What goes into making Pony Jorgensen clamps?

Who remembers those career aptitude tests from before we transitioned to woodworking? I’m referring to the ones that attempted to match personality traits with job descriptions. In some cases, the test results provided more comic relief than career advice, but occasionally the tests really delivered a good match. One result in particular described woodworkers and carpenters as detail-oriented, creative, quality-driven, and hard-working. In many cases, a woodworker’s traits are similar to the qualities they look for when selecting one of the most important tools of their trade – woodworking clamps. Because they are perfectionists, woodworkers choose clamps that are well made, dependable, strong and versatile. This is why woodworkers choose Pony Jorgensen clamps for all of their carpentry needs.

Pony Jorgensen was founded by Adele Holman in 1903, under a secret identity: it was a time when entrepreneurial women in the manufacturing industry were few and far between. One hundred and thirteen years (and counting) since, the company has endured, and continues to deliver the most durable, high-quality woodworking clamps available today. Keep reading to learn what goes into making Pony Jorgensen clamps.

Quality.

Woodworkers and carpenters – seasoned veterans, pros, DIYers, and beginners alike – are known to have a focus on creating a finished product that delivers true quality. They want a superior result based on the hours of hard work that they put into their creations. Pony Jorgensen also has a focus on delivering a quality product with every woodworking tool we manufacture. While some competitors might cut corners in terms of the materials they use to build hand tools, our tools use quality, heavy-duty materials resulting in reliable, durable tools that stand the tests of time and toil. From the cast iron we use in our C-clamps, to the seasoned hardwood that make up our specialty clamps, woodworkers and carpenters have been choosing quality woodworking tools for more than one hundred years.

Delivering quality products is also the result of understanding customer needs. This is something that Pony Jorgensen has been focused on for decades. It’s most evident when looking at the wide variety of products available based on the task that’s needed. From lightweight, easy-to-accomplish at-home jobs, to larger scale, heavy-duty industrial jobs, Pony Jorgensen has a long history of providing the right tool for the job.

Tradition.

When it comes to product innovation, Pony Jorgensen has been pushing the envelope since the company’s inception more than 100 years ago. These days, there are many fly-by-night companies that come and go, without leaving a lasting impression on an industry. This is not the case with Pony Jorgensen. The tradition of building long-lasting, durable woodworking tools began in 1903 and has continued to present day with the production of every kind of hand tool – from bar clamps to hand and spring clamps.

Founder Adele Holman partnered with Danish cabinet-maker Hans Jorgensen and tool salesman Marcus Russ to create a manufacturing company based on product innovation, excellent customer service, and woodworking tools with superior performance. This tradition is thriving to this day as our clamps, fixtures, vises, and tools continue to impress with innovative solutions to meet the needs of discerning woodworkers and craftspeople.

Strength.

Manufactured for superior performance and strength, Pony Jorgensen clamps are equally well known for their versatility. With excellent strength-to-weight ratio, our bar clamps are built with anodized aluminum to provide maximum strength without sacrificing their lightweight design. They are then finished with an orange, powder coating that is merged with a high-carbon, rust-resistant steel bar. This bar is designed to deliver between 1,000 and 100,000 pounds per square inch of tensile strength. Our C-clamps also deliver in terms of strength. This is especially true of the heavy-duty carriage C-clamps. These clamps are the most universally used general-purpose C-clamps for regular-duty industrial service.

Finest materials.

Uncompromising clamps need uncompromising materials. The only way to deliver quality woodworking tools is to use the finest possible materials for the job. We use only high-quality ductile cast iron, drop-forged, high-carbon steel, and anodized aluminum in our clamps. Zinc or chrome plating is added to many clamps for increased durability and rust resistance. Cold-drawn steel screws let you clamp with confidence.

Take our bar clamps, for example. Made from anodized aluminum and carbon steel, the quality of these tools consistently exceeds the high expectations of our skillful customers. Consider our specialty clamps instead. Only the finest seasoned, straight-grain North American maple wood makes it into our iconic Jorgensen handscrews, and all our seasoned hardwood clamp handles are meticulously shaped for maximum comfort to help them feel just right. Our light duty C-clamps are made of durable cast iron with zinc plating, while the heavy-duty C-clamps are made of the strongest drop-forged steel with a cold-drawn screw for industrial use.

Original techniques.

Quality materials, years of tradition, and product innovation keep woodworkers coming back to Pony Jorgensen year after year. It’s the drive to innovate and to deliver quality products that really moves the needle in terms of earning the loyalty of our customers.

An example of product innovation is the multiple-disc-clutch design on the Jorgensen steel bar clamp, which allows the sliding head to hold securely at any point along the bar. Another instance is the development of the heavy-duty version of the original Pony pipe clamp fixture. This version comes with a longer acme-threaded screw, a wider, taller stance, and a built-in clamp hanger for more demanding projects, including industrial applications.

For discerning craftspeople looking for clamps made with the highest‑quality materials, unwavering reliability, and trusted strength, there’s only one choice – original Pony Jorgensen woodworking clamps.

Interested in learning what we can offer to your next woodworking project? View all our products, or contact us to learn more.