Use a tile nipper and use any pry bar behind it I do it all the time and use a piece of leather to protect wood surface if necessary....The head of that tool is a poor quality tile nipper www.amazon.com/M-D-Building-Products-49943-Compound/dp/B000FSAUX4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501523214&sr=8-1&keywords=M-D+Building+Products+49943+Compound+Tile+Nippers
bahco used to make one and maybe still do? i have a older one for pulling fence staples and it is twice as fast as fencing pliers, used on for years as a full time fencer
These were not primarily used at construction sites. Before the age of FedEx, containerized shipping, and bubble wrap; goods were shipped in crates and barrels. Every warehouse, grocer, and even office building would have had nail pullers to be able to open shipments.
I concur. We used one in a warehouse I worked at from the '60s to the 90's. The slide hammer was for pounding the "teeth" into the board when the nails had been driven below the surface. Worked like a charm.
No, that costs extra. I had to pound out the dents with a mallet and polish with an electric buffer. A few drops of lube from my oil can and I'm good as new.
ronindebeatrice » A proprietary alloy designed to deflect the spells of the Wicked Witch of the West. I can't disclose any other details except that the lion is afraid of it.
1:22 the encyclopedia says (on the previous page describing the nail puller) "One type of puller has a telescoping handle that extends to provide additional leverage" So.. either the encyclopedia is wrong, or that is in fact a telescoping handle to provide leverage, and not a slide hammer.
1955 my grandpa had one, he had dismantled an army barracks after ww2 in 1948 .... took the lumber and built a house and barn, my job at age 8 was to straighten the nails that still had heads. there were buckets of them and yes he reused the nails too, old school pioneer stock born in 1900
Tom Burgess -yep, I spent several weeks using this tool along with a crowbar and hammer dismantling a old house. We pulled the nails out of all the boards so they could be reused. Very good tool for stubborn or broken nails.
I admire the way your grandpa worked, he was resourceful. Here in Sydney Australia developers are demolishing perfectly good homes, mostly end up at the tip as landfill not much is recycled except for bricks and concrete. Generally any timber is crushed and sent to landfill.
Used one of these tools one summer, helping my Uncle re-floor the hay loft in the barn. We pulled hundreds of nails and even saved many by straightening them and reheating and tempering them a bit in Lukewarm water. (You saved money that way, as nails were expensive, (and hey what the heck, you had a big strapping school kid to do the hammer and heat work for the summer so why not use him!) I remember my Uncle had used hard-facing welding rod to rebuild the tips once and they worked just fine for the summer. Great tool, we also greased the slide for easy use.
Thanks Cody. We used to use these for removing fence staples when repairing barbed wire fences on the grandad's cattle ranch. Does a great job with heavy staples.
My Dad and I built a home in 1956, and we had one of these, used it all the time. I still have this tool in my garage and still use it when the need Arises. The tool with much much use still looks as good and the one you have. Can't live without it. Ron B Michigan
The slide hammer as you surmised is exactly what it is used for. My granddad on the home ranch in Montana showed me how to use that when I was about 10 years old which would have been around 1953. We had 7 miles of barbed-wire fence surrounding the various fields and around the whole ranch so every spring when most of the snow drifts had melted low enough that you could get through or work around we would go out on fence repair.The worst part of fence maintenance is the corner work because of the three main posts and their braces. A corner if it was really bad could take almost a full day all by it's self to get back in shape. They were always wood structures on our place so it's post holes and brace cutting and after that's done it's the 4 strands of barbed-wire to line up, stretch to the correct tension and nail. Hard work but thinking back some of the most fun and better days of my life. Enjoying your video's and thanks for the memories.
I worked in the Trades through the 90s in southern Calif and everyone had one .You will never break it and it does work as a slide hammer to jam the teeth around the head. Slide a piece of plywood under the shoe to keep from maring any more than need be .
I had two uncles and a friends dad who were carpenters and cabinet makers back in the 30s 40s these guys built houses from grass to finish, they used this puller and I believe there are two reasons for the long fulcrum one was ease of pulling and the other is that many of them straightened their nails back out and reused them because of the expense of them.
This really takes me back to when i was 8-10. I'm only in my 30's but after my grandfather passed away when i was 3 and I played/used his tools as I grew up. I knew exactly what this was as soon as I saw it since he had one and i used it to pull out nails from decking. This really brought a smile to my face and almost a tear to my eye as this tool and other old tools like this ARE my memories of my grandfather. keep em coming :)
I have an old one one of these ... been using it since I was a kid. This is by far the best nail puller around! And I use the handle as a slide hammer to go after buried nails. Thanks for posting!
Here in Denmark it's actually a very common tool in the carpenter industry. It's one of the first tools you're introduced too in schools as a carpenter.
thats a kjærringkjæft as we say here in norway kjærringkjæft translates to the mouth of a old grumpy/mean woman and yes your suposed to use the slidehammer to get the jaws a stronger hold of the nail it`s suposed to be used for remowing nails from boards you are going to reuse
Me and my dad found one of them in an abandoned shed in the middle of the woods and weave wondered for the past 4 years what an earth it was. So now we took it of the shelf, cleaned it up and now use it for work. Its a lot easier to use and it works so much better than you think. Thank wrangler star. You solved 4 year long question.
I have an original one of these in my shop that was my grandfather's. The telescopic handle is not just for getting extra leverage but it is also used as a ram to dig the jaws deeper into the wood to get a better bite on the nail that you are trying to remove. The claw is opened and placed over the area of the nail while the extension is pulled out and then rammed in against the steel stop close to the claw. This is done several times and the action of the ram causes the claw to close in around the nail below the surface of the wood. You can then use the extended handle as a lever to remove the problematic nail. Either way, this is a very cool item and I thank you for posting it. I also love that book of yours with all the different tools.
