Socket Logo help needed

[alton1911]

I have no idea about this socket. It is marked cTc and is also marked with size and part number.
Is this a common brand?
I have seen a lot of sockets and these are not common where I hunt.

Thanks in advance,
alton1911

 

[The Cobbler]

I'm thinking it was from Canadian Tire Corp.
what's the part number? **-xxxx-** is a common number theme for them

 

[alton1911]

The part number is only 5 digit 45124.
Canadian Tire Company would make them uncommon here in Texas.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Is it CTC, or OTC? It could be Owatonna Tool Company.

 

[DadsTools]

I vote for OTC too.

 

[shanny19]

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

 

[Oldtuleguy]

45124 is an sk number for a 3/4 socket. Did they make them for Canadian tire?

 

[alton1911]

It is a 3/4 socket. I believe it is definitely a cTc .
Thanks
alton1911

 

[r_olson_06]

The way the letters are it has to be a light stamped otc. That is there mark with the T covering o and c.

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[Oldtuleguy]

45124 comes up as an otc puller bridge. Found another on ebay, a 45130 15/16.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I'll fourth OTC. What are the chances that a Tool Company nobody has ever heard of, with a name beginning with the letter "C", was making sockets that professionally, and trademarked a logo that looks exactly like the OTC logo? As other alluded to, that's a mis-stamped "OTC".

 

[bmwrd0]

It is oTc. They have used that logo since before WWII.

 

[DadsTools]

I have no idea about this socket. It is marked cTc and is also marked with size and part number.
Is this a common brand?
I have seen a lot of sockets and these are not common where I hunt.

Thanks in advance,
alton1911

I agree that, at least in my neck of the woods, OTC-marked sockets are not common, don't think I've ever even seen one. I do come across the occasional OTC specialty auto tool, but not sockets, rats or wrenches. Good find.

As for it being "CTC", looks like you'll have to be the one to prove us all wrong. It could happen. I'm still reeling from that "Herbrand" vs "Shebrand" brain dart.

 

[alton1911]

I did include a pic. I remain unconvinced. I have a deep respect for everyone here, but holding the socket under magnifying glass, I believe it still to be cTc.

Thanks
alton1911

 

[Rileysan]

I did include a pic. I remain unconvinced. I have a deep respect for everyone here, but holding the socket under magnifying glass, I believe it still to be cTc.

Thanks
alton1911

I don't think there's any question you're seeing "cTc" but that is almost certainly an incomplete or damaged stamping, which happens quite often across all tool manufacturers.

Brian

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I did include a pic. I remain unconvinced. I have a deep respect for everyone here, but holding the socket under magnifying glass, I believe it still to be cTc.

Thanks
alton1911

For what it is worth I agree. I have found some other examples on ebay, and the part number is not an otc number for a socket.

 

[alton1911]

I don't think there's any question you're seeing "cTc" but that is almost certainly an incomplete or damaged stamping, which happens quite often across all tool manufacturers.

Brian

I really can’t describe how perfect this logo looks. Looking very closely, the marks are clear and clean. They are slightly styled script, all the was across its consistent depth.
I have seen some lightly marked and worn logos but this one is quite nice.
I collected several Par-X sockets before I realized that was the brand... very light marks, but this one is clear.
Thanks
alton1911

 

[d42jeep]

I initially thought that it was OTC as well but I checked some sockets I had and the numbering system doesn’t match and a socket owned by Tin Medic has the OTC stamping and it is quite different.
-Don

 

[jask]

For what it is worth I agree. I have found some other examples on ebay, and the part number is not an otc number for a socket.

That is not an OTC stamp. I have seen many of these as well and they are not particularly impressive in quality or finish... I will also bet a cold cup of coffee and a stale donut, that the 5 digit number on the tool corresponds to the same 5 digit number and size system that SK tools used.... just like every other one I have seen.... and yes Canadian Tire corp. did use that exact same cTc logo in the past during the 40s and 50s.

this link has some old pictures and if you scroll to images 11 12 and 13 you can see the cTc logo
http://www.autofocus.ca/news-events/auto-retro/a-brief-history-of-canadian-tire

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Yup, there it is

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Weird.

Nice work, jask.

You should've made bets, alton, you'd be cleaning up right now.

 

[DadsTools]

Darn Canadians! Sounds like you could build a South Park episode around this.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...in which six of the characters, all Americans, fall prey to center-of-the-universe mentality?

The history piece jask linked helps explain how six of us - all Americans, not at all incidentally - were so adamantly fooled. According to the article, 90% of all Canadians live within 15 minutes of a Canadian Tire Company store (or did in 2012, anyway), which sells all kinds of auto stuff, including tools, not just tires. Sears Auto Stores, in its heyday, would probably be a good analogy.

 

[DadsTools]

Hey, the only Canadian stuff I see down here in FL are snowbirds. Besides, if it was made by S-K, it's still USA, eh?

