Henry Cheney Hammer Company -- The Mystery of the Cruciform-Slot Cheney Nailers

[jtc]

I have confirmed that the Nos. 2 (size 000, 2 lbs.), 3 (size 00, 1 lb. 12 oz.), 4 (size 0, 1 lb. 8 oz.), 5 (size 1, 1 lb. 4 oz.), and 7 (size 1 1/2, 1 lb.) were offered as Cheney Nailers. They also offered Nos. 802, 803, 804, 805, and 807 -- which were the same hammer only painted black, both the head and the handle with the face and the back of the claw polished.

Still no answer for the cruciform slot...

[Branson]

I still think the cruciform slot was made to accept rose head nails.  Can't see any other explanation for it, especially since both style slots seem to have been made at the same time (at least for a while).  The bell face hammers, so far as I have seen, never have the cruciform slot -- only the older style heads. 

Maybe dating the rose head nails will help.  Audel's is still showing the rose head cut nails in my 1947 edition, that might just be a hold over from the first edition in the '20s.

[scottg]

As far as prices?
 There is an antique shop in downtown Yreka Ca. Its been there 6 or 8 years now. 
Some prices are reasonable some are ridiculous.
 I was talking to the owner. I pointed out a really bad price. She says, "Doesn't matter, I have sold two at that price. I am the one they expect to know values, so I set the values"
 She didn't have a single reference book behind the counter She runs the place totally, seat-of-the-pants,
  and stays in business.

 There is a seller on ebay who customarily asks, and gets, 4 to 5 times the average price for his goods. He runs a snooty "decorator" antique shop in Kansas City. People buy his things off ebay because they all expect him to be the authority.

 Martin Donnelley runs the largest internet old tool auction in the country. He sets opening bids at over twice the national average, more times than not.
  And the tools mostly sell for even more than that, at the end.
 Sometimes much more. 

  Fool and his money

 Hooray for Hollywood
 That screwey ballyhooey Hollywood
    yours Scott

[jtc]

Branson, you make great points and I don't mean to discount your theory -- it's definitely the best we have. I'd just like to find an ad or catalog listing or something tangible. Audel's is a good lead!

ScottG, you're right. A fool and his money. I'm still shaking my head at the Silver King Cheney Nailer that sold for $405 last January.

My beef with Martin J. Donnelly and Jim Bode is that they invariably list Cheney Nailers with reference to Henry Cheney's patent. They must know better -- I've emailed them both several times. I've never gotten a reply from either one. Clearly it's to their advantage to lead buyers into thinking that these hammers are much older than they actually are. Maybe it's a mistake, but it's an awfully convenient mistake... Caveat emptor!

[rusty]

>convenient mistake

yes, but, most of the folks hey compete with make the same convenient mistake. Look at ebay listings, virtually every one listing a patent pretends the thing is as old as the patent, even tho there is usually no way to tell if it is anywhere within decades of the original patent date...

> Caveat emptor!
Always

[mikeswrenches]

Scott,  Your comment below is not exactly correct.

" Martin Donnelley runs the largest internet old tool auction in the country. He sets opening bids at over twice the national average, more times than not.
  And the tools mostly sell for even more than that, at the end."

While it is true that he runs the largest old tool auction in the country, it is not correct that he sets opening bids at "over twice the national average, more times than not".  By the way, where do I find a "national average" price list for old tools?

First off, Martin is not the auctioneer, he has two people that do that for him.  While his catalog shows a high and low price, they in know way have anything directly to do with the starting bids.  Many of the opening bids are determined by the absentee bidder's.  From what I observed in July, and again in Sept., about 30-40% of the items went absentee.

There were more than a few items that sold for much less than the low estimate, as well as many that sold for more than the high estimate.  It is an auction, if you want the item, then you must pay the price.

The unfortunate part of these large auctions is that they attract a large amount of bidders, some of whom have very deep pockets.

And yes I have bought items at his auctions, and sold items thru them.

[jtc]

>convenient mistake

yes, but, most of the folks hey compete with make the same convenient mistake. Look at ebay listings, virtually every one listing a patent pretends the thing is as old as the patent, even tho there is usually no way to tell if it is anywhere within decades of the original patent date...

It seems simple logic that the patent must be older than the item marked with the patent number...

In this case, the patent they cite is for a completely different hammer and the correct patent is over 50 years later!

[Branson]

About the only way that a patent date is really useful in determining age is when you have a tool marked "Patent Pending." 

[Branson]

Branson, you make great points and I don't mean to discount your theory -- it's definitely the best we have. I'd just like to find an ad or catalog listing or something tangible. Audel's is a good lead!
 

Don't feel discounted at all.  I'd like to find something definite as well.  Hypothesis is nice, but evidence is much better.