Monday, May 5, 2014

One of my vices is vises: The Nye Tool Company, Chicago, Illinois

I found this reference to Nye pipe vises in the 1961 catalogue put out by the Continue-Flo Company of Burlington, Ontario:


Below, a photo of one of their pipe vises advertised on ebay:


Below, a pair of slip-joint pliers made by this company:




The Nye Tool Company was founded in 1904, and specialized in tools for the plumbing trade.  In Canada, they seem to have partnered with National Tool Distributors of Toronto, Ontario.  The founder died in 1932, and his son, Harry Gale Nye Jr., left his studies at Yale to take the helm.  Gale Jr. also loved sailing, twice winning the Chicago-to-Mackinac race (in 1950 and 1951), and twice winning the championship in yachting's International Star Class. During his lifetime, he owned over 50 ships, all of which he named "Gale" after the family.   As a youngster, he had taken to mending sails as a hobby and in 1933 he helped found Murphy & Nye Sailmakers.   The company still exists, but Nye Jr. sold his interests in the late 1950's.  The Nye Tool Company was sold to an Indiana company in 1964. Harry Gale Nye Jr. passed away in 1987.


1958

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