Oestmann and Jordan Collect Wrenches and Unique Farm Tools

Harlan Oestmann of Tecumseh joined the Missouri Valley Wrench Association in 2000. He later convinced his friend Dave Jordan of Tecumseh join in 2017. They both are members of the Midwest Tool Collectors Association as well. Oestmann has collected wrenches from several states. He gave credit to his wife, Betty for finding his first patented vise-grip at a farm auction years ago. Jordan started his wrench collection at an auction is Springfield, Illinois.
Oestmann estimates that he has had about 1,000 wrenches collected at farm and antique auctions over the past 32 years. Today, Harlan still has about 300 to 400 wrenches in his collection, including a monkey wrench from 1865 that was patented on a Tuesday. “Most wrenches were patented on a Tuesday,” he said. Dave Jordan said his wrench collection is in the hundreds as well.
Oestmann also collected at least 30 woodworking planes of various kinds and sizes through the years. He purchased one woodworking plane that weighed 40 pounds and was three feet in length for $75. He later sold this plane to a young tool enthusiast from Kansas in order to start this young man’s tool collection.
Oestmann usually finds himself in awe of all the wrenches and other tools he sees displayed when attending the bigger auctions and association meetings. He even found a variety of fencing tools and several kinds of fencing wire. Jordan likes to collect more blacksmithing tools and added that Amish families have a wide variety of barbed wire along with a chart of the unique types of wire used for fencing.
Oestmann and Jordan have seen wrenches and other tools sell anywhere from 50 cents up to $16,000. Oestmann once bought a six foot monkey wrench that was made in Pennsylvania for building bridges. They have both seen collections of John Deere tools sell for up to $10,000.
Both Oestmann and Jordan agreed that the most rewarding experience of being members of these two clubs is traveling to different parts of the country. “If we had more money and weren’t so old, we’d do even more traveling,” said Oestmann. The men’s wives, Betty and Carol, also enjoy riding along to various auctions and club meetings.
Through the years, Oestmann has collected several buggy wrenches. He also has several cutting blades including one from England dating back to 1600 that stood six feet tall and took two people to pull. At one time, he also had a branding iron that was used for tattooing the slaveowner’s name on the slave’s back.
Jordan noted that he has an ice saw that was six feet, two inches long, which cut  3’ by 4’ blocks of ice. He also has a coal forger and coal tongues that were used for removing hot coals from a furnace.
Even though Oestmann isn’t sure what will happen to his wrench and tool collection in the future, he would like to see the proceeds from the sale of his wrenches and other tools used to fund educational scholarships. Jordan said his wife, Carol, would probably be responsible for the future of his wrench and tool collection.