What’s the Meaning Behind the Name 'Crescent Wrench'?

If you've worked on home improvement projects or tried fixing up a car, you’ve likely used an adjustable wrench. This versatile tool can be resized with a simple thumb-operated wheel. But you might not have ever called it by its proper name. Instead, it’s most commonly known as the crescent wrench. While the shape of its jaws might suggest a connection to the crescent moon, that’s not the full story.

The crescent wrench isn’t just a nickname; it’s actually a brand name. It was created by Swedish immigrant Karl Peterson, who introduced it in the early 1900s. Peterson’s breakthrough was simple: Instead of forcing mechanics to carry a whole set of different-sized wrenches, his adjustable wrench allowed them to change its width with ease, making it perfect for any nut, bolt, or fastener. One jaw is fixed, while the other can be adjusted using a thumb wheel.

In 1907, Peterson founded his business in Jamestown, New York, focusing on standard pliers. However, after a Swedish visitor introduced him to a similar adjustable wrench from Sweden, Peterson saw potential in improving it. Though the Crescent wrench is the most famous of its kind, it wasn’t the first—adjustable wrenches have existed in various forms since the 1800s, but many suffered from issues like a stuck movable jaw.

By 1910, the wrench began appearing in newspaper advertisements. Peterson filed for and obtained a patent in 1915, which included this description: “the invention relates to improvements on adjustable jaw wrenches for bolt nuts; and the object of the invention is to provide a simple adjustable jaw wrench of great strength which [fits] the faces of a hexagonal nut as well as a square nut and also has a positive adjustment which is not changed by the dropping of the wrench.”

The origins of the tool are somewhat unclear, with multiple versions of its creation. One story suggests Peterson purchased the design from a man named Gunnard Oberg for $500. Regardless of the details, the tool was named the Crescent wrench due to its crescent-shaped jaws.

The tool quickly gained respect from both hobbyists and professionals. In 1927, aviator Charles Lindbergh gave the wrench a notable mention after his successful transatlantic solo flight. Despite his efforts to minimize the weight of his aircraft, he listed the Crescent wrench and pliers as essential items he carried, alongside gasoline, sandwiches, and a bottle of water.

Lindbergh wasn’t the only one to bring a Crescent wrench along on a journey: In 1935, balloonist A.W. Stevens carried one during a record-breaking hot air balloon flight. Then in 1965, astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young took the wrenches with them on the Gemini mission into space. (Sadly, Peterson didn’t live to witness these milestones, passing away in 1933 at the age of 67.)

The widespread use of the name became an issue in 1931 when Crescent Tool Company filed for and was granted an injunction against Montgomery Ward, which was advertising a 'crescent wrench' and accused of potentially confusing consumers. At that time, Crescent Tool reported selling 18 million of these wrenches.

It’s more difficult to find imitation Crescent wrenches today. A quick search on sites like Amazon or Home Depot reveals that looking for a 'crescent wrench' will display adjustable wrenches, but they avoid using the word 'crescent,' which shows that the Crescent brand still fiercely protects its name.

While the Crescent wrench marked a major advancement in the world of tools, it does have a downside. The adjustable jaw is not as durable as a fixed wrench, so heavy-duty industrial workers, for instance, may prefer a fixed wrench for its strength and high torque capabilities.

Crescent is now owned by Apex Tool Group. Even though the name is still trademarked, it's common to hear people refer to any adjustable wrench as a Crescent, much like how we often use the brand name Kleenex to refer to facial tissues. In both cases, the marketing was simply too successful.

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Correction 09/25/24: A previous version of this article mistakenly claimed that the Crescent adjustable wrench was part of the tool kit for the Ford Model T car.