2022 Garage Sale Thread

[alinc100]

Sure looks like it! Yours looks a bit taller? Do you still have it to measure?

Nope, I never got it.I went back to get it and it was gone. Haven't seen one since.

 

[3baygarage]

Some great finds guys.

Lugz— I have a pair of Pexto raised cutters like those. No idea where they are but they’re in a catalog at archive.org.

 

[WNYflyer]

First GS post of the year. Very slow around here for anything resembling a "man sale" which is especially unfortunate since the winter weather has been nasty which usually means a lot of folks won't venture out in it which means less competition.......alas it is what it is. Envious of the folks in the good weather areas , can't wait for the winter to end in probably.................. May .

Minimal things found since the first of the year





Snap-On puller set. From a professional minimal tools sale but found hiding in the corner of a basement with its parts dis-organized. And since I didn't organize it the sales guy looked at it like a bunch of bolts.........works for me and all parts ended up being there.



Carlisle 3/8" ratchet
Wizard 1/4" ratchet
Gray 12" adjustable wrench
Mac tools speciality tool with no part number. Google-fu says perhaps a tool for car crank windows?
Dunlop tire spoon

 

[jeffmoss26]

let me know if there are any codes on those padlocks and I will see what i can find

 

[four.cycle]

Any Norwegians here?

This is the first time I've looked at this thread. I don't go to garage sales, but there was one right down the street, so I poked my head in and left with the Coleman stove and a few odd widgets. The awl thing is stamped only "Hickory Link". No markings at all on the odd little wrench.
For what purpose were the five yellow-handled "RUSTFRI" pointed utensils designed? Anyone have any ideas? The only thing they knew was that they were from Norway.

 

[saukit]

Any Norwegians here?

This is the first time I've looked at this thread. I don't go to garage sales, but there was one right down the street, so I poked my head in and left with the Coleman stove and a few odd widgets. The awl thing is stamped only "Hickory Link". No markings at all on the odd little wrench.
For what purpose were the five yellow-handled "RUSTFRI" pointed utensils designed? Anyone have any ideas? The only thing they knew was that they were from Norway.

I can't help you with the tool questions but I am quite surprised that you don't go to garage and estate sales! Where do you get all the awesome stuff you post on the vintage board???

 

[d42jeep]

Any Norwegians here?

This is the first time I've looked at this thread. I don't go to garage sales, but there was one right down the street, so I poked my head in and left with the Coleman stove and a few odd widgets. The awl thing is stamped only "Hickory Link". No markings at all on the odd little wrench.
For what purpose were the five yellow-handled "RUSTFRI" pointed utensils designed? Anyone have any ideas? The only thing they knew was that they were from Norway.

I have that same propane powered Coleman stove at Tahoe in case of power failures. Works great and no messing with white gas.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

Are you sure it's not Rostfrei? Major blade exporter to the US.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Lugz— I have a pair of Pexto raised cutters like those. No idea where they are but they’re in a catalog at archive.org

Thanks, 3bay! Believe it or not, I just looked through that catalog and even posted some excerpts of a couple other dykes as examples in a diagonal cutting plier vs nipper discussion I was having with LS on my Lugzsonian thread! I've been using the term "raised" intuitively to describe them, and I'm pleasantly surprised to see I was much more prescient than I even expected. The figure does not do them justice, which is how I think I did not notice them.

 

[unkqty]

Beautiful condition on the Fisher, it would look great in the optional wood case. I collect Fisher tube gear but have never had that model.

tks. got lucky with the cleanup.
also have an x-101-b and fm 200-b that still need cleaned up.
will likely end up building my own cases.

 

[LesserSon]

four.cycle
IDK what those utensils are for, but I can read “RUSTFRI” from your photo and see other utensils with the same brand and bakelite handles on eBay.
The rectangular tab makes the least sense to me. If it was a bottle cap opener, which it resembles, it should be longitudinal instead of lateral, as the applied torque must eventually loosen the steel from the handle.
Some kind of shellfish opener, maybe?
I also though of grapefruit or other citrus, but…I can’t see it being much good for that.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The awl thing is stamped only "Hickory Link".

I suspect that's the handle maker only. I have ball-pein hammers with that marking on the handle.

 

[four.cycle]

Some kind of shellfish opener, maybe?

The two older ladies who lived in the house thought they might have been for cheese, but that just doesn't make sense. The funny cut-out tang isn't hardened steel - it would bend if you tried to pry something open with it - like a clam or oyster shell.

Thanks for the feedback on the handle, Private Lugnutz. From its appearance, I think there's a good possibility it's a home-made job.