AllaroundNbackagain lMAO! I saw that! Ken is my friend but I better write his name down so I remember. I imagine he gets a ton of stuff, I would have to write it down too. Hahahaha
Hi from Australia, I just stumbled on your channel. This tool ( nail puller ) brought back so many memories :) when I was a lot younger I had an after school job pulling out nails from shipping containers ( in those days they where made of wood) so we use to use that tool to get the nails out along the ply sheeting. we used to pull out hundreds of nails taking care not to damage the 8' X 4' sheets as this is where the money was. we use to get paid by how many sheets we cleaned. We used to re-sharpen the jaws and they did thousands of nails before needing replacing.
I have one of those exact tools and I love it. You are correct the intention is a slide hammer to bite into the wood around the nail. I've had it about 10 years. Great video!!!!
Growing up and helping on the farms of family members, this was a "staple" in our fencing(mesh and barbed wire) toolbox. Removing staples from broken posts with this tool was a breeze. Who cared about wood damage, it's a fencepost that is going to the burnpile! The jaws can be sharpened and reformed with a rattail file when they get worn or deformed. A very important production tool.
Call as you want to be we called that part of the tool a built in hammer so you didn't have to carry another tool when working. It was of course used for more leverage when needed.
I never considered this an old tool, I used them while growing up. My dad taught me to always take apart old structures and reuse what could be salvaged, and his tool was perfect for that. I found one at a store (maybe Home Depot) about 15 years ago so got it to add to my shop. Yes, the slide is for hammering around the nail head as you found out.
You have got it right ! This nail puller I remember in the 60 we used to open packing cases where you had to pump the handle to get below the nail head. It did not matter if the wood on the packing cases was slightly damaged it could still be reused for returns . Brings back memories !!
My dad had one of those. I think it came from my grandfather. You're correct about the sliding handle. It's used to pound the pincers underneath the nail head. Neat old tool. They do indeed work well!
7 лет назад+7
In Norway we use the bacho nail puller, bet they use it in Sweden too. been around for ages and are very hand for outside rehab of houses. and your not suppose to pull the nail all the way out with it, only so long as you can grab it with a crowbar.
I worked for a few years in an antique shop in Niagara Falls Canada. During the Civil War many people came across the border and brought all kinds of antiques with them. My friend and I would go around buying old antiques but my specialty was antique tools and the stuff I used to find was incredible. I had the modern-day version of this nail puller because I am also a carpenter for the last 35 years.
Hey Cody, I don't know if that is your Master Lock or if it was the previous owners. Master Locks are absolutely worthless locks that can be picked with homemade lock picks in under 10 seconds. Never secure any of your serious valuables with master locks. Get you a real lock, preferably high security.
Locks are designed to keep curious people out. If a criminal really wants to get into a location, they will. If you leave your building open and somebody goes inside it's not a crime but if you break a lock/pic a lock and enter it is. Keeps most people out.
keith moore. I don't expect you to take a commenters word for it. But you are wrong. There are many locksmith and picking channels on youtube that back up my facts. (Bosnian Bills Lock Lab) is a good one to mention. He's in the top 10% of pickers and he can't even pick a Medeco or ASSA lock. Only the top 3% of pickers can pick those kinds of high security locks and it will even take them 10 minutes or more.
keith moore. Here is a Stanley padlock that Wayne is adding a high security ASSA ABLOY core to it. He has a challenged some of the world's best pickers to pick it. He says if you can do it on camera in 1 take he will pay you $200 and you can keep the 200 dollar lock. No one has ever done it.
While I agree that one can (and probably should) do much better than masterlock, what is the point of going military-bunker-grade door security when your walls are sheet metal and can be defeated with a screwdriver?
We used one of these on our farm all the time. It was my grandfathers and is at least 60 or 70 years old and works great. Great for pulling hasps from a fence post as well
Wranglerstar this tool is for pulling special "U" shaped nails, to repair barbed wire fences. as the "U" shaped nails are used to hold the barbed wire against posts and are imposible to pull out whithout a hook or this tool. plus it's not intended for straigth nails.
Andres De La Rosa wrong! Google it! it's a nail puller, you can buy these and although I'm sure it works great for u shaped nails but in a crescent catalog it's a nail puller
My father was a wood container craftsman, I have used this tool when I was like 7, to disassemble industrial waste (used wood container, trays etc) so that the wood can be reused to craft new containers, while the used steel nails are usually unsafe for reuse that they were sold for scrap. Although this tool was rarely used because you need it only on nails that are too difficult to remove with other methods. My father was very skillful with it, often removing a fully buried nail in less than 2 seconds.
when using this tool I use a small piece of wood to put where the handle is gonna go so it doesn't make contact with the wood I'm accually pulling a nail out of. just a little piece of thin wood does the trick
In the 1950s &60s, I used one of these for opening softwood boxes and packing cases, where the lids were nailed down. We were not worried about cosmetic damage to the timber and it enabled you to open the boxes etc. very quickly.
In my high school theatre we used one of these in our very old fashioned 20's and 30's scene shop. Our building was built in 28 and used a lot of very old world theatre techniques. This was one of them. No idea how old our's was but it worked like a charm.
My dad had one of these, originally bought in the Netherlands decades ago. Still in the family, and still works perfect. The slide is definitely for hammering the claw into the wood, and on a quality version the claw should outlast the owner. My fathers passing is evident of that, considering his nail puller is ancient.
Used these for years back when I was a teen. The slide hammer portion is not a mistake, but a very useful feature in sinking the teeth down to where it can bite on the nail. Note that not all nails have flat heads.. The tools held up to use. After you started to pull out a nail, we'd throw a 1 or 2 inch block of scrap wood under the fulcrum piece to keep the damage to a minimum. The block not only kept from damaging the rest of the wood, but it also gives you a better, more square bite on the nail, thus making it easier to pull, and also less damage to the wood and nails. If you spent all day pulling nails out of scrap wood, you'd understand. Pulling nails is work. Bending the nails is actually more work. Using a piece of scrap wood ( or two ) while pulling with a hammer or crow bar will make less work out of it when pulling nails, even if you don't reuse the nails.
