Every month in 2020, we’ll be bringing you a Klein Timeline Snapshot: a look back in time at a specific year, looking at what the world was like in said year, and what was happening with Klein Tools.
This month’s year: 1912
Ford Model T, new: $690
Quart of milk: $0.12
Campbell’s Soup: $1.00 for 13 cans
What was happening in the world: Throughout the early 20th century, huge innovations were being made in the field of air transportation. January 10, 1912, specifically, marked a huge step forward: the first flight of the Curtiss Model E flying boat. Designed and built by American aeronautics pioneer Glenn Hammond Curtiss, the Model E was a braced biplane, designed to be able to transition easily from traveling on water into the air. Specially designed features allowed the plane to break the suction of the water during takeoff and get into the air, eventually reaching speeds of 52 miles per hour. While the Model E was the first of Curtiss’ flying boat designs, it wasn’t his last. In fact, he built many more models, including the C-1, a U.S. Navy version of the Model E.
What was happening with Klein Tools: As the second generation of the Klein family prepared to take over from founder Mathias Klein, growth was happening rapidly. In this year alone, Klein produced between 65,000-75,000 pairs of pliers. 1912 also brought about one of the most recognizable pieces of Klein history: the first version of our now-familiar logo. Although not exactly the same as the logo we know and love today, this first logo features the well-known lineman illustration and “est. 1857” text that we still feature now, more than 100 years later.
