Vintage Blue Point, Blue Points Chicago and Blue-Point tools thread

[Graeme]

That's not a date code. It's a stock number associated with wartime Merlin Packard toolkits.

Packard Built Rolls Royce Merlin Tool Kit AT9368

I have been trying to finish this set for some time. I doubt if I will ever finish. Most of the tools are Whitworth, made by several USA tools companies. Snap on, Bonney, Armstrong, Plomb, and others made tools for these kits. There were several kits for this engine, P51 also I think the...

www.garagejournal.com

Really!!
That's SUPER interesting, as I seem to have 2 snap on made spanners from the same kit! I was just about to post a thread about them.

The Gray spanner has a half faint code on the jaw too, but I assume they wouldn't ha e used Canadian made spanners in the set?
I need to go through the box a bit more thoroughly, but these were the only tools from the US, apart from one snap on socket. The whole tool set is good quality and of the same period, but most of it is British made. I wonder if it was a (ex?) Serviceman at a US air base over here, or maybe someone who moved to the UK and brought some tools with them.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I was just about to post a thread about them.

Just as a friendly suggestion, I would resist the urge to start threads before you see if the subject is already being covered. The A-Z Index of threads in the Sticky is your friend, as is the Search function. I posted a link to @snapmom's existing thread on Merlin Packard tools, where there is already a long-standing vibrant discussion on them. This is not about who got here first, etc, it's to keep subjects from fragmenting, which you'll discover if you stick around long enough, is exacerbated by the forum being chronological. It's really hard to keep momentum going when there's so much daily turnover, and even harder when there are multiple threads on the same subject.

The Gray spanner has a half faint code on the jaw too, but I assume they wouldn't ha e used Canadian made spanners in the set?

That was made with Bonney dies during the Bonney Gray era.

I wonder if it was a (ex?) Serviceman at a US air base over here, or maybe someone who moved to the UK and brought some tools with them.

As a WWII collector, with colleagues in several European countries, including the UK, US wartime tools made their way from service into civilian postwar circulation in England all kinds of ways. Loss among them. Successive waves of WWII surplus and hobby collecting etc have kept it going.

 

[Graeme]

Just as a friendly suggestion, I would resist the urge to start threads before you see if the subject is already being covered. The A-Z Index of threads in the Sticky is your friend, as is the Search function. I posted a link to @snapmom's existing thread on Merlin Packard tools, where there is already a long-standing vibrant discussion on them. This is not about who got here first, etc, it's to keep subjects from fragmenting, which you'll discover if you stick around long enough, is exacerbated by the forum being chronological. It's really hard to keep momentum going when there's so much daily turnover, and even harder when there are multiple threads on the same subject.

That was made with Bonney dies during the Bonney Gray era.

As a WWII collector, with colleagues in several European countries, including the UK, US wartime tools made their way from service into civilian postwar circulation in England all kinds of ways. Loss among them. Successive waves of WWII surplus and hobby collecting etc have kept it going.

Oops, too late, I posted the pics.
I missed that you posted the link somehow!
I do normally try and find relevant threads to post stuff in usually, I like the fact there are long running threads here dedicated to either manufacturers, or items. It makes for a great resource. Hence me posting the blue point spanner here and not in a thread of its own. I have recently posted new things to this, king ****, britool, spark proof, vice etc threads.

I just dropped the ball on this one!
I'll see if I can move it, or delete and 're post.


Edit...
I did see the link, and opened it. I thought it was just an old wanted add though!
My mistake.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

No worries. It's not that big of a deal. Not harassing you about it. Just a suggestion.

 

[Graeme]

No worries. It's not that big of a deal. Not harassing you about it. Just a suggestion.

No worries.


I am a little surprised about the gray/bonney connection.
I have one Bonney spanner, I think it's earlier than this Gray. A long, double ring spanner. It's a very nice tool. Feels far better quality than this Gray open ender.
I did search about the hinsdale too, but discovered they aren't held in high regard.

 

[Old Radar]

Cross posting from the Garage Sale Thread earlier this week.
I picked up a Blue Point GA-290 Power Flex Angle Drive Unit. According to Lugz's deep dive thread here they may only have been made for Snap-on for a year or so. This one differs from Lugz's (and all the others I've been able to find on the web) by the two bands around the waist where the swivels meet. Don't know if this is a later improvement or an early feature they deemed unnecessary. I'd like to hear if anyone has suspicions or educated guesses! Everything else seems to be the same.
I don't know what the number above the patent number represents, but sequentially, it is between examples on the web that do not have the waist bands.

 

[d42jeep]

I received a Blue Points ignition wrench as a gift yesterday from an old friend.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This one differs from Lugz's (and all the others I've been able to find on the web) by the two bands around the waist where the swivels meet.

Mine has two bands, they're just not very visible because my unit necks sharply down in diameter in the center, like the illustration in the Snap-on catalog. Of the three variants I have seen (represented by mine, yours, and the red Helms unit), I can't see a clear sequence, and as you mentioned, the mysterious numbers at the very top don't seem to help.

 

[snapmom]

This is sort of a history of Blue Points an Blue Point tool rolls. As some of these bags are quiet rare, my knowledge as to dates will be only a guess, but should be in the ballpark. The first one is a Milwaukee Tool and Forge Blue Points tool roll. Its the only tool roll I know of that says Blue Points. Made for Motor Tool Specialty (snap on). Tools read Milwaukee Blue Points. So, what happened here, Snap on used the Blue Points name till about 1930 or so, after that it is all Blue Point. Blue Point name was also used in the 20s
This bag is probably 23-25

 

[snapmom]

This bag just has Blue Point Chicago on it, was used about mid to late 20s and early 30s, would contain either Blue Points or Blue Point tools. only seen black ones.

