My ball peen hammer memorial thread.

I bought my 1st set of Craftsman's tools in a metal box in 1966. Still have the tools & box. My boys argue over who's going to get my tools when I die. Tools are important to them as they used them when the were growing up.

 

For our first Christmas my wife bought me a 12 drawer Craftsman top box and 12 bottom chest with the multi hundrend piece tool set in 1974. On a recent trip to Sears I noticed that they don't have my ratchets with the thumb wheel any more. I asked the salesman what would happen if one mine broke and he showed me the little cheap one that comes in their ratchet set on sale specials. I am glad to know that repair kits are available because I don't believe any ratchet they carry today is as good as my old ones.

On another note, I bought my dad a 1/4" single speed drill at our local TG&Y for father's day with money I earned mowing lawns back in 1965. He recently gave it back to me and it occupies a spot in my 1974 Craftsman bottom chest. It has an aluminum body and a two prong non-grounded cord so I wouldn't dream of using it but I will never get rid of it. I plugged it in once when I got it home to see if it still ran. I am tempted every now and then to plug it in and run it just to hear the sound it makes. That sound takes me back 40 years. Dad turned 77 this past December and still likes to come sit in my shop while we (I) work.

 

Yes, like a lot of you I inherited lots of tools from dad and his dad. Several hand tools have become good friends. My favorite is a long shank Craftsman 1/2-9/16 box wrench. There are some German made tools in the stuff I inherited that are so well made and they have served us well for many years.

 

One of my buddies has what is probably a $3000 tool box in his garage and his metric wrenches and sockets are still regulated to an ammo can that usually sits on the floor where you can trip over it.

I've still got a few of the Challenger wrenches that I got in the set I bought to start trade school with in 1965. I was using one of them Monday and thinking about how long I had had it. Not a great wrench nor one of my favorites but it has been with me for a long time. My doofus soon to be ex brother in law made off with my dad's old tools as minimal as they were. I'd like to have those back now.

 

Looking back, when I was in high school, I had to find transportation. I picked up a bug for cheap and was working on it one day just before Christmas one year. The front struts were gone and it was shaking the bug apart with every jolt. I bought the new cartridges but could not afford to have them installed, so I was determined to replace them myself. Dad was home and he decided he had better help me to keep me from doing something really stupid. As we were trying to take it apart, we realized we needed a spring compressor and we also lacked some metric tools to disassemble it. I told Dad I had a few bucks and we could go rent the tools to finish this project and then I would put them on my list to add them to my toolbox. Anyway, Dad seemed anguished about heading up to rent the tools and I could not figure out why he was hesitant. After some tense moments of me trying to convince him, he said, I will be back in a minute.... He went to the house and brought out a breaker bar and individual sockets from 15 to 19 mm. I could not believe it, he told me to never tell Mom that he showed me my Christmas early. When Christmas did come, there was also a complete craftsman set, wrenches, sockets and ratchets....We fixed the bug and I started my tool collection...

 

Back in my Navy days I started spending any money I had left on payday on tools. This was on top of any other tools bought when/as needed. Couple years of doing that resulted in a real nice collection of S-K Wayne tools. For my money the old ones were the best functioning, comfortable to use ratchets ever made. Wife added a few here and there at birthdays and Christmas. Then one night a thief struck and it truly felt like a bunch of friends had been kidnapped. Insurance paid about 10 cents on the dollar. Took years to replace most. Most annoying thing was reaching into the tool box to grab a tool and then remembering it was one that was stolen that still needed replacing. Was like getting slapped in the face once again. God do I hate fucking thieves.

 

I have my Dad's Stanley Tape Measure....it sits here on the table next to his photo, its beat to hell, but it still works....I found it in the garage at Mums house when I went to his funeral.

Reminds me of him every time I use it....he was always a measure twice kinda guy.

 

I've got a craftsman 1/2" x 9/16" combo wrench that has ridden with me for I don't know how many years... It road on the dash of my truck for I know 15 years, then numerous cars after that. Seems like I always needed that specific wrench. Then I lost it about a year ago... Man, was I bummed... But then I found it recently!!!! Now it's back to work.

 

My brother ended up with most of my dad's tools but I got more of my grandfather's. All of them are special as I can't pick up any of them without a memory re-emerging about when I used them when both of them were still with us. I can't imagine my grandson's having memories as I do but one never knows.

Frank

 

I still have a snap-on metric socket and wrench set that I traded for a clean 57
chevy 2dr with a spun bearing, in the 70's. I bought it for $150.00 running.

 

Now THAT is a good story ... (sniff .. sniff )

 

I have tools from several old mechanics around my home town. Some were given to me, some I bought after they past away. I know they won't mean anything to who ever get my tools when I'm gone. I can tell you who they came from and stories about each man. These guys helped me over the years with projects,advice and life. I still have the stubby Snap-On ratchet my Dad traded a 6 pack for in the early 60's, he said the beer cost 99 cents.

