Vintage S-K Tools

[d42jeep]

I wondered at the possibility of this set being wartime as the ratchet has no plating. But the sockets appear to be plated. Was it possible to have a mixed set sold during the war? I suppose the sockets could have been stock leftover from before the war ...

Brian

My opinion is that since it has mostly plated tools and the riveted on tag that it is a postwar set with an earlier ratchet replacing the chrome plated ratchet that likely came with the set.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Most of the wartime S-K 1/4" flex handles are unmarked

I have never seen an S-K 1/4" flex handle with a black oxide finish marked with the brand and model number. That influences my opinion that all the marked examples are post-war. I'm not convinced that the flex head in TLH1989's set is plain steel, for example. The shank is not shiny like the sockets, which are clearly plated and polished, but the head is, giving it away, in my opinion, as plated, with an unpolished shank. If you look at the post-war set Brian just found, his unmarked flex head has a similar finish, plated with a dull shank, polished heads, just like the extensions. I think they're all post-war. The ratchet does appear to be wartime, either very light black oxide or dark natural steel.

My opinion is that since it has mostly plated tools and the riveted on tag that it is a postwar set with an earlier ratchet replacing the chrome plated ratchet that likely came with the set.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Here are the drive tools that could have come in the set. Unfortunately. I don't have a crossbar in this set.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I have never seen an S-K 1/4" flex handle with a black oxide finish marked with the brand and model number. That influences my opinion that all the marked examples are post-war. I'm not convinced that the flex head in TLH1989's set is plain steel, for example. The shank is not shiny like the sockets, which are clearly plated and polished, but the head is, giving it away, in my opinion, as plated, with an unpolished shank. If you look at the post-war set Brian just found, his unmarked flex head has a similar finish, plated with a dull shank, polished heads, just like the extensions. I think they're all post-war. The ratchet does appear to be wartime, either very light black oxide or dark natural steel.

Here is a picture of many unmarked S-K tools along with a few marked examples that reinforces Lugz points about flex handles. It seems S-K failed to mark quite a few tools during the war.
-Don

 

[Rileysan]

Here is a picture of many unmarked S-K tools along with a few marked examples that reinforces Lugz points about flex handles. It seems S-K failed to mark quite a few tools during the war.
-Don

Nice family picture!

I see you have quite a few black oxide tools in your stable which, to me, is confirmation enough that S-K shipped both natural finish and black oxide tools during the war. However, I have never seen a catalog confirmation of black oxide tools. Does such a thing exist?

Brian

 

[d42jeep]

Brian,
In the '43 catalog it's difficult to see the finish in the illustrations but they refer to a rust proof finish which doesn't suggest plain steel. I believe that both finishes were available at some point during the war as well as cad plating. The last image is a blowup from 11/42
-Don

 

[Rileysan]

Brian,
In the '43 catalog it's difficult to see the finish in the illustrations but they refer to a rust proof finish which doesn't suggest plain steel. I believe that both finishes were available at some point during the war as well as cad plating. The last image is a blowup from 11/42
-Don

The smaller of the two sets pictured - are the sockets black oxide finish? If not, does such a thing exist?

Brian

 

[Username already in use]

If not, does such a thing exist?

Yep. Here's a small SK set that I found at the flea earlier this year. Black as black can be...

 

[d42jeep]

Other than the crossbar, that is an identical set to mine, right down to the finish.
-Don

 

[3baygarage]

Picked up a dark 3/8 ratchet today.

View media item 75244

 

[Empty Pockets]

That is really odd to me. We have vintage SK everywhere​. If I wanted I bet I could pick up 50 sets a year. But I think it is all area. Blackhawk, Bonney, and Williams are really scarce in these parts. Every farmer seems to have at least 2 1/2 drive SK knurled or Wayne socket sets. If you need any help filling out a set hit me up with a PM.

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While I appreciate the offer, much of the fun is in the hunt, but if I find one or two particularly tough to find sockets, I'll holler

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The smaller of the two sets pictured - are the sockets black oxide finish? If not, does such a thing exist?

