Sunday, March 03, 2013

Vintage bicycle wrench

Bike Wrench 1
When Harley, one of my photo students, discovered I was a cycling enthusiast he brought me a wrench. I'm not comfortable with gifts, but he assured me he had several just like it and it was no big deal, so with great pleasure I accepted.

Bike Wrench 2 I'd never seen a tool like this before, but apparently the Billings and Spencer company started in 1869 and by 1879 had a patent on this model. From what I can gather from looking at photos on the net, this wrench was made between 1911 to 1926. I'm sure there is an entire world of wrench collectors who could tell at just a glance.

I wonder who has touched it, who's owned it, what bicycles it had a part in adjusting. It's fun to imagine the shop it was part of, and the owners of the bikes it must have touched.

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