History of Charles H. Besly & Co.

Charles H. Besly & Co. was a manufacturer of foundry molding tools at the turn of the 19th century, with a factory in Beloit, Wisconsin and store in Chicago, Illinois. The company made and sold metal-working tools and machinery, eventually specializing in taps, dies, and grinders.

The following obituary appeared in The Iron Trade Review, 28 Jan., 1909:

DEATH OF C. H BESLY.

Charles Howard Besly, whose death on December 31 last [1908] was noted in The Iron Trade Review of January 7, was founder of the firm of Charles H. Besly & Co., Chicago. He was born in Milwaukee, on June 16, 1852, and had been a resident of Chicago since 1863. He was educated in the high schools of that city and started his business career with Marshall Field & Co. In 1873, he became manager of the Bergen Tool Co., Batavia, Ill., and traveled extensively.  He also was a broker of machinists’ supplies and opened a small store on Lake street, near Clark, Chicago, in 1873. In 1881, the firm of Charles H. Besly & Co. was established at 175 Lake street, being composed of Charles H. Besly and David J. Kennedy. In 1886, Mr. Kennedy retired from the business and the business has since been conducted by Charles H. Besly. In 1891, the business was moved to 10 and 12 North Canal street, where it continued to grow until 1903, when it moved to its own building at 15-21 South Clinton street, where the business is now conducted. In 1886 the Beloit factory was established in a small way for the manufacture of die stocks. This business grew and later its specialties were developed, including Besly disc grinders, Helmet temper taps, etc. At the present time, it occupies its own buildings at Beloit, Wis. The business was left in a strong physical and financial condition. Charles H. Besly & Co., Chicago and Beloit, will be continued as heretofore, under the direction of Edward F. Welles, his nephew, who has been associated with the company for the past 22 years and since 1896 as general manager.

The 1897 Besly Catalogue D is on Google Books, although erroneously labeled as 1908.

Besly advertisement 1914 

Besly molder's square trowel

Disston Molder's Tools

Henry Disston & Sons of Philadelphia made foundry molder's tools until the early 1900s. They appear in a 28-page pocket catalog printed in 1890, Specialties in Tools Manufactured by Henry Disston & Sons. In addition to molder's tools, the catalog included a tree planter, post hole digger, Little Giant pruning hook and saw, several brick trowels, steel rules, marking gauges, steel gauges, steel and combination squares, levels, screw drivers, and Excelsior combination wrench and screwdriver.

Seeger and Guernsey's Cyclopaedia, 1890 

Disston levels and squares had previously been made as Disston & Morss (also spelled Morse), and it's possible that the molder's tools were originally marked as Disston & Morss. The last mention I found of Disston molder's tools was in 1916.

The Automobile Trade Directory, Vol. 8, 1910

History of Marriott or Marriot Foundry Moulding Tools

James Marriot square trowel, photo by Steve Roche

The family who spelled their name as Marriott and Marriot were makers of foundry moulding tools in Sheffield, UK. The earliest reference found is to Frederick Marriott, a moulders tool maker of 210 Park Hill Lane. He was injured in the Great Sheffield Flood and awarded compensation 27 April 1865. The next references are in White's Sheffield & District Directory of 1871, with F. Marriott, masons' tool maker, and James Marriott, blacksmith, both on Blonk St., Sheffield.

White's Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham, 1911

In 1905 and 1911, White's Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham recorded James Marriott, moulders' tool maker, of 18 Joiner Street, Sheffield. In 1925, Sheffield & Rotherham Kelly's Directory has John Marriott, moulders' tool manufacturer, still at 18 Joiner Street, with Francis E. Fretwell as proprietor.

I have not been able to find a history of the firm on Grace's Guide or elsewhere on the internet. The few tools I located are clearly stamped J. or JAMES MARRIOT SHEFFIELD. Thank you to Steve Roche for the photographs of his Marriot square trowel.

James Marriot heart and square

Wagner of Steckborn, Switzerland

Wagner was a maker of foundry molding tools in Steckborn, Switzerland. Steckborn is on the Untersee of Lake Constance (Konstanz), part of the Rhine River, directly across from Germany. Wagner's tools are steel and brass, and appear to be high quality. Their tools are stamped with a smith's mark, "WAGNER", and a model number. Some also include "STECKBORN" or "Made in W. Germany". My research has not found any information about the company's history. There is a Wagner Metallgiesserei AG in Thurgau (Steckborn's canton), but it was formed in the late 20th century.

Steckborn Wikipedia (EN); Steckborn Wikipedia (DE).

Thank you to reader Tom for his 2 pictures.

Wagner No. 109

Wagner No. 109

Wagner No. 120 A, made in Western Germany

Molders at work in a German foundry

Gießerei-Lanzette, German Foundry Molding Tools

Foundry molding tools are called Gießerei-Lanzette in German. Wikipedia - Lanzette (Gießerei)

W. or M. Barth made foundry molding tools in Cannstatt, an ancient town which became a district of Stuttgart, Germany in 1905. This short description of Barth's business is an 1895 book, "Beschreibung des Oberamts Cannstatt":

"...die mechanische Werkstätte von M. Barth in Cannstatt, welche als Spezialität Formwerkzeuge verfertigt und in Deutschland, sowie nach Österreich-Ungarn, Bosnien und Luxemburg exportiert…"

"...the mechanical workshop of M. Barth in Cannstatt, which manufactured specialty molds and exported to Germany and to Austria-Hungary, Bosnia and Luxembourg..."