I have 2 of these I got from my grandfather. One has a couple large chips in the casting of the slide hammer, no clue how it would of happened, but still works perfectly. Also, the prying part of the adjusting jaw on both of mine have more of an arch and doesn't dent the wood from the end of it. Love this tool for demo jobs that have to be disassembled instead of torn apart.
Hi Wranglerstar, I enjoy your work. That tool is specifically designed to pull horseshoe fencing nails when replacing miles of barbed wire. It is a slide hammer and it doesn't matter how much you damage the post, just matters how fast you can remove the nails. The slide hammer is imperative because you have to hold the wire with one hand while pulling the nail with the other otherwise a separate hammer would be a more comfortable choice.
Always had one around growing up, my dad's had his for 30 years. It takes time to get good with it, but it's the best way to harvest barn wood. The orientation of your hands is important, and you definitely use it like a slide hammer. Extending it for max leverage. Pulling nails is a framing or demolition situation, not fine woodworking, for everyone who notices it does leave a mark. When you're good with it, you can do pretty fine work. Much finer than a cat's paw. You can slide hose over the heel lever for maximum marring protection.
I have a few hours on a Nail puller just like that. we used to make flooring out of old barn beams and would have to remove the nails before it could be cut into slabs. one of the best designs for a nail puller.
Hi Wranglerstar, my first comment to you! I have a BAHCO puller that I inherited from an oldtimer in 1962. BAHCO is a Swedish hand tool manufacturer who began in the late 19th century, from whence this puller is dated. Thanks for all of your infectious films. Pete Cooper
These we are made primarily for square nails that were hand forged with rectangular heads for timber framing. It has a slide hammer action to drive the bottom half down into the wood while the lever grips the other side of the rectangular flat. Is still in use in the south turn apart the old cypress framing for wood reclamation quite often.
My dad built 3 houses for our family as we grew up, and our numbers increased. i remember using one of those on several occasions. it was literally tough as nails, and then some. there were some nails i could not get out, but dasd always managed. i am not sure what ever happened to it. i suspect that even though the ends get worn, the leverage will more than make up for it. his was well used, and still worked incredibly well.
Grew up with one of those. My dad called it a "Crows Foot". Bought one from Menards about 15 years ago for $35. Saw it on the shelf and didn't hesitate one second! Awesome tool to have.
I have one of these that my father and grandfather used when they were in construction. Yes the slide was so that you could drive the jaws into the wood surrounding the nail. It is a neat tool.
My grandfather had one of these. I remembered as soon as I saw you driving it in with the handle. That's what he did too. His weighed a ton but it was old back in the 60's and I was only about six when I watched him using it.
I've got an antique model of one these that's a bit bigger than the one demonstrated. It's probably well over 100 years old, and the jaws show evidence of multiple resharpenings. As a matter of fact, I've resharpened them myself (once), using a Dremel with a fine stone bit. It still works like a champ. A wonderful tool that does the job, when pretty much nothing else will. You can use a scrap of wood under the fulcrum to avoid marring the surface of the wood from which the nail is being removed. Great for salvaging wooden trim, even when it was fastened using finishing nails.
WOW, Cody, I am amazed that this is a new tool to you. My first 40 hr. job was in a machine shop. We received a lot of parts packed in heavy wooden crates. Those pullers were a blessing when unpackaging parts.
I'm a contractor and I got my fathers my favorite use for that tool is too pull nails out of metal roofs so I can replace them with screws with rubber grommets or remove the metal with no damage Works wonderful of course I use it for nail puller less damage if you want to reuse wood with minimal damage to it very fast and efficient tool I have used it in very tough circumstances and it as been used by employees and survive the employee test they are very tough tools one of my favorite in the old time tools Department in construction or remodeling especially when you're trying to save or restore certain items without damage awesome video
we used these when l worked as a labourer in a packing case making company in Manchester UK , we made packing cases for Massey Ferguson tractors that were being transported around the world......a very handy and well used tool
Omg! When I was a kid, my uncle had an old one of these from his dad and we used it to take down horse fences and salvage the wood. Glad to see another on; it is such a great tool.
We used them all the time in southern Minnesota northern Iowa, we used them taking barns apart to take out the nails to reuse the boards. My dad has a half dozen of them.
I'm in the UK - still use my grandads one of these (80yrs +) when I want to remove the nails from the floor boards in older houses. I would have to ask my dad who its made by but I believe its made by Record. Excellent tool for that particular job, that's had loads of use over many years without any sharperning. My only tip with floorboard nails is to ensure that you align the fixed tip with the side of the nail head before using the hammer.
I love that tool! I have used in it, standing up (hunching), to pull up a plank floor, just walk along, position on nail, slide, set, pull, next! For a vintage shot of it in action check out Jay Lenno's garage, 1963 Chrysler Turbine car episode at about 6:45 into it...
I have two of these nail pullers and some other small hand tools that were my Grandfather's. He passed away in 1974 the year I was born so I cherish these old tools since they are my only connection to him.
I have one of these that belonged to my grandfather, and it is a great tool! It becomes a bit tedious to use if you are pulling lots of nails, but it does the job well.
That brings back old memories. My dad was a contractor who built subdivisions, and as a young boy I had to use that puller to reclaim lumber without damaging it, then he made me straighten all the larger spikes with a hammer and a block of wood. I slowly advanced into framing , then finishing. I can now build anything on a blue print, and have designed my own houses, , all because of tools and the love hate relationship that cements us to them. Lol. .Peace.👍
i got to use one of these while I was working on a shed that some people installed the windows backwards in and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was incredibly satisfying using this thing
I think you can still buy them. I have seen them for sale in some older farm stores. This tool excels at pulling fence staples. Used them a lot back in the day's of work.
I work in a window factory doing repairs and I use one of these tools everyday, it works extremely well at pulling out the staples used to assemble the window frames.
When I was working for a production framer decades ago one of the older carpenters had one of those nail pullers. One day he finally showed us noobs what it was and what it did. We were mesmerized at how efficient that tool was and is!
I think your puller is the real deal. I've had the exact same tool for 40+ years and it looks, sounds, works exactly like yours. Nothing beats it in certain situations.
