Craftsman Hand Tool Manufacturers & Date Ranges

[lauver]

Here's a piece I picked up yesterday, looks nothing like the current version on the Sears website, and I can't make out the stamping, it looks like a short upside down v - or, maybe a sideways K?

Am I missing it on the list, or is this something else? I've no idea on the history of the tool, came from a pawn shop...

Lomotil,

I'm not sure, but it could be a sideways K:

K is on the list... S-K Tools.

S-K made some of the Craftsman Professional wrenches for a number of years, before Danaher started making the Professional wrenches.

Your stubby wrenches looks like S-K...note the way the beam flares out on the boxhead end; An S-K signiture.

Either way, your Professional stubby wrenches are stamped USA. That means they are the good ones. And not the current crop of Chinese wrenches.

 

[kxxr]

ebay auction ending today with a ratchet that has an "O" mfr mark. It looks like it was double stamped. At $71 bucks with 14 bids. Interesting item.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Small-C...539?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a67cb3fbb

 

[lbgradwell]

ebay auction ending today with a ratchet that has an "O" mfr mark.

That's just a mis-stamped "U".

 

[kxxr]

That's just a mis-stamped "U".

Oh.

 

[lbgradwell]

Now you know!

 

[kxxr]

Now you know!

Well, now I know what you think, anyway
I don't doubt that it is a miss stamp if you say so. I am curious though, with new or previously unseen marks showing up fairly often, how you can be certain?

 

[lbgradwell]

I don't doubt that it is a miss stamp if you say so. I am curious though, with new or previously unseen marks showing up fairly often, how you can be certain?

Well, in this case, we have a very well known style and code; recognizing a mis-stamp is very easy.

 

[slimshady_2469]

i have a couple i dont see on your list. i have a 3/8 44808 ratchet marked with t2x which came from a set bought about 4 yrs ago, theres also a 1/2 44809 out of the same set that is marked with t1x. hope this helps some...

 

[KEH]

Gary,

I was in Sears today and looked at the 3/4 inch drive stuff.

The ratchet does have coarse teeth, not sure if that is a big issue for 3/4 drive work. My first impression was that if I bought it the first thing I would do is take it apart and lubricate it well. The handle is a little short, but the 3/4 inch breaker bar is too short also. I would want a short piece of cheater bar avaliable if I had one.

The sockets don't have the staking system to hold on the to the ratchet head like the other size sockets. The 3/4 inch sockets just have one indentation that's apperantly
made the old way.

Ratchet code: KAA Model no. 44804, price 89.99.

breaker bar code: VVZ Model no. 4431, price 52'99.

KEH

KEH

 

[lauver]

slim & KEH,

Thanks for the heads up. I'll update the list soon.

KEH-- I also think the Crafty 3/4 drive tools are on the short side. If you are willing to consider other brands, there are some much longer handles.

I picked up a slightly used Wright MN 6400 round head with 24" handle and 60-tooth action at a pawn shop a while back for $30. A bargain and fun to use. No cheater bar required. I have yet to find a Wright made Crafty tool. But hey, I'm just getting started.

 

[lbgradwell]

Well, now I know what you think, anyway
I don't doubt that it is a miss stamp if you say so. I am curious though, with new or previously unseen marks showing up fairly often, how you can be certain?

Well, in this case, we have a very well known style and code; recognizing a mis-stamp is very easy.

Ack!!! I've had a complete brain-fart here!!! (Lesson: Do not post after drinking beer in the hot sun all afternoon...)

The ratchet in kxxr's link is not a U-circle at all, but a Moore Drop Forge-manufactured V-series.

A thousand apologies for any confusion this has caused!

 

[lbgradwell]

ebay auction ending today with a ratchet that has an "O" mfr mark. It looks like it was double stamped. At $71 bucks with 14 bids. Interesting item.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Small-C...539?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a67cb3fbb

Back to the ratchet in question...

There is no rational explanation for why someone paid $75 for that. Even though they are over 50 years old, they cannot be considered rare and can be found for $10 regularly.

