Mining and blasting pliers

[Yadda]

More great additions to your collection!  I like the French and Canadian tools.

[Plyerman]

I need some help with this one. It is a box-joint plier, very well built, but the only marking is this little emblem on the handle. I'm assuming it is a maker's mark, possibly from Europe? Anyone recognize it?

[p_toad]

Looks like it might be a Japanese (or more unlikely Chinese) marking on there...   i'm guessing WWII era, but don't know for sure.

[Yadda]

That was also my first impression.

[Plyerman]

Hmmm, interesting thought. I was thinking it looked like a turtle, but maybe it's an oriental writing character?

[amecks]

What about these pliers?  Made in Germany and on eBay in Germany they are claimed to be "Sprengmeister" tools used in WWI and WWII.  Sprengmeister translates as demolition expert.  While this may be true the pliers below have the remnants of cheap chrome plating which leads me to believe they are post war, probably the 50's or 60's.  What do you think?
They're stamped "GERMANY" "A.W.ROMMEL".

[Lewill2]

Al, Those are fairly common I have always thought they were a kitchen or fishing type multi tool. I agree they are much newer than WWII era. I have seen several different manufactures of them and most appear to be German. Some I have seen have a leather holster.

[Yadda]

There are pre war and/or war versions, but most are post war.  I've also seen American and Japanese versions.

[Plyerman]

I concur with Lyndon on that point; I've seen a few of those hatchet-hammer-plier tools that were pre-WWII (the earliest U.S. patents I've seen for them are 86,048 from 1869 and 626,285 from 1899) but there seem to be a lot more of them around that were made post-war. 

A couple of mine still have the original box and paperwork. They were advertised as all-purpose "household" tools.