Old Walden Worcester

[Patrick Eubanks]

Turned up these two WW pieces that I'll presume to be 1940s. The No. 113 Extension is clearly Cadmium plate and the 102 swivel adapter is non-chrome but no evidence of the hallmark chalky white finish.

I may be mistaken but I thought the company became Steven Walden by wartime. I think the swivel is earlier

 

[MR.X]

I have one of those. Super cool set. I thought it was the only set they made like that and an oval drive speeder and some sockets turned up on eBay a few months ago. I wish now I had bought them.

It's just the box, I don't even know what was supposed to be in it. Just a couple of old Jerry can mesh filters in mine.

 

[d42jeep]

I may be mistaken but I thought the company became Steven Walden by wartime. I think the swivel is earlier

No matter which finish is on the tools, most early wartime Walden tools are marked Walden Worcester. i would date outofbounds tools as likely wartime. Mine are mostly 1/4” drive.-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The stevens merger was mid 20s, but tools were not all marked as such for a long time.

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

It's just the box, I don't even know what was supposed to be in it. Just a couple of old Jerry can mesh filters in mine.

Its an oval drive set. Ill post pics of mine.

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

No matter which finish is on the tools, most early wartime Walden tools are marked Walden Worcester. i would date outofbounds tools as likely wartime. Mine are mostly 1/4” drive.-Don

That nut driver is my new goal. Thanks for getting me straight on the tools.

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

Check out the cool oval drive tools. 1927

 

[FrankLee]

I've got this 1/4" drive WW 3117 if someone needs it to complete a set. It's in good shape.

​

I'll let it go for basically the cost of postage... $6 shipped.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Check out the cool oval drive tools. 1927

That's an awesome set! I've never seen a catalog or trade mag ad for this set. There's always a No. 4, which was just a very small routine set. Never a No. 3.

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

That's an awesome set! I've never seen a catalog or trade mag ad for this set. There's always a No. 4, which was just a very small routine set. Never a No. 3.

Yea it’s a remote listing in 27. I thought it was unique and saw a speed handle Walden oval drive and sockets listed on eBay. I would love to see that complete set

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

Ok Walden fans here is some more cool stuff. Never shown in a catalog, apparently in the late 20s they made an entire oval drive set. Look close to what I’m describing as the first thumb ratchet

 

[Leviton]

Yea it’s a remote listing in 27. I thought it was unique and saw a speed handle Walden oval drive and sockets listed on eBay. I would love to see that complete set

Quite a coincidence - I found 6 of these sockets today.

What does this mean?: "Yea it’s a remote listing in 27." ?

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

I

Quite a coincidence - I found 6 of these sockets today.

What does this mean?: "Yea it’s a remote listing in 27." ?

I found them listed in a 1927 catalog ad

 

[Leviton]

@Patrick Eubanks , are your sockets marked like mine? The only stamping on mine is "MADE IN U.S.A." - no size or manufacturer markings.

The largest socket has a service opening of 7/8" (hex - across flats) and the smallest is 1/2". The plating looks like it could be nickel.

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

@Patrick Eubanks , are your sockets marked like mine? The only stamping on mine is "MADE IN U.S.A." - no size or manufacturer markings.

The largest socket has a service opening of 7/8" (hex - across flats) and the smallest is 1/2". The plating looks like it could be nickel.

Yep exactly the same

 

[jc4635]

I may be mistaken but I thought the company became Steven Walden by wartime. I think the swivel is earlier

Has anyone ever seen one of these or know where I might buy one.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I have seen a couple on ebay recently. Walden sold metric sockets in them.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Acquisition of Walden Worcester by the Stevens Company of New York was in 1926.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Basically an add on set, fits right in the full size 3/8 set box

 

[bmwrd0]

I picked this up over the weekend

Mid-fifties, used but not abused.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I picked up this universal drain plug wrench at the flea market this morning. I have a similar if not identical no-namer and a Herbrand.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I found this carry box at the flea market this morning.



It's a BX-20. I seem to recall seeing one or two before, but a search doesn't reveal anyone identifying it by the part number. Good for me that I checked inside. Despite all the external surface rust, the decal under the lid was thankfully spared.



It should clean up well. I have several older wooden box era Walden socket sets (No. 8 and No. 16) and several wartime midgets sets, and plenty of orphan handles and sockets in between, but I'm not working on any of the sets that went into these boxes, otherwise it would be a good prestorvation project.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

^ Catalog references from 1928 and 1941...

 

[four.cycle]

nice find.
so the tray does NOT lift out, correct? spot-welded in place?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

so the tray does NOT lift out, correct?

Correct. "Built in" as the cats put it. Neat concept. Could be viewed as a deep attache style case or a carry box with socket trays. (It has one in the main compartment, too. EDIT: You can see part of it in one of the pics above.) And I have to say, their hyperbole describing the strength of these boxes just might be warranted.

spot-welded in place?

Apparently. It's got a wide right angle piece underneath.

 

[four.cycle]

^ looks pretty bulletproof. kind of like that monstrosity I found about a year ago, but mine has a lift-out tray.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I have one it's a tank

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have one...

What post #? I want to look at the clasp.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Walden bought a company called ringer worcester to make their boxes mid 20s

 

[Private Lugnutz]

^ Your box is not the same as mine. Not just the clasp, but the reinforced lid, and the socket tray. Look at my photos, look at the catalogs, then look at your box. I don't know if that means we have two different model numbers or different generations of the BX-20. Something to figure out at some point.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Same dimensions, tray is reversed, probably just different year

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here is a ww2 era cad plated 1/2" set

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Same dimensions,

That's a good sign.

probably just different year

Maybe.

Is there a socket divider on the bottom compartment?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

No divider in bottom. 3 hinges, different lid construction. Latch on mine looks older. Just earlier version.

 

[Junkman]

^ Acquisition of Walden Worcester by the Stevens Company of New York was in 1926.

I would be inclined to say that Walden Worcester acquired the Stevens Company of New York in 1926. Based on the size of the Walden Worcester building, they had ample room to merge the Stevens line into their production.
I was in that building numerous times, buying tools from them even before they created their tool store sometime in the mid-1980s or 1990s. The then-owner and his son were the most congenial people to do business with. I remember getting a tour of the building and being in awe of the time clock system that went to all the floors. I have no idea how it worked, except that it had lots of cables leading down to the monster clock on the wall. I wish that I had taken a picture of it.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I would be inclined to say that Walden Worcester acquired the Stevens Company of New York in 1926.

There's no reason for conjecture. Neither acquired the other. It was a merger and a matter of public record. Both companies were in some financial distress at the time and they had to re-organize again just a couple years later. If you view the attachment in 4.c's original post with the newly merged companies making a joint announcement, they call it a consolidation. And that announcement appeared in every trade mag.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Ringer Worcester, Worcester, MA / tool storage systems / patent 1052516 Feb 11 1913 & 1336584 Apr 13 1920 & 1418095 May 30 1922 & 1481560 Jan 22 1924 & 1582541 Apr 27 1926 & 1694487 Dec 11 1928 Soren Ringer /

1694487 is cited as prior art on 663118 and 2485172

Ringer was originally from Copenhagen, Denmark, then moved to Chicago, and then on to Worcester.
I'm not finding a patent applicable to the box, but it's abundantly clear the man certainly had the know-how and the means to produce the box.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here's an early one stamped ringer worcester on bottom

 

[four.cycle]

^ I see "PATS PEND" if my eyes aren't playing tricks on me. Can you make out anything else on that line?
Warren S. Bellows patented everything. (Of course, he was at Walden, not Ringer.)