 

[d42jeep]

I can't help you with the tool questions but I am quite surprised that you don't go to garage and estate sales! Where do you get all the awesome stuff you post on the vintage board???

I believe that four.cycle keeps a pretty close eye on eBay sales. He posts plenty of bargains on the GJ eBay hot deals thread

Ebay or Auction Deals Permathread!

* Crabman please see: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/pendleton-plombpire-brands-show-them-here.487149/page-2#post-9365352 *

www.garagejournal.com

-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ yes... haven't been posting much in that thread lately, however, as I'm just not seeing many drop-dead killer deals the last couple months.

 

[Bockscar]

From an action

 

[seber]

Any Norwegians here?

This is the first time I've looked at this thread. I don't go to garage sales, but there was one right down the street, so I poked my head in and left with the Coleman stove and a few odd widgets. The awl thing is stamped only "Hickory Link". No markings at all on the odd little wrench.
For what purpose were the five yellow-handled "RUSTFRI" pointed utensils designed? Anyone have any ideas? The only thing they knew was that they were from Norway.

It's hard to tell from that photo but are those protrusions hooked for a can opener?

 

[four.cycle]

It's hard to tell from that photo but are those protrusions hooked for a can opener?

That little cut-out tang protrudes out of the "back" side of the thing maybe 3/32" of an inch - about the width of the lip of a can, yes.
But the business end of that tool is just mild plated steel. It's not hardened. If you tried to use it to pry or lever anything it would bend (or more likely break off the handle.)

 

[RTM]

Rostfrei and rustfri are words I have assumed were foreign spelling of Stainless (German and Danish per google translate respectively), implying Stainless Steel to me. Don't know that they are a brand per se. I don't eat things that swim, so I'm no help on their usage. The oyster knives I've seen from the opposite coast sellers seem much beefier than those things.

 

[LesserSon]

Good points, RTM. I’m going back to citrus application. Maybe for cocktails? Are the tabs sharp enough to take a thin strip of rind off a lime/lemon/orange?

 

[bmwrd0]

So I ran the picture of those little Rustfri knives/implements past my wife who both speaks German and is in the kitchen like I am in the shop. She couldn't directly identify them but thought they looked a bit like oyster knives of a sort. But two things occurred to her. 1) how long is the tang? This would help determine if they are for hard use vs. more of a dinner-type application. 2) the handles look bakelite, which would date them to post-war into the sixties. And this is the height of Danish Modern, style-wise. And marked Rustfri would translate easily as stainless, as I am sure everyone here would know, but at that time would be a sign of higher-end food use.

Hope that helps.

 

[WisJim]

Oyster knives that I have and have seen are quite substantial, at least as stiff and strong as a screwdriver or chisel.

 

[Old Man Roger]

My girl said they reminded her of grape fruit knives. She noted the lack of serations though.

 

[four.cycle]

Are the tabs sharp enough to take a thin strip of rind off a lime/lemon/orange?

I just tried that on a thin-skinned tangerine. It's definitely not sharp enough, nor designed properly, to be a "zester". (I know what a "zester" is because I bought my brother-in-law a mess of oddball kitchen utensils when he enrolled in chef school.) It IS sharp enough to tear the skin open - a close-up photo shows that the bottom side of the tang appears to have been "sharpened". Even though I'm unable to find an image that matches doing various Google searches, I think they're a "citrus peeler", which makes sense.
Definitely not stout enough to handle shellfish of any sort.

"Rustfri" Norwegian kitchen utensil

 

[mikeinri]

For frying rust, of course!

...mic dropped...

Mike

 

[four.cycle]

^ I finished peeling that tangerine. The blade bent a bit when I applied too much force, answering the question of "where's the sixth piece?"
It actually works quite well for peeling, although I usually manage just fine with my fingers.
Next time I get a dinner invitation from the Vanderbilts I'll be sure to bring them along.

 

[Outlawmws]

SWMBO thinks those are orange/Lemon peelers for bar/chef use for when you want a strip of peel as garnish. the "hook" is a starter, the curved blade to get a clean peel.

 

[Old Man Roger]

SWMBO thinks those are orange/Lemon peelers for bar/chef use for when you want a strip of peel as garnish. the "hook" is a starter, the curved blade to get a clean peel.

My girl mention the garish thing too. She also mentioned it could be used to scrape the pith off an already peeled orange.

 

[RTM]

Googling "mid century" danish citrus peeler bakelite
gets a couple of hits on things with similar shaped teeth, and other searches get a similar beak, though much more arty these days.

So I guess I'm in the garish garnish camp.

