Sparta Tools Info?

[Bull]

Anyone know much about this company? I found only one socket on Ebay for sale, not much from a quick Google or a look in the archives here.

There is an old Sparta tool display pegboard for sale locally for $10, and it made me curious about the brand.

[vssjim]

Sparta as far as I know was the economy line for New Britian/ Blackhawk, they only had really popular tools and made nothing that was not a fast moving high demand tools. I used to work at a NAPA and our tool lines were New Britian, KD Tools and Sparta, Sparta was the economy priced line.

[Bull]

Are there many of them out there? To do a search of all of eBay for "Sparta tools" and come up with one socket seemed odd to me.

[vssjim]

back in the tool board days I think that we had fifreen New Britian tool boards a couple of KD stand alone turnstile type of displays and some more tool displays on the wall but I think only two or three for Sparta of US sizes and Metric sizes if I remember. So not alot of sales overall.

[wrenchr]

This is sparta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

[Bull]

Interesting stuff.

Do the old tool boards come up for sale very often? For any of the US brands? I thin k it would be cool to get one and make it complete and have it hanging in the shop!!

[Rigmaster]

Are there many of them out there? To do a search of all of eBay for "Sparta tools" and come up with one socket seemed odd to me.

hmm, can't say for sure, but if I was selling a Sparta socket for example, I don't think I'd include the word "tools" in my title.



I have several random Sparta sockets BTW, not sure how old they are, I got them from my Dad and Father in Law.

[Bull]

hmm, can't say for sure, but if I was selling a Sparta socket for example, I don't think I'd include the word "tools" in my title.

I did check "Sparta socket" and got four results. "Sparta ratchet" netted zero.

[PowderKeg]

Sparta was the "popular" or "economy" tool line once sold in NAPA stores, the premium NAPA brand at that time being New Britain - both produced by the New Britain Hand Tool Division of New Britain Machine. While the ratchets and drive tools tend to appear near-identical except for finish and handle knurling, the flat wrenches are usually very different in design and appearance. Likely a difference in the variety/size options between the two lines as well, with the premium line offering wider coverage. Other similar lines/contracts produced by New Britain and sold elsewhere included Blackhawk (premium), Husky (economy), NBM, Penncraft (JC Penny), early Craftsman, and some others.

[Bull]

Sparta was the "popular" or "economy" tool line once sold in NAPA stores, the premium NAPA brand at that time being New Britain - both produced by the New Britain Hand Tool Division of New Britain Machine. While the ratchets and drive tools tend to appear near-identical except for finish and handle knurling, the flat wrenches are usually very different in design and appearance. Likely a difference in the variety/size options between the two lines as well, with the premium line offering wider coverage. Other similar lines/contracts produced by New Britain and sold elsewhere included Blackhawk (premium), Husky (economy), NBM, Penncraft (JC Penny), early Craftsman, and some others.

Great info, thanks!

[snapmom]

The best thing to collect is what you like.

[wrenchr]

The best thing to collect is what you like.

I could have not said it better!!:beer:

[Bull]

The best thing to collect is what you like.

Well, unlike some here, I have not developed a fierce loyalty to any one brand...I like most vintage tool brands!

I do have a soft spot for Armstrong, though. :thumbup:

[old salvage]

Well, unlike some here, I have not developed a fierce loyalty to any one brand...I like most vintage tool brands!

I do have a soft spot for Armstrong, though. :thumbup:

I've found it more enjoyable to collect a few of lots of different brands than tons of only one brand. For now.
In the future I hope to have tons of every brand.

[krusty the clown]

i have a lot of different brands........anything old is cool to me.

i'm about ready to start on plomb. you plombers better look out:spit:

[Blacknwhitepit]

This is sparta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

No, This is Sparta!!

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w209/blacknwhitepit/sparta1-1.jpg

-BWP

[wrenchr]

No, This is Sparta!!

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w209/blacknwhitepit/sparta1-1.jpg

-BWP

That is funnier than ......... :lol_hitti:lol_hitti:lol_hitti

[Paladin]

Kind of digging up an old post, but I got a pretty nice Sparta 1/2" drive today for $3 at a pawn shop. It was kind of a gamble because it didn't want to change directions, but after disassembly, cleaning and lubing, it's a nice rat. Glad I picked it up!

[Bull]

Ok, well now you gotta post a pic! I've never seen one of their ratchets.

[Paladin]

Ok, well now you gotta post a pic! I've never seen one of their ratchets.

I'll take a pic and post it tomorrow for you Bull. Unfortunately, I gotta hit the hay. 4:30am comes awful early...:(

[Bull]

That's an obscene time to get up for work!

I'll check the thread tomorrow :drool:

[davestlouis]

I'd like to see a pic too, but I can tell you one sure thing...I won't be up at 4:30, unless I'm taking a leak and headed back to bed.

[lbgradwell]

Other similar lines/contracts produced by New Britain and sold elsewhere included Blackhawk (premium), Husky (economy), NBM, Penncraft (JC Penny), early Craftsman, and some others.

Keg,

Do you mean the Blackhawk & Husky brands were available as the premium and economy lines respectively from a given retailer? If so, who, and what time frame?

Also, do you mean there was a line actually callled "NBM" as opposed to "New Britain" or "None Better"? Don't think I've ever seen one! Was that line exclusively available from one retailer?


...I gotta hit the hay. 4:30am comes awful early...:(

I didn't even know there was a 4:30am! :lol_hitti

(Very cool avatar, Paladin; I have been to Husqvarna (when I lived in Sweden) and remember their GREAT trials bikes of the 1970s)

[PowderKeg]

Keg,

Do you mean the Blackhawk & Husky brands were available as the premium and economy lines respectively from a given retailer? If so, who, and what time frame?

