Friday, March 17, 2017

Vanished tool makers: J. Cartwright & Son, Malaga, California




I recently picked up these huge 16-inch tin snips.  I've cleaned them up and oiled them, and am looking forward to using them to handle heavier gauge steel.

The Rev. John Cartwright was born in Sangamon County, Illinois. After serving in the American Civil War, he preached as a Baptist minister in Illinois.  In 1868, he brought his wife and four children across the country to California.  An arduous journey in those days, it took five months.  The party that was following him was massacred by Indians.   Eventually locating in Fresno county in 1885, he bought a 40-acre plot near Malaga and created a vineyard. Familiar with the blacksmith's trade, around 1869 he began to manufacture the famous Cartwright pruning shears.  After he died in 1902, his two sons carried on the firm, naming it J. Cartwright & Sons.  In 1910, they built a brick factory, electrified it in 1914, and continued to hand-make the pruning shear out of oil-tempered steel, selling as "the best that is."  By 1919, over 90% of the pruning shears used for pruning grapevines in California vineyards were Cartwright pruning shears.

At some point, the company diversified into "Tru-Cut" tin snips. It persevered into the early 1950's, but disappeared after that.


Popular Science, September 1948

8 comments:

dori said...

I have a small clipper by them pat no 2138726

Unknown said...

I just was given a 1 handled pair of lopers I saved them from the trash. Just wondering if I should keep em or trash em? What’s their value?

Mister G said...

If they work well, I'd keep them. I suspect they would not be very valuable but you could check Ebay...

Unknown said...

I just came across a pair of the long-handled lopping shears. Beautiful piece of old equipment. I believe it's all original. Any idea of the value?

Unknown said...

I have checked all over the internet and found only 1 other pair. It had mis-matched handles, and new bolts etc holding it together.

Mister G said...

Can't help you with values, I check ebay...

Unknown said...

John Marion Cartwright born 1874 was my grandfather. There is a pair of his pruning shears in the Madera Museum. You might check there for value. There is also a street in Malaga called Cartwright.

Jimmieeaster said...

I recently bought 3 pair on e bay, each are stamped different, and made slightly different,one has larger handles
All are in good shape ,one seems near new.