Craftsman =v= series socket

[Damfun]

Hi,
I am new to the group, hi everyone. I found some sockets at a yard sale and they are marked with a w after the socket size. The socket size that is on the socket is not correct, but I don't know if the w following the size means something different or if they are mismarked. Any help would be appreciated

 

[BFBOB]

Welcome!

The =V= mark means it was made by Moore Forgings, a well regarded tool maker. Somewhere in GJ there's an extensive thread on the manufacturerers designated by the various markings on Craftsman tools.

Ummm... I just noticed you said V in one place and W in another. Both are valid, but point to different makers.

Finding out will be a nice exercise in navigating the Journal.

On the other hand, the W could be for Whitworth, an obsolete measurement system used in England half a century ago or more. I have a friend whose '72 Norton has Whitworth fasteners. One giveaway is if the size marked is clearly much smaller than the actual size of the wrench-socket. That's because in the Whitworth system the 3/8" wrench fits the HEAD of a 3/8" bolt, and so on.

For example, here's a Crafty =V= series Whitworth.

 

[Catfishdan]

Hi,
I am new to the group, hi everyone. I found some sockets at a yard sale and they are marked with a w after the socket size. The socket size that is on the socket is not correct, but I don't know if the w following the size means something different or if they are mismarked. Any help would be appreciated

I think the "w" is to indicate a whitworth size. That's why it seems incorrect. It's a different standard than SAE.

 

[Username already in use]

The W is for whitworth sizes. Post some pics. Let’s see em!
Welcome to the GJ!

 

[d42jeep]

Geez, okay. You don’t have to yell. They probably look like this.
-Don

 

[Jim C.]

Here’s the entire set of Craftsman =V= era, Whitworth sockets and wrenches offered by Sears between 1960 and 1962. The “W” on the sockets and wrenches designates Whitworth sizes.

 

[Jim C.]

Sears/Craftsman also offered a Whitworth tap and die set.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Wow, Jim, I never even thought about Whitworth tap and die set.

 

[Jim C.]

Wow, Jim, I never even thought about Whitworth tap and die set.

Yeah, neither did I Richard. Until I saw them, I didn’t even know they existed. I did a little research and far as I can tell, Sears offered the Craftsman Whitworth tools (sockets, wrenches and taps and dies) between 1960 and 1962. At least that’s when they were advertised in the Sears catalogs. The tools may have been on the store shelves a little longer.

Jim C.

 

[Shiftless]

I hope they aren’t worth tons of $$$...
I had an incomplete set and gave it away to a neighbor who had a friend with a BSA and a Triumph motorcycle.

 

[BFBOB]

I guess you could say they're a bit of premium- I bought 2 of the one I pictured at a flea for $2, gave one to a friend, sold the other for $9.50.

 

[Jim C.]

I hope they aren’t worth tons of $$$...
I had an incomplete set and gave it away to a neighbor who had a friend with a BSA and a Triumph motorcycle.

Unless you have an older British bike or car, they’re not worth much. To the owner of such a vehicle, or to a Craftsman collector, they might take on some real value. I will say that the Craftsman Whitworth tools are generally more expensive to acquire than are similar age and condition Craftsman SAE wrenches and sockets. Good luck finding the taps and dies. I’ve never seen them before or since I bought the set depicted above. I suspect those are relatively scarce.....and again, valuable to the right person.

Jim C.