Awesome tool. I got my dad's after he passed away last year along some other older and great tools. We used it on tons of jobs, especially older homes. Another common use around our house was when dad would get a bunch of old lumber or stuff we salvaged from from jobs. I can tell you first hand as kids we invariably would use it wrong and would receive a guaranteed blood blister when the handle slid down on your fingers. Great tool though, thank you for showing it. We used ours pulling out 3 1/2" ardox spikes(Canada). We literally would spend all day pulling spikes out with it and large crowbars, for days in a row salvaging old lumber.
I have one that was my dads and my grandpas and i still use it on most every job i do. I use it a lot on floors. Definitely a must for my toolbox. Sometimes you need to use the slide to drive the jaws together tighter...and to those commenting about the fulcrum denting the surface just use a thin block.
I still own this tool that my great grandfather had, and it did saw some extensive use. It got loose but it can still be used. Very impressive how long it lasts for a tool that was not super hard. My father also bought a new one 10-15 years ago from Canadian Tires in mastercraft brand. Very handy tool!
I've got one of these it works well. It does damage the wood some, but I've never used it on fine furniture. Remodeling, doing tear out this thing come in handy.
I knew what it was as soon as I saw it! My father has one, I remember they called it a "crate wrecker". They used them on the docks to open wooden shipping crates back in the day. You can only use it on things that you don't mind damaging the wood, like replacing a deck board etc, or wrecking a crate! The sliding handle isn't for leverage, you put it over the nail, raise the handle and give it a couple strikes like a T-post driver. This forces the claws into the wood and when you pull back it grabs the nail and pulls it out. Two or three strikes and you can drive the claws deep and retrieve even a nail that the head was broken off. This one the pin is so worn the pieces will separate. If yours is as good as the old one, it lasts forever. This one is at least 75 years old, maybe more.
Ive got one. My grandpa had one too. I remember him showing how it works. The sliding handle is to use like a slide hammer to get the Pinscher under the head of a set nail.
I am fairly young compared to most, and i've used these for years. It was always around when growing up working on projects with family. To just discover this now must be a shock. Especially for the more delicate projects.
Very cool. As it happened, I used the same tool this very morning to pull some crowned staples from the bottom of a door threshold so I could hand saw the jambs.
I've had one of these in my basement for years, inherited it from my grandmother, have always been dumbfounded as to its purpose, so glad I ran into this video this things awesome!
I have one too, but have never seen one of these used. Now, I might pull it out of the cabinet and use it. And the slider makes sense. I had wondered what the purpose was of that.
I have one of these Cody, the sleeve is a slide hammer and it's used to drive the nippers in to the wood so they grip a little (or a lot) down the shaft
I used one of these 50+ years ago to take out nails. 100's of them. never wore out the jaws. I still have the puller somewhere. We kept the nails and spikes and straightened them to reuse.
I used one of those for two weeks pulling nails out of 2 x 6 blocking to salvage lumber for my first garage. I have caught the web of my hand many times while handling it.
The slide hammer function is a feature, that's why you have a bit of handle close to the jaws to hold it steady, it's designed to get out buried nails, including those that lose their heads.
My Uncle Walt and my Grandpa John had several of these on his farm. My cousin and I spent many, many hours removing nails in reclaimed wood with these...worked great. I haven't handled one in 50 years.
![Stromae, Pomme - “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1F3OGIFnW1k/mqdefault.jpg)
GET YOUR CRESCENT NAIL PULLER HERE *** ONLY $38 *** goo.gl/kPYS9T
Use a tile nipper and use any pry bar behind it I do it all the time and use a piece of leather to protect wood surface if necessary....The head of that tool is a poor quality tile nipper
www.amazon.com/M-D-Building-Products-49943-Compound/dp/B000FSAUX4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501523214&sr=8-1&keywords=M-D+Building+Products+49943+Compound+Tile+Nippers
On amazon the tool ranges from $38 to $56
bahco used to make one and maybe still do? i have a older one for pulling fence staples and it is twice as fast as fencing pliers, used on for years as a full time fencer
You must have an old one. The new ones are made in Taiwan. It looks like there are lots of used American made ones on ebay.
You wot m8- do tell more, dishonest?
These were not primarily used at construction sites. Before the age of FedEx, containerized shipping, and bubble wrap; goods were shipped in crates and barrels. Every warehouse, grocer, and even office building would have had nail pullers to be able to open shipments.
halnywiatr yes 40 yes when worked in bookstore we had one.
I concur. We used one in a warehouse I worked at from the '60s to the 90's. The slide hammer was for pounding the "teeth" into the board when the nails had been driven below the surface. Worked like a charm.
I've seen several of these over the years, and I never considered it rare.
Broke 2 of these trying to open Walmart plastic blister packs =\
He gets so addicted pulling nails, by next week his barn falls down.
Cola Cotton haha I was thinking that myself.
Cola Cotton lol, I can see him making an aftermath video scratching his head and going “wellp lesson learned guys I got a little carried away”
@@travispratt6327 You'd hear the gnarling scree-scree-scree sound from the nail getting pulled out, shortly followed by a thundering rumble. OMG!
"No damage to the wood" - Don't worry or look at the dent caused by the fulcrum haha! Great video love seeing these old tools!
Easy to avoid with another block of wood to pry against
Yeah, I wouldn't say there is "no damage" with that tool. Maybe Less Damage.
Nick Liffrig is
What i noticed was the mark the "claws" of the tool left after hammering it in with the "slide-hammer" part.
Yes, less damage makes more sense
Nick Liffrig Use a sacrificial chunk of wood to put under the fulcrum. I've done it and it works.
"No damage to the wood" - leaves huge dents in it.
Lagittaja 🤣
You can solve that with putting a piece of wood under the leaver though
My dentist has one of those.
No, that costs extra. I had to pound out the dents with a mallet and polish with an electric buffer. A few drops of lube from my oil can and I'm good as new.
Tin Man, I've always wondered. Are you tin, or tinned steel?
ronindebeatrice » A proprietary alloy designed to deflect the spells of the Wicked Witch of the West. I can't disclose any other details except that the lion is afraid of it.
