Vintage socket set unknown to me
- Thread starter Steven 33
- Start date
RTM
Well-known member
Looks like the Times Square Auto Supply was around from 1916 - 25 or so, if that helps any.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Love the name! The only Black Diamond I know of with respect to hand tools branding is Black Diamond File Works, the venerable old operation in Philly that Nicholson ended up acquiring at a time when they were acquiring old file works like the Empire acquired planets. It's obviously not that. Just sayin'.
Those are Charles Miller sockets. I would bet my next paycheck on it. Look for the name on the male drive tang.
Is that a ratchet you're not showing? Are there any handles besides the uni joint, extension, and whatever that is half shown on the right?
Those are Charles Miller sockets. I would bet my next paycheck on it. Look for the name on the male drive tang.
Is that a ratchet you're not showing? Are there any handles besides the uni joint, extension, and whatever that is half shown on the right?
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four.cycle
Well-known member
It's actually pretty much identical to the tools in the no. 99 Charles Miller set. Took me a minute to find it. I'll get some better pics in a few
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Obviously they weren't very good at it I guess. Seems they didn't last long. It's interesting that they can sell tools made by someone else and not give any sort of credit or mention them at all. And it's interesting that It's not mentioned anywhere that I could see from the Charles Miller company end either. It's definitely a cool set though. I don't collect this stuff so I usually try to get a sense of the market before I grab something so niche. Because I also can't just let them hide away for eternity either ha.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
So my next paycheck is safe then!
Not at all unusual. Contract production for this kind of retail was common. No different than Western Auto, etc. I have sets made by Mossberg with boxes branded with other names.
Well western Auto had every reason to not disclose the name of the manufacturers unless it was bog mfg ha.So my next paycheck is safe then!
Not at all unusual. Contract production for this kind of retail was common. No different than Western Auto, etc. I have sets made by Mossberg with boxes branded with other names.
But yeah you're right it definitely wasn't "unusual" in the sense that it was common, but I would think that for tool makers who had their own distribution or planned on being successful long term. That they would want people to know that they are the ones who made the tools. Outside my wheelhouse though
four.cycle
Well-known member
"Well there isn't much to know I guess. Just curious if anyone else has any tools by them"
That has nothing to do with anything. according to the original posts stated point of inquiry.
Cited at the top of the page.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I'm not sure I would interpret the use of private label branding (Wizard, Westcraft, etc) as equivalent to actively "not disclosing" their manufacturers. It wasn't a trade secret that Western Auto had mfgrs, including the brotherly Bog, supplying their tools. They started out just retailing them.
I don't think Duro or Herbrand etc were worried about a national chain of stores cutting into their profits so much as looking at them as a built-in distributed sales force for their production. No different than New Britain and Sears, Roebuck & Co (Craftsman). They may have sold a fraction of the same units they were private labeling for their customers under their own name, but a very small fraction in comparison.