Beschreibung des Oberamts Cannstatt

W. Barth foundry molding tool (top)

German foundry molding tools

History of Charles Monk Foundry Molding Tools

Charles Monk, 190 16th St. and 83 18th St., Brooklyn, NY was a major US manufacturer of molder's and plasterer's tools. Molding tools are usually identified as "C MONK" or "CM MONK". I have scanned a Charles Monk catalog, date unknown but estimated about 1900. By the early 1950s, C. Monk had moved to Geneva, Illinois, and was still operating in 1958.

Charles Monk Catalogue and Price List of Moulders's Tools

Charles Monk products 1895

Charles Monk catalog page 1

C Monk foundry molding trowels 

CM Monk foundry molder's tool

T. Monk Moulder's Tools, Birmingham, England

Thomas Monk was a Birmingham, England manufacturer of moulder's, plasterer's, and mason's tools. Tools with the T. Monk stamp can be found on eBay UK and, rarely, on eBay US and eBay Australia. By 1940, Thomas Monk trowels were made by Joseph Tyzack & Son Ltd., as shown in their 1940 catalogue.

The International Exhibition of 1862

T. Monk trowel

T. Monk moulder's tools

T. Monk moulder's trowel

T. Monk stamp

Brass Foundry Molding or Moulding Tools

A group of about 33 brass foundry moulding tools is on the UK eBay site, with these pictures. Brass foundry tools are rare in the US.
eBay Listing, Brass Moulding Foundry Tools

eBay UK

This group of molder's tools came from the USA, but are unmarked. Brass foundry tools are cast, and steel tools are forged. The brass spoons show the imprint of the sand mold inside the bowl.

Brass molder's tools 

Brass molder's tools

William Dobson, Maker of Molders' Tools

William Dobson, of Canastota, New York, was another major US manufacturer of foundry molding tools from 1896 to 1932. Dobson's tools can still be found on eBay.

"William Dobson, Maker of Molders' Tools

"Dobson, born in Scotland in 1867, spent his early years as an apprentice to a smith, mastering his skills on the forge, anvil, hammer, and iron. His abilities landed him a good job when he immigrated to America, settling first in Detroit, Michigan. While there, he developed his artisan skills, working in steel, iron, and brass. He eventually took to making molder's tools. In 1887, he accepted employment with Goodwin & Burr [4th & Porter Streets, Detroit] as a tool maker. In time, he became a member of management, and he eventually gained ownership of the company.

Angell & Dobson stamp 

"Dobson moved with his wife and children to Canastota in 1896. He decided to continue making the celebrated "Detroit" molders' tools here. He started a partnership with Thomas Angel [Angell]; the men ran their operations from a plant across from the old Chapel St. School. After this partnership dissolved in 1901 [Angell was severely injured when a grindstone burst in the plant], Dobson chose a new location on Spencer Street for his new plant. This facility was fully equipped for large scale manufacture, and employed 30 men at one time. Dobson's tools were sold all over the North American continent and even abroad. His business continued to thrive until its closing in 1932. Dobson started preparing for his retirement in 1930. He built a gas station, known as "Wee House", on Seneca Turnpike in Quality Hill. A small house was added on to the building, and Dobson lived there with his wife until his death in 1937.

"William Dobson took an active interest in the community. He served as a Canastota village trustee for three terms and even ran for mayor in 1910. He also served on the local school board between 1913 and 1922. He was active in various fraternal and trade organizations as well, including the Masons."

Source of article

Angell & Dobson advertisement 1898

Dobson advertisement 1907

Dobson advertisement 1921

Dobson advertisement

Dobson foundry molding trowel

Foundry Molding Trowels on US eBay

History of Godwin & Burr and Burr's Damascus Tool Works

Burr advertisement 1906

A century ago, Burr was a major US manufacturer of molder's tools, along with Dobson and Monk. They began as Goodwin and Burr, and later traded under the name Burr's Damascus Tool Works. Burr was located in Detroit, Michigan.

The proprietors were Doctor Theodore Burr (1816-1897) and his son Celenus Lorraine Burr (1852-1940). The elder Burr, who went by Doctor T and D.T., was a machinist who received US Patent 544,477 for a steam engine. Both men were listed in an 1880 Detroit city directory as proprietors of Burr's Damascus Steel Works. In January 1902 Burr's Damascus Tool Works won a court case against a Michigan competitor who was using Burr's brand names.

Goldblatt carried Burr's full line in their 1938 catalog. Burr trowels can occasionally be found on the US and Canadian eBay sites. There are 4 pages of Burr tools in the 1921 W.H. Anderson catalog, another Detroit firm. An undated 2-page Burr catalog is at Archive.org. 

William Dobson began his career with Goodwin and Burr, then moved to Canastota NY to found his own company.

Burr molding tools 1913 advertisement

Burr moulders' tools 1938

Burr foundry molding trowels