VIM Tools - Durston Manufacturing Co.

[four.cycle]

VIM Tool Co.

original company name and location:

Vim Tool Co., 507-15 No. 7th St., Minneapolis, Minnesota

currently:

Vimtools - Durston Manufacturing Co. La Verne, California 91750 - www.vimtools.com

There is a very brief entry on VIM at Alloy-Artifacts.org (here: http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers-p3.html#vim ) in which it is claimed that VIM began operations in Minneapolis "in the 1920s or earlier", but there are no references to any sources cited.

A brief exchange with a current executive at Durston Manufacturing Co. sheds a little more light on the relationship between the original "VIM" and Durston:

"...we were associated with Vim Tools in Minn. He was one of the first Mobile tool distributors. He would have specialty tools made and drive around in a businessman coupe loaded with tools and peddle them..
Ray Durston, of Pasadena CA purchased VIM Tools in 1932 and set up shop on Allen Ave in Pasadena..."

More information on the history of the Durston Manufacturing Co. can be found on their website here: https://www.vimtools.com/success_story.asp

The current VIM Tools catalog can be downloaded in *.pdf format from their website here: https://www.vimtools.com/home.asp

There are dozens of entries here on GarageJournal.com regarding VIM Tools, none of which can be found with the site's "search" function because the name of the company only contains three characters. Use Google to search for "VIM" entries here by searching "VIM Garagejournal.com" .

VIM Tools (now Durston Manufacturing Co.) currently manufacturers some of their items domestically, and outsources some of their product line offshore. They are OE for a number of other tool companies, among them some of the better-known "truck brands."

Comments by GarageJournal members who have used their products (particularly their drive bits) give the product and the company positive reviews.

 

[four.cycle]

Durston Manufacturing Co. graciously provided a few images from the 1931 VIM catalog:

1931 VIM Tool Co. catalog front cover by four.cycle, on Flickr

1931 VIM Tool Co. catalog pp 12-13 by four.cycle, on Flickr

VIM 994 9/32" square drive Midget socket set - 1931 VIM Tool Co. catalog pp 43 by four.cycle, on Flickr

(* images courtesy Durston Manufacturing Co. *)

 

[four.cycle]

VIM Tool Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota - model 994 9/32" square drive SAE socket set

Set includes wood-handled driver, and 12-point sockets in 1/4", 9/32", 5/16", 11/32", 3/8", 7/16", and one 4-point (square) socket in 5/16".
The sockets are all stamped with the size and the "VIM" name. There are no markings on the wood-handled driver. The sockets and the shaft on the driver have a plain steel finish. The ferrule on the driver appears to be plated metal.

The set is missing the 1/4" square (four-point) socket, the sliding "T" bar, and the collared extension.
The box appears to be original to the set.

Note that the business end of the driver has two detent balls. A YouTube video of the driver handle is here:

VIM Tool Co. 994 9/32" drive SAE socket set 01 by four.cycle, on Flickr

VIM Tool Co. 994 9/32" drive SAE socket set 02 by four.cycle, on Flickr

VIM Tool Co. 994 9/32" drive SAE socket set 03 by four.cycle, on Flickr

 

[woody 73]

Good Job great post

To tell you the truth I had forgot about Vim tools, I can only guess they must have flown very low under my radar and I just did not see them.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Awesome set, and as I said to you already offboard, it's very rare when there is anyone home so to speak on the other end of the line of these wild *** goose chase emails or phone calls, or there is, but they have no records, or sorry, the guy who would know retired 20 years ago and passed away last year, or or or. So it's as wonderful to see the set in a period catalog, and to hear the backstory, as it is to see it in metal and wood. Good for you, BK!

Now, let's us find you that extension with the rotating grip!

 

[four.cycle]

Yeah... good luck on that one! I'm more likely to find the missing spinner for that Walden Worcester 9/32" drive set! Or a good spinner for my RTEC set!

On the other hand, in digging through a few bags and boxes within easy reach, I am coming upon various unidentifiable drive tools - mostly 1/4" breakers - that have no markings on them. I suppose I'll have quite a pile of "no name" widgets if and when I can get this mess sorted out.

 

[Provincial]

I just used my VIM ring compressor last week to assemble a resealed rotating joint for my Bobcat mini-excavator. Worked like a champ! I've had that tool for over 45 years.

 

[MR.X]

Can you tell the P&C ratchet and valve lifter from the VIM?

 

[MR.X]

or how about this.

21 piece sets. Handles on the speeders and different drive piece style for ratchet, but other than that...

 

[d42jeep]

An old friend passed along his hole punch set to me yesterday.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

wow! that is way cool, d42jeep!

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks, BK. Some previous owner had screwed it to the wall leaving some holes in the lid.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

We had a little discussion on these on the mtf thread.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

VIM tools are rare birds, few and far between, and this is not exactly the tool I was hoping to find if I was ever going to find one in the wild, but I'll take it anyway!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Very nice carbon scrapers. Here is an empty midget set box I picked up.

 

[Rileysan]

I came across a couple of VIM DBE wrenches in a tool box full of stuff I bought last year, but forgot all about them until I was sorting through that box this week.

They are unplated, hand forged, hand stamped, and highly unusual!

Brian

 

[3baygarage]

Those are some nice oldies.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Great finds, Brian. I love the non-uniform early wrenches where you can just see the man, the hammer and the stroke.

