I really liked the "mystery pliers" saw set that superzstuff posted last September. What an elaborately decorated tool! I found one on eBay that was going unloved and unbid, and got it. Delighted. It's identical to the one superzstuff found. Now there's another on eBay, but marked Sweden Nike Eskisltuna. And another marked Boker. The one I bought was shipped from Bulgaria.
The thing is, the handles look like all of them were forged in the same dies. The only differences seem to be in the decorative pattern in the inset panels. There's a floral pattern, a basket weave pattern, a series of dots, and a sort of fish scale pattern, but all the inset panels are identical. All have the raised cartouche, and that's where the brand name is often found. On mine, like superzstuff's, this raised cartouche is blank.
It looks as though a single foundry made them and sold to different tool companies. Who that was is a greater mystery than what the tool does.
Any ideas?
