courier service for the return, so please use the most economical or appropriate method for returning the item(s). The jaw opening size, which is the maximum distance the jaws can separate. This determines how wide of an object the clamp can hold. Often, it's the same as the overall length, but not always. Great story. Just bought 2 sets of varying sizes of these clamps at a local thrift store and they are in near-new condition somebody obviously liked them very much glad to have bought them and I am Chicago native myself from Oak Lawn.”— Howard Corbett, 2018 To be fair, any small company that lasts this long—through depressions and recessions, world wars, and marketplace shifts—ought to be commended rather than criticized when it reaches the end. There was even some hope among devotees that the business might yet be saved at the 11th hour. After a two-year dormancy, however, the actual revival of the Pony and Jorgensen brands in 2018 proved a tad bittersweet. The new products will be distributed by Arrow Fastener in New Jersey, but they’ll be manufactured entirely by Arrow’s parent company, China’s Hangzhou GreatStar Industrial Co. A once inspiring story of survival is now just another tombstone in the “Made in Chicago” graveyard.

While this was rarely if ever mentioned in any of the Adjustable Clamp Co’s own corporate histories, Adele Holman was already something of a local celebrity when she bought her first shares in the business. For much of the 1880s and ’90s, the Jerseyville, Illinois native made her career—much like our most famous 21st century “Adele”—as a touring vocalist, eventually becoming the star mezzo-soprano and manager for the very popular Arion Lady Quartet. Bar Clamp: Also called an F-clamp, due to its shape, the bar clamp opens much wider than a C-clamp, allowing you to hold much larger workpieces together. There are bar clamps as small as 6 inches, but most woodworkers find that 24 to 36 inches is the most useful for large projects.

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That’s the tough thing about making a quality product for 100 years. If the design has been perfected, and the tool itself lasts a very long time, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep selling new ones—even to happy customers. Now, there are certainly more complex explanations for Adjustable Clamp’s eventual demise. Some have suggested that there were serious managerial rifts over recent decisions—including moving much of the parts manufacturing to China. Others blamed union demands, cheaper competition, or failing to keep up with new tech trends. But it seems friendlier to just say “they were too good for their own good”—whatever consolation that might be to the workers now out of a job. That synopsis, poorly written as it might be, could just as easily have come from the 2015 Adjustable Clamp catalog, or the 1915 edition, for that matter. Sure, an expert might recognize subtle changes to the Jorgensen design over the decades, but for the most part, if you bought one of these things brand new from a hardware store a few years ago, it probably looks and functions almost identically to the ones in our collection (which are likely mid-century) or the ones Adele “Someone Like You” Holman was rolling off the assembly line a century ago. Clamps come in a wide range of sizes, allowing you to choose which best suits the size of the material you are clamping. There are a few numbers to consider when it comes to size: If you want a versatile clamp that works for many different types of projects, is large enough to handle even sizable pieces, and has enough clamping power to keep your project firmly in place for as long as you need, then look no further than the BESSEY 36-Inch Clutch-Style Bar Clamp But if you just want to add a few lightweight bar clamps to your collection without spending a bundle, then the WORKPRO 6-Piece Bar Clamp Set is perfect for your needs. What to Look for in a Woodworking Clamp Type Iconic American Tool Brands Pony, Jorgensen & Goldblatt To Be Relaunched to the North American Market Under the Leadership of Arrow Fastener”– Press Release, May 10, 2018

Manufacturing and Wholesale Industries of Chicago assessed it this way: “Special interest attaches to the [Adjustable Clamp Company] by reason of the fact that its executive head, Mrs. Adele V. Holman, has proved fully the resourcefulness and administrative ability which woman may bring to bear in the broad domain of industrial and commercial enterprise. Mrs. Holman is president of the company and virtually the sole owner of the business which is being most ably and progressively conducted under her personal administration.” So, since Pony Tools had yet to fold when I started my research, I reached out to them in 2015 with one basic request—I wanted to know more about the Adjustable Clamp Company’s fearless founder. I figured, with the Holman family still in charge and proud of its legacy, there would be plenty of marvelous anecdotes and photos of “Great-Great Grandma Adele” forthcoming, thus crafting an intimate portrait of a great industrial revolutionary—an important Chicagoan long overdue for her proper recognition. Pinch Clamp: Also called a hand or spring clamp, these simple clamps are useful for holding delicate materials together. Circumstances began to change in 1905, however, when her husband Harry W. Holman (a railroad clerk she had married at the ripe old age of 15) suddenly died. At the same time, their lone son, Harry V., was off in Colorado working for a gold mining company. Based on the cultural expectations of the time period, Adele should have assumed the role of the middle-aged lonely widow. She could have spent her days sipping tea at Marshall Field’s or comparing hat sizes with other ladies at various meetings of “enthusiast” groups. But that was never her style. Instead, with the fairly substantial funds at her disposal, Adele decided to take the management experience she’d gained booking shows for her “band” and apply it to a new pursuit.Corner Clamp: This is a specialty clamp that’s designed to hold pieces together at a 90-degree angle. It’s a very useful clamp if you are building picture frames, drawers, or similar items.