 

[Rileysan]

Great finds, Brian. I love the non-uniform early wrenches where you can just see the man, the hammer and the stroke.

Thanks! They are very cool indeed!

I followed four.cycle's footsteps and sent an email to the company, who was gracious enough to respond with a photo of a page from the 1931 catalog depicting these wrenches.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Cool! At this rate of finding VIM Tools, maybe in 20 years or so, this thread will be 3 pages long and we'll have pages from the entire catalog!

 

[outofbounds]

Thanks! They are very cool indeed!

I followed four.cycle's footsteps and sent an email to the company, who was gracious enough to respond with a photo of a page from the 1931 catalog depicting these wrenches.

Those prices were pretty dear for those times. Size for size, akin to what Blue Point was commanding.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I think Williams Duo-Hex were more expensive than Boxockets, but it's interesting you should mention the Blue-Point brand on this thread. By 1931, they were almost certainly all being made in the Snap-on plant in Racine, but Milwaukee Tool and Forge was making some Blue-Point tools, and they also made tools for VIM, including the midget socket set that 4.c owns posted on page 1 post #1.

 

[Rileysan]

Cool! At this rate of finding VIM Tools, maybe in 20 years or so, this thread will be 3 pages long and we'll have pages from the entire catalog!

Good news! I asked if they had a digitized copy of the complete 1931 catalog and Melisa Lopez from VIM Tools (no job title given) responded almost immediately with a complete set of images. I have rarely had such a positive experience with a corporate manufacturer. They remind me of the help we received from HUOT Manufacturing.

I will be uploading them shortly.

Brian

 

[Rileysan]

Part 1

 

[Rileysan]

Part 2

 

[Rileysan]

Part 3

 

[Rileysan]

Part 4

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Melisa Lopez from VIM Tools (no job title given) responded almost immediately with a complete set of images.

Great news. Good thinking. Nice going!

I have rarely had such a positive experience with a corporate manufacturer.

I can count the number of those kinds of research calls I have made or the emails I have sent on two hands. I can count the number of good experiences on one hand. And I reserve one particularly bad experience for the middle finger on the other hand. EDIT: Actually, I would need a few more hands for those, because as soon as I thought of one (not to mention any names, but Gray Tools), I thought of another (again, not to throw shade on anyone, personally, but Mr. Graham Forsdyke of the International Sewing Machine Collectors Society).

 

[MR.X]

So here's that same 1931 cat. but with the new Pasadena Address, so looks like Durston was using the old catalog at least briefly after the move. This looks to be about 10 blocks West of the "Allen Ave." mentioned by the Durston rep. above so maybe one was a residence and one was a shop or something along those lines. Does anyone know the name of the founder of the original Vim Tool Co. when it was in Minneapolis?

 

[RTM]

Well, maybe not the founder, but a contact or three, and a suspicious name.

The 1927 Minneapolis city directory is the first time the Vim Tool Co shows up, at 515 N 7th St, with a George K Vinnicum as Mgr. In 1933, he is listed as President, AE Hellikson as VP. And BW Palmer as Sec Treas.
Searching for Vim Vinnicum turns up a blank.

the listing finally disappears in 1937.

 

[MR.X]

Hi....Vinnicum...hmmmm...anyway you say Prez. in 33? was that the Minneapolis directory too? I'm getting confused on the tentative timeline for the move.

 

[RTM]

Yes, all from Minneapolis directories, found here. Bummer, I scrolled down to VI, no search I could get to work on the alphabetical section. Interesting, there was a The Vim sporting goods retailer, listed earlier.

Hennepin County, Minnesota Online Historical Directories - Online Historical Directories

Links to city, county, and rural directories found online.

sites.google.com

I imagine the directory didn’t clear him off their books the day he sold out and the business moved. I was gonna start poking directories in Pasadena next, start at 1931, but that’ll have to wait a few days.

 

[RTM]

Possibly Interesting side note to George Vinnicum, in 1933 & 34, he listed his residence as @ the factory

prior to that, he lived south about 1.4 miles, per google maps, in hotels and apartments. In 1935, he moved a little further south, now 1.8 miles, in what is now an apt, but didn’t list as such back then.

in 1937, both he and the biz were gone. (Typo above, will fix)

 

[MR.X]

"I imagine the directory didn’t clear him off their books the day he sold out and the business moved. I was gonna start poking directories in Pasadena next, start at 1931, but that’ll have to wait a few days."

Hi. Thanks for the research. BTW, I get the directory not editing in real time of course, but how long are we talking about?
Also, I can't remember if one of or both Peterson & Carlborg from P&C stopped in Minnesota for awhile on their immigration journey out West ( it's probably been 15 years since I dug around Portland's Main Library.) but I'll bet the Swede Hellikson knew them.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Vim, while implying vigor, seems like it may have been a diminutive/abbreviation of Vi-nniccu-m.

 

[RTM]

That was my suspicious word. For the Sporting good store, implying vigor works

 

[MR.X]

Here's an early Vim Ford 4 pt. brake wrench next to a TT Thorsen 8 pt.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Pretty cool. No offsets.

 

[MR.X]

From the same recent lot as the Ford brake wrench above is the little bit later Vim valve tool just above the Cat drain plug wrench.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Where's the brass balls for that brass donkey ****? No, seriously, that's a nice find. I flipped one for $100 a few years ago. Does the other one have screws or rivets at the bottom?