 

[snapmom]

These have Blue Point and Snap on name. The large one is Brown instead of Black. The other than Black do show up, not sure as to why some were different colors, but the odd colors continued on to about the mid 40s.
These would date early 30s to mid 30s, but not sure, not to many examples of these out there.

 

[snapmom]

A big one. Black, would date late to mid 40s. The wrenches in this one are late 30s DOEs

 

[snapmom]

Sort of a odd set. just reads Blue Point Supreme , probably mid 30s. as the tools do not have USA on them.

 

[snapmom]

Two sets of color, blue and cherry red. (not maroon) Would date prob. late 30s to mid 40s. the tools are early to mid 40s

 

[snapmom]

some 40s early 50s.
Black, prob early to mid 40s, maroon, 40s early 50s. Some time during this period, ( prob. late 40s,) the blue point name starts going away, replaced by Snap on. A maroon Snap on bag

 

[snapmom]

A Snap on red bag, early 50s

 

[snapmom]

Blue Point SD-2, SD-6 Interchangeable screwdriver. Has rubber handle. Took awhile to unstick it. Shows in the 1932-1933 cats. Its the only one I have ever seen.

 

[3baygarage]

Talk about a rare one. Never seen that either. Pretty cool looking, especially for the time period.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Wow!

 

[snapmom]

A very odd wrench. Probably a special.
1" x 1-1/4" opening. 1/4 head thickness, like a tappet. Wait, but it doesn't have the head offsets like a tappet. has the offset of a regular DOE. Has no model number. But would be a 3240, but 3240 or S3240 or T3240 does not show up in any cat. Has the logo <blue Point> with the raised arrows. (1931-33) has the 39 date code. (I have seen this logo with a late 30s code before).
So: what the heck, another who done it.

 

[MR.X]

Sunday flea 2 blocks from my house.

 

[Provincial]

Sunday flea 2 blocks from my house.

One benefit of living in or near Detroit!

 

[bonneyman]

Here's a BP Halogen leak detector I picked up at a thrift store about a year ago. Turned it on, still beeps! Paid a couple of bucks for it.
I suspect it's over a decade old.

 

[Old Radar]

I thought at first your "Halogen" was an auto-correct for Halon. I didn't know Halogen was anything to worry about beyond grasping a hot high-intensity light bulb.

 

[snapmom]

Blue Point BF621 heavy duty bumping body hammer. Not to many show up, maybe cause the BP logo is printed on it instead of being stamped.. Date code 1982. Its is not like the other BP body hammers, its sort of crude. Its made by MTM, which made other body hammers too. It weights 1 lb 7 oz with handle. faces are about 1-1/2 and 1-3/4. 11" handle. Nice hammer to use in toolbox repair.

 

[Ricky Joe]

Blue Point BF621 heavy duty bumping body hammer. Not to many show up, maybe cause the BP logo is printed on it instead of being stamped.. Date code 1982. Its is not like the other BP body hammers, its sort of crude. Its made by MTM, which made other body hammers too. It weights 1 lb 7 oz with handle. faces are about 1-1/2 and 1-3/4. 11" handle. Nice hammer to use in toolbox repair.

I saw the hammer you sold on eBay not too long ago. Was there anything special about it?

 

[snapmom]

It was a double curved hammer, that is no longer made.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Some pretty old boxockets

 

[Stubby1743]

I think that these are the only two old Blue Point tools that I have.





The larger one is date stamped for 1940 and also has the government "G".

The smaller, WXD.6A9 Whitworth one, has a date code which I can't match up. It is an "E" of some sort but doesn't look quite right for the "Emergency" E. There are also three centre punch marks between the " MADE IN USA" and the date code, but I assume that they are a personal ownership mark.

Edit. I've just looked at the AA site and the "E" is the same style as the one quoted for 1944.

 

[snapmom]

Blue Points Chicago Long tapered punches. Would probably date late 20s early 30s. Would be four in the set, missing the small one, holler at me if you have one. These are quite rare. Some have model numbers, some don't.

 

[esben57]

Have this set, the keys are either stamped Allen or HK. None Blue Point. Looked at another identical set at the weekend, stamped HK.
Called Allen keys over in the UK.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Some little bluepoimt wrenches from 1935

 

[Shelbylex]

I love 6 point wrenches - they are less common (and I worry less of stripping old bolts when I use them). Great set Oldtuleguy!

 

[snapmom]

23 of the 26 Blue Point water pump wrenches. lots of different variations. late 20s to 40s. I need the 970, 976, 980

 

[snapmom]

1929 Heavy Duty Straight Boxocket Model 140 1-1/4
If you only collected BP and SO for the mfg date of one year, 29 would be neat. Would probably take a life time to find most of them.

 

[genog]

I only have a few Blue Point tools in my box
Most are of recent vintage but...

I couldn't walk away from this 4 oz hammer
It's marked Snap On Tools Corporation on the handle

 

[snapmom]

Blue Point Body Hammers: Two different with the same model number, 837. Not sure of the dates, probably close to 1938,

 

[exmaxima1]

Nobody has posted a Blue Point grinder, so I'll include my 3/4hp (made by Wissotta).

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here's a 20s puller set I've been collecting.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a Blue Point Supreme DOE I found at a sale a while back. It’s available for trade If someone needs it to complete a set.
-Don