The large majority of wartime SK midget stuff I have found is black oxide. Not to cross brands in an SK thread, but same goes for Walden-Worcester, in my experience.

 

[Username already in use]

Here's another (larger) wartime SK midget set, with extensions and ratchet. All black oxide.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Here's another (larger) wartime SK midget set, with extensions and ratchet. All black oxide.

Cool! Really nice set!

 

[d42jeep]

Here's another (larger) wartime SK midget set, with extensions and ratchet. All black oxide.

That is the nicest wartime S-K 1/4" drive set I've seen. Congratulations!
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That is the nicest wartime S-K 1/4" drive set I've seen. Congratulations!

It is the nicest set I have seen here or on the G or among guys I know, that's for sure.

There was a NOS black oxide set on fleaBay many years ago that was perfect. I mean perfect, and I don't use that word cavalierly. In addition to the exquisite condition of the pieces, they were in an SK box stamped "USAAF" on the back between the hinges. I think the guy wanted $150 or something insane like that for it. It was there for a long, long time. I don't know if it sold or he just got tired of re-listing it. I was only looking for an extension to complete a set I was building at that time, but man oh man, was I tempted.

I may have saved pics. I will try to find them.

But first I need to go find some salt and pepper for this chopped liver!

 

[Username already in use]

Cool! Really nice set!

That is the nicest wartime S-K 1/4" drive set I've seen. Congratulations!

It is the nicest set I have seen here or on the G or among guys I know, that's for sure.

Thanks guys!

 

[Sunset_Z28]

Came across a couple no names sockets in a lot today and immediately noticed their similarity to sk sockets. Anyone know the story behind these?

 

[r_olson_06]

Came across a couple no names sockets in a lot today and immediately noticed their similarity to sk sockets. Anyone know the story behind these?

Could be chrome alloys possibly. Can't remember if 1/4 drive were stamped or not.

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[Username already in use]

Love that SK goodness. I was fortunate to find a few goodies this weekend at the flea.
1" C-32 S-K Lectrolite combo
15/16 C30 SK Combo
1/2" drive SK Frankenstein ratchet (my first!)
3/8" drive SK Wayne ratchet
10" long 1/2" drive extension marked diamond SK
short 3/8" drive SK Wayne extension
SK spark plug socket
couple of SK metric sockets 13mm deep and 17mm

 

[r_olson_06]

Love that SK goodness. I was fortunate to find a few goodies this weekend at the flea.
1" C-32 S-K Lectrolite combo
15/16 C30 SK Combo
1/2" drive SK Frankenstein ratchet (my first!)
3/8" drive SK Wayne ratchet
10" long 1/2" drive extension marked diamond SK
short 3/8" drive SK Wayne extension
SK spark plug socket
couple of SK metric sockets 13mm deep and 17mm

Nice Frankie a touch espically in 1/2 drive

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[d42jeep]

Came across a couple no names sockets in a lot today and immediately noticed their similarity to sk sockets. Anyone know the story behind these?

Judging by their appearance, those are likely S-K wartime 1/4" drive sockets. During and right after WW2 S-K got very lax about stamping their tools. Unstamped drive tools were recently discussed upthread.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I was intrigued by the question about unmarked 1/4" drive sockets made by S-K and did some checking of my examples. Since I had received an S-K Chrome 1/4" drive set yesterday I checked those and all of the sockets were fully marked although the flex handle and crossbar were unmarked. I examined some extra sockets and found two of the unmarked (except for size) and three conventionally marked plain finish sockets. This leads me to the conclusion that S-K was producing both marked and unmarked examples of sockets during WW2.
-Don

 

[gungatim]

LGR!

 

[Rileysan]

not sure how vintage these are, but I picked up the two small 3/8 drive sets at an estate sale a couple days ago for $10 ea. the Metric set looks older than the std. set.

the larger box to the left I got earlier this summer half-full for $4 at a yard sale, and the 1/2" speeder was 50 cents at the habitat store 2 wks. ago. I went from almost no S-K to all this in just a few months...

At $10 each, you got a great deal. The set on the far right appears to be an Sk Wayne logo, which dates it from 1964 through the late 60s.