Also, do you mean there was a line actually callled "NBM" as opposed to "New Britain" or "None Better"? Don't think I've ever seen one! Was that line exclusively available from one retailer?

According to "The Great One" - tool guru John Garner - New Britain's Blackhawk/Husky lines were sold thru non-NAPA parts stores. Way-back-when growing up/working in Maryland, the local parts store (WAP - Westminster Auto Parts) carried Blackhawk. I remember the wall of tools on my weekly+ trips in there. Picked up a few odd Blackhawk stuff new (when I wasn't broke after buying parts). All the other parts stores paled in comparison to WAP, including NAPA. Don't recall seeing Husky at WAP, but I was mesmerized by all the chrome hanging behind the counter. :drool:

Vaguely recall maybe seeing New Britain stuff at WAP for a short while before Blackhawk, but that's digging waaay back in corrupted brain cells. While that doesn't fit with the NAPA-only connection JG reported for the New Britain/Sparta brands, it would've been roughly around the time that New Britain (the hand tool business at least) was going down-an-out, and perhaps after NAPA went to Moore/Easco for NAPA branded tools. Alloy Artifacts places the NAPA/New Britain connection up to at least the mid-70's. New Britain may have been flailing around trying to market the New Britain tool brand anywhere it could sell before finally folding up (pure supposition on my part). That could mean that the Blackhawk tools I saw later at WAP were actually produced by NHT (National Hand Tool), who had bought up many of the tool assets (designs, machinery, Blackhawk & Husky names) from New Britain. According to JG, NHT continued to market Blackhawk and Husky as New Britain did. After a few years Stanley swallowed up NHT and confused things even further....

As far as NBM, I have a like-new chrome "NBM" ratchet (of the round head Kilness design), but have never heard/read where that New Britain brand was sold. Alloy Artifacts has a picture of an NBM ratchet in the New Britain Machine pages.

[paramudduck]

http://alloy-artifacts.com/site-index-p2.html

http://alloy-artifacts.com/trademarks-and-logos.html

NAPA Sparta 12/26/1963 0788712 Filed January 29, 1964

According to Alloy artifacts Sparta was registered to NAPA as a trademark.

[vssjim]

There were New Britian in areas other than NAPA in the early years but for the most part it was a NAPA line because NAPA liked having names different from other parts stores even if it was the same paoduct ie: Napa Modoc hoses were really Gates etc.

[Paladin]

Yeah, 0430 hrs sucks but it comes with the job... Anyway, as promised:

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/4355/1000230.th.jpg (http://img509.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000230.jpg)

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/1483/1000229.th.jpg (http://img509.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000229.jpg)

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/4406/1000228.th.jpg (http://img509.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000228.jpg)

[Paladin]

This is sparta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

Yeah, in fact as soon as I handed the ratchet to the kid behind the counter, he looked at it, held it over his head and said "This is SPARTA!!!":lol_hitti

[lbgradwell]

According to "The Great One" - tool guru John Garner - New Britain's Blackhawk/Husky lines were sold thru non-NAPA parts stores.

OK, multiples locations...; that's what I had always heard (likely from that same J Garner post).

Vaguely recall maybe seeing New Britain stuff at WAP for a short while before Blackhawk, but that's digging waaay back in corrupted brain cells. While that doesn't fit with the NAPA-only connection JG reported for the New Britain/Sparta brands, it would've been roughly around the time that New Britain (the hand tool business at least) was going down-an-out, and perhaps after NAPA went to Moore/Easco for NAPA branded tools.

There were New Britian in areas other than NAPA in the early years...

Yeah, I didn't think NB was a NAPA exclusive...

As far as NBM, I have a like-new chrome "NBM" ratchet (of the round head Kilness design), but have never heard/read where that New Britain brand was sold. Alloy Artifacts has a picture of an NBM ratchet in the New Britain Machine pages.

Very interesting... Now I need an NBM!

Thanks, boys; good info!

[lbgradwell]

Paladin, is that Sparta CS43 a 60-tooth model? I have a Husky CB43 that has 60 teeth and a near-identical CB45 that has 45 teeth... Wonder if the nomenclature carried over between brands?

[Paladin]

I just counted clicks. It's a 60 tooth...

[vssjim]

Alot of the products were very close almost not sure why some products had different prices because a tool like adjustable wrenchs from Sparta or New Britian were almost 100% the same. Ratchets were almost the same but New Britians were kind of dolled up, just alittle prettier than the Sparta.

[lbgradwell]

I just counted clicks. It's a 60 tooth...

Cool.

OK, so who has a Sparta CS45 (if such a thing exists) or Insert-other-NB-brand-here ??45 to see if that has 45 teeth?

[PowderKeg]

Cool.

OK, so who has a Sparta CS45 (if such a thing exists) or Insert-other-NB-brand-here ??45 to see if that has 45 teeth?

The New Britain sourced/suspected ratchets I have:

1/2" 45 teeth: Husky CS 45, NBM 45, New Britain NS 65
3/8" 45 teeth: New Britain NB 45, Blackhawk 34945, Matco BR8N, Mac X8R, Penncraft 3681, Thorsen 77JCT


1/2" 60 teeth: Sparta CS 43, Mustang MS 43, Mustang MS 42
3/8" 60 teeth: Husky CB 43, Giller CB 43

Interesting that some of the "economy" and GSA ratchets have a higher tooth count than the "premium" ones.

Might have a few others hiding, will have to look tomorrow.

[wrenchr]

Yeah, in fact as soon as I handed the ratchet to the kid behind the counter, he looked at it, held it over his head and said "This is SPARTA!!!":lol_hitti

Did he kick you to???:lol_hitti

[Paladin]

Did he kick you to???:lol_hitti

No, no kicking and no giant bottomless pit.:lol_hitti