 

[kxxr]

so, in this case, we have ... uh.....oh nevermind.... Beer in the hot sun, (and pretty much every where else) brings out the certainty in all of us. It's all good!

 

[kxxr]

Back to the ratchet in question...

There is no rational explanation for why someone paid $75 for that. Even though they are over 50 years old, they cannot be considered rare and can be found for $10 regularly.

This may not have occurred to you, but maybe they know something you don't. That's possible.

 

[lauver]

Crafty gang,

T1X and T2X have been added to the list.

That is all....

 

[bonacker]

Just got the 5 piece professional pry bar set. The 2 biggest have PEE stamped on shank, middle one has PFF and the 2 smallest have FF. All have USA stamped above the code. Didn't see these on the list?

 

[lauver]

Just got the 5 piece professional pry bar set. The 2 biggest have PEE stamped on shank, middle one has PFF and the 2 smallest have FF. All have USA stamped above the code. Didn't see these on the list?

Bonacker,

Thanks for the post. I'll have to check these out next time I'm in Sears. But, the last time I checked, the Craftsman Professional pry bars and sets had an X or Z code on the handle. Both of these codes are attributed to Mayhew. The stamped codes on the shank of the bars are some type of production code used by Mayhew (i.e. PEE, PFF, FF, mine have BA and BB). So, check your handles and look for the series code near the model number; Let me know what you find.

If I'm not mistaken, the regular Craftsman prybars (red handles) are/were made by Western Forge and have multiple variations of the WF series code. There may have been a recent change in OEM of the standard pry bars, as both WF and S-K were bought out by Ideal. I'll just bet that Danaher got their stinkin hands on the pry bar business and are now making them in their Chinese/Taiwanese facilities. I could be wrong though (and, I hope I'm wrong).

 

[lauver]

Crafty Fans,

It's been a while since I've posted a vintage Crafty tool, but I ran across a nice pair of slip-joint pliers. And it was made by a USA tool company that we don't hear much about.

So, here it is, a model 4536 6-3/4" slip joint pliers:

These pliers were made by Wilde Tool Co. for Sears from 1957 to at least 1973. Here's how you identify Wilde made pliers:

1) the P-circle series code:

2) the rope pattern grips:

Wilde made a lot of different pliers under the Craftsman brand over the years. Keep your eyes open for these well made Crafty pliers. BTW, Wilde is still in business and still making pliers.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Gary, thanks for the effort to keep this reference.

 

[lauver]

Gary, thanks for the effort to keep this reference.

You are most welcome.

 

[bryanrj]

Well, I am somewhat confused over the D.J. label on a set of Craftsman Micrometers I just got that say "Made in U.S.A". The list above indicates they are made by Mitutoyo. The set is the 0-4" range with standards, in wooden box.

 

[lbgradwell]

I can't see a thing in that small photo...

Can you re-post a larger shot showing this "D.J. label" clearly?

 

[davbell22602]

What about the craftsman sockets with the upside down "G"? I got some "E" craftsman sockets that are identical to the Easco sockets.

 

[AL`]

Did a search and looked through this thread, but didn't see my Craftsman ratchet addressed. I've attached some pics below and wonder if anyone knows about this ratchet (Country of Origin, original manufacturer, number of teeth, pawls, etc.). It feels rather course, so I expect it's a lower tooth count.

From the top side it is marked Craftsman, and the bottom side has a number 9 43796. Notice the 9 is underlined but the other numbers are not.

All the codes I see given in the original list of this thread have letter codes. Nowhere on the ratchet does it say USA or any other country of make given. I've had this ratchet for years, and believe either my father or brother bought it back in the 80's. That's a guess. I believe we've had it since the mid to late 80's, perhaps longer, and it's seen the typical DIY use in that time. Held up so far and the handle is much more comfortable than the raised panel ratchets. Anyways, I'd appreciate any info members might contribute.

 

[mooman]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Easco made Tri Wing I believe. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[AL`]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Easco made Tri Wing I believe. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Do you know if they were USA manufactured? Nice avatar, BTW.

