Herbrand Tools - Company History & Lore

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Automotive Do It Yourself

In this video we'll go over the history of the Herbrand Company, "The Aristocrat of Tools."
Founded in 1881, the company's namesake died in 1884, but the company lived on.
From their beginning making carriage frames and razor blades, Herbrand transitioned to drop forged alloy steel tools. Eventually becoming a full line manufacturer.
After a series of buyouts, Herbrand USA was doomed in 1993, by a conglomerate that had already purchased numerous competing brands.
Herbrand lived on however, in the Great White North, at least until 2003.

Moar Reading:
http://alloy-artifacts.org/herbrand-van-chrome.html
https://wrenchwiki.com/herbrand/
https://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2014/04/vanished-tool-makers-herbrand-company.html

Old Herbrand Catalogs:
https://archive.org/search?query=herbrand+tool

John Herbrand Patents:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US277725A/en?oq=US277725
https://patents.google.com/patent/US277725A/en?oq=US276967

Herbrand "Fifth Wheel" Carriage
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Carriage_Journal/RPA9DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=herbrand+canada&pg=PA98&printsec=frontcover

Razor Ad:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Automotive_Manufacturer/iYLmAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=herbrand&pg=PA310-IA8&printsec=frontcover

Razor line sale 1895:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Iron_Age_and_Hardware_Iron_and_Industria/rj4WU8FlxfsC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=herbrand&pg=PA1242&printsec=frontcover

Ford Contracts:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Automotive_Manufacturer/g33mAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=herbrand+canada&pg=RA5-PA32&printsec=frontcover

1940 ad:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Motor_Age/hF_mAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=herbrand&pg=RA5-PA92&printsec=frontcover

War Department Manual:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Technical_Manual/VdgsAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=herbrand&pg=RA2-PA120&printsec=frontcover

1947 Bingham Merger:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Survey_of_American_Listed_Corporations/m8MQAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=herbrand&pg=PA31&printsec=frontcover

Indy 500:
https://triplettracehistory.blogspot.com/2020/10/herbrand-tools-official-tool-supplier.html
https://books.google.com/books?id=0SADAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=herbrand&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjHuv_utcCGAxVQmokEHR-dBH8Q6AF6BAgGEAI#v=onepage&q=herbrand&f=false

Van Norman Merger:
https://books.google.com/books?id=9KgcAQAAIAAJ&q=%22van+norman%22+herbrand&dq=%22van+norman%22+herbrand&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&printsec=frontcover&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-_pn_7sSGAxUqkokEHfmbN38Q6AF6BAgHEAI
https://books.google.com/books?id=cTsjAQAAMAAJ&q=%22van+norman%22+herbrand&dq=%22van+norman%22+herbrand&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&printsec=frontcover&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-_pn_7sSGAxUqkokEHfmbN38Q6AF6BAgKEAI

1974 Triangle Era Ad:
https://books.google.com/books?id=ytQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA190&dq=herbrand&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiblZeItsCGAxXpkYkEHbVoBpY4ChDoAXoECAMQAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

2001 Herbrand Canada website:
https://web.archive.org/web/20010302054033/http://www.herbrandtools.com/

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:18 Beginnings
01:31 Trademarks
02:07 Joint Ventures
02:59 WWII and Buyouts
05:03 The end of Herbrand US
05:33 Herbrand Canada
07:05 Outro

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