Vintage wrench pouch/roll/whatever you want to call them

[Jacobs976]

Got this in not too long ago. Not really a wrench pouch in the usual sense but here's my Snap On hex key pouch. Had to replace two keys but it's now a complete Snap On pouch.

 

[ZRX61]

I picked up a set of punches/chisels at Horrible Fright recently that not only came in a canvas roll, but the tools are Kawasaki lime green (which was the only reason I bought them, I sure didn't need them)

 

[Mintgrun]

I am assuming from your post that the other chisels in that kit are not stamped "D.R. Barton", correct?

That is correct and the D.R. Barton chisel was not originally in the roll. The largest one was 1-1/2" (which is missing). Here is a group photo of the chisels I was given along with the pouch.



Yesterday, I decided to dangle them in the electrolysis bucket to wash the rust off. The handle was on good-and-tight, so I left it on and was careful to keep it out of the water.



It was a busy day in the bucket.



The brands from left to right are UNION, James Swan, Winsted Edge (2) and GREENLEE.



I also repaired the damage to the socket ends, from someone hammering on them without the handle and shortened/re-fit the handle on the 1/4"er due to damage, as well as the far right 1"er. (I may share some of those details in the "re-handled chisel" thread.



This is the offset 1/2" chisel that's not original to the roll. (at least the list doesn't mention offset).



This logo shows up better in the rusty photo than the shiny one.



Here's a 1904 James Swan catalog (there is a 1911 catalog in the archives as well).

The James Swan Company : 1904 Illustrated Catalogue and Price List of Premium Mechanics' Tools : James Swan Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

74 p., illus., 22.8 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

They're marked U.S.A on the other side.



Here's a 1918 WINSTED EDGE catalog.

The Winsted Edge Tool Works : T. H. Witherby Warranted Chisels, Gouges, and Drawing Knives : Winsted Edge Tool Works : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

26 p., illus., 27.7 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

I did not dig up catalogs for the UNION Hardware, or GREENLEE chisels.

It took me thirty years to get around to cleaning the rust off of these, in part because I like it when tools look their age; but I wanted to repair the parts that had been hammered on. I am pretty sure my grandfather would've approved.

I also went through the other pouch-roll-whatever he gave me and will share that one in a separate post. They're both marked J.Q.M.D. 1944.



Tom

 

[Mintgrun]

Here's how I got it, with a few extra bits added over the years.



I like that they print the contents of the roll on the inside. I'd only ever glanced at that list, until recently, and assumed it originally held the brace and bits. It did hold some drill bits, but not the brace.



I had fun digging through the shop, trying to put the appropriate tools in their place. I think I did pretty well! The saw was given to me at the same time and I suspect it may have originally come in the kit.



I guess the brace must have come in a different roll.

Tom

 

[Mintgrun]

Speaking of pouches, I found this little set of Berg chisels recently and that's what led me down this chisel/roll rabbit hole.


It's genuine pleather!

Tom

 

[four.cycle]

^ pretty amazing collection there, Mintgrun!

extensive write-up on Union Hardware Co. here:

Union Hardware Co. | Making Places

This site provides info on historic CT properties to encourage reuse of these buildings only. We do not represent any past or current business or its products.

connecticutmills.org

 

[Mintgrun]

Thank you, four.cycle. The roll contained some quality tools and it was fun to look into their makers. I like the description in the WINSTED EDGE catalog, "These chisels are of extra fine quality, highly polished and distinctively attractive." I'm holding off on cleaning up the D.R. BARTON chisel for now.

Tom

 

[Nevadablue]

This little roll is currently holding a set of tools I collected. I’m not sure the vintage of the roll. The handle for the set was broken and I repaired it. I believe the larger pliers may be a sewing machine belt pliers.

 

[Mr.Ric]

Snap ~on X series metric 1953

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Very nice

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Double-tapping this Cornwell ignition set if only to show the all-too-common cracking and deterioration that plagues some of these leatherette-impregnated canvas pouches.

 

[SteveSander]

I bought these in a pouch-roll back in 1985 from a local Auto store. My buddy always loved them, I realized the thick heads and overall quality was great, despite being imported.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I thought this norton roll was cool

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Happy to spot this snap pouch at the flea this morning. Leatherette (impregnated canvas). The ignition wrenches were cheap pressed steel. Nothing was marked. I will probably re-home some loose orphans or one of my pouchless sets.

 

[d42jeep]

Do you have a pouch that your stamped FSN ignition wrench set is in? It looks like that would work.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Do you have a pouch that your stamped FSN ignition wrench set is in?

Yup. Post #126, pg 4.

 

[d42jeep]

Nice. Looks like Len’s.
-Don

 

[Raineman]

Couple rolls I have. A Cornwell roll, vinyl and canvas. Still working on filling it but I have everything from 7/8 up. Shown with a 7/16 and the big 1 1/2” monster for scale.




And a Bonney roll. Its complete but the wrenches are over at my garage as I use them there.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This pouch has been getting some attention on the Walden-Worcester thread, but I thought I'd re-post it here for a couple reasons. First off, because I just finished sewing the flaps back on in a reasonable facsimile of a home repair job. Secondly, because I have never seen a roll-up like this before. The holders are not fixed. It's a continuous draw strap. It gives, or you can make it give, by pulling each loop looser as needed. When all the tools are tucked in, you can cinch it a little tighter. I have all kinds of roll-ups from all kinds of mfgrs, and I have never seen that before.

Before shots 1 - 4. Repaired shots 5 - 6. Strap close-up shot 7.

 

[d42jeep]

Indeed!

