Name some old hand-tool companies; Wizard, Williams, etc

I love my hand tools, I really do. Some are top quality and some are cheap. I mainly buy all of my tools at swap meets and flea markets. I buy used better brand tools for what most would pay for cheaper tools. Some of mine used to belong to other family members, some of the brand named have stories to go with them....

We've all heard of the usual ones; Craftsman, Snap-On, MAC, SK, Kobalt, Cornwell, etc. But what about those OLD companies that are probably no longer with us in some capacity. I have some Wizard, Milwaukee, etc.

What do you have? What stories surround some of your favorite tools?

Grandpa always has an old 11/16 wrench that he keeps on his tractor. Every time he picks it up, he tells the story about how he came home from the war, was working on an old flathead and NO ONE in his small town had an 11/16 wrench or socket. He called around to a couple of neighboring towns and a little hardware store had just gotten two Wizard 11/16 combination wrenches in. I think he said it was $3 (which he claims was quite a bit for a wrench in the 40's). He managed to s****e up enought to buy both of them but when he got there the clerk wouldn't sell him both....said something about someone else might need it. That kind of sounds weird but maybe everyone wasn't out to make a buck back then, huh?

I'll go snap some pics in a second....

 

I used to have Husky(spl), sold through OTASCO (okla. tire ans supply co.)

Also Proto, don't know if the still sell tools

 

i have some old utica tools, and some williams wrenches

 

I got my dad's WIZARD'S from the 50's when he p***ed away. I think they were Western Auto's brand.

 

Not sure if they were in the US but King **** was popular over here! ;-)

Kev.

 

Old Willaims socket.....nice and heavy built....

Sparta socket....this one is newer but i think they've been in business a while...this on says USA and seems pretty good...

A Penens socket.....says USA but seems a little cheap.....still ok...

Apex....pretty good stuff...made USA...don't know how old...i know they still make stuff...

Three of my favorite wratchets....old Craftsman, Old Snap-on...both my other grandpa's......then a Proto Challenger fine toothed wratchet....I forgot to include my old Thorsen that my hot rod grandpa welded a a longer handle onto....tough old ratchet!

Indestro...seems like a pretty good socket...

Powr-Kraft...sounds cheap but isn't too bad of a socket....might be chicom but I'm not sure...

From top to bottom:
Old Husky back when they were probably a little tougher
Walden
An old Action, made just like the old Thorsen.....i like them...
The Super Wratchet.....don't know anything about it...
Milwaukee......has that old steel feel...notice the color of the steel in some of these old tools...
Armstrong- i think they used to make pretty good stuff...

 

Anyone know what brand these are. Made in San Francisco. Proto?? I found 'em in an old car I was getting parts off of.

 

I think the PowrKraft tools used to be sold through Montgomery Wards or J.C.Penney or someplace in the '60s. They weren't too bad, about on par with Craftsman back then.

I like my old Williams wrenches, also Blue Point, Bonney, Proto, S-K, Mac.

I had an old set of Thorsen socket wrenches that were all junk. They were made in Japan in the late '60s or early '70s.

 

Plomb

 

I find some Blackhawk tools once in a while at flea markets. I'm guessing they're pretty old. They're okay USA made forged steel, but not the greatest.

I have a few "Ford" script open end wrenches. They're neat as a collector item, but work lousy if you actually try to use them.

 

hey does anybody know the name of the tools that go with my odd tool box its shaped like a old cannister vac*** cleaner ... kinda torpedo shaped .... red box with two wheels
it was shown on a antiques road show a while back but i have forgoten the brand name...

it would be neat to find the tool set for it
sorry i have no pic .... yet
thanks for any help
paperdog

 

my dad has a tool chest he bought for his pop LONG ago... says SK-Wayne on the tag on the front...

 

now come on ...
r u talkin about this red box about 20 inchs long and round split in half
cuz ifn you are... ????
i have always been a s-k tool guy since way back ..
tooo ironic if thatsa the tools tht should go with this odd box
my search will be over as they are in there now..hahaha

paperdog

 

I've got some McKaig-Hatch and some Velchek wrenches.

 

This sounds like a Blackhawk "Nuggets" socket wrench box from the late '30s ...

 

I have some Plumb and some P & C, came from air force issue

 

I have drawers and drawers of TRW tools. Can't remember who produced them, SK maybe?

 

Have some Power craft they were from JC penny, also had a few from Montgomery Ward Riverside brand combination wrenches, and some Protos my father gave me. The Power craft stuff is still good as new after 35 years.

 

First paycheck I ever got, I was 13 yrs old, 46 yrs ago, I went to Western Auto and bought a Wizard 3/8" socket set. Man, was i proud of those!! Rachet is long gone but I still have most of the sockets and the metal box they came in. Next I bought a 1/2" drive set, still use most of those. They had a lifetime guarantee but at some point in time, maybe late '60s, they quit selling them.

 

What about proto are they still around??

 

I work in a tool store.

Proto is still very much around, they're one of my favourites. I have a pair of Proto side-cutters that I used every day for 8 years cutting stainless lockwire wen I worked on aircraft, they wore out last year.

Wright makes good quality stuff and they've been around a good while.

Stahl-Willie has been around since the '30's IIRC.

Hazet is still going too. Great quality but boy do you pay for it.

Stanley has been around for a long time. I think Noah probably used Stanley tools to build the Ark.

Don't know if they're old or not but Wera makes some really good screwdrivers.

Most of the tools in my box are Craftsman or S-K. I love my S-K wrenches but getting warranty on them has become difficult lately because there is no local dealer where I live.

Shawn

 

Here's a couple of old body hammers and a wrench all made by Herbrand. Don't know if they are still around or not.

The ratchet set is craftsman and looks old as hell to me the sides of the ratchet are open so all the mechanism is visible.

 

those are the good ole' craftsman sockets.....with the knurle.......

 

I've got an ancient S-K tool display board that I found in a junkpile years ago that solves the mystery of what S-K stands for--it's got a metal plaque riveted to it that reads,"The Sherman-Klove Tool Co.".

 

Plumb wrenches from my grandfather, A Craftsman set given to me as a kid, A few Ford wrenches, About a hundred drill bits that were from an uncle who was a machinist and three Proto "British Standard" wrenches which I havn't had a use for in over 30 years and a Model "T" wrench (anyone remember them?(looks like a small monkey wrench)) LOL.........Bob

 

Sioux............my long time favorite polisher/buffer. I have a 1/2 drive Firestone breaker bar.

 

thanks and my soon to be emptied "blackhawk " tool box thanks you

wow a old red box full of nuggets sounds delicious

paperdog

 

I have a set of THORSEN 1/2 inch sockets with ratchet handle (1970 vintage)

 

Armstrong tools, had a buddy work for them for over 30 years. I was told it was the supplier for the US Army and Navy. Not sure if they are still around..

 

This thread had me goin, enough so that I started to dig out my tools. First, what is a garage without a yardstick? 1925 baby, only a slight curve to it.

Next I just like these irons, Archer and Unger.

Then gl*** cutters, M.F.Co., Fletcher, Signer, and unknown.