Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
"Reliance" Chisel - Background?
Dave (Arlington, VA)
>Hi All -
Picked up a 3/8" "Reliance" socket paring chisel this past weekend. No handle. $.50. Somewhere I got the idea that "Reliance" was "early Greenlee." Can anyone shed any light on this? I love learning the background of the tools I rescue. Previously I didn't have any of these wonderful long, thin bladed paring chisels - and I didn't have any 3/8" chisels at all.
Thanks and regards -
Dave
Re: "Reliance" Chisel - Background?
Bob Nelson
>Dave: The Greenlee Bros. acquired the Reliance Edge Tool Works of Youngstown, OH, in 1910. So your Reliance chisel might be from that Reliance Works from sometime before 1910 (don't know how much earlier they worked) or Greenlee might have continued to use the name after 1910. Another possibility is a Compton Shear Co. of Newark, NJ, who used RELIANCE as a brand name, but I'm not sure if they made chisels in addition to the knives and tinsmith tools they are known for. Bob
Re: "Reliance" Chisel - Background?
Dave (Arlington, VA)
>Hi Bob -
Thanks for the background. The important thing will be what kind of edge does it take and hold. However, I really do love knowing some of the history of these tools. So, I appreciate your post.
Regards -
Dave