Craftsman Wrench History 1945-2011

[Eric Brown]

Here are a couple of Sears wrenches. The top one is a starter/manifold wrench and both are marked with the "V" indicating Moore Drop Forging or affiliated. I think I bought this new about 1970, give or take five years. It is marked with the Craftsman name, but in a recessed area, not a raised panel. Finish appears to be cadmium. The second wrench is a "Dunlap" offset with "Forged in USA V" on back.

 

[Eric Brown]

Here are some Sears ratchet wrenches somewhat in order. Fulton, then Dunlop, Craftsman inside the crown, Sears Craftsman, and Craftsman. Obviously there are other designs used throughout the years. Groups 2 and three both have an "I" inside a circle (Parker MFG.)
The last set have what is either a 3 or rounded M. There is also a patent #4748875 (1988)and either pat pend or a second patent of #4819521 (1989) both by A&E Mfg. Co. Note: This marking is not on the Alloy Artifacts site.

 

[four.cycle]

This marking is not on the Alloy Artifacts site.

marking?
not sure what you mean.

 

[Eric Brown]

marking?
not sure what you mean.

Look at the last picture, right side. It looks like a 3 or M. Thought maybe it was a date code but didn't match up with anything.

 

[four.cycle]

@Eric Brown -
If it were a Snap-on wrench, that might be a date code for 1993:


... which, if you think it through, is entirely possible:
If A&E were sub-contracting that wrench to Snap-on, they would have had Snap-on's date codes. The only information on that side of the wrench is the patent information and the production codes. The other side is where the branding is - and A&E made those ratcheting box-end wrenches for everybody (other than the ones Parker made for Sears.)
Why would they set up two different dies for that side, just for Snap-on? No way! They'd have stamped them all the same for that side for that year's run.

So.... that is a possibility. My best guess on short notice, anyway. 100% speculation and conjecture.

That does not even begin to explain the wildly stylized "4" on the smallest unit.

 

[Eric Brown]

@Eric Brown -
If it were a Snap-on wrench, that might be a date code for 1993:

You may be right. I know they made them for both Craftsman and Snap-On. That side of the wrench is also stamped so they may have built wrenches with a stamped back leaving the front blank until an order. Then it looks like laser engraving on the front which could easily be done on the assembled wrenches. The bottom wrench group 4b has a "4" which could be a 1994 date. This was a replacement wrench added later.

 

[four.cycle]

^ exactomundo. entirely possible. no evidence of it being so, however. what year did you buy those?

FTR: A&E supplies Snap-on with a number of items - those ratcheting wrenches being one of them.

 

[Eric Brown]

^ exactomundo. entirely possible. no evidence of it being so, however. what year did you buy those?

FTR: A&E supplies Snap-on with a number of items - those ratcheting wrenches being one of them.

Recently, so no help on age. Wonder if any of the Snap-On's have those particular codes.

 

[four.cycle]

let it never be said I was lacking imagination.

 

[3baygarage]

Go take a look at Matco USA made pullers too. I think you might be surprised.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a -vv- metric combo set I cleaned up yesterday after finding it at an estate sale the day before. When was this set made?
-Don

 

[Kudzuman]

A photo of the front of the wrenches would be helpful. Are there double lines either side of CRAFTSMAN? I suspect that there are, which would date the wrenches to no earlier than 1976 or 1977. The outlier is the 24mm wrench with the lower case “m”s. On the assumption that the wrenches were all purchased at the same time, the wrenches would date to the time that “MM” transitioned to “mm”. I have looked for years for that date and never found anything authoritative. I suspect very late ‘70s to very early ‘80s, almost certainly before the Rales brothers hostile takeover in 1985 when the wrenches started to get ugly.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a picture of the front of the wrenches as found.
Another picture showing the 24mm.
-Don

 

[Kudzuman]

Based in the variations in the width of the raised panels on the back of the wrenches due to deep stamping on half of the wrenches, if I had to guess, I would guess early ‘80s. I stand to be corrected. Nice set! If I had beaten you to them I would have bought them! I’ve been buying “MM” wrenches lately to fill sets. Harder to find are 16, 18, 20 and 23.

 

[Kudzuman]

I just noticed the 24 did not appear to have the double lines flanking CRAFTSMAN, which would place it after 1972 or 1973 when the model numbers first appeared, but before 1976 or 1977 when the double lines were re-introduced. The “mm” stamping was not used until even later. I wish someone who worked at Springdale would chime in! Strange wrench!

