My small but growing collection of Wizard tools (all Western Auto welcome)

[Rileysan]

I'll be the first to admit I know little to nothing about Western Auto stores so I'll leave that for another thread. I'm not aware if Western Auto had a presence here in Portland, Oregon but that doesn't seem to affect the availability of their house brand of tools, Wizard.

Here's the first post of my growing Wizard tools collection.

Show yours!

Brian

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a Duro made Wizard tappet wrench I posted in the DOE thread.
-Don

 

[Provincial]

There was a healthy Western Auto store in Dallas, OR in the 1950's through the early 1980's, when the owner retired. I suspect that W.A. was widespread in the area. I don't know if they focused on small towns, or were located everywhere.

 

[PFSard]

I acquired some Wizard / Western Auto Stores tools about five years back. Had never heard of them before. Seemed pretty decent. I don't know if I still have the wrenches et al. I'll have to take a look sometime.

Apparently, Western Auto was a fairly decent sized operation that eventually was absorbed by Advance Auto Parts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Auto

 

[Username already in use]

I like the styling on this era of Wizard wrench. Though, to be honest don't know when these were made. The chrome is toast on the Combos, but the DOE and the stubby DBE are still nice.

 

[Cf mtn]

i have a few wizard/w. auto pieces lying about, this is the only thing handy.

 

[RubiconJK]

Here is a link to a post I made a few months ago in the vintage tool boxes thread which includes a Western Auto Wizard box I found.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7132450&postcount=9207
Its currently holding a bunch of misc duplicate sockets etc. Here in Oklahoma, Western Auto had a good presence for many years.

 

[d42jeep]

I normally would have left this screwdriver behind but how could I miss the opportunity to show it in this thread?
-Don

 

[ffemtdisp]

Now I have to dig out Dad's toolbox...He had Wizard Tools.

 

[d42jeep]

Here are a couple more.
-Don

 

[davethorik]

I *think* this is the same Wizard.
No. 4H6910 ripping bar, made in USA
Only Wizard piece I own.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Here is a Duro made Wizard tappet wrench I posted in the DOE thread.

I just found this Duro-made WIZARD obstruction or angle wrench this morning at my mid week early bird flea market, Don. Looks to be the same generation. H2156. Even has the little "D" in front of the brand, whatever that is supposed to signify. This is the first "WIZARD" tool I have ever picked up that wasn't made by Wakefield!

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Might be coincidence, but i just picked up a Duro Wizard socket which reads
H 2661 D Wizard 19/32, and looks just like an Indestro Super socket with the all polished chrome. I have a few other Wizard bits too, I'll try to stage a reunion.

 

[bill300d]

no coincidence O/S.
Duro/Indestro, Herbrand, Vlchek, and Barcalo were suppliers to Western Auto. The owner of Western Auto was related somehow to the owner of Bog Mfg.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Taking you up on the "(all Western Auto welcome)" mat in the thread title, Brian, I found this WESTCRAFT 1/2-inch drive socket wrench set at the flea market yesterday. It was in rough shape and, admittedly, even after some badly needed TLC, may still border on the Better Left Behind category.

There's not much I can or even want to do with the box. The decal, which includes a "WESTERN AUTO SUPPLY CO." along the lower border under the large WESTCRAFT, is shredded but enough remains to identify and give the set some credibility.

The extension is not a Westcraft, but a WIZARD H2805 "D", so still in the family.

The nine (9) sockets, 7/16" through 1", are in pretty good condition overall. All marked with sizes and WESTCRAFT followed by a tiny "N", no model number. (I don't know what the letter signifies, but I am positive it's related to the small "D" that accompanies the WIZARD tools. Is it a manufacturer's code? D for Duro, N for New Britain? I can't tell who made these sockets. I could be wrong, but they're not screaming Duro to me.)

Speaking of identification, who made the ratchet? I want to say Armstrong, or Billings, but the combination of the round handle and the paneled shank and head are not quite right. Is it a Duro? I am out of my element on this one. It works, by the way, but is missing a fastener, and has some box rot spots.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Some close-ups of the sockets and the extension. EDIT: You can see the tiny "N" on the WESTCRAFT sockets in Photo 3, and the tiny "D" on the WIZARD extension in Photo 4.

 

[notlob]

Pretty sure the ratchet was made by Walden (SW?, WW?)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Tools-Walden-1150-Ratchet-Wrench-1-2-Drive-X-10-1-18/263711207484?hash=item3d6669b03c%3Ag%3ANcMAAOSwgcVbB0sB&_sacat=0&_nkw=stevens+walden+ratchet&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=m570.l1313

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Agreed! Thanks. That was going to drive me nuts. (I actually have a Walden female non-reversible version. Need to think about digging through the rat drawer instead of poking around on-line from now on...) So, definitely not part of the set. This won't be high on my list of things to do, but I may actually have to try to find the right ratchet for this set. Which makes identifying the socket maker more important.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a really well used Westcraft socket made by Duro/Indestro. I think your sockets look kind of New Britain like, however. That might account for the little N, like you said.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Here are some Duro sourced 1/4” drive Westcraft sockets.
-Don

 

[bill300d]

Those sockets definitely have a NB look to them

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Rained out this morning so I have been tinkering. I just compared the "N" code sockets in my WESTCRAFT set to my New Britain sockets. They are without any doubt made by New Britain.