 

[mooman]

Yes, EASCO's were made in USA

The LLTD family of ratchets was sold from 1966 - 1993. OEMs = MDF/Easco/Danaher.

The RHFT family of ratchets was sold from 1970 - 2010 (discontinued, but still showing up as on Sears.com with 0 availability). OEMs = Easco/Danaher.

The Tri-Wing family of ratchets, which included the quick clean/dissasembly variations, was sold from 1982 - 1992 in the U.S., but was sold until at least 2009 in Canada. The Canadian versions are sometimes found in the U.S. on the used market. OEMs = National Hand Tool/NHT division of Stanley Works.

 

[AL`]

Thanks mooman. I also found this thread on the doityourself forum. Post #9 was the most informative.

And from post #9 in that thread, this link indicates that the ratchet may still be available under the Blackhawk by Proto brand. If it is, then maybe rebuild kits are too. According to that same post, NHT was located in Dallas, TX .

 

[Lomotil]

Did a search and looked through this thread, but didn't see my Craftsman ratchet addressed. I've attached some pics below and wonder if anyone knows about this ratchet (Country of Origin, original manufacturer, number of teeth, pawls, etc.). It feels rather course, so I expect it's a lower tooth count.

From the top side it is marked Craftsman, and the bottom side has a number 9 43796. Notice the 9 is underlined but the other numbers are not.

All the codes I see given in the original list of this thread have letter codes. Nowhere on the ratchet does it say USA or any other country of make given. I've had this ratchet for years, and believe either my father or brother bought it back in the 80's. That's a guess. I believe we've had it since the mid to late 80's, perhaps longer, and it's seen the typical DIY use in that time. Held up so far and the handle is much more comfortable than the raised panel ratchets. Anyways, I'd appreciate any info members might contribute.

I'd picked up one of those ratchets at a pawn shop a few months back, and when I'd researched it, every lead pointed to Taiwan as the COO. My neighbor, long-time Craftsman loyalist, remembers them coming out in the 80's as a cheaper product line. It also fits in, time-wise, with some of the combo wrenches that Craftsman put out, stamped 'TAIWAN.'

Here's a post on an older thread with some extra info, tying Stanley into the whole mix:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1563302&postcount=10

If memory serves, I think it's a 36-tooth mechanism (seem to have misplaced mine at the moment, or I'd check...) And, the Blackhawk is damn near identical, save for the knurling on the handle & the COO.

 

[lbgradwell]

Thanks mooman. I also found this thread on the doityourself forum. Post #9 was the most informative.

And from post #9 in that thread...

Don't listen to that guy; he doesn't know what he's talking about...

An ancient post by yours truly.

Hi All,

I recognize this thread is now more than 4 years old, but I can provide more details regarding these 3 Craftsman ratchets...

Firstly, outback, I can state with absolute certainty that all 3 of those models were available well before 1993 & 1994. Mine came included in a huge mechanic's set I purchased at a Sears in some suburb of Detroit in 1987 or 1988 at the latest.

All the wrenches, sockets, extensions, speeder handles, etc. in the set were clearly marked "USA" with the exception of these ratchets, and I always wondered about that omission. I was living in London, Ontario at the time and had made the trek to MI to purchase my tools at a US Sears store specifically to obtain US-made tools. (The Canadian Sears stores sell Craftsman tools that ARE NOT made in the States, you see...)

All the tools with the exception of the ratchets were also marked with either an "E" or "EE". I have since learned that those tools were manufactured by Easco shortly prior to their acquisition by Danaher Group. This is not a surprise, since Craftsman mechanics tools have long been made by Moore Drop Forgings/Easco/Danaher in a contract dating back to 1938.

As it turns out, though, the ratchets were made by National Hand Tool (NHT) of Dallas, TX either just before or just after they were acquired by Stanley in the mid-1980s in the brief period when Stanley was a supplier of Craftsman ratchets.

NHT made VERY similar ratchets for the Stanley Workmaster, Blackhawk, Challenger, and Husky labels too. In fact, Stanley still makes the identical ratchet under their Blackhawk™ by Proto® brand to this day!

