1889 naval gun breech - video

[Crusty]

Swede, this is one of my personal tattoo favorites.

[Toolmaker51]

I'd like to know the origin of calling the tool a "brake". When you bend sheet, you create a break in its linearity. Perhaps "brake" is a long-time ago misspelling that has worked its way into modern usage. Further murkiness comes from the fact that "brake" was an archaic past tense of the verb "break".

I agree Marv. When I looked for such a tool, spelling was interchanged some at every level; vendor, manufacturer or distributors. While majority use 'brake' to define apparatus to bend sheet stock, individuals [private sales] often use 'break'. I suspect a high percentage of those are selling equipment from auctions or garage sales etc, even unaware what the thing even does, let alone proper name.
By the same token, searches for 'brake' return automotive drum and rotor turning machines too, and no recollection of those being labeled as 'break' drum [etc] lathes.