$4 for the box of misc to the far left earns you a "you ****!".

Well done!

Brian

 

[gungatim]

LGR!

 

[Rileysan]

the one in the middle has an older logo than the far right, believe it is brass tagged riveted to the top. that is the metric set, or at least it had most of the metric sockets in it, they were all mixed up so maybe it is supposed to be SAE...I didn't even know S-K made metric that long ago...

They did and they're quite uncommon. I would even go so far as to say a complete set is rare. Does the ratchet or extensions have the Diamond logo on them? A close-up picture will help nail down the era.

Nice find!

Brian

 

[Sam'sAutoParts]

Picked this up today, not sure if it was worth the $15 but I would have regretted it if I hadn't bought it.

 

[d42jeep]

I would have bought that S-K board in a heartbeat and you got it for the "you ****" price. Great find!
My Bay Area vintage S-K collection has outgrown it's medium sized toolbox so I spotted this box at an estate sale yesterday in Pleasant Hill, CA. Unfortunately, the price was a bit higher than I wanted to pay but this was the first one of these I've seen in person. Below are pictures of the new box followed by my home S-K collection.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

A few more pictures. I'll be spending the weekend organizing the tools into the new box.
-Don

 

[misterbill]

Glad you found one, Don. It looks great. Will you have to reconfigure your Barcalo shrine in order to make room for it?

Bill

 

[notlob]

My Bay Area vintage S-K collection has outgrown it's medium sized toolbox so I spotted this box at an estate sale yesterday in Pleasant Hill, CA.

Congrats on the new SK box! I intended to stop by that sale but wasn't able to make it.

It looks like you have a few vacancies in your various socket sets. I have LOTS of vintage SK sockets - let me know what you are missing and I'll dig through my hoard.

 

[Rileysan]

My Bay Area vintage S-K collection has outgrown it's medium sized toolbox so I spotted this box at an estate sale yesterday in Pleasant Hill, CA. Unfortunately, the price was a bit higher than I wanted to pay but this was the first one of these I've seen in person. Below are pictures of the new box followed by my home S-K collection.
-Don

The fact that your new S-K box is complete with tray and front cover makes it a great find regardless of what you paid for it. Grats!

Brian

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks, guys!
Notlob,
Thanks for your offer. After I get the sets transferred I'll have a better idea if there are any omissions. I found another Stiletto item for the bag of tools I've set aside for you.
Bill,
I'm just happy if there is a small path so I can get into the garage! The Barcalo shrine is hiding under the Jeep.
-Don

 

[toolmiser]

Anybody got an idea what the age is of a SK 3/8" -1/4" socket set in a blue metal box? I've looked a quite a bit online and can't find anything about dating them. Just curious. I suspect they might be older than the green hammered finish?

Thanks!

 

[Rileysan]

Anybody got an idea what the age is of a SK 3/8" -1/4" socket set in a blue metal box? I've looked a quite a bit online and can't find anything about dating them. Just curious. I suspect they might be older than the green hammered finish?

Thanks!

That sounds like an S-K/Lectrolite box, which puts it in the range of 1953-1962.

Brian

 

[d42jeep]

It seems to me that the blue boxes marked S-K are possibly close to the S-K Wayne era but after the wartime green with the decal and the postwar green wrinkle with the riveted label. Later on they went back to green with the hammertone finishes.
-Don

 

[toolmiser]

Looks just like mine, including the "badge". Even about the same condition. The green ones finish seems to hold up better.

 

[d42jeep]

I actually had another blue box in better condition that I traded to another GJ member for some dark finish 1/4 drive sockets. They are much less common than the various styles of green boxes. Speaking of green boxes, I spent some time this morning transferring my S-K tools into my new toolbox. I still had plenty left in the old box. Here are some pictures.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I grabbed this shot off of an eBay listing so it looks like the blue color was used in the S-K/Lectrolite era as well. S-K/Lectrolite was renamed to S-K Wayne between '62 & '64 according to AA. The other picture is the blue box I traded.
-Don