Proto and Indestro hand wrenches

[Jeff Ivers]

My oldest hand wrenches were moved years ago to my tool bag that I carry in my pickup. I have an Indestro set consisting of 1/4-5/16, 3/8-7/16, 1/2-9/16, 19/32-11/16, and 5/8-3/4 wrenches. I was looking at these today and noticed that the Indestro name is only stamped on the 1/4-5/16 wrench. Also, I have what I presume is a Proto combination wrench set with the following markings:
P&C P2712 3/8
Challenger 6014 7/16
Challenger 6016 1/2
P&C P2718 9/16
P&C P2720 5/8
Proto Challenger 6024 3/4

I thought the markings were somewhat inconsistent. Has anyone else noticed this?

 

[rust in the eye]

Alloy Artifacts has a comprehensive article regarding Proto: http://alloy-artifacts.org/proto-empire.html#pc
Why would you expect the numbering of varied brands, even if by same maker, to be consistent? The last two digits coincide with 32nds in all cases here so some consistency.

 

[four.cycle]

I have an Indestro set consisting of 1/4-5/16, 3/8-7/16, 1/2-9/16, 19/32-11/16, and 5/8-3/4 wrenches. I was looking at these today and noticed that the Indestro name is only stamped on the 1/4-5/16 wrench.

Do they have depressed panels on the shanks with pointed ends? Like these?

... and they are marked only "Select Steel", perhaps?

If so, those were made by Indestro for one of their private label accounts and don't have any brand name on them. They made millions of them.

I can't answer your question on the Proto and P&C stuff.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Alloy Artifacts has a comprehensive article regarding Proto: http://alloy-artifacts.org/proto-empire.html#pc
Why would you expect the numbering of varied brands, even if by same maker, to be consistent? The last two digits coincide with 32nds in all cases here so some consistency.

I should have been clearer. My question is about the inconsistent brand names on wrenches acquired as sets. Thank you for the referenced article.

Do they have depressed panels on the shanks with pointed ends? Like these?

... and they are marked only "Select Steel", perhaps?

If so, those were made by Indestro for one of their private label accounts and don't have any brand name on them. They made millions of them.

I can't answer your question on the Proto and P&C stuff.

Yes, those are the markings on my wrenches. They were acquired as a set and I thought it strange that only the smallest wrench has the Indestro name.

 

[four.cycle]

^ It's Indestro's line of "Select Steel" wrenches. They produced millions of them for their private-label accounts.
Usually they are not marked "Indestro". Your 1/4" x 5/16" unit may have been purchased as a replacement by a previous owner. Those little ones are easily lost/misplaced.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

^ It's Indestro's line of "Select Steel" wrenches. They produced millions of them for their private-label accounts.
Usually they are not marked "Indestro". Your 1/4" x 5/16" unit may have been purchased as a replacement by a previous owner. Those little ones are easily lost/misplaced.

I discovered out in my shop today one larger size wrench from the same Indestro set and it is also marked Indestro. I am the original owner of this set and have only lost one wrench in my life - my JCP 12-13mm dropped into an oil drain pit in a service station.

 

[four.cycle]

^ It could very well be they pulled stock out of another bin in order to make sets to fill an order. Wouldn't be the first time we've seen something along that line.
I have all kinds of NOS Indestro socket sets (sealed in the factory shrink-wrap) that are made up of non-matching pieces.
Wouldn't surprise me in the least to see it in wrench sets as well.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Here is a picture of the sets I am talking about:

I apologize for the photo quality, but hopefully it is good enough to picture the labeling. I mainly brought this up because if someone out there is trying to complete a set, it might be helpful to know that each wrench was not marked the same with respect to brand. I looked at the Proto site referenced above and it left me with the impression that they were trying to create a chronological sequence of the brand names but my set shows the use of P&C, Challenger and Proto all in the same set. I am the original purchaser of both sets. The Indestro set was purchased in Kirksville, MO, probably at Ace hardware, around 1969. I think the Proto set was purchased at Handy Dan hardware in Rolla, MO about 1973.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I cannot speak to the Proto/Challenger stuff, but the Indestro set including an oddball doesn't surprise me in the least.

Here are three full sets of NOS (new old stock) Indestro, as received. Note they include "Indestro Super", "Duro-Indestro", and just "Indestro" brands - all mixed up. This is business as usual with Indestro.

 

[d42jeep]

As four.cycle says, some are marked Indestro, some aren’t.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

MOST of them are not marked Indestro - those would be the ones they sold to private label accounts or accounts that wanted "no name" tools: Western Auto, Montgomery Ward, etc.

1959 Indestro catalog No. 22 pp 30 - Engineers Open-end Wrenches