The handle is not telescopic for leverage. It is a slide hammer.
bit of both.
Watch the whole video before commenting maybe? :p
Also, he was using the hacksaw wrong.
well spotted
1:22 the encyclopedia says (on the previous page describing the nail puller) "One type of puller has a telescoping handle that extends to provide additional leverage"
So.. either the encyclopedia is wrong, or that is in fact a telescoping handle to provide leverage, and not a slide hammer.
1955 my grandpa had one, he had dismantled an army barracks after ww2 in 1948 .... took the lumber and built a house and barn, my job at age 8 was to straighten the nails that still had heads. there were buckets of them and yes he reused the nails too, old school pioneer stock born in 1900
Tom Burgess -yep, I spent several weeks using this tool along with a crowbar and hammer dismantling a old house. We pulled the nails out of all the boards so they could be reused. Very good tool for stubborn or broken nails.
I admire the way your grandpa worked, he was resourceful. Here in Sydney Australia developers are demolishing perfectly good homes, mostly end up at the tip as landfill not much is recycled except for bricks and concrete. Generally any timber is crushed and sent to landfill.
Same thing happens in the US as well unfortunately.
We did exactly this in the 1980... when i was 10:ish
Used one of these tools one summer, helping my Uncle re-floor the hay loft in the barn. We pulled hundreds of nails and even saved many by straightening them and reheating and tempering them a bit in Lukewarm water. (You saved money that way, as nails were expensive, (and hey what the heck, you had a big strapping school kid to do the hammer and heat work for the summer so why not use him!) I remember my Uncle had used hard-facing welding rod to rebuild the tips once and they worked just fine for the summer. Great tool, we also greased the slide for easy use.
Thanks Cody. We used to use these for removing fence staples when repairing barbed wire fences on the grandad's cattle ranch. Does a great job with heavy staples.
My Dad and I built a home in 1956, and we had one of these, used it all the time. I still have this tool in my garage and still use it when the need Arises. The tool with much much use still looks as good and the one you have. Can't live without it.
Ron B Michigan
Caught up in the enthusiasm of his new tool, pulls all the nails out of his barn, barn falls down....
That's what I was thinking too.
The slide hammer as you surmised is exactly what it is used for. My granddad on the home ranch in Montana showed me how to use that when I was about 10 years old which would have been around 1953. We had 7 miles of barbed-wire fence surrounding the various fields and around the whole ranch so every spring when most of the snow drifts had melted low enough that you could get through or work around we would go out on fence repair.The worst part of fence maintenance is the corner work because of the three main posts and their braces. A corner if it was really bad could take almost a full day all by it's self to get back in shape. They were always wood structures on our place so it's post holes and brace cutting and after that's done it's the 4 strands of barbed-wire to line up, stretch to the correct tension and nail. Hard work but thinking back some of the most fun and better days of my life. Enjoying your video's and thanks for the memories.
I worked in the Trades through the 90s in southern Calif and everyone had one .You will never break it and it does work as a slide hammer to jam the teeth around the head. Slide a piece of plywood under the shoe to keep from maring any more than need be .
I had two uncles and a friends dad who were carpenters and cabinet makers back in the 30s 40s these guys built houses from grass to finish, they used this puller and I believe there are two reasons for the long fulcrum one was ease of pulling and the other is that many of them straightened their nails back out and reused them because of the expense of them.
"I got this book from my friend,.. (looks at hand) Ken." 4:57
Hey Cody. I've had one for over 30 years. They work great when nothing else will. Keep it handy because you will eventually need it! 🇺🇸😎
This really takes me back to when i was 8-10. I'm only in my 30's but after my grandfather passed away when i was 3 and I played/used his tools as I grew up. I knew exactly what this was as soon as I saw it since he had one and i used it to pull out nails from decking. This really brought a smile to my face and almost a tear to my eye as this tool and other old tools like this ARE my memories of my grandfather. keep em coming :)
I believe the “extension” is actually a slide hammer to hammer the gripping jaws down around the nail
Tony Fox DUHHHHHHH
I agree
That is correct.
Yes, it is meant to be used as a slide hammer. I used one 25 years ago, the thing pulled long nails quite well.
I scrolled down to see if I was the only person that noticed this
I have an old one one of these ... been using it since I was a kid. This is by far the best nail puller around! And I use the handle as a slide hammer to go after buried nails. Thanks for posting!
Here in Denmark it's actually a very common tool in the carpenter industry. It's one of the first tools you're introduced too in schools as a carpenter.
6:11 "no damage to the wood"- giant dent in the wood
thats a kjærringkjæft as we say here in norway
kjærringkjæft translates to the mouth of a old grumpy/mean woman
and yes your suposed to use the slidehammer to get the jaws a stronger hold of the nail
it`s suposed to be used for remowing nails from boards you are going to reuse
Me and my dad found one of them in an abandoned shed in the middle of the woods and weave wondered for the past 4 years what an earth it was. So now we took it of the shelf, cleaned it up and now use it for work. Its a lot easier to use and it works so much better than you think. Thank wrangler star. You solved 4 year long question.
I think the unpainted part is to avoid transfer paint to the wood when you use it.
I have an original one of these in my shop that was my grandfather's. The telescopic handle is not just for getting extra leverage but it is also used as a ram to dig the jaws deeper into the wood to get a better bite on the nail that you are trying to remove. The claw is opened and placed over the area of the nail while the extension is pulled out and then rammed in against the steel stop close to the claw. This is done several times and the action of the ram causes the claw to close in around the nail below the surface of the wood. You can then use the extended handle as a lever to remove the problematic nail. Either way, this is a very cool item and I thank you for posting it. I also love that book of yours with all the different tools.
I just got half way through the video and saw that you used the slider for what it was intended. Good for you!! You're going to love this tool.
I like the name reminder written on your hand!