If only for a sense of completion, thanks to Don, one WWII motor vehicle mechanics' ignition wrench in a 9/32" (15* angle) x 5/16" (60* angle) configuration that was lying around in a garage or a basement somewhere before he acquired it has now been paired up with its 9/32" (60* angle) x 5/16" (15* angle) configuration brother inside the partial 41-W-900 ignition set, in original leatherette pouch, that was lying around in a garage or basement in NJ and taken to one of my flea markets a few years ago!

I even like the big old serif "3" stamps on it. 3rd platoon. Mechanic #3. Doesn't matter. I like it!

I am now where you were, trying to complete a FSN marked set. I received this in a care package from TN yesterday.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice! They're thick, right? You know how many different sets I have from many different mfgrs, and they are by far the thickest, notably even among other stamped steel varieties.

 

[d42jeep]

Do you have any spares left? Both of my spares now seem to be duplicates. They are thick but the large one didn’t seem to be all that strong.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Seems common to find them with a busted end

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Do you have any spares left?

Nope, sorry.

 

[fishwatcher]

.. please, bring out and show what you have!

Here’s my Blackhawk by Proto SAE combination wrench set with vinyl tool roll. I don’t know what age it is.. if it’s relatively new or vintage.. but it’s mostly in like new shape. I bought the set used for $20, and had to fill a few gaps (ended up costing me another $22, so $42 total).

Btw.. thanks to @genog for helping with finding a few of the gaps!

While the set looks full, I have a 13/16” coming that I bought on eBay. Crossing my fingers that it matches (one I bought and subsequently returned on Amazon was full satin and the open head side didn’t match).


This set normally lives on my peg board so I won’t have issues with fitting everything into this roll.

 

[RedVise]

Picked up a Bonney (?) tool roll this weekend. has the E series offset ignition wrenches and various magneto wrenches.

Also have a nice Williams set, I am looking for a 3/8 and a 5/16 "Alloy" wrenches.

 

[Junkdrawer Dog]

Twin Barcalo rolls.
-Don

That Barcolo is a nice set. I would buy that today if I ran into one at ACE Hardware!

 

[Provincial]

A few sets turned up in their packaging at the Flea Market the beginning of September.

Grace Metal Products gunsmith's screwdrivers

Ace extractor set


Whitman and Barnes taper pin reamer set

WATSCO hex wrench set

 

[four.cycle]

^ I'm diggin' that Watsco set but I'll be damned if I can figure out a patent number for it. Thanks for posting. Finally found some information on them:

Watsco / Watsco Inc., 1800 W. 4th Ave., Hialeah, FL / hex wrench set / pat. pend. / patent patent 3428075 Feb 18 1969 William Wagner & patent 4018246 Apr 19 1977 Hall Langstroth & patent 4611624 Sep 16 1986 Benjamin L. Snyder / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/2023-garage-sale-thread.508550/page-119#post-10334830 /

maybe RTM has some magical method of sussing out the patent on that hex wrench set (if indeed they were ever issued a patent for same), which seems to have been one of the more popular items they sold - there are dozens of them for sale on the web.

 

[Targa68]

A set of Foster ignition wrenches. It is not complete, but have been filled in with some duplicates
.

 

[four.cycle]

^ interesting find. not many out there.

Foster / ignition wrench see Clark Mfg. Co., Buffalo, NY /

Clark / Clark Mfg. Co., Niagara St., Buffalo, NY / "Foster" miniature ignition wrenches / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/clark-mfg-foster-brand-ignition-wrenches.466972/ /

 

[Private Lugnutz]

A set of Foster ignition wrenches. It is not complete, but have been filled in with some duplicates

^ interesting find. not many out there.

It's only the second set I have ever seen here on GJ - and mine is the first!

Nice find, Targa. My pouch has just enough barely legible printing on it to see the original marking, if you're interested.

 

[Targa68]

Very nice

 

[RedVise]

I forgot I had these little guys!
Small Craftsman ignition set (?) and a spline set marked:

Socket Keys for Spline Screws

The Bristol Company
Mill (?) Supply Division
Conn, USA

 

[Ricky Joe]

Very heavy canvas. Wrenches are Meteor, feeler gauge Proto, doubt they are original to the pouch.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Meteor held many military contracts. Those are nice forged ignition wrenches and they would have come in a canvas roll like that.
(I've never seen a "Meteor" set that contained ANY other "Meteor" items other than the wrenches - not even the little pliers.)(MY meteor set inexplicably contains a pair of Japan-made pliers... but who knows where it may have come from?)

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Couple of pretty beat up old cornwell sets

 

[Private Lugnutz]

As first reported on the Garage Sale thread, I found this ratty pouch at the flea market on Thursday. It had a miscellaneous mess of cheap no-name pressed steel wrenches in it, which I removed. These are not leatherette. They were called oilcloth. It's canvas impregnated with a tarry substance. I am sure you guys have seen them before. They can get sticky and ruined if left out in the sun or heat, often found stuck together, which is how they get ripped when people carelessly pull them apart. I snagged if it because I have a surplus of period ignition wrenches, such as the E-series Duro-Chrome set I was happy to fill it with. I never leave them behind for that reason.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Mystery bluepoint pouch

 

[d42jeep]

As first reported on the Garage Sale thread, I found this ratty pouch at the flea market on Thursday. It had a miscellaneous mess of cheap no-name pressed steel wrenches in it, which I removed. These are not leatherette. They were called oilcloth. It's canvas impregnated with a tarry substance. I am sure you guys have seen them before. They can get sticky and ruined if left out in the sun or heat, often found stuck together, which is how they get ripped when people carelessly pull them apart. I snagged if it because I have a surplus of period ignition wrenches, such as the E-series Duro-Chrome set I was happy to fill it with. I never leave them behind for that reason.

Me neither. That one looks pretty good to me. Mine came in a variety of conditions.
-Don