Vintage wrench pouch/roll/whatever you want to call them

[bmwrd0]

One of my favorite things in tool collecting is finding vintage wrench pouches/rolls/whatever you call them. I have seen both terms, as well as Vinyl, leather, or cloth being used to describe them. In any case, here is what I have, and please, bring out and show what you have!

Snap-on


As yet unidentified


Cornwell


Kraeuter


Xcelite (not really wrenches, but you get the idea)


Proto and Challenger


I have more, but it will take a while to dig out all the pictures of them. But, in the meantime, lets see yours!

 

[RTM]

Found this one about 2 years ago, posted in Snap-on thread somewhere. 1953 vintage C100a kit with Blue Point C810K wrench set. Still missing one wrench to complete it.

 

[d42jeep]

1945 Duro-Chrome ignition wrench sets with rare Duro-Chrome marked screwdrivers in my GMTK.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Twin vise grip rolls.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Twin Barcalo rolls.
-Don

 

[WNYflyer]

I pick up old wrench/tool rolls at sales quite a bit but they have to have the manufacturer on them. I like the advertising aspect of them.
For whatever reason I am also drawn to those wrench/tools sets that have their original tool rolls and I have collected more of those than I care to admit.
Well one of the better ones I have, basically unused Blue-Point SAE offset double box wrench set.

 

[d42jeep]

Some Snap-on rolls. I’ve passed some of these along.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

Indestro Super 888 9-pc SAE ignition wrench set (pouch only) front

Indestro Super 888 9-pc SAE ignition wrench set (pouch only) back

Indestro Super 890 11-pc SAE ignition wrench set (pouch only) front

Indestro Super 890 11-pc SAE ignition wrench set (pouch only) rear

 

[d42jeep]

Ohhh. Indestro!
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I guess if I post Barcalo rolls that will get several out of the way. When I got the twin rolls posted upthread they were empty. Tin Medic sent me an image from his catalog showing one filled which was a great help.
Here are several more Barcalo rolls.

 

[4xdog]

Kind of a shabby addition to this interesting thread, I'll admit, but this tool roll and some of the tools from our 1975 Audi Fox wagon are still in use.

 

[four.cycle]

d42jeep - that big Barcalo set is quite a package! Was that an item that remained in their product offering for any extended period of time, or was that more along the lines of a "Special Promotion" package?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Kind of a shabby addition to this interesting thread, I'll admit, but this tool roll and some of the tools from our 1975 Audi Fox wagon are still in use.

Cool knows cool, and the cool thing about cool is that when something breaks the unwritten vintage equation rule (2021 - 50 years = NLT 1969), cool trumps everything else, including unwritten rules! That is awesome.

Interesting is one word for this thread. Dangerous is the other! It endangers the further mess in my basement, because pulling all the rollups out of their various places stored by brand or type and having them go back in their original place before something else happens, followed by something else, and then something else after that, is very likely!

 

[4xdog]

A Triumph TR buddy of mine gave this out of his chaos in central Ohio, stating he didn't know what it came from, but thinking it might have been British. Nope. Turns out it's from a Lada, of all marques. How it got to that part of the world I know not...

Probably pushing the 50-yo guidance here too, Lugz.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Probably pushing the 50-yo guidance here too, Lugz.

And most definitely in the same category as your little Audi set, though. Wow. Canvas on cloth backing with leather trim and leather buckle straps, vinyl pockets. What's not to like? I would forget the Lada origins and fill that up with something. It looks older than it is. And, it's cool!

 

[d42jeep]

d42jeep - that big Barcalo set is quite a package! Was that an item that remained in their product offering for any extended period of time, or was that more along the lines of a "Special Promotion" package?

With the lack of Barcalo catalogs available, especially in the later years, my best guess would be ‘55 or ‘56 after the Crescent buyout. GJ member Rick Higgins has one as well. A very similar set shows up in the 1960 catalog. Check out the set shown in the lower right of the image.

 

[four.cycle]

I would forget the Lada origins and fill that up with something.

Blasphemy!!!

He needs to round up some of those top-quality, ergonomic Soviet-era tools to fully appreciate the care and attention to fine detail that went into making those "behind the Iron Curtain" beauties! Hell, the tools were almost as fabulous as the Lada itself!

Yeah buddy!

 

[d42jeep]

Here are some rolls that came from Australia, they were made to resemble Duro Chrome vintage rolls only made out of leather. An Australian WW2 collector had them made and sent several to Tin Medic and myself to distribute to other collectors. Although not actually vintage they look and smell great. I don’t think any more will be made. I may have kept a few for myself before they sold out.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Had this roll out to post on mac thread so here it is. From 40s I think.

