All About Pocket Knives

I found two pairs of Wiss hedge shears at the flea market today for $3 each. I cleaned one up and I think they look pretty good. They are from around 1930.

Nice find. Wiss has always made good stuff. I still buy their stuff new if I need something they make and I can't find a vintage one.

Thank you. I just can't pass this stuff up.

Neither can I. I bought a really great set of short handles pruners a couple weeks ago. I won't mention my vintage wrecking bar collection.

There's some great stuff out there that nobody wants. My Dad always had a lot of old tools around, all kinds of tools, so I come by it naturally. I had a couple of small printing presses but had to draw the line at bringing home a linotype machine like this one, even though it was free. I just didn't have room for it. A wonderful piece of machinery though.

Nice. Too bad you had to pass on it. There was a beauty of a 40ft lathe at a scrap yard one day. I could only pat it a few times and feel sorry for it.

Very nice shears, Mike.
I love the old stuff.

Thank you Joe. They just have a classic old time look don't they?

And often built soooo much better than the new stuff. Anybody bought a new stapler lately? Ugghh, plastic pos. How about a floor jack? Poorly machined screw in a pot metal frame. Land line telephone? Undersized plastic, drop it and it breaks. Nothing like Ma Bell. Flashlight? Coffee pot? Almost anything is not just cheaper but a lot better quality bought at Goodwill or the consignment store.

You are dead on trail. I have a fan from the early 1900's that works great and is beautifully designed. You know when you buy something now it's not going to last very long. These Wiss shears are classic design and built to last forever.

We've roamed far afield from Wiss Hedge Shears - but on the subject of old but good merchandise, take a gander at this 1934 Singer 15-91 sewing machine. I use it to make knife rolls and canvas items for the boat. Any machine will sew heavy fabric for a while, but the belts will eventually start to slip and the motor will burn out. These old gear-driven Singers will go on forever.

My mother had one that looked like that. No motor, you used a treadle. She used that machine her whole life, never got an electric one.

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vikingdog wrote:My mother had one that looked like that. No motor, you used a treadle. She used that machine her whole life, never got an electric one.

Yep, I have my Grandmother's treadle-type Singer. It still works if I would replace the leather belt.