Everything in that post is accurate with the exception of the text in RED. The "E" and "EE" tools were produced by Stanley; Easco had nothing to do with the "E" or "EE" tools or those tri-wing ratchets.

The 43796 has 41-teeth. Nobody has ever been able to document production in any country other than Taiwan.

 

[lauver]

Well, I am somewhat confused over the D.J. label on a set of Craftsman Micrometers I just got that say "Made in U.S.A". The list above indicates they are made by Mitutoyo. The set is the 0-4" range with standards, in wooden box.

bryanrj,

Do you have a question or are you just venting?

Mitutoyo (DJ mark) is a high quality Japanese precision tool maker. Sears was using this OEM around 1968 (probably earlier and later, but not sure of the actual date range).

It's possible the wooden box and tools were not sold together. Your guess is as good as mine.

Last but not least, "Made in Japan" is not a bad thing. There are many high quality tool makers in Japan. If Made in Japan causes you to loose sleep, sell the tools and buy some Made in USA ones.

Next case...

 

[pipsters]

New date codes on screwdrivers that I saw yesterday.

WF "AA", AA must be after the Z series so maybe 2011 produced?

 

[bluebolt]

Just exchanged a 1/2 RP ratchet, new one is USA K7AA 44809 looks like the next new code after K7Z code.

 

[lauver]

pipster & bluebolt,

Thanks for the heads up on the new codes. I'll update the list soon with these two new series codes and dates.

 

[stormking]

Thought you might like to see a pair of pliers I picked up recently. Have lots of Craftsman pliers, but never seen one with a circle-B code. Looks somewhat like a Vandium, but isn't marked that way. Raw steel - date around WW2 era?

By stormking3 at 2011-11-17

By stormking3 at 2011-11-17

By stormking3 at 2011-11-17

 

[lauver]

Storm,

Thanks for the post and a new series code. At the moment, I don't know which OEM (B-circle) made that plier. But the pattern on the handle looks familier, so I can probably figure out who made it after some research.

Time wise, I agree with your estimate WWII era or just post WWII.

Thanks again and nice photo work.

 

[stormking]

Lauver, I have enjoyed this thread and am glad to add something to it. From your posts here and elsewhere it seems you like the history of the tools, me also.

 

[porphyre]

Yes, EASCO's were made in USA

The LLTD family of ratchets was sold from 1966 - 1993. OEMs = MDF/Easco/Danaher.

The RHFT family of ratchets was sold from 1970 - 2010 (discontinued, but still showing up as on Sears.com with 0 availability). OEMs = Easco/Danaher.

The Tri-Wing family of ratchets, which included the quick clean/dissasembly variations, was sold from 1982 - 1992 in the U.S., but was sold until at least 2009 in Canada. The Canadian versions are sometimes found in the U.S. on the used market. OEMs = National Hand Tool/NHT division of Stanley Works.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaait a second. I have the the 1/2" version of that ratchet 943797. 45 teeth. I was told by someone on here a couple weeks back that it was Made in Taiwan for Sears Canada. The ratchet doesn't have a COO anywhere.

So which is it? Easco USA or Danaher Taiwan?

 

[lauver]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaait a second. I have the the 1/2" version of that ratchet 943797. 45 teeth. I was told by someone on here a couple weeks back that it was Made in Taiwan for Sears Canada. The ratchet doesn't have a COO anywhere.

So which is it? Easco USA or Danaher Taiwan?

porphyre,

Off the top of my head, I don't have a clue what a model 43797 is. Is it a round head or a teardrop? If it's a round head, does it have a tri-wing selector?

I'm assuming your ratchet tri-wing model. If so, it was made by Stanley Works and was made in Taiwan.

 

[porphyre]

Gary - Ah, I quoted but neglected to reference the post mooman quoted.

Post #64
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1793281&postcount=64

Just like that, but 1/2" drive. Mooman is saying it's Easco USA. Lomotil and lbgradwell are saying Taiwan. It is for sure NOT a 41 tooth action as lbgradwell says, it's 45. So maybe the 943796 is 41 teeth and 943797 is 45? Very strange.