AllaroundNbackagain lMAO! I saw that! Ken is my friend but I better write his name down so I remember. I imagine he gets a ton of stuff, I would have to write it down too. Hahahaha
I noticed that aswell, it might be one of his strange casey neistat style artistic expressions
saltywok or he is just scared that if he loses his memory he won't remember his name
So if left hand is named "Ken", what is the name for the righty? ;)
raspucin70 ben
Hi from Australia, I just stumbled on your channel. This tool ( nail puller ) brought back so many memories :) when I was a lot younger I had an after school job pulling out nails from shipping containers ( in those days they where made of wood) so we use to use that tool to get the nails out along the ply sheeting. we used to pull out hundreds of nails taking care not to damage the 8' X 4' sheets as this is where the money was. we use to get paid by how many sheets we cleaned. We used to re-sharpen the jaws and they did thousands of nails before needing replacing.
I think the number one tool is Jake Paul but we will agree to disagree.
Like a God church,
DAB
It's every day bro
+Wranglerstar you DAB bro
T-Gmail Account England is my city
I have one of those exact tools and I love it. You are correct the intention is a slide hammer to bite into the wood around the nail. I've had it about 10 years. Great video!!!!
Need to put a small block under the lever to avoid damaging the wood when extracting a nail.
Growing up and helping on the farms of family members, this was a "staple" in our fencing(mesh and barbed wire) toolbox. Removing staples from broken posts with this tool was a breeze. Who cared about wood damage, it's a fencepost that is going to the burnpile! The jaws can be sharpened and reformed with a rattail file when they get worn or deformed. A very important production tool.
The 'handle' is actually a slide hammer to sink the pincers deep into the timber.
Tom Finlayson almost like he knows 😂
Clearly it also increases the force applied to the work when extended.
pop9095 it's called a cheater bar
Call as you want to be we called that part of the tool a built in hammer so you didn't have to carry another tool when working. It was of course used for more leverage when needed.
I never considered this an old tool, I used them while growing up. My dad taught me to always take apart old structures and reuse what could be salvaged, and his tool was perfect for that. I found one at a store (maybe Home Depot) about 15 years ago so got it to add to my shop. Yes, the slide is for hammering around the nail head as you found out.
But it did damage the wood!
Golo1949 yes!
You have got it right ! This nail puller I remember in the 60 we used to open packing cases where you had to pump the handle to get below the nail head. It did not matter if the wood on the packing cases was slightly damaged it could still be reused for returns . Brings back memories !!
Yes you are supposed to use it as a slide hammer. That's how my grandfather taught me to use it
My dad had one of those. I think it came from my grandfather. You're correct about the sliding handle. It's used to pound the pincers underneath the nail head. Neat old tool. They do indeed work well!
In Norway we use the bacho nail puller, bet they use it in Sweden too. been around for ages and are very hand for outside rehab of houses. and your not suppose to pull the nail all the way out with it, only so long as you can grab it with a crowbar.
Yepp, the Bahco nail puller was indispensable when we restored the summer cottage
Use it in Denmark too. Rarely use it, but a real life saver when needed.
I worked for a few years in an antique shop in Niagara Falls Canada. During the Civil War many people came across the border and brought all kinds of antiques with them. My friend and I would go around buying old antiques but my specialty was antique tools and the stuff I used to find was incredible. I had the modern-day version of this nail puller because I am also a carpenter for the last 35 years.
Hey Cody, I don't know if that is your Master Lock or if it was the previous owners. Master Locks are absolutely worthless locks that can be picked with homemade lock picks in under 10 seconds. Never secure any of your serious valuables with master locks. Get you a real lock, preferably high security.
Locks are designed to keep curious people out. If a criminal really wants to get into a location, they will.
If you leave your building open and somebody goes inside it's not a crime but if you break a lock/pic a lock and enter it is. Keeps most people out.
keith moore. I don't expect you to take a commenters word for it. But you are wrong. There are many locksmith and picking channels on youtube that back up my facts. (Bosnian Bills Lock Lab) is a good one to mention. He's in the top 10% of pickers and he can't even pick a Medeco or ASSA lock. Only the top 3% of pickers can pick those kinds of high security locks and it will even take them 10 minutes or more.
keith moore. Here is a Stanley padlock that Wayne is adding a high security ASSA ABLOY core to it. He has a challenged some of the world's best pickers to pick it. He says if you can do it on camera in 1 take he will pay you $200 and you can keep the 200 dollar lock. No one has ever done it.
While I agree that one can (and probably should) do much better than masterlock, what is the point of going military-bunker-grade door security when your walls are sheet metal and can be defeated with a screwdriver?
Taytyaaytyat. Very true. The big picture of locking anything up is to discourage criminals enough that they just move on to an easier target.
We used one of these on our farm all the time. It was my grandfathers and is at least 60 or 70 years old and works great. Great for pulling hasps from a fence post as well
Wranglerstar this tool is for pulling special "U" shaped nails, to repair barbed wire fences. as the "U" shaped nails are used to hold the barbed wire against posts and are imposible to pull out whithout a hook or this tool. plus it's not intended for straigth nails.
Andres De La Rosa wrong! Google it! it's a nail puller, you can buy these and although I'm sure it works great for u shaped nails but in a crescent catalog it's a nail puller
Hahaha that "U shaped nail" is called a fenceing staple
Andres De La Rosa lol what you are trying to explain is a called a staple.
My dad used on of these for pulling staples out of fences as well in the 50's.
We used them on fencing Staples as well
My father was a wood container craftsman, I have used this tool when I was like 7, to disassemble industrial waste (used wood container, trays etc) so that the wood can be reused to craft new containers, while the used steel nails are usually unsafe for reuse that they were sold for scrap. Although this tool was rarely used because you need it only on nails that are too difficult to remove with other methods.
My father was very skillful with it, often removing a fully buried nail in less than 2 seconds.
I think you're a little biased because there was damage to the wood. The smaller handle part dug into the wood and left quite a dent.
KNIVES ONLY put a damp cloth and put a hot iron across will pop out
when using this tool I use a small piece of wood to put where the handle is gonna go so it doesn't make contact with the wood I'm accually pulling a nail out of. just a little piece of thin wood does the trick
If my memory serves me right, these were used to open "packing cases". All "goods inward " departments had them .
