Pg 60 - H. Gerstner & Sons, Inc.

H. Gerstner & Sons, Inc.

Dayton, OH

1908 – Present

A special THANKS goes out to the people below

for donating historical data –

Ken Lewellyn

Keith Gustafson

Little Known Historical Facts about Harry Gerstner

Harry was born in 1884 in Ohio as Herman Harry Gerstner. His father’s name was Wilhelm Herman Gerstner, born about 1858 in Germany. Before H. Gerstner & Sons was formed they had both changed their first name to their middle name.

Herman and Harry were major owners of the 1895 organized and 1904 incorporated ‘The Dayton Cooperage Co.’ at 825 Germantown St. in Dayton (Wood Barrel making) when the below advertisement was published –

The building and property must not have sold unless Herman and Harry bought out the other owners. Harry published his first circular for H. Gerstner & Sons showing two versions of ‘A Toolmaker’s Portable Tool Case’. These were the smallest cases and the first leatherette covered offered by any wooden mechanics tool case company at that time. In 1909 the company of H. Gerstner & Sons was officially registered.

The following ad had been placed in the Dayton Daily News on July 14, 1908 -

The Great Dayton Flood

On March 25th, 1913, the Great Dayton Flood waters breached the levees and seriously damaged their 825 Germantown St. location. Just 2 days later, March 27th of 1913, it was announced in The Iron Age magazine that the “Herman Gerstner & Sons Company, Dayton, Ohio, manufacturer of tool cases, will soon commence work on a new factory building at Cincinnati and Columbia streets. Its present quarters are on Germantown Street”. Obviously, and fortunately, the Gerstner’s had made plans to build a new factory at Cincinnati and Columbia Streets well prior to the flood. In 1914 they occupied their new facility, which H. Gerstner & Sons, Inc. still operates out of today.

Explaining Gerstner’s ‘Market Test Chest’

Scott Campbell, CEO of H. Gerstner & Sons, had posted on their forum that in the old days a new style had to earn its way into being included in their standard production and a company brochure. I have dubbed them as Market Test Chests. I’m not sure how this may have happened, but perhaps they printed individual flyers of a new style # to mail to their dealers and included them with the brochures to answer advertising inquiries.

As a result, very occasionally a chest or case may be acquired that either is not in any company brochure or does not match the brochures description. Yet it has the proper number of drawers, big and small and it’s obvious that Gerstner manufactured it. ‘The’ Guide does not include these units. They were not part of a standard production run of a unit included in a company brochure.

Two examples of Gerstner’s Market Test Chests follow -

1^st - I had chosen to use a 1913 date for my #41, 16”, 5/2 chest and called it a ‘Proto-Type’, because it had different features and didn’t match the #41 introduction in a 1914 brochure. But after Scott’s explanation, I don’t think I used the right terminology. It should have been called a Market Test Chest. If the sales numbers warranted, the design and specs may have been improved upon or changed before making it into standard production runs and a brochure.

2^nd - Gerstner’s 1^st all oak chest, which was a Style #O41, is in their Brochure No. 27, published in 1927. It is shown with a clasp lid lock. #O41’s are not shown in Gerstner’s 1926 Hardware Store Poster. However, Chandler & Farquhar Co., Boston Mass., published their catalog, copyrighted 1924. It states in the Style #41 write-up – “Also made in quartered oak finish, not covered, at the same price. When ordering this, designate O41, O41A, O41B or O41C.” The pic, or cut, shows the rectangular lid lock which has a Period Date of 1919-1925. This Market Test Chest took from 1924 thru1926 to earn the right to be put into standard production and their sales brochures in 1927. I have one of these all OAK #O41 Market Test Chests. Its Period Date is 1924-1925. It has the rectangular lid lock and a relieved front panel with diamond shaped finger pull. Perhaps it was originally purchased through Chandler & Farquhar.

In my mind, Market Test Chests or Market Test Cases makes a lot of sense, at least they made production runs of them, though the quantities would be much lower. Other manufacturers may have operated the same way, but I haven’t recognized any evidence of that.

Gerstner Advertising Strategy

I happened to notice this while doing some searches. From 1914 and on Gerstner was located on Columbia St. in Dayton which was only 2 to 3 blocks long. From 1914 into the 50’s they used 3 to 4 digit, different, address numbers on Columbia St. in their advertising ads in magazines. They must have kept a record of these address numbers and which magazine each number was used in. They could then track which magazine produced the highest number of inquiries based on the street address number the enquirer used. How’s that for a marketing strategy! The P.O. must have been more user-friendly in those days.