Saturday, May 6, 2017

Vanished tool makers: Jobborn Manufacturing Company, "Stream Line Tools.", Hamilton, Ontario



I recently found this old wooden sanding block.

The earliest reference I can find for the company is 1914, when it was located at 50 Guise Street.  By 1951, it was out of 11 Brock Street East.  The company seems to have specialized in auto body tools, but also made items like reamers. 
An update from the former president; "Our company made and sold reamers, autobody tools etc. for Garage Supply which later got bought by a large industrial supplier. Between 1981 and 2007 we moved from 11 Brock St in Hamilton to 3345 North Service Road in Burlington. The company closed in 2007, at which time we were manufacturers and distributors of automotive and farm tools for Ford and J I Case dealers Canada-wide."
 Thank you for the information and it's sad to hear of another Canadian company's demise. 
Below, their products offered in the 1949 Garage Supply Company catalogue:






8 comments:

11 Brock said...

Hi Duke,
We've just purchased a condo in the refurbished building at 11 Brock St. and was wondering if you could give me an idea where I may find hi-res scans (or originals) of the Jobborn pages you're showing here?
Cheers.
Jason

Mister G said...

Sorry, best we can do is the this link; http://fliphtml5.com/znvs/ffmp/basic/151-200 but the
former president has visited the post and commented, possibly he will see this and can help. Unfortunately I don't have his email...
Thanks for the comment!

Unknown said...

I'm trying to find relatives any where in Canada.I do have a brother in North Carolina.

Unknown said...

I have found a 7/8" reamer by A. Jobborn Model No. 875K, 16" long.

It's a beauty. Has 8 flutes (spiral) at the end and also in the mid-section for about 4".

1/2" square drive for a tap handle.

Jess said...

I just bought a partial set of A. Jobborn Reamers. 3/8, 7/16, 1/4, 21/64. All are solid non adjustable with 1/2 inch Square shank and a round hole for a T handle about 1 inch from the top. Are these collectable. they appear to be very old in an old wooden box.

Lisa A said...

My Father Carl Littlejohns owned Jobborn MFG - he purchsed it in the 70's from the family of Bill Smith after his passing. They moved to Frid Street after Brock St. for many years before moving the business to Burlington. They did not manufacture when they moved to Burlington.

11 Brock said...

I currently live in 11 Brock St. in Hamilton! The building was beautifully converted 2 years ago when we moved in. Fascinating history of the building.

Anonymous said...

It’s amazing how life can be at times. In the 1970s I was doing graduate work at McMaster in Hamilton and found out Jobborn had tools for my 1963 Mercury that I needed so I went and purchased them. I went back ten years ago to find the business gone. Just the other day I purchased a tool parts book for my Fordson Major and discovered Jobborn had the tools in this catalog. I only regret I never got a copy of their parts book in the 70s for my Mercs for since that time I have been tracking down the special Merc tools on the internet.