The Cluedo (UK) spanner and Clue (US) wrench, have perhaps the fewest variations of all the weapons tokens throughout the years. With only three basic designs, only the subtlest of changes mark the updates through the numerous editions. This is one of the three weapons for which names were changed with their introduction in the US, though their purpose remained the same. 1949 saw the creation of the original Spanner, depicted as a simple fixed open-ended spanner. Like many of the early edition weapons in both the UK and US, it is quite large compared to modern counterparts. It is perhaps the second longest weapon token, next to the original 1949 UK candlestick. But this token saw a fairly long life of 16 years. In the US, the term spanner is rarely if ever used, and so when Parker Brothers introduced the game stateside, they chose to re-name it the more common vernacular of "wrench", and further depicting it as a very different, adjustable monkey wrench. In contrast to the UK spanner, the monkey wrench seems much more substantial and deadly. The original 1949 wrench only lasted one year, and has the distinction of being one of the smallest weapons tokens included in a standard edition game. With a tiny utility loop on the handle, it seems far too delicate to be very threatening, much less deadly. In 1950, Parker Brothers began to phase out the original wrench and replaced it with a larger and much more substantial looking token, which would essentially survive in that basic size and shape to this day. The main distinction was that it lost its utility loop. By 1996, this became the standard token for Cluedo as well, and all classic games to this day, appearing in a variety of materials and finishes. Unfortunately, it has been eliminated from Hasbro's latest incarnation "Discover The Secrets". Cluedo's spanner finally underwent a change during 1965, essentially shortening the original design, but otherwise identical to the longer spanner before it. If not for the different proportions, this would not qualify for a revised design, the changes are so subtle. This token survived for the next 31 years, basically unchanged. First painted gold, then taking on a gleaming gold-tone finish, the spanner was finally replaced with the long-lived US wrench design for all standard classic editions. This design survives today in the luxury Geoffrey Parker edition in gleaming Pewter or Sterling Silver. The first departure from the standard wrench came in 1988, when Clue finally added a variation to the game with the introduction of the Master Detective edition (MD). Not only were there more weapons, but they were bigger and heavier as well, and finished in antique brass. This design would also later be a part of Super Cluedo. For the 50th Anniversary edition, and later re-used in the advanced Passport to Murder edition (PTM), the same wrench design appeared in antiqued pewter. In the mid-90s the wrench was clad in 14K gold for the short-lived Franklin Mint edition. For this design, the wrench seems to recall its smaller and delicate US beginnings. This wrench token takes the distinction of being the smallest and lightest of any standard set. This is the last design the wrench would undergo to date.

The assembly between the crankwheel and the gearbox assembly appears to be intended as an adjustable backstop to cut tesserae of the same length. My experience is that the force of the chopping blade drives the cut piece into the backstop AND down enough for the cut piece to become caught between the table edge and the backstop. The pinching force often requires a mild rap of a hammer against a dowel or stick placed against the trapped tessera to free it. Adjusting the height of the backstop does not seem to help that much, so I pull the backstop away and set it at an angle. The force of the cutting action often causes the tesserae to fly away from the tool. The backstop can help in directing the tessera away from the user. Also note the 3 inch (7.6 cm) set screws used to lock the backstop. These are NOT original. I found the original screws to be too short for easy access with a standard Allen wrench, so I replaced them.