Diamond Tool and Horsehoe Co. Adjustable Wrenches

[finley31]

We went to an estate auction this evening and I had high hopes of coming home with some of the real clean tools there but as usual everything went for near or over new prices. I did chicken out on a 3/4" drive craftsman socket set with a blackhawk ratchet and wright breaker bar and a few extensions for $100 but that is in the past. I did bring home these three black oxide finish adjustable end wrenches. They look like they were purchased, put in a tool box and never used. The top one is a proto 718-sl, the bottom two are the reason I'm posting, they are both marked Diamond Tool and Horseshoe Co. Duluth, MN. The middle one is a 15" and the bottom one is a 12". I gave $75 for all three.

The 15" wrench has a model A215 and says Forged, Made in the USA, and the 12" does not have a model number and says Drop Forged, Made in the USA. I've been researching them a little bit and from what I've seen since 1958 all the wrenches have the Diamalloy mark on one side, but these wrenches do not. Could anyone give me an approixmate age on them and tell em if they are decent tools? They look brand new to me, I wouldn't guess them at more then 5-10 years old at the most, but I guess Adjustable wrenches don't really change much in design over the years. The 15" one is really smooth and looks like it's going to be my new standby at work. I don't really have a use for the 12" one but I hate to split them up to I might have to retire my current Proto.

 

[littletoes]

Sounds like you got quite the steel there.

Diamond made some wide mouth versions that opened quite wide, which made them all the more usable, if you ask me.

Good looking wrenches there, congrats!

 

[William Payne]

I have and use a couple of Diamond adjustables at work quite often. My dad gave them to me, mine have the green clear covering on the handles.

 

[WWIIjeep]

I've been researching them a little bit and from what I've seen since 1958 all the wrenches have the Diamalloy mark on one side, but these wrenches do not. Could anyone give me an approixmate age on them and tell em if they are decent tools? They look brand new to me, I wouldn't guess them at more then 5-10 years old at the most, but I guess Adjustable wrenches don't really change much in design over the years.

"Diamalloy" refers to the particular alloy steel used for the Diamalloy branded tools. The name goes back to the 1930s.

"Diamond Tool and Horseshoe Co." was used for the tools made of regular high-carbon steel.

The names existed together. Your wrenches are carbon steel instead of "Diamalloy" alloy steel. That makes them maybe not quite as good as Diamalloy-marked wrenches, but still excellent quality.

 

[Packard V8]

"Diamalloy" - learn something here every day. I've got a half-dozen Diamond adjustable wrenches, both in Crescent pattern and vertical jaw pattern. They seem to me to be as good as Crescent or Snap-on adjustables.

jack vines

 

[finley31]

"Diamalloy" refers to the particular alloy steel used for the Diamalloy branded tools. The name goes back to the 1930s.

"Diamond Tool and Horseshoe Co." was used for the tools made of regular high-carbon steel.

The names existed together. Your wrenches are carbon steel instead of "Diamalloy" alloy steel. That makes them maybe not quite as good as Diamalloy-marked wrenches, but still excellent quality.

Wow that's pretty interesting.

 

[Stuart in MN]

The Alloy Artifacts website has a pretty good writeup on Diamond Caulk wrenches: http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/diamond-calk-horseshoe.html

 

[woody 73]

You were not kidding that was an expensive place you paid close to retail for that set of new wrenches.

 

[finley31]

You were not kidding that was an expensive place you paid close to retail for that set of new wrenches.

While most of the stuff was outrageous I didn't think that was too bad of a price for the wrenches considering the proto cost more than that alone retail.

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Proto-J718SL-Clik-Stop-Adjustable/dp/B001HW8HOQ

Stuart in MN, thanks for the link, it has about any information you could ever need.

 

[byoungblood]

You were not kidding that was an expensive place you paid close to retail for that set of new wrenches.

That's why I find most professionally run estate sales/auctions to be a complete waste of time. Everything is either priced too high to begin with, or gets run up past what it is worth in the auction. I went to an estate sale a couple of months ago, and they were wanting near new prices for 20 year old craftsman socket sets.

I'd be on the fence about paying that much for a set of NOS wrenches given that most of the brands today are now made in China, or are overpriced truck tools. If you are actually going to use them, they may not be a bad value.

 

[bobcatdan]

Diamond made some of the finest adjustables and their pilers where everybit if not better then channelock. It is ashame they are gone.

 

[RedFordTruck]

I have and use a couple of Diamond adjustables at work quite often. My dad gave them to me, mine have the green clear covering on the handles.

X2

I have a 12'' Diamond Adjustable from my dad. Has the Clear Green Coating on the handle.

No play in the jaw or wheel, better than any new adjustable in the stores.

 

[Notwerk]

My electrician had one in his box. Far and away better than any new production adjustable I've used. No slop in the jaw - none. I'd pay retail on those if I had to. Nothing off the shelf is going to be better.

 

[trexdoink]

Sweet! Those are good quality tools, I have one or two.

 

[camarotoolman]

$75 is about what they are worth if I would sell them @ the market. Lowes sells cresent brand, you can comparre prices there. 18s are very hard to get used.

 

[May Pop]

Diamalloy and Crestoly are the finest metals made.

 

[cwdancer5]

I found this in my dad's tools. Was wondering if it has any collector value? It is new in the box but the box has some damage.

 

[gdocktor3]

Absolutely! That thing is sweet and would command quite a few bucks. I wouldn't call it a "collector" item, but for sure a quality American made item that is highly respected. I'd bet that thing would sell for $75 or more.