 

[four.cycle]

for comparison purposes: here are two horrible photos of a "VA" stamped set of metric combination wrenches.
I bought these right around 2007-2009 from a guy on a CL deal. The set was short two pieces. I drove over to Sears and bought two pieces of open stock that matched the other pieces. I can't even remember which ones I replaced!

not sure if this is even relevant, as @lauver's list says:
" V^(2nd V inverted) = Danaher, Armstrong Division, ca. 1992 - 2012 "

 

[Steven 33]

let it never be said I was lacking imagination.

(1) Craftsman Ratcheting Box Wrenches with Snap-On Date Codes (Here's Why) | The Garage Journal https://share.google/hkwL7kMz10lmwTK0W

Someone Had gone into this already. Definitely made solid case, but lacking any actual sources to back it up, And unfortunately it's a little too late for me too. Do all that right now but I will add a little more context. Daniel lang was an engineer working for snap-on while he was trying to start A&E and was making A few different types of tools, his garage basically. The timeline isn't super clear, But in some way or another snap-on was also their first customer.
I'm not sure if their history had anything to do with the different style on the date codes but that stylized 4 you mentioned is accurate if you compare to the older version of the Day code chart.

 

[d42jeep]

Here are some Sears ratchet wrenches somewhat in order. Fulton, then Dunlop, Craftsman inside the crown, Sears Craftsman, and Craftsman. Obviously there are other designs used throughout the years. Groups 2 and three both have an "I" inside a circle (Parker MFG.)
The last set have what is either a 3 or rounded M. There is also a patent #4748875 (1988)and either pat pend or a second patent of #4819521 (1989) both by A&E Mfg. Co. Note: This marking is not on the Alloy Artifacts site.

A couple more Craftsman ratchet wrenches I found on Thursday came out of the evaporust yesterday looking much better.
Before.
After.
Other side.
-Don

 

[int3414]

i picked up a set of craftsman double box offset wrenches,they have the = two lines but no V,,,anyone know why or what

 

[four.cycle]

,they have the = two lines but no V,

without a photo, best WAG would be "lack of space"

 

[int3414]

not a full set,,but..

 

[four.cycle]

^ what's the other side look like? that "V" is not stamped on both sides of the tool.

 

[int3414]

the other side is forged in the USA, with the sizes again and the double lines with no V
not sure what kind of a finish these have, not really chrome???
oh heck those are pictured ..both sides

 

[d42jeep]

I found this 1” combo at a yard sale on Saturday. Looks unused.
Traces of label removed.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

not sure what kind of a finish these have, not really chrome???

^ I'd guess they're chromed.
The "pointy A" indicates manufacture prior to 1970 (per @ganymede)

 

[Lesserstore]

i picked up a set of craftsman double box offset wrenches,they have the = two lines but no V,,,anyone know why or what

not a full set,,but..

Made between 1945-47. Zinc plated due to chrome shortages caused by WWII.

 

[four.cycle]

Made between 1945-47. Zinc plated due to chrome shortages caused by WWII.

OH!
zinc?!?!?!
wow... I did not know that!

 

[d42jeep]

Possibly cad plated.
-Don

 

[int3414]

ok thanks, are they v wrenches without the v...

 

[genog]

I have a set of the Craftsman professional long pattern in both metric and standard sizes and also both sets in the stubby versions. I bought all these brand new in 1998-1999.....

I've read many times that most consider these wrenches to be Sears Craftsman's best effort ever at making a professional style wrench line series. I agree, they are very nice high quality full polished wrenches as good or better than any other brands out there...

I have several sets of Craftsman polished combos and they are amongst my favs....

Bought these SAE's and a Metric set sometime around 1994 or so to use as a back-up for my Snappys

 

[genog]

A few more C-man polished metric combos
These have a very nice feel to them and grip well

 

[Lesserstore]

Here's a page from the 1947 Spring/Summer catalog:


In the Fall/Winter 1947 catalog only the combination wrenches are listed as zinc plated.

 

[d42jeep]

So this postwar set I always assumed was cad plated is likely zinc plated? It certainly isn’t chrome plated.
Interesting.
-Don

 

[Lesserstore]

The sockets and drive tools, I had assumed were cad plated too. The catalogs from 1952-54 omit any mention of chrome, and if anything is said about surface finish, it's just "plated and polished." So there is no telling what it might be, I have noticed zinc and cad plate ages similarly.