 

GEEZA! glad we all have the same feeling for our tools,i bought {inherited}alot of my grandpa's tool,i say 'bought' he did that to keep the bastards from bitching that i got them.i ended up with a portable band saw from the 50's-last year i went to buy some blades for it,i went to this store that i never go to & this older gentleman {80's} saw my saw & totaly freaked out saying he hadn't seen one of those since the 60's.he know what blades i needed without looking at any numbers,he looked like he was having some flash back,we sat & talked about all my super old tools that i have collected of the years,
I had another ratchet {ace hardware} that finally went south,i was so bumbed to take it in & have it replaced,it was one of the first ratchet that they made,i had it forever i told the manager if he couldn't fix it i wanted it back,well no replacement parts for it...but he did have a wall of tools they would mount it on to show the different models of tool that they made over the years,COOl so every time i go in i get to visit my old friend.

 

I still have the small Craftsman tool box and tools my Mom & Dad bought me for high school graduation in 1964

 

i started buying my sons tools when they were little,my oldest has some of my dads tools & a couple from my grandpa,i think finally understands the bond we have with our tools-he's only 17.

 

Still have and use the S&K sockets from the 60's, my Dad's claw hammer, some from "toolroom 166" in the Navy and a tool story.
Visiting my older neighbor and noticed an old ax in the corner. When I questioned him about it, he said, "Was Grandad's. We've changed the head and handle several times over the years, but I just can't seem to part with it."
RB

 

I know where you're coming from. I still have my grandfather's body hammer -- replaced the head once, the handle a couple times, but when I use it, it brings back memories....

 

I have many favorites, but the most used is a 3/8 drive SK ratchet that i bought in Mistic Conn. in the winter of 1971 when i worked on the aquarium there. I still use it weekly at work. The chrome is worn off the head from cupping it.

 

Well thanks for the possitive response. Its nice to know there are more people out there like me. After thinking about it i shouldnt be suprised this site is full of them. We are the ones who will hang onto stuff most people would throw away and because of that younger people will be able to enjoy the stuff when we are done with it!

 

When ratchets fail, they transform into hammers.
I own a lot of Craftsman hammers.

 

I have a lot of tools that mean something special to me. Many came to me after my oldest brother and my Dad passed away.

I have one other tool... an ancient Dremel moto tool. It was a Christmas present when I was a kid. I have done so much over the years that it wore out. I looked into having it fixed, but when I discovered that Dremel would replace the tool rather then fixing mine.... well.... mine has just been retired. I just can't let it go.

 

right out of high school i saved my money from my job and bought a new snap-on 1/2" click type torque wrench because i heard they were the best.i was not dissapointed it has served me well for right at 40 years. all ive done is sent it off for calibration ocassionally.it allways brings back memories everytime i use it.

 

I have some screwdrivers and a few open end wrenches my dad gave me when I was little. He used to let me "help" him work on his car. I kept them in a Charlie Brown lunch box. I still have the tools AND the lunch box. I got the lunch box in '65.

 

,,,,I was waiting for that one ,,the best damn axe i ever had ,,,

,,

 

my grandpa died 7 years ago.. after he died and the property was taken care of my aunt asked if id like to have his tools...
i jumped at the chance to get the tools that i leaned to work on cars with...my cousin is also a car guy so i split them with him... he had some neat home made tools lots of heated and bent wrenches...i added them to my tools and everytime i reach in for a wrench is see one of his,,and it takes me back.....

 

I know exactly what you guys mean. I have a broken Craftsman ratchet right now that came from my fist Christmas present set in 1979. I just cant take it in to get a new one. I inherited a lot of tools from my dad and father-in-law over the last few years. I filled a tool box for my daughter when she went to college. So heavy she could hardly lift it. She thought it was a dumb idea at the time. Guess who fixes stuff around the apartment and has lots of people borrowing tools? Sometimes Dad is not so dumb.

 

okay here goes.. i have 75lb. box of tools over stuffed in the truck where ever we go..i have tools in the "older cars/trucks" we drive weather permiting, i have a tool box on the lawn tractor/mower,polaris six wheeler, and pontoon boat,i have a drawer with tools in the kitchen, i have tools in the "workshop"area in the house i have tools in the garage attached to the house , i have tools in the main "shop",i have tools in the pole shed where equip.is stored, i have tools in the car storage bldng, i have tools in the drawers of both lake cabins' kitchens, i have tools in the workshop in the basement of the cabin, i have tools in both garages at the cabin, some tools are currently at other peoples houses .. mostly i use a pliers and chinese screwdriver cuz tools i need are some where else.. duh...