Good for boat restoration as well.
In the 1950s &60s, I used one of these for opening softwood boxes and packing cases, where the lids were nailed down. We were not worried about cosmetic damage to the timber and it enabled you to open the boxes etc. very quickly.
I was just waiting for that wall to fall down from all those nails he was pulling.
My great uncle uses one of these for pulling old long spiral nails for our Canadian cottage! Works like a charm 50 years later!
If you place a shim under the pry bar it will keep it from putting that big dent in the wood when you use it for leverage.
the sad thing is, this tool isn't meant to be used as a pry bar, he completely uses it wrong lol
In my high school theatre we used one of these in our very old fashioned 20's and 30's scene shop. Our building was built in 28 and used a lot of very old world theatre techniques. This was one of them. No idea how old our's was but it worked like a charm.
I bet that would be good for fencing staples......
My dad had one of these, originally bought in the Netherlands decades ago. Still in the family, and still works perfect. The slide is definitely for hammering the claw into the wood, and on a quality version the claw should outlast the owner. My fathers passing is evident of that, considering his nail puller is ancient.
I hope you are putting some fasteners back into the door frame whe you are done with the demo. :)
Used these for years back when I was a teen. The slide hammer portion is not a mistake, but a very useful feature in sinking the teeth down to where it can bite on the nail. Note that not all nails have flat heads.. The tools held up to use. After you started to pull out a nail, we'd throw a 1 or 2 inch block of scrap wood under the fulcrum piece to keep the damage to a minimum. The block not only kept from damaging the rest of the wood, but it also gives you a better, more square bite on the nail, thus making it easier to pull, and also less damage to the wood and nails. If you spent all day pulling nails out of scrap wood, you'd understand. Pulling nails is work. Bending the nails is actually more work. Using a piece of scrap wood ( or two ) while pulling with a hammer or crow bar will make less work out of it when pulling nails, even if you don't reuse the nails.
Not a exstending handel it is a slide hammer!! Too drive the clavs in the wood to grab the nail!!
I have 2 of these I got from my grandfather. One has a couple large chips in the casting of the slide hammer, no clue how it would of happened, but still works perfectly. Also, the prying part of the adjusting jaw on both of mine have more of an arch and doesn't dent the wood from the end of it. Love this tool for demo jobs that have to be disassembled instead of torn apart.
Nailed it.. Oh wait, un-nailed it
I was issued one of these as an Engineer in the Army (many) years ago. I had to redo my deck last summer and this was a must have tool to use.
You don't want the steel to be too hard or else it could bite into the nail too much.
Hi Wranglerstar, I enjoy your work. That tool is specifically designed to pull horseshoe fencing nails when replacing miles of barbed wire. It is a slide hammer and it doesn't matter how much you damage the post, just matters how fast you can remove the nails. The slide hammer is imperative because you have to hold the wire with one hand while pulling the nail with the other otherwise a separate hammer would be a more comfortable choice.
Always had one around growing up, my dad's had his for 30 years. It takes time to get good with it, but it's the best way to harvest barn wood. The orientation of your hands is important, and you definitely use it like a slide hammer. Extending it for max leverage. Pulling nails is a framing or demolition situation, not fine woodworking, for everyone who notices it does leave a mark. When you're good with it, you can do pretty fine work. Much finer than a cat's paw. You can slide hose over the heel lever for maximum marring protection.
I have a few hours on a Nail puller just like that. we used to make flooring out of old barn beams and would have to remove the nails before it could be cut into slabs. one of the best designs for a nail puller.
Hi Wranglerstar, my first comment to you! I have a BAHCO puller that I inherited from an oldtimer in 1962. BAHCO is a Swedish hand tool manufacturer who began in the late 19th century, from whence this puller is dated. Thanks for all of your infectious films. Pete Cooper
These we are made primarily for square nails that were hand forged with rectangular heads for timber framing. It has a slide hammer action to drive the bottom half down into the wood while the lever grips the other side of the rectangular flat. Is still in use in the south turn apart the old cypress framing for wood reclamation quite often.
My dad built 3 houses for our family as we grew up, and our numbers increased. i remember using one of those on several occasions. it was literally tough as nails, and then some. there were some nails i could not get out, but dasd always managed. i am not sure what ever happened to it. i suspect that even though the ends get worn, the leverage will more than make up for it. his was well used, and still worked incredibly well.
Grew up with one of those. My dad called it a "Crows Foot". Bought one from Menards about 15 years ago for $35. Saw it on the shelf and didn't hesitate one second! Awesome tool to have.
I have one of these that my father and grandfather used when they were in construction. Yes the slide was so that you could drive the jaws into the wood surrounding the nail. It is a neat tool.
My grandfather had one of these. I remembered as soon as I saw you driving it in with the handle. That's what he did too. His weighed a ton but it was old back in the 60's and I was only about six when I watched him using it.
I've got an antique model of one these that's a bit bigger than the one demonstrated. It's probably well over 100 years old, and the jaws show evidence of multiple resharpenings. As a matter of fact, I've resharpened them myself (once), using a Dremel with a fine stone bit. It still works like a champ. A wonderful tool that does the job, when pretty much nothing else will. You can use a scrap of wood under the fulcrum to avoid marring the surface of the wood from which the nail is being removed. Great for salvaging wooden trim, even when it was fastened using finishing nails.
not only does the handle extend for leverage but also as a sort of plunger to help yank nails out, my granddad had one of these. loved playing with it
WOW, Cody, I am amazed that this is a new tool to you. My first 40 hr. job was in a machine shop. We received a lot of parts packed in heavy wooden crates. Those pullers were a blessing when unpackaging parts.
