Statite Corp Lockmatic plier

[jimwrench]

  Heres a locking plier made by (STATITE CORP). Stamped Statite Corp Lockmatic pat pend. Don't know when they were made or if patent was issued but they were interesting enough to gain a place on my basement wall. Any information about them would be appreciated.

[rusty]

Wow, there's a design you don't see every day, doggable handles....

Yep, that would get a place on my wall too...

[Pop Sci - 1957]

[jimwrench]

  Thanks Rusty Thats what I neeed;the actual maker. Sarvie Tool Co patent 2539865
                                                                                                               Jim

[rudeawakening55]

  Thanks for the post, I didn't have the patent no. for my Lockmatic plier.  Just aquired it recently.
                   rudeawakening55

[Fins/413]

Cool looking but I wonder how useful it actually was?

[jimwrench]

 Probably not too useful;but definately more useful than these pseudo visegrips. Don't ask why I have three pair. Sloooow learner may come to mind.

[Fins/413]

How do those release?

[jimwrench]

 I don't use them,they just provide a place for dust to accumulate in a spare tool box. Release is by pulling handles apart. My main objection is the little knurled screw to adjust the pressure doesn't fit my normal sized fingers.

[1930]

I inherited a pair of those from my father and ended up breaking them not long ago, not the best design and I saw little advantage to them over regular pair of vice grips

[ron darner]

I was at a swap meet last weekend, at Baraboo, Wisconsin.  I found a pair of pliers of this type, but with a different name on them, and got them for $3.  They were missing the spring that tensions the lock/release tab, and had a dot of weld spatter, but were otherwise decent.  Later, I came across another pair, this time with the Sta/Tite name & logo, also patent pending like those in this thread.  [I thought] I took a photo of the Stat/Tites, which were marked $45, but discovered that I'd used up my external memory on a digital camera, so don't have it.  Here is a photo of mine, with a quick-&-dirty replacement spring.  Side-by-side, the two pliers appeared identical in tooling.  However, mine are stamped "JAPAN" on one handle, and laser-marked "GIBBSVILLE CHEESE CO.  Bob & Lee Van Tatenhove" on the other.
The latching system seems to permit a very tight grip, though not like Vise-Grips (tm) with their toggle-locking action, of course.  The release tab works easily and positively.  The spring can be lost while changing pivot points (they're slip-joint in that regard), but otherwise, they seem to be very well designed and made.
The Gibbsville Cheese Company exists: see http://gibbsvillecheese.com/about-gibbsville-cheese/.  I'll try to find out the story behind these custom pliers.

[toolmaker]

I'm replying to an old topic because i can clear up some of the mystery on these. i knew Walt Sarvie and his son richard in person, and they were fine people.
I worked  for lockmatic part time in about 1965 or 6 when he had his company in maple plain mn.

I helped to build the compound hot stamp diss that made the 3 pliars on the left. the 3 on the right were forged ,and were earlier models, the one in the single photo was the first made and showed pat. pend. and alexandria mn. on it-------  the  forged models were made before i knew the sarvie's------------- i  also worked as an apprentice diemaker  for huot mfg. in st. paul in 1950-3  i still have one of the very first metal machinist boxes they made .---------- gene

[Yadda]

Who bought these?  What principle use?