Stealthy Lions

I’ll admit I’ve become a bit of a brace geek. I’m a big fan of the Millers Falls Lion brace. It’s a heavy-duty brace every bit as well-made as the PEXTO Samson and a more robust design than the North Brothers Yankee. If you need a beefy brace fora big job there’s none better. They tend to be a bit on the pricy side since they are always in demand and not very common.

Here’s an interesting bit of trivia. Millers Falls made braces for Craftsman (I believe) in the 1940s-50s. These were high-quality braces but lacked the exotic wood pad and handle, but otherwise identical in every way to the mainline Millers Falls tools. You can tell the Millers Falls Craftsman tools by the “BB” maker code in small font near the Craftsman logo. I’ve seen a couple of different models- one of these is unmistakably a Millers Falls Lion in branded for Craftsman.

Take a look at these two and see if you can pick out the Millers Falls Lion from the Craftsman.

Lion Braces  (click for larger)

Lion Chucks (click for larger)

OK, so the stained pad and handle give it away- the top is the Craftsman, the bottom the Millers Falls no. 772 made ca. 1925.. Other than the wood, both are identical in every way.

So keep an eye out and an open mind toward those Craftsman braces. You might find a Lion in disguise.