I'm a contractor and I got my fathers my favorite use for that tool is too pull nails out of metal roofs so I can replace them with screws with rubber grommets or remove the metal with no damage Works wonderful of course I use it for nail puller less damage if you want to reuse wood with minimal damage to it very fast and efficient tool I have used it in very tough circumstances and it as been used by employees and survive the employee test they are very tough tools one of my favorite in the old time tools Department in construction or remodeling especially when you're trying to save or restore certain items without damage awesome video
we used these when l worked as a labourer in a packing case making company in Manchester UK , we made packing cases for Massey Ferguson tractors that were being transported around the world......a very handy and well used tool
Omg! When I was a kid, my uncle had an old one of these from his dad and we used it to take down horse fences and salvage the wood. Glad to see another on; it is such a great tool.
We used them all the time in southern Minnesota northern Iowa, we used them taking barns apart to take out the nails to reuse the boards. My dad has a half dozen of them.
I'm in the UK - still use my grandads one of these (80yrs +) when I want to remove the nails from the floor boards in older houses. I would have to ask my dad who its made by but I believe its made by Record. Excellent tool for that particular job, that's had loads of use over many years without any sharperning. My only tip with floorboard nails is to ensure that you align the fixed tip with the side of the nail head before using the hammer.
I love that tool! I have used in it, standing up (hunching), to pull up a plank floor, just walk along, position on nail, slide, set, pull, next! For a vintage shot of it in action check out Jay Lenno's garage, 1963 Chrysler Turbine car episode at about 6:45 into it...
I have two of these nail pullers and some other small hand tools that were my Grandfather's. He passed away in 1974 the year I was born so I cherish these old tools since they are my only connection to him.
I have one of these that belonged to my grandfather, and it is a great tool! It becomes a bit tedious to use if you are pulling lots of nails, but it does the job well.
That brings back old memories. My dad was a contractor who built subdivisions, and as a young boy I had to use that puller to reclaim lumber without damaging it, then he made me straighten all the larger spikes with a hammer and a block of wood. I slowly advanced into framing , then finishing. I can now build anything on a blue print, and have designed my own houses, , all because of tools and the love hate relationship that cements us to them. Lol. .Peace.👍
i got to use one of these while I was working on a shed that some people installed the windows backwards in and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was incredibly satisfying using this thing
I think you can still buy them. I have seen them for sale in some older farm stores. This tool excels at pulling fence staples. Used them a lot back in the day's of work.
I'm impressed!! I built houses for 18 years and the cat's paw always was my go to tool to pull nails. After that it was the sawz-all.
I work in a window factory doing repairs and I use one of these tools everyday, it works extremely well at pulling out the staples used to assemble the window frames.
When I was working for a production framer decades ago one of the older carpenters had one of those nail pullers. One day he finally showed us noobs what it was and what it did. We were mesmerized at how efficient that tool was and is!
I think your puller is the real deal. I've had the exact same tool for 40+ years and it looks, sounds, works exactly like yours. Nothing beats it in certain situations.
Awesome tool. I got my dad's after he passed away last year along some other older and great tools. We used it on tons of jobs, especially older homes. Another common use around our house was when dad would get a bunch of old lumber or stuff we salvaged from from jobs. I can tell you first hand as kids we invariably would use it wrong and would receive a guaranteed blood blister when the handle slid down on your fingers. Great tool though, thank you for showing it. We used ours pulling out 3 1/2" ardox spikes(Canada). We literally would spend all day pulling spikes out with it and large crowbars, for days in a row salvaging old lumber.
I have one that was my dads and my grandpas and i still use it on most every job i do. I use it a lot on floors. Definitely a must for my toolbox. Sometimes you need to use the slide to drive the jaws together tighter...and to those commenting about the fulcrum denting the surface just use a thin block.
I still own this tool that my great grandfather had, and it did saw some extensive use. It got loose but it can still be used. Very impressive how long it lasts for a tool that was not super hard. My father also bought a new one 10-15 years ago from Canadian Tires in mastercraft brand. Very handy tool!
I've got one of these it works well. It does damage the wood some, but I've never used it on fine furniture. Remodeling, doing tear out this thing come in handy.
I knew what it was as soon as I saw it! My father has one, I remember they called it a "crate wrecker". They used them on the docks to open wooden shipping crates back in the day. You can only use it on things that you don't mind damaging the wood, like replacing a deck board etc, or wrecking a crate! The sliding handle isn't for leverage, you put it over the nail, raise the handle and give it a couple strikes like a T-post driver. This forces the claws into the wood and when you pull back it grabs the nail and pulls it out. Two or three strikes and you can drive the claws deep and retrieve even a nail that the head was broken off. This one the pin is so worn the pieces will separate. If yours is as good as the old one, it lasts forever. This one is at least 75 years old, maybe more.
Ive got one. My grandpa had one too. I remember him showing how it works. The sliding handle is to use like a slide hammer to get the Pinscher under the head of a set nail.
I am fairly young compared to most, and i've used these for years. It was always around when growing up working on projects with family. To just discover this now must be a shock. Especially for the more delicate projects.
Very cool. As it happened, I used the same tool this very morning to pull some crowned staples from the bottom of a door threshold so I could hand saw the jambs.
I've had one of these in my basement for years, inherited it from my grandmother, have always been dumbfounded as to its purpose, so glad I ran into this video this things awesome!
I have one too, but have never seen one of these used. Now, I might pull it out of the cabinet and use it.
And the slider makes sense. I had wondered what the purpose was of that.
I have one of these Cody, the sleeve is a slide hammer and it's used to drive the nippers in to the wood so they grip a little (or a lot) down the shaft
I used one of these 50+ years ago to take out nails. 100's of them. never wore out the jaws. I still have the puller somewhere. We kept the nails and spikes and straightened them to reuse.
I used one of those for two weeks pulling nails out of 2 x 6 blocking to salvage lumber for my first garage. I have caught the web of my hand many times while handling it.
The slide hammer function is a feature, that's why you have a bit of handle close to the jaws to hold it steady, it's designed to get out buried nails, including those that lose their heads.
My Uncle Walt and my Grandpa John had several of these on his farm. My cousin and I spent many, many hours removing nails in reclaimed wood with these...worked great. I haven't handled one in 50 years.