Kevin Connolly Collection
Did Houdini use this to escape from the Weed Tire Chain Challenge? Probably not, but it is a nice association piece. The item above is a Weed Tire plier that was used with the chains they sold. It is stamped “WEED PAT”D July 29, 1913 50¢”. Please see image below. You can click on the image for a larger view of the item.
Kevin Connolly Collection
The pliers are about 10 inches long and usually can be found with a very nice patina on them. If you would like to add one to your collection(and who wouldn’t? 
), they can be found on Ebay for about $10.00 most of the time. I like owning it because ,as mentioned above, it is a nice association piece. It’s also a nice piece just for someone to hold and get the feeling of something solid. Worse comes to worse, you can use it like The Three Stooges would have, and you all know the connection between Harry Houdini and the Stooges by now. Don’t you? 
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Kevin: I have two Weed tire chain pliers. A small pair like this and a rather large pair with the name Weed cut into the metal of the handles. The company was very smart and sold all sorts of chain related materials such as pliers. They also sold other car parts as well. Chain jacks and bumpers just to name two. The main library in Bridgeport, CT, has old American Chain and Cable stock books in their collection. Some day I might find a copy of one on Ebay which I could afford.
Jim,
My pliers are stamped “Weed” too. Keep looking on Ebay for more “Weed” items.
I have a pair of WEED pat’d July 29, 1913. The end is different on mine as the “nipper” part closes scissor like. Interesting whatever they were used for!
Thanks for the info.