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

[WisJim]

My Western Auto Wizard soldering gun that I got new in the 1960s as far as I recall, from the long gone Western Auto store in Boscobel, WI.

 

[d42jeep]

Looks like Weller was their supplier. I found this Indestro sourced Wizard socket yesterday.
-Don

 

[Mintgrun]

I like collecting kitchen tools. Unfortunately, we don't celebrate those here; but I found one today that I can sneak in. I believe this is the first Jar Wrench in this thread. (It's the first one in my kitchen too). Tom

 

[four.cycle]

^ I bought my mother one of those "Wizard" jar openers a few years ago for Christmas!
She still uses a big pair of pliers. Go figure.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Looks pretty good. Have you tried it?

 

[Mintgrun]

I bought my mother one of those "Wizard" jar openers a few years ago for Christmas!
She still uses a big pair of pliers. Go figure.

I'd like to see that big pair of pliers, as well as her other kitchen tools. I'll bet it is because the pliers grips are more comfortable.

Looks pretty good. Have you tried it?

I did grip a lid with it last night, but didn't do any twisting. The size seems perfect for small canning-jar lids. The legs are skinny and the tool will flex as you squeeze it, conforming to the shape of the lid. It's been strategically flattened to add stiffness.



It's got a nice rivet, but the other side is just cross peened, not pretty like the top.



It was slightly askew when I found it, with the handles not quite running parallel, so I twisted it back into shape. It took a few careful tries to put it there. There is spring built into the steel.

It fits smaller lids nicely.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I'm not sure that the "Wizard" jar opener was made by the same "Wizard" as the Western Auto "Wizard", but maybe it was.
I looked at several different units on Ebay before I found a clean copy at a reasonable price. My mother doesn't use it because the skinny handles hurt her hands. She uses a big pair of TAT (Thorsen Allied Tool) 10-inch slip-joints that have dipped vinyl handles. It only works on smaller jars though. No idea what she uses for larger jars.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Some wizard 1/4" stuff

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Some wizard/westline stuff

 

[bmwrd0]

I like collecting kitchen tools. Unfortunately, we don't celebrate those here; but I found one today that I can sneak in. I believe this is the first Jar Wrench in this thread. (It's the first one in my kitchen too). Tom

You are always welcome to start a thread on those, as they are tools!

 

[d42jeep]

Here is an incomplete hex drive set I found at an estate sale yesterday. The tools look very Indestro like. Although I try not to collect very much hex drive stuff, I may try to add a few sockets to this.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ You've got the drive coupler, which is the "unobtainium" part of that set. I have zip-lock bags full of those hex drive sockets - all mixed up.
(I wonder if they're in the same box with all that Duro stuff that ssdave sent to me?)

Just an FYI: an Indestro 1454 (19-piece) wall-hanging hex-drive set sold for $50 bucks on ebay last week. For reasons that defy explanation, those formerly "cheapie" hex drive sets - the ones other members here were telling me they could find at garage sales for five bucks when I first joined here - are selling for stupid money now. Go figure.

 

[four.cycle]

^ oops... sorry.. that set sold for $31 + shipping

I've used up all my "edits" for 24 hours and I cannot correct the errors in the above post. Guess I better hold off on trying to complete that Aronson/Ronson thread today, huh?

 

[d42jeep]

I borrowed some matching hex sockets from my Indestro set. Here is the result.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ way cool. I really need to stop buying those things!

 

[d42jeep]

four.cycle sent me this offset DBE wrench obviously suppled to Western Auto by Barcalo. I decided to store it in the Western Giant box rather than the Barcalo shrine. It required a tiny bit of straightening.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

looks a lot better than when it left here!

never understood why some guys use wrenches for pry bars, but what do I know?

 

[d42jeep]

Found a couple of Wizard sockets at an estate sale today.
-Don

 

[thefraze_1020]

Westline 1375 wood-handled Phillips screwdriver. #1 Phillips, 1" long blade. Made by Stanley? Or...?

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a Chrome X Quality combo I found on Friday. Before and after evaporust and cleaning.

 

[Username already in use]

@d42jeep nice combo. I didn’t know that Herbrand made those for Western Auto. I’ve got a handful of Herbrand combos. They don’t show up for me very often.

