Perfect handle, its not all Smith

[coolford]

Everyone seems to display H. D. Smith perfect handle wrenches.  However, the other monkey wrench perfect handles are rarer.  They are all similar to the Smith perfect handle, so from the top in the picture, H.D. Smith, Russwin and two Trimont, a wood handle and an all steel wrench.  This may not be correct, but I have been told Smith made a deal with Russwin, and Trimont took over after Smith went down.  Is this correct?

[leg17]

=====A spark from a polishing machine in 1910 burned the plant to the ground and a new plant was quickly rebuilt. The company focused on tools after the fire and did well until the depression.  The Tobrin Tool Company was established in 1923 by employees of H D Smith but the company continued until Trimont took over in 1930.

https://wrenchwiki.com/h-d-smith-perfect-handle/

Don't know if this is 100% correct.

[coolford]

But, where does Russwin come into the picture?

[mvwcnews]

The info I found  (see pg. 35, March 2013 MVWC Newsletter) would indicate initial "RUSSWIN" (Russell & Erwin) production came before H.D. Smith's.  RUSSWIN ads were from 1901-1902.

[d42jeep]

Here are some handle marked Tobrin perfect handle screwdrivers. They are harder to find than the earlier shank marked versions. They are quite possibly WW2 vintage.
-Don

[coolford]

Thanks for the Russwin info, all my Russwin are of poorer quality than H. D. Smith, especially the wood slabs on the handles.