 

[Old Radar]

I've held my peace on this issue because I have no more real insight than the next guy. I can be swayed that they are used for some sort of dull stabbing and ripping process, but have to lean toward a communal stabbing and ripping event--a la meal or party--versus a bar/chef prep tool based solely on the fact they were found in quantity. It's highly unlikely a homeowner would need or desire multiple exact copies of a kitchen prep tool. I mean, let's face it, it's not like they are socket sets or wrenches or vises--you know, something you need loads of!!

 

[Outlawmws]

Pumpkin carving set then?

 

[Smokeshow69]

I've held my peace on this issue because I have no more real insight than the next guy. I can be swayed that they are used for some sort of dull stabbing and ripping process, but have to lean toward a communal stabbing and ripping event--a la meal or party--versus a bar/chef prep tool based solely on the fact they were found in quantity. It's highly unlikely a homeowner would need or desire multiple exact copies of a kitchen prep tool. I mean, let's face it, it's not like they are socket sets or wrenches or vises--you know, something you need loads of!!

I bet someone on here has a collection of these

 

[BlueBomber]

I hit up two auctions up in Portland, Maine, over the last two weeks. Normally, I wouldn't bid on stuff so far away (nearly 2 hrs one-way), but 1) I retired from my govt job last year and am taking a few months off, so I am free during weekday pickup times and 2) my daughter and son-in-law are on the other side of Portland, so it's a convenient location for lunch-and-loading-help.

The auction was a liquidation after the closure of a major hospital in downtown Portland. They listed EVERYTHING, from autopsy tables to office furniture. They even included the 250kW standby generator and oxygen distro system pumps. I bid on a bunch of stuff, but got sniped on everything except a heavy L-shaped desk for SWMBO'S office. I got it for $13.68, but then spent $60 in gas to go get it! Once I got it home, I had to cut it down to fit the available space in her work office. The first pic is in place at the hospital and the second is after I finished shrinking it. Hard to tell, but I took 12" off the long side and 4" off the short side. In addition to the white board, I scored a medical-grade power strip that retails for over $100. That puppy went up on eBay as soon as I figured out what it was. Unfortunately, the monitors and phone in the pic were not part of the auction and were gone by the time I got there.




I really wanted a medium-sized flammables cabinet to store my generator gas and bid on several in the first round. Alas, I only won the desk. The auction company had a second round, and I bid again on a bunch of stuff and finally won not one but two cabinets and a centrifuge!

The first is a 30-ish gallon flammables cabinet with bifold doors. This is the one I really wanted, both size- and condition-wise. It's a bit old and grungy, but that makes it a keeper. I paid $260, fees & taxes included.



The second cabinet is a very clean 45-gallon Eagle Model 1947 cabinet with the keys. This one was in a far corner of the hospital lab, and apparently didn't see much abuse, or even use. It is amazingly clean for a 14-yr old cabinet. I bid on this one to flip, and at $370 paid, hope to double my money.



The centrifuge was another flip item. I bid on several from the lab, but this is the only one I won. It's a 1995 Thermo Scientific Labofuge 400, and according to the online manual I found, can generate 15,000 Gs at top speed! {:-0. I got it for $37, and hope to get 5-10x that back on eBay. It's a heavy beast, though, and that may limit the buyers.



This trip, SWMBO came up, too, and the four of us had a pleasant brunch before huffing and puffing to load the cabinets and centrifuge. My SIL noted that the deserted, dingy and nearly stripped hospital felt like the setting for one of those post-apocalyptic video games. He was right--the only thing missing were flickering lights and zombies!

 

[mikeinri]

Wow, nice finds! Great job on shrinking that desk, looks original to me!

Mike

 

[bmwrd0]

I had to look really close to see the differences in the desks. Nice job!

 

[Southern83]

Good haul! I really like the smaller flammable cabinet. Never seen one the has a door like that.

 

[Outlawmws]

I bet someone on here has a collection of these

Fourcycle...

 

[BlueBomber]

Good haul! I really like the smaller flammable cabinet. Never seen one the has a door like that.

Wow, nice finds! Great job on shrinking that desk, looks original to me!

Mike

Good haul! I really like the smaller flammable cabinet. Never seen one the has a door like that.

Thanks, gents. I was able to peel back the factory rubber bumper edging before I cut the back edges with the circular saw I then used a jigsaw to round the new corners and a router to cut a new slot for the edging. I was surprised how easily the edging followed the new corners. It turned out way better than I expected. I also had to cut down the legs and lower paneling to fit the new dimensions.

Here's a few more shots of the desk to better show how much it was sliced up. The first two are upside down, the last is right side up.

 

[bmwrd0]

Dude, a magician never shows his tricks!

(seriously, nice job!)

 

[mikeinri]

Did you kidnap the UPS guy and try to hide the truck???

Mike