Elgin signed tools

[4thdimension]

I am drawn to tools that are signed for a watch factory . After finding a pair of Elgin tweezers recently I thought I’d share pics of a few other Elgin tools. Shown here are the tweezer, EWC sighed mini straight edges and a one inch standard for setting a micrometer. Enjoy! -Cort

 

[L. Vanice]

Elgin had a synthetic sapphire division from 1942 to 1950. They made Elgin brand double-ended sapphire pivot burnishers for sale to watchmakers that are not too hard to find, though at least one end is often broken. More rare is their micrometers with sapphire tips on the measuring faces. Sapphire is harder than carbide, the common material used for hard measuring faces. The micrometers were made by Tubular Micrometer, but the sapphire was made by Elgin and the tools are marked Elgin. The one I have has very small anvils, suited to watch work. The one I found online has normal size faces.

Elgin also had an abrasives division and I have a NIB 1/4" shank carbide bur made by them.

More details here:

Elgin Watch Co. "Sapphire Tipt" micrometer

Probably few people have seen an Elgin micrometer, so I thought I would share this information with the group. There is one for sale today on eBay, and the seller says someone wrote to him and refuses to believe it is what it is. Someone asked about it on the PM forum, in two other sections...

www.practicalmachinist.com

Larry

 

[Chris Radek]

An Elgin sapphire burnisher, one end is rough and the other is smooth.

 

[Wimberleytech]

An Elgin sapphire burnisher, one end is rough and the other is smooth. View attachment 757319

Aha!! Been thinking about buying a sapphire burnisher (they are not cheap). When I saw this post I realized...wait!!...I have seen that tool in my Dad's watchbench but never bothered to investigate what it was. Now I have a sapphire burnisher!! Mine is not Elgin signed. However, I have a couple of other Elgin signed tools.

 

[Jerry Treiman]

Here is a set of sleeve wrenches that are stamped "E.N.W.Co." and a bottle of Elgin's M56-A watch oil.

 

[Wimberleytech]

I have a several bottles and boxes of 56a. I also have five bottles of 56b in the blue "one drop" bottles. That is the oil I use when servicing watches.

 

[4thdimension]

I just stumbled across this one. What is it? It is marked for Elgin’s 90th anniversary 1864-1954.

 

[gmorse]

Hi Cort,

This is a case opening tool for snap on backs. The long edge is set under the lip in the lid and the tool is twisted to pop it off.

Regards,

Graham

 

[Wimberleytech]

I just stumbled across this one. What is it? It is marked for Elgin’s 90th anniversary 1864-1954.

I have several of these

 

[4thdimension]

Thank you Graham, nice to know. -Cort