Esche socket set

[swinz]

I have recently acquired my Dad's old and well used socket set, growing up in the 1970's it was frequently used to mend the family car. I believe he bought it second hand sometime in the 60's. I remember it as a complete set but unfortunately at the moment most of the accessories are missing, I haven't given up hope of finding them somewhere in his garage as I sort through things.
The make of it is Esche, it's German and contains Whitworth and AF sockets. This is a make I have never heard of, does anyone have any knowledge or information on this make?

Cheers Paul.

 

[four.cycle]

Very cool, but unfortunately I have no clue. First time I've seen that name.

you might try Wolfgang's site, but he's really more focused on woodworking tools (as opposed to sockets/wrenches/pliers tools.)

Holzbearbeitung mit Handwerkzeugen (Inhalt)/Woodworking with Hand Tools (Sitemap)

the other thing you might try is google.de ... but I'm not having any luck with that one here myself.

"Esche" is literally translated as "tree" (or more properly "Ash Tree") so there are all sorts of superfluous and non-related things that come up searching for the name only.

 

[humber2]

A name I’ve never seen before, the finish looks similar to Schmole.

 

[Walkers]

We’ll be thankful it is not an Escher socket set! It is hard to tell where the set starts and stops, and all the sockets are interconnected and will turn forward, backward and sideways. I’m never sure which end goes on the socket wrench.

 

[four.cycle]

"Esche" open-end wrench looks like it could have been made by Elora, which causes me to wonder if perhaps "Esche" is a "sister brand" of another company.


Esche 220 1/8" x 3/16" open-end wrench (* photo ebay *)

 

[yatg]

ebay hit:

5 Vintage Esche Etc Sockets 1/2” To 3/16” Whitworth With 1/2” Drive. | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 5 Vintage Esche Etc Sockets 1/2” To 3/16” Whitworth With 1/2” Drive. at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

maybe you can contact the seller and ask if they know anything.

 

[RTM]

you might try Wolfgang's site, but he's really more focused on woodworking tools (as opposed to sockets/wrenches/pliers tools.)

Holzbearbeitung mit Handwerkzeugen (Inhalt)/Woodworking with Hand Tools (Sitemap)

Wolfgang’s search tool is not working on iPad or PC, need to drop him a note, but work got in the way.

"Esche" is literally translated as "tree" (or more properly "Ash Tree") so there are all sorts of superfluous and non-related things that come up searching for the name only.

Ash is the more logical translation, as I ran into a lot of Esche handles, where we would use ash. Gonna **** to look that up, tried for about 20 mins today and more last night.

Even added Steckschlüssel, German for socket wrench, and still struggling.

 

[humber2]

"Esche" is literally translated as "tree" (or more properly "Ash Tree") so there are all sorts of superfluous and non-related things that come up searching for the name only.

I have only one Schmole socket, the smaller 5/16 W alongside what I believe is another clone.

Both these are from seperate time periods.

The Schmole is interesting as the numbering is similar No1301 but the clincher to me is the pair of Ash tree motifs.

We learn something every day here....

P

 

[Provincial]

Until the end of WWII (unlikely anything was exported to England between 1939 and 1945) "Germany" and "Made in Germany" was the proper marking.

After the surrender, Germany (and Berlin) were divided into zones assigned to particular Allies, and most exports were marked with the Zone where they were made.

After the Allies withdrew, the marking became "West Germany" or "Made in West Germany" but I don't know about markings of East Germany between the end of WWII and the Reunification in 1990. I would expect it to refer to the German Democratic Republic.

After the Reunification, the marking returned to "Germany" and "Made in Germany."

I am not an expert on this, but the periods are pretty obvious, and markings should indicate a general age.

 

[four.cycle]

Schmole 1/2" square female drive ratchet (photo: ebay)

Schmole 3/8" drive 12mm socket (photo: ebay)

I'm seeing some "family resemblance" stuff here: machining, stamping, finish, font.
We need some broach photos.

Gonna **** to look that up, tried for about 20 mins today and more last night.

My "New Years Resolution" is to deal with all of these folders full of oddball stuff that's been puzzling me for years. I'm down to the last dregs in the last folder. If I knew you were looking for rabbit holes to dive into, I'd have emailed them all to you. I may well do that with a couple of them. BK

 

[RTM]

I need shallow rabbit holes right now, the holidays are over, have to go back to the real job, which means research during conference calls.

 

[four.cycle]

I discovered that I still have folders full of stuff yet to deal with: anvil, jack, plane, railroad, vise. Most should go fast. I get mired down with screwball stuff like "Holbrook's patent" leather mallet. GAH!
I'll email a couple to you that I hit dead-ends on.
I need to get "done" with this stage of this project here in short order before the weather changes - I only have time for this during the monsoon season here.

Back to the matter at hand:
I cannot help but think - from the physical appearances of the examples we've seen - that there may have been some relationship between "Esche" and "Elora" OR possibly .... ? Walter? (There's another German maker whose wrenches look VERY similar to that "Esche" example I posted above.) Astrofit? Steinadler? Walter? Elora?

 

[swinz]

Thanks for all the suggestions, some names put forward that I have never heard of. I had tried to research before posting on here via Google and eBay etc but drawn a blank, I was also leaning towards the rebranded Elora theory.

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

Elora, Picard, Peddinghaus and maybe a few others all share tools. All the body hammers and dollies these companies sell are made by Picard (I think). Only difference is the makers mark stamping on the hammer or dolly. I expect there are other tools from these companies as well, that one company makes and the others put their name on.

 

[MAD]

"Esche" open-end wrench looks like it could have been made by Elora...

The shape of the depression in the insert for the ratchet looks like a match for the old Elora push-through ratchets.

 

[four.cycle]

AND it has that protrusion coming out of the side of it just below the head, which would fit perfectly into the OP's molded plastic tray insert in that set.

I had tried to research before posting on here via Google and eBay etc but drawn a blank.

That is why I have been working on this project for the last few years.

keep this link handy

 

[Farmer J.]

The shape of the depression in the insert for the ratchet looks like a match for the old Elora push-through ratchets.

AND it has that protrusion coming out of the side of it just below the head, which would fit perfectly into the OP's molded plastic tray insert in that set.

Agreed, I had one of those ratchets in an Elora set and it looks to me like the same shape in the tray insert.

 

[matthew]

I think I’ve read before that Elora was bigger in the Whitworth sizes than a lot of other German brands. So it would also make sense a set with both BSW and Af sockets would have been made by Elora.

 

[ecotec]

I had an Escher socket set… but it fell up the stairs and disappeared.