Bridgeport Nail Puller Slip Hammer Type Sure-Grip

This is a nice, clean heavy duty antique early patented carpenters nail puller with the telescoping slide handle. It is marked in cast lettering "MADE IN U.S.A. THE BRIDGEPORT HARDWARE MFG. CORP. U.S.A." on one side of the handle, and on the other side is marked "PATENTED SUREGRIP SEPT.09.02", and is also marked with a patent on the beam that leads out to the jaws "PATD. SEPT.19.1902" in large stamped lettering. This is the oldest of these we have seen, and we have never seen the heart shaped plate on the beam leading to the jaws! Unique! This is most likely one of the earliest SUREGRIP pullers manufactured. It can extend up to 23.6" long, or as short as 18" long, the slide extension is design for great leverage while pulling stuborn nails. This tool is in nice, useable condition! The jaws have little wear, but still have plenty of stock and contour to allow for many more hours of use. We note no rust, no damage, clean, well cared for, so still useable, with most some of the original paint intact on the handle area around the raised cast lettering, and very little intact on the anywhere else. This model has a very nice leverage design, and a very good jaw pivot joint, (the pivot pin is a little loose, but the casting design holds the moving jaw in it's proper place for alignment when in use, very heavy duty! We note a few areas along the back of the main jaw with the leg on it, where someone most like tapped it with a hammer a little bit, considered minor issue. One of the earliest we have seen of this model, in great shape overall!