Vintage S-K Tools

[four.cycle]

^ That does look odd. I've looked at a lot of those on ebay - deeps are always on the left-hand side when you open the box. This one isn't a #4921 any more - I added the 40953 (earlier) breaker.

Note that my (later) box does not have that built-in "divider" feature.

(Maybe I could call it a 4922 ?)

 

[d42jeep]

A lot of the later sets had plastic dividers to locate the tools. They were often trashed.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ the box I posted just above didn't come with the plastic insert, and the contents were cobbled together (a couple pieces came from you, if I'm not mistaken.) So I have no idea if the insert was oriented left/right for deep/shallow.

 

[Old Radar]

Looking for some opinions on this set I picked up the other day. I believe it is a 4921, but for the life of me, EVERY depiction I've seen of a 4921 set in S-K catalogs from Sherman Klove, Lectrolite, Wayne, Tools, to the newer stuff, plus ALL the actual pictures of sets on GJ and ebay have the standard socket tray on the right and the deeps on the left. I've looked through the 1/4" pages in most of the catalogs and have not seen this "reversed" layout anywhere. One detail I've noticed on the metal trays--as opposed to the plastic inserts--is mine does not have a short "keeper" wall extending down from the end of the std socket tray to keep the deeps in place.
Second point is the black & white graphics of the catalogs show a monochrome spinner. I believe Wayne used a clear green handle for their sets after the S-K amber and before the green and white of S-K Tools, and that should be what was included with this set.

Any insight would be appreciated!

Edit: I should have mentioned that this box has the exact dimensions given in the catalog.

Don--
As implied in my original post, both the older all metal cases and newer ones with plastic inserts are all oriented with the deeps on the left and standards on the right. I'm hoping someone can come up with a different set number for this box or a picture of one oriented like mine.

 

[d42jeep]

All the ones I have or have seen in pictures are laid out that way as well. However, I don’t collect Wayne so they might have made changes I’m not aware of. It’s blurry but check out the layout of the top set in this image. I don’t know what drive size it might be. I also have a spare Wayne 1/4” drive ratchet if you end up needing it.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Photo magic. Just don’t try to read the logo.
-Don

 

[Cruzan80]

Have we considered maybe it was either made late Fri or early Mon. Or "Lefty" was working that day?

 

[four.cycle]

I also have a spare Wayne 1/4” drive ratchet if you end up needing it.

Yay! I just shipped my 40970 SK-Wayne to @Etchase (with a 40970-2 repair kit)

 

[Outlawmws]

Convert those spare SK 40970's to 3/8 drive! I love mine...

 

[RTM]

Photo magic. Just don’t try to read the logo.
-Don

I was gonna say the guy making the printing piece was having a bad day, same effect. The guy slapping the "decal" on the piece was okay though

 

[Old Radar]

I was gonna say the guy making the printing piece was having a bad day, same effect. The guy slapping the "decal" on the piece was okay though

The prints are identical through the various company mergers--only the badge changes. I thought it was just the usual case of the graphic laziness, but you'd think if they did change the actual layout, more physical examples would be known.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...but you'd think if they did change the actual layout, more physical examples would be known.

Agreed. My first thought was already taken by @Cruzan80.

Have we considered maybe it was either made late Fri or early Mon. Or "Lefty" was working that day?

Less humorously, I would say that inadvertent factory mistake that also made it past QA/QC remains the most likely explanation. We always get wrapped around the axle about anomalies, but sometimes that's just what they are.

 

[d42jeep]

I’ve picked up a few S-K knurled 1/2” drive sockets from various sources lately and went through some sets to do any upgrades and corrections necessary. Mainly I wanted to make sure that the sockets in each set were consistent. The main concern was that the earlier sets sockets didn’t have the divots for the retaining ball that they added after the mid 50s.
Early set #4347W
From catalog 649
Early postwar set #4168W
I ended up replacing a much later non knurled 1-3/16” socket with a recently acquired knurled version.
Modern socket
Knurled socket
-Don

 

[Kdaniel8601]

Does the 1 3/16" knurled socket have the drive end recess?

 

[d42jeep]

I’m not sure. The eBay photo is inconclusive. I’ll double check it later today. Most of the sockets in my storage box tray have the recesses. The early sets do not have them.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

The recently acquired 1-3/16” 1/2” drive knurled socket (40138) does NOT have the recesses and the other one I checked with a bit of impact wear didn’t either.

This 1-1/4“ socket (40140) did have the recesses.
-Don

 

[Kdaniel8601]

That 1 3/16" knurled socket without the drive end recess is one rare socket, I have been looking for one forever.