 

[Odes]

I wouldn’t doubt that it could be sk made because Canadian is very much like sears in that it it out sources all there tools
All there sockets and ratchets are made in Taiwan they are in my opinion the same quality as any of the other brands that are made in Taiwan
But I have yet to see any vintage sockets set from Canadian tire


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[r_olson_06]

Damn that looks like trademark infringement if there ever was one. Seems to be a stronger case than Plumb vs Plomb. But maybe there is no filling for OTC in Canada (seems odd given how close their hub is to the boarder)

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[jask]

Odes, you probably have not see Canadian tire money either have you?... they have in the past and still today issue paper "Canadian tire" money on cash sales.. have you seen any Mastercraft tools? or "Maximum" branded tools? those are CT brands.
Some of my favorite flex head gear wrench combos are cobranded Maximum / Gear wrench and the Maximum brand is a lifetime over the counter no questions asked tool.
The tradmake issue is interesting because one of the distinctive things about the OTC logo is the downward tipped "horns" on the letter T.
I am also going to point out that my father in law loved CT and had bought most of his tools there and at Sears, after he p[assed I found a surprising amount of SK tools in his shop and would be willing to guess that if CT sold SK tools they may have produced the cTc tools as a budget line.... remember all of this was happening not long after SK came out with the patent on the round head ratchet!
oTc was strictly a specialty trades and industrial suppliers tool line up here for many years and the quality of most of my old oTc is way ahead of SK!

oh yeah, talking about bets..... cold coffee? stale donuts? x6 guys!!

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

 

[alton1911]

I appreciate all the investigation. I like the quality of the socket, and I am learning a lot about Canadian tools. I have lots of mastercraft sockets. Not crazy about the ratchets, the ones I have seen are based on craftsman style but they are not as well done. Just my opinion. I love the Fleet of Canada most of all.
Thanks again
alton1911

 

[jask]

I am happy to be able to help. Canada has its own quirky tool history... Proto of Canada, Challenger Canada, Challenger by Proto... Mac tools Canada etc. but my personal favorite are the GRAY tool line of industrial tools.
I came across an odd ratchet today, a Pennens 1660 style, co marked challenger Pennens corp. with the Challenger R12 markings around the selector edge... I need to stay out of the Habitat store...

 

[DadsTools]

I am happy to be able to help. Canada has its own quirky tool history... Proto of Canada, Challenger Canada, Challenger by Proto... Mac tools Canada etc. but my personal favorite are the GRAY tool line of industrial tools.
I came across an odd ratchet today, a Pennens 1660 style, co marked challenger Pennens corp. with the Challenger R12 markings around the selector edge... I need to stay out of the Habitat store...

Did you buy it? Now, if you did....you're required to show the pics. You knew that, eh?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I came across an odd ratchet today, a Pennens 1660 style, co marked challenger Pennens corp. with the Challenger R12 markings around the selector edge...

Not at all unusual.

Here, for example, is a near complete PENENS combination master wrench set I picked up a few years ago. (No box, unfortunately.)

View media item 75113
All the 1/2-inch drive pieces have PENENS 166X series model numbers, but the ratchet has a Fleet model number (R-10).

View media item 75531
I'm not saying the Plomb Empire was willy-nilly about their assembly and stocking in the late 40's, early 50's, but they weren't exhaustively discrete, either.

 

[jask]

Did you buy it? Now, if you did....you're required to show the pics. You knew that, eh?

Sorry, I have been out on the road... here you go! along with the Indestro 3275 that followed me home

 

[jask]

close up.. sorry for the quality
Lugz, the only other I have found online that was similar was on the papawswrench webpage and it is stamped with the Challenger brand horizontal through the center. so the R12 is a Fleet part number?... this thing is a MUTT!!

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

Received an Action box purchase from the Eeeebay the other day. Inside the box was a smathering of Action, Thorsen sockets and seven 3/8 drive 12 pt sockets serialized in order 3805- 3811 (3/8- 3/4) marked as ForgeMaster (five of them) and C T C (two of them). But they are all the same plating and height. None of them stamped as USA nor any COO. The ForgeMaster stamping is located at various heights on each socket with no consistency.

SO, what is the relationship between ForgeMaster and C T C?

 

[bmwrd0]

There is/was a Canadian company CTC, Canadian Tool Company. I don't know if those are them, but I do think there are Canadian tool threads here on the vintage forum. Maybe something will be there.

I think Forge master is Taiwanese.

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

There is/was a Canadian company CTC, Canadian Tool Company. I don't know if those are them, but I do think there are Canadian tool threads here on the vintage forum. Maybe something will be there.

I think Forge master is Taiwanese.

FM started in US then went to import

 

[four.cycle]

"ForgeMaster" was manufactured by Upland Industries:

Upland / Upland Industries Inc., 115 Sixth St., Upland, PA 19015 / acquired by Emerson Electric 1976 / "ForgeMaster" tools / patent 4061013 Dec 6 1977 John Kuc & Anthony Kuc / http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2014/02/vanished-tool-brands-upland-forge.html /

Your "CTC" might possibly be "California Tool Company", which was primarily a wholesale and retail distributor but I think they were big enough to have a private label.
There's only one little thing at ITCL for them HERE, which shows a "C.T.L." wrench. (or is that "C.T.I."?
I sent Mark a catalog but he never got around to scanning it because it was so big and most of their offerings were outsourced.