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks for the ID. I didn’t know that it was made by Herbrand. I assumed from the Chromium Vanadium markings that it would have been sourced from Indestro, even though there is no resemblance to Indestro products.
-Don

 

[JjKk40]

Westline 1375 wood-handled Phillips screwdriver. #1 Phillips, 1" long blade. Made by Stanley? Or...?

My Bonney SP2 stubby loos exactly the same. My guess would be Stanley or New Britain.

 

[Mintgrun]

Here is my meager assortment of combination wrenches in that style. I think the top one is chrome, the middle nickel and the bottom one is cadmium plated. In spite of the different finishes and branding, this is my set! They've been cleaned with a toothbrush and LAVA bar soap. Very little scrubbing on the 3/4" wrench, since cadmium is so soft. I love the look and feel of this style, but they're scarce around here too, unfortunately.





Tom

 

[four.cycle]

I didn’t know that it was made by Herbrand. I assumed from the Chromium Vanadium markings that it would have been sourced from Indestro, even though there is no resemblance to Indestro products.

There's one that looks very similar to yours in the Chromium Vanadium thread. (see post #2)
You should drop that photo into that thread as well.
I thought "Indestro" too when I first saw the "Chromium Vanadium" but it turns out there were a few other outfits stamping that same moniker on items for Western Auto as well.

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

 

[d42jeep]

Looks like Western Auto was sourcing those from Vlchek.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

There's one that looks very similar to yours in the Chromium Vanadium thread. (see post #2)
You should drop that photo into that thread as well.
I thought "Indestro" too when I first saw the "Chromium Vanadium" but it turns out there were a few other outfits stamping that same moniker on items for Western Auto as well.

Chromium vanadium was a marking western auto used, but not exclusive to them. Indestro/duro and wards used it as well, and bog and herbrand tools sold by western auto were marked chromium vanadium as well.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here is my meager assortment of combination wrenches in that style. I think the top one is chrome, the middle nickel and the bottom one is cadmium plated. In spite of the different finishes and branding, this is my set! They've been cleaned with a toothbrush and LAVA bar soap. Very little scrubbing on the 3/4" wrench, since cadmium is so soft. I love the look and feel of this style, but they're scarce around here too, unfortunately.





Tom

Those are among my favorite combo wrenches. I like the angle on the open end.

 

[Tburk1]

is there a forum or Reddit group for western auto collectors?

 

[JjKk40]

Picked up this sweet Wizard HR2932 3/8" drive set. Missing a couple of sockets and such. Im gonna see if there's a catalog I can look at to see whats missing. I added the Tommy bar from my extra stash!

 

[Ricky Joe]

You will like that ratchet. I rate it equal to contemporaneous Snap-On.

 

[d42jeep]

Picked up this sweet Wizard HR2932 3/8" drive set. Missing a couple of sockets and such. Im gonna see if there's a catalog I can look at to see whats missing. I added the Tommy bar from my extra stash!

When you figure out what you’re missing, give me a holler. I have some extra Wizard sockets.
-Don

 

[JjKk40]

You will like that ratchet. I rate it equal to contemporaneous Snap-On.

I definitely see that! The previous owner or owners also loved it and used it a lot as it is well broken in and loose goosey! I'll probably look at it more than I'll use it tho!!!

 

[JjKk40]

When you figure out what you’re missing, give me a holler. I have some extra Wizard sockets.
-Don

Thanks Don I appreciate that!!!!

 

[outofbounds]

Tonight’s fun find. Chrome X Quality set in two level labeled tool box. With a couple stray valve spring tools and a Herbrand drum brake tool. Damn! I literally just unloaded all my Chrome X wrenches that would have suited this box perfectly. Looks to be missing 7/16”, 1/2”, 7/8” & 1” sockets. Ratchet is completely unmarked and drive plug was bastardized to create a screwdriver out of it.

 

[d42jeep]

Nice find. The ratchet and universal look very Indestro like. Interesting sockets, I wonder who made them? My 3/8” drive set was totally sourced from Indestro.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

That style was made by durochrome. The early Western giant by bog. The set on the board all came together. The wrenches were supplied by herbrand.

 

[genog]

My rather meager contribution is this pair of locking pliers
I may have a few other tidbits...

 

[d42jeep]

I found a Wizard 7/16 combo at an estate sale yesterday. It looks a bit better today.
-Don