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Cap crimpers / pliers ... how to tell it's a ww2 model ?


etienne
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Hello gents,

 

I am looking for cap crimpers / pliers to complete a demolition kit, but I have a hard time to know what are the differences between the patterns :blink:

 

Some have round handles, some flat, some are steel, parkerized or blued, some are no-sparks brass, some are marked (model, or manufacturer), some aren't ... so a lot of variations and I have to admit that I'm completely lost.

 

I didn't find much informations here or elsewhere about this specific item, so help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance. E

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Hello Craig,

 

I think it's more some kind of wire cutters. Here are two photos of demolition kits, early and late war with cap pliers / crimpers.

 

On the early kit, the pliers have round handles when on the late kit, they have flat handles ... but I wonder if I'm not the only one to be interested in that question :blush:

 

Any help will be appreciated,

 

E

 

 

post-17306-0-81335600-1409135881.jpg

post-17306-0-47873500-1409135888.jpg

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Quartermaster

To me, those pliers on eBay look more like electrician's pliers than blasting cap crimpers.

 

That example has a toothed end and a wire cutting component back in the jaw. The marking 5000 V means that the tool is insulated and rated to 5K volts.

 

Blasting cap crimpers are configured like pliers but there are two circular locations on the jaws - one for crimping and the second for fuse cutting. The end on one of the handles is pointed to be used to punch a well in the explosive material to accept the blasting cap.

 

As far as dating these tools, I am not an expert and don't know if they are usually marked with information. I use the rule of thumb of blued or plain steel with a decent patina COULD be WW2 vintage. There are newer ones that can be had but they are usually bright steel or have a galvanized look that indicates they are of more recent vintage.

 

Google "WW2 blasting cap crimpers" and check out the pictures.

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Hi Etienne, look on web page page my friend Hayes. www.hayesotoupalik.com Tom

002628 WW2 US Army Demolition Kit Crimpers, Combat Engineers DSCF6335%20%5B1024x768%5D_small.JPG

WW2 Blued Metal US Army Demolition Kit Crimpers for Combat Engineer Display. $45.00

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This is what a correct ww2 type cap crimpers should look like. In the picture, an unmarked parkerized example, and a postwar Candidius example.

 

post-132-0-67429400-1409168012.jpg

 

Many variations exist, but I have never seen a dated pair.

Several manufacturers produced these crimpers, so that could explain some of the variations encountered. A few come to mind; Atlas, DuPont, Candidius, Heiley Filson Co, Hercules,.. I'm sure there are others.

 

Variations in finish exist;

 

-TM 5-25 (1940) mentions 'blued steel, 7 inches long'

-The 'Mine and Smelter Supply Co.' catalog(1937) lists a no2 DuPont cap crimpers and fuse cutters as 'made of steel, nickel plated, 6 1/2 inches long'.

-Parkerized steel examples are commonly encountered.

-Anodized examples exist too, but I believe these to be all post WW2. They yellowish annodised examples I have seen can be dated (80ies date) and have variations in construction

 

Variations in markings exist;

 

-unmarked examples

-'US' marked examples

-'US' and manufacturer data

-'M2' marked examples

-'M2 cap crimper' marked examples

-Manufacturer marked examples, Heiley Filson Co., DuPont, CANDIDIUS KL, etc.. (the Candidius cap crimpers were not easy to date, because there is virtually no info on this company. I found out Candidius is best known for their quality razor blades. They are a German company, so they could not have produced for the US in WW2)

 

Hope this helps a bit.

 

Regards,

Stijn

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Also, Etienne,

 

the nice picture you have from one of the TM's, do you know wich TM this picture is from? I have that same picture, uncropped, but it doesnt mention wich TM its from.

 

Regards,

Stijn

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Hello Stijn,

 

thanks for all those valuable informations. I don't remember exactly where I found the picture, but I think it was in the standard Marine Corps Training Manual.

 

I also have one from a specific Marine Corps School manual ...

 

E

post-17306-0-68294400-1409236928.jpg

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Hi Etienne,

 

I was talking about the bottom picture in your first post, the picture with the late war type demo bag. I suspect this picture came from the TM 5-25 Explosives & Demolitions, but I'm not sure. I have that TM, but mine is 1940 dated, so that would explain why that picture isnt in mine. I can't verify, since I dont have that specific TM with a latewar date.

 

I have the Marine Corps manual also, 1945 dated, it features the first photo in your first post.

 

These 2 last photos you have posted I dont have. I would be very interested in obtaining this specific manual, or a better quality scan of these two pictures. I can identify all the contents, with the exeption on the cotton gauze in this kit.

 

Could you maybe email the picture to me in the highest resolution you have?

 

Regards,

Stijn

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I will second Stijn's request for higher quality images or the source of these images.

 

I know the late war kit image is not from the May 1945 or Jan 1942 versions of FM 5-25 (the two I have). Not sure how many others there are.

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I will second Stijn's request for higher quality images or the source of these images.

 

I know the late war kit image is not from the May 1945 or Jan 1942 versions of FM 5-25 (the two I have). Not sure how many others there are.

 

Hello,

 

I'm sorry but I don't have higher definition images ... I wish I had but I only have low res versions found on the net ^_^

 

The last photo I posted comes from a Marine Corps School, I have a pdf version if you are interested

 

Regards, E

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  • 7 years later...

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