jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Sorry about this. A week or more ago, I asked if any of you remembered the name of this wrench - aside from "pipe wrench." I said I would post the answer, but I didn't. Life has been hectic around here, and I lost track of that post.

I'm sure some of you know that it's a Stillson wrench - and now all of you know. If you don't have one, you should get one or more. They come in handy.

ad9mac

Ahh, monkey has a name. Stillson. :-)

raymondh Loc: Walker, MI

The pipe fitters in our mechanical contracting firm generally reserved Stillson for the big boys - the 48” > 60” beasts used to muscle the equipment in the W / WWTP plants.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'm always afraid to apply too much pressure for fear of over-tightening and breaking something.

marine73 Loc: Modesto California

I have three in various sizes.

pendennis

There are differences between "monkey" (pipe) and Stillson wrenches. The handle of a pipe wrench is built into the upper jaw; in a Stillson, handle is built in to the lower jaw.

Scouser Loc: British Columbia

They do indeed come in handy, Jerry. I have a collection of old tools, mostly because I'm old. These wrenches from yesteryear could well be pre-cursors to the Stillson wrench, in as much as they are adjustable gripping tools.
I find that the Stillson wrench is most often referred to as 'the Stillies'. Strangely, they attract a plural identity in much the same way as scissors or trousers, when in fact they are singular items. Nobody says 'pass me the scissor', or 'where is my trouser'. So to me at least, they are Stillies. I guess it's an English thing.

lindmike

Also referred to as "knuckle busters"

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Nice assortment. I have some tools that belonged to my grandfather, who was born in 1889.

BebuLamar

The monkey wrench is one tool I don't own and I think I rarely every use it. Google tells me that Stillson invented the wrench but he didn't manufacture it. He just license his patent to many companies to make it. I tend to buy the wrench from the company that has the name on the type of wrench. For example I tend to buy Allen wrenches from Allen, Crecent wrenches from Crecent but now I found out they are not a good brand for their type of wrenches.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

It's similar with a "Diston" hand saw.

I would never call any of my wrenches a "monkey wrench." What does that make me when I'm using it? 😂

Timmers Loc: San Antonio Texas.

In my youth I was instructed that a Stillson Wrench always had taped jaws and teeth to grip a pope. While a Monkey wench was used on the collar of pipe fittings and was even across it's mouth and had no teeth to grab at the fitting as this was not necessary, and only did damage to the fitting of a pipe.

In addition, when working with a Stillson Wrench, one could take a larger pipe and slide it on to a pipe so that one could break the tightened fit of a pope that has become locked to another. Further, this ia called a cheater and should never use a cheater on a fitting because it will most likely break the fitting or damage it so that later the fitting will break.

I have found these to be true observations when working with popes in general and especially large steel pipes.

I hear workers who use wood and contraction activities call both corded and cordless power tools a drill. When in fact the name for the tool is a hole shooter. In addition, I have a Saws All, which is a reciprocating saw, that is made by Milwaukee ONLY, it is a trade name of their reciprocating saw. Many makers make reciprocating saws but Milwaukee only make a saws all. Years ago, a company that made facial tissue and called it Kleenex. Kleenex WAS a trade name, but they failed to control the name and so into the common lexicon the name Kleenex became legally associated with facile tissue. The name saws all is the legal patented name for Milwaukee's recuperating saw.

Stillson is the registered name of a type of wrench, not all pipe fitting wrenches are the same.

mtcoothaman Loc: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Stillson it is.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

We pipefitters know that it takes TWO of them to do the job. One to "hold back" and the other to turn. I'm not a large guy so I could not manhandle the 48-inch wrench although I often had to get it and drag it to the fellows that could. Pipefitter work would make an old man out of you with all of the lifting, pulling, and tugging of overhead work. I was one of the fortunate ones who went from blue-collar to white-collar in the business.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Stillson was a brand!!! of pipe wrench. My Dad had a couple that he used until he died.
A monkey wrench was a name for an adjustable wrench use on polygonal head bolts and nuts ( which I have a few )
that I use for bending flat iron ect. They also make good attitude modifiers!!
Your sample looks like a Chinese POS.