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WORLD WAR ONE “US” MARKED LINEMAN’S PLIERS – NICE
SIGNAL CORPS & TRENCH WARFARE PIECE:
Manufactured by the Hermann Boker Company of New York,
this set of World War One era Lineman’s Pliers is marked
“US” and would have been standard issue for the Signal
Corps troops laying the communication telephone lines in
the trenches during the war.
The
Bokers, a German family skilled in tool and weapon
manufacture as far back as late 16th century, originated
in the Solingen area of Germany. In 1829, brothers
Heinrich and Robert Boker established their business in
Remscheid and begun production of sabers. The enterprise
expended rapidly and Boker brothers began manufacturing
small tools and hardware. In 1837, Hermann Boker, the
third brother, emigrated to New York and founded the H.
Boker & Co., one of the oldest names in the American
cutlery industry. During the Civil War, Boker
manufactured various patterns of swords and sabres under
contract with the federal government.
According to what company history I have been able to
locate, by the 1920’s the company maker’s stamp styled
“H. BOKER” in block letters had been discontinued and
replaced by “BOKER” in a script font. The stamping
style on this set of pliers predates the change, and
indicates this set was made during World War One.
Pictured below is a commercial set of these same pliers
without the "US" stamp on the hinge pin.
This
set is in very good condition, in full form with no
damage or signs of heavy wear featuring an even
naturally aged patina with very little minor pitting.
The maker’s mark and “US” are legible. The pliers open
and close easily without being loose or showing
excessive wear on the hinge pin.
These
World War One tools are not common and these pliers will
display well with your trench warfare collection or with
a grouping of early Signal Corps material. (0416) $65
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