In regard to a letter to the editor in the November 2016 issue of Farm Collector from Bob Stevens, Wapiti, Wyoming: I have several wrenches similar to the one shown in the November 2016 issue. Mine are all patented by Edwin Evans, Venice, California. They are called either slide-adjust or spiral-adjust wrenches. Two of the wrenches are for standard nut application; the other is a pipe wrench. The one nut wrench with a brass slide is marked “Evans Wrench Co. Fall River, Mass.” The other nut wrench is marked “Evans Patd. Zip Grip, L.A. Calif.” The pipe wrench is marked “Evans Patd. Zip Grip L.A. Calif.”
Edwin, Evans & Hempfill patented the spiral-adjust nut wrench on Sept. 20, 1921. The pipe wrench was patented March 27, 1923. H&E Wrench Co. operated in New Bedford, Massachusetts. They manufactured under the name of H&E Wrench Co. Two other wrenches shown in the pictures are made by H&E Wrench Co. They are much larger and more heavily built and are also called spiral wrenches.
Joe Greiwe, Batesville, Indiana
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