 

[d42jeep]

Here are a variety of nutdrivers of various brands that came with rolls.
-Don
Vaco
The roll is pretty rough on this little Vaco setAn Xcelite master set found at the Tahoe fleaA JC Penny’s set found at a sale in Minden, NevadaA partial Powr-Kraft set from a Mill Valley, CA estate saleA couple of Craftsman nutdriver sets

 

[bmwrd0]

Nice! Keep them coming guys!

 

[four.cycle]

I think I need to send some nutdriver sets down to d42jeep .... looks like he's running low.

 

[d42jeep]

I think I need to send some nutdriver sets down to d42jeep .... looks like he's running low.

It’s kind of a double whammy. I have a nutdriver fetish and I like tools in rolls.
Sears liked selling tools in rolls. Here are some Dunlap examples.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

LOVE the dark finish electrical combos and pliers in the simple green vinyl roll!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

 

[four.cycle]

you just had to make us all look bad, huh?

that is one nice little kit there, Private Lugnutz!

what kind of vintage do you put on that? 1920s?

I'd forgotten all about all the chisels, allen wrenches, taps and screw extractors I have in "pouches". I'll have to go dig.

 

[bmwrd0]

Some WWII stuff.
Herbrand ignition


Bacalo


Proto LA



Another ignition set.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

what kind of vintage do you put on that? 1920s?

1923. It's a Buick Car Kit. That was the year they were really promoting the heck out of the idea of their system for car kits. In addition to their third annual catalog (which were all Motor Tool Specialty at that time), they had a special brochure (I posted the cover) in which they selected certain handles and certain sockets from among their grand total offering customized as essential for every major car mfgr and put them in simple tool bags meant for trunks. Honestly, I don't know if mine is original. It does not look like the bags in the brochure, but, note that nobody - including snapmom - has ever seen a bag.

Herbrand ignition

I think I've said it before, very rare.

Barcalo

That pouch, which is terrific, looks older than the wrenches, which are postwar. Not doubting it as a set, just sayin'.

 

[Provincial]

Long-C Craftsman punch set I found in March

 

[d42jeep]

Beautiful early Craftsman roll!
Here are some more from Sears.
-Don
i guess a ziplock bag counts with this set

The plastic pouches don’t always hold up too well

More wrenches
A few more with Crown logos

Some little wrenches

 

[Username already in use]

@bmwrd0 That's a nice looking Herbrand ignition set.
I've got a few of those dark finished wrenches, but my set is put together using a late war ANSI 8742 steel alloy.
They could only put the alloy marking on the 3 largest wrenches.
The leatherette is a heavy felt like material on the inside.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yowza! I forgot you had that!

 

[four.cycle]

That's a pretty fabulous Herbrand set there, Username. Amazing that you've got the correct pair of pliers in the kit!

 

[Username already in use]

Yowza! I forgot you had that!

That's a pretty fabulous Herbrand set there, Username. Amazing that you've got the correct pair of pliers in the kit!

Thanks @four.cycle ! I put it together a few pieces at a time. It took a long while and more money that I care to admit. I'd probably have to sell it for a hefty sum just to recoup the money I spent putting it together.

 

[Username already in use]

While I'm at it, here's a pair of wartime Bonney ignition wrench pouches.
Also pieced together with a mix of wartime date codes.

 

[four.cycle]

"...a long while and more money that I care to admit..."

You are not, I hope, suffering from any illusions about you being the only person on this forum who's done that.

 

[bmwrd0]

Ignition sets are probably the most common still in the pouch, and I know I have more than a few. But, I was thinking of the sets of combo, DOE, and DBE wrenches when I started this thread. Not that there is anything wrong with what we are seeing though.

So, let's keep 'em coming!

 

[Username already in use]

How bout this small roll of wrenches from Dorman Products Cincinnati.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

How bout this small roll of wrenches from Dorman Products Cincinnati.

That's sweet. I love snap pouches. The construction of that one is interesting and classy. It's basically two pieces, The big oblong piece with leatherette on the exterior and that black cloth backing. Then they sewed the little triangular swatch of matching leatherette on the inside for the pockets. Putting the deckled edging all the way around is the classy touch. Imagine a time when that kind of workmanship went into a hex key pouch! (I, of course, have a fetish for hex key pouches, cases, and holders, so, the envy is strong with this one!)

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Speaking of which...

Yeah, it's simple. Yeah, it's grungy. But I love that the old timers did things like this. It's just OD canvas. But look at all the sewing to make the individual pockets sized just for hex keys. Classic in its own inimitable, practical, and appealing way.