds: by 1851, Wales was the world's second leading industrial nation, behind England, it says here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/site ... tion.shtml

 

[AndyT]

Good question! BSSM lists a few saw sellers in Cardiff, Swansea and elsewhere who put their names on tools, but as far as I can see at a quick glance, most of them were probably factors or retailers, with John Hall of Cardiff being one of the best known and longest lasting.

Simon Barley also lists several Staniforths as cutlers, tool makers and surgical instrument suppliers, noting that the ones in Cardiff and Swansea might have been related to the ones in Birmingham and Sheffield, so maybe some of them were makers.

Overall, plane making is the area of tool history that has had the most detailed study, and it does seem to have been highly concentrated in a very few centres, based tightly around family connections - with none of them in Wales.

For general factory made tools, specialisation was achieved so early, that it was soon largely dominated by the concentrations in Sheffield, W Midlands, London and Lancashire.

So I think it's likely that the only real local Welsh tools would have been pre-factory agricultural tools such as axes and billhooks, where local patterns prevailed and a very small producer could be economically viable. Bob Burgess illustrates a small Welsh forge here http://billhooks.co.uk/edge-tool-making ... -making-1/

 

[NazNomad]

I saw this and thought you'd posted a thread about my neighbour. :-D

"Elvicta Cabinet and Tool factory which employed more than 100 people in Crickhowell during the 1950s."

 

[JohnPW]

I've got an Elvicta bow saw (300mm blade), on it is stamped "Elvicta, Elliott Lucas, Cannock England".

It seems Elvicta was a subsidiary of Elliott-Lucas:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/midwales/hi ... 543949.stm

Much of my work making tools such as try and mitre squares, set squares, and bevels, involved hand and machine riveting.

I also made mortice and marking gauges, builders levels, mallets, bow saws, and plumbers tools such as dressers, setting in sticks and bossing sticks.

We supplied tools to many other well-known manufacturers and companies, such as Rabone, Tyzack, Sorby and JC Clay and John Hall of Cardiff.

So interestingly, some Sorby, Tyzack etc tools might have been made in Wales!

 

[bugbear]

Is there some echo/reference in "Elvicta" to the "Invicta Works" of Nurse & Co ?

("Invicta" on its own is the motto of the county of Kent, it means "undefeated")

BugBear

 

[DonMc]

More or less incidentally, while attempting to research other edge tool makers, I've run across directory listings for four firms located in Wales. What I don't know is whether they were making light or heavy edge tools, or, possibly, both. Nor do I have any idea of the working dates of these firms beyond these single listings. But, hopefully, this will be of some help.

Davies, D., Water Street, Aberayron, South Wales 1907
Ever-Hard (The) Edge Tool Co., Garth Works, Taff's Well, Pontypridd, Glamorganshire, Wales. 1918
Morgan, John. Llanelly, South Wales. 1835
Rogers. Thomas, Beacon Hill, Denbigh, North Wales. 1868

Don McConnell
Eureka Springs, AR

 

[graduate_owner]

I seem to remember havng a CK tool that was made in Wales, Pwllheli rings some sort of vague bell. I can't even remember what it was now. Of course the packaging may have had that description so I may still have the actual tool. I wonder what it is / was.

 

[Argus]

There's Screwfix in Aberystwyth and a B & Q down in Carmarthen.

 

[Rhyolith]

There must have been hundreds: by 1851, Wales was the world's second leading industrial nation, behind England, it says here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/site ... tion.shtml

Wow, thats a good statistic! Had no idea. Suppose it was the proximity to the heartland of where it all started (arguably).

 

[whiskywill]

Geo. Atkinson & Sons sawmakers (?) in Cardiff. http://www.backsaw.net/forum/index.php? ... #post-2334

 

[bugbear]

There must have been hundreds: by 1851, Wales was the world's second leading industrial nation, behind England, it says here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/site ... tion.shtml

Wow, thats' a good statistic! Had no idea. Suppose it was the proximity to the heartland of where it all started (arguably).

No, it's the raw materials. It just says "two thirds of the families of Wales were supported by activities other than agriculture", which (summarising the rest of the article) in this case means mining and iron/steel production - primary industry, as opposed to the secondary industry that would include the toolmakers.

BugBear

 

[cansdale]

I had a straight razor that had CK made in wales engraved on the blade, but can't recall if it said where in wales.

 

[swb58]

I had a straight razor that had CK made in wales engraved on the blade, but can't recall if it said where in wales.

I think that was Bridgend. I seem to recall that Wilkinson Sword had a place there too, don't think it was the razor blade division though. Now and again a tool by a 'local' manucturer pops up on the likes of eBay which usually surprises me.
Maybe the wartime Royal Ordnance Factory in Bridgend and it's local supply chain left a legacy of skilled workers which makers took advantage of.
A friend of mine works for a firm making replacement joints, they also make the fitting kits which are so expensive they are hired out with the joint. I think that might count as tool making :lol:

 

[AndyT]

Just to add one more item to this old thread.

The April 1958 issue of the Woodworker mentioned, in its "Things New, Things Interesting" column, that there were some new variants available in the range of Surform tools. It says that they had been on the market for four years and were made by Simmonds Aeroaccessories Ltd, of Treforest, Pontypridd, Glamorgan.

 

[matthewwh]

SJJR tools are proudly north Walean:

http://www.workshopheaven.com/hand-tools/clamps/bench-holdfasts.html