 

[d42jeep]

I’ll see what I have when I return to the Bay Area, probably in October. I may have one there.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here's a 4150 sk chrome set, as seen in 38 catalog.

 

[d42jeep]

I bought this partial set in an unusual red box because I saved a picture off of the Internet of a Brazil box that was a match to this one. I’ll be filling it with S-K made Chrome Alloy sockets plus an unmarked S-K 1/4” drive flex handle and crossbar.

Brazil marked boxes
The tools that came in the partial set allowed me to complete this small wartime 1/4” drive set.
#4097 set shown in the 1943 catalog.



-Don

 

[1982fxr]

^ Ebay dumps everything off their site in about 90 days or so... gone is gone. There's no permanent record.

I think there's a thing called waybackmachine or something that can look old stuff up.

 

[RTM]

I think there's a thing called waybackmachine or something that can look old stuff up.

To use the waybackmachine, you usually need the webpage's address. Just poking and prodding will take forever.

Wayback Machine

wayback-api.archive.org

ie. here is the GJ home page from Jan 2007 or so

The Garage Journal

 

[d42jeep]

I found a 45181 S-K 3/8” drive speeder with the diamond logo at a local garage sale this morning. Made sometime between 1946 and 1963.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Over time I have accumulated three 1/2” drive Artisan marked ratchets. I used one of them in an Artisan marked carry box so when I saw another Artisan box for a different 1/2” drive set I picked it up on eBay. Eventually I’ll repaint the exterior.
I borrowed some tools from a very similar S-K set to see how it will look. The Artisan ratchets are in the Bay Area.
Here is Alloy Artifact‘s description of the Artisan set and Ratchet.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Tools back in the postwar S-K box.
More AA information on the 4168 set.
-Don

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

Here's a 4150 sk chrome set, as seen in 38 catalog.

Now thats a great set

 

[d42jeep]

I bought this 40916 1/4” drive knurled 6 point 1/2” socket to fill out a set. According to the catalogs, this one was brought out in 1958 (possibly 1957) and used until 1963.
-Don

 

[Kdaniel8601]

I just recieved this wartime 3/4" drive ratchet that I found on eBay.

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

Farm fresh Brazil set straight out of great Grampa’s garage purchased at an estate sale.

 

[d42jeep]

Nice! Do the sockets in your early Brazil set look the same as other early S-K made ones?
-Don

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

Nice! Do the sockets in your early Brazil set look the same as other early S-K made ones?
-Don

From my untrained eye they look identical

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

From my untrained eye they look identical

Checked the Fulton set. Same sockets, same ratchets

 

[d42jeep]

My tapered box Fulton and S-K sets have those tools as well.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I picked this partial S-K nutdriver set at the post office today. When I add the others I’ve collected I will just be missing the 5/16” driver. The sleeve has one crack but is otherwise intact and fairly flexible.
Todays nutdrivers.
Set with Xcelite placeholders.
Nutdrivers collected already to add to sleeve.
-Don

 

[Schurkey]

WHAT is now considered "vintage" SK?

Anything prior to the Communist takeover? Or does it have to be a certain number of years old?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

In general, the definition of "vintage" has always been subjective, regardless of brand. Some collectors use 50 years as a rule, for others it's more nebulous. By 1970 a wave of conglomeration that swept across most of the hand tools industry had obliterated most of the unique appearance and branding that are the basic appeal to most vintage collectors, and for that and other reasons modern tools are not commonly considered collectible, and they are not commonly posted down here on the Vintage board, irrespective of their COO.

For SK, in particular, I don't recall ever seeing any tools made since 2005 posted down here, so them going offshore again would not be a dividing line anyway.

I don't think we see many if any tools from the FACOM era (80s and 90s) before that.

There are some from the Dresser era (70s) and Wayne (60s) era.

But by far the most common and popular SK posted here is prewar, wartime and 50s.

 

[d42jeep]

WHAT is now considered "vintage" SK?

Anything prior to the Communist takeover? Or does it have to be a certain number of years old?

Since the question has been raised, I researched when my new (to me) S-K nutdriver set was likely to have been made. I located a set with the same part number and appearance posted on the Internet Archive in a 1983 catalog owned by GJ member Kdaniel8601. That would date the set at possibly 41 years old but I suppose it could be somewhat older or newer. The nutdrivers appear to have been sourced from Vaco.
-Don

 

[Kdaniel8601]

I was just looking at this ratchet on eBay S-K 3/8" Drive Ratchet 45170 when I noticed it was made upside down, never seen one like this before.

 

[four.cycle]

^ upside-down? is there a "right side up"?

 

[Outlawmws]

The stampings are on the reverse side of normal.