[rollei_list] Stillson Wrenches and Zerk Fittings

At 08:07 PM 7/21/2008, Richard Knoppow wrote:


>    I _have_ a Stillson wrench_. I think Alemite was first
>with grease fittings and grease guns but am not sure. Its
>curious how much stuff which is everyday familiar to me is
>completely unheard of by the younger folks I talk to.
>Sometimes I feel like Rip van Winkle. Of course, L.A. is
>full of stuff that is not only gone but has left no trace
>whatever. Even streets get moved.
>    Anyone remember Autolite stores? Just call Western Union
>and ask for operator 25, "Your always right with Autolite,
>Goodnight."
I never realized that Stillson was a brand name peculiar to western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan until I went into a hardware store in Williamsburg, Virginia, to buy one. The clerk cracked up laughing and said, "you must be from Pittsburgh!" I acknowledged this, and he told me that the generic term was "pipe wrench" -- and then sold me a Stillson brand wrench, which he stocked, he claimed, for Luddites such as myself.
Sure, I remember Autolite stores. I also recall when Monkey Ward had outlets in every small town and when they would undercut Sears by 10% for better items. Sears tools were great but J C Penney beat them on price and quality. Them was the days!
The patent for the grease nipple was granted to Oscar Zerk in 1929. Alemite was a company which manufactured these. It was absorbed into the Stewart instrument company, who made the speedometers for the Ford Model T, at the same time they bought out Warner to form Stewart-Warner, the guys who used to make the VW gasoline heaters, a necessity for those of us who drive air-cooled VW's in decent climes. 

So, yes, it is properly a Zerk fitting.

Marc


msmall@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Cha robh bàs fir gun ghràs fir!

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