TA is still down and I don't recall if we had a Western Auto section there. I have never read the Western Auto section on AA before, but give them credit, they do mention the mfgr's codes. A little oddly, in classic AA fashion, they say they have an extensive collection of Western Auto tools, and they identify suppliers as Bog, Duro/Indestro, Herbrand, Vlchek, Barcalo, J.P. Danielson, and Hinsdale, but they only provide codes for Vlchek ("V" or "KV") and Duro ("D").

No mention of New Britain so I am doubly glad I picked up this set, because I always love that feeling this hobby sometimes gives you of exploring uncharted territory.

I think I may have a suitable New Britain ratchet to put in this set as a placeholder until I can figure out what a WESTCRAFT Western Auto ratchet supplied by New Britain may have looked like in terms of markings (i.e., none? just a "N"? etc).

 

[d42jeep]

At the end of AA’s section on Western they mention the use of Western Giant on tools sold in the ‘30s. Here are some examples that were obviously made by S-K with the same markings as the Brazil tools except for this marking on the opposite side.
-Don

 

[Packard V8]

Western Auto was a major chain in the southeast when I was growing up.

Wish I'd seen you were collecting them last year. I just sold a pent-roof W-A box with a lot of random Wizard tools in it.

jack vines

 

[B17E1943]

Pretty sure I have some "WESTLINE" pieces around here that are obviously made by Duro-Indestro and for WA if I'm not mistaken.

Have to do some looking.

There was a Western Auto in the small Central California farm town I grew up in. Did lots of drooling on the bikes/guns and other cool stuff they had.

Wood floors and the whole bit - miss those days.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Came across a Wizard ball peen hammer yesterday but passed on it. I thought it was worth a buck. There was some splitting on the handle near the head. He thought it was worth more.

 

[Rileysan]

I picked up this Wizard hip-roof tool box at a thrift store, a few years ago, for $15 (full of tools). I just dug it out for a photo opp.

Brian

 

[Packard V8]

That's the same box I had, but mine was red.

jack vines

 

[Rileysan]

That's the same box I had, but mine was red.

jack vines

They certainly are not common around here. Considering the location of the thrift store I purchased my box from, I could almost link it to the one confirmed Western Auto location I've been made aware of in Dallas, Oregon (~60 miles SW of Portland for those who care).

I'm curious - is there an old store listing available out there in the ether? I would make it a point to check out thrift stores, estate sales, and swap meets in towns where stores were located - assuming they're close enough to me.

Brian

 

[Provincial]

I am very familiar with the Dallas, OR store. I visited it regularly in my childhood.

I run into the retired owner at garage sales in town. I always ask him if he is picking up any Wizard tools? He laughs and says he has no interest in them now!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I don't know about anybody else in any other part of the country, but if I wanted to have a couple hundred DOE wrenches with 3/8 x 7/16 service openings (ISN 723) made by Indestro in the Select Steel style, I could. And that is no exaggeration. I literally see at least one every time I hit a flea market. Apparently the prolificacy of the production was extended to Western Auto's WESTLINE brand!

 

[IMCA38]

I got this 18" pipe wrench at an auction a few years ago. The handle says "Western Auto Supply Co."

 

[Provincial]

I found a Westcraft HR2296 3/4" combo at a local consignment store today. It was probably made by Vlchek. Very similar to a smaller one on Alloy Artifacts in the Vlchek Contract Production page.

 

[Rileysan]

I don't know about anybody else in any other part of the country, but if I wanted to have a couple hundred DOE wrenches with 3/8 x 7/16 service openings (ISN 723) made by Indestro in the Select Steel style, I could. And that is no exaggeration. I literally see at least one every time I hit a flea market. Apparently the prolificacy of the production was extended to Western Auto's WESTLINE brand!

You just reminded me I need to go through my DOE and DBE drawers and pull out all the Westline tools to combine them with my Wizard collection. They are quite common even here in the Pacific Northwest.

Brian

 

[Rileysan]

I was at the "Great American Steam Up" at Antique Powerland Park and museum in Brooks, Oregon last weekend and today when I encountered this Wizard branded lawn tractor. I thought "Surely Western Auto didn't sell tractors?!?". Yep, they did!

Brian

 

[RubiconJK]

I picked up this Wizard hip-roof tool box at a thrift store, a few years ago, for $15 (full of tools). I just dug it out for a photo opp.

Brian

Yours looks very similar to one I found locally a few months ago. Here is a link to a previous post with a couple pics.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7132450&postcount=9207

 

[Private Lugnutz]

They are quite common even here in the Pacific Northwest.

This is the first Indestro-made WESTLINE I have "seen" (read: noticed) on the Right Coast. It's very possible I have passed them by.

Dig the tractor. (Pre-pre-pre-pre-Tractor Supply Company days! )

 

[Username already in use]

I picked up this combo today thinking that it would be a nice addition to the Wizard wrenches I posted up-thread. Surprised to see it branded WestCraft. The Western Auto feeler gauge was in a Duro 1/4" drive set that I picked up this weekend as well.

 

[BFBOB]

placeholder until I can figure out what a WESTCRAFT Western Auto ratchet supplied by New Britain may have looked like in terms of markings (i.e., none? just a "N"? etc).

Don't know about the ratchets, but some Westcraft flat wrenches were supplied by Thorsen in the distintive v-groove pattern (Thorsens are p/n 30xx for DOE, 20xx for combos)

 

[Username already in use]

They're multiplying...
The 5/8" combo looks to be from a different supplier than the other ones.