Diamond Calk Horseshoe Adjustable Wrench

[d42jeep]

I think that lefties have to make do with the wrenches with the thumb recesses on both sides.
-Don

 

[LOW1]

Some other interesting things they made were those folding trenching shovels and mattocks that the military used to use. My brother has one of each that my Dad got from a surplus store sometime in the 1950s.

Nice. But I really hate painted wood handles. Why would Uncle Sam do that?

 

[jblnut]

Oh boy I love Diamond Calk tools !! I’ll have to get an updated picture now that they’re all hung up …..

Doubles and a few other oddballs.


A couple neat ones made by Diamond Calk but branded Hickory.


About half of them displayed in my old shop. OP your 18” is from the very first run of adjustables the Diamond Calk Horse Shoe company made back in the 1920’s. They were all big thick beasts. I have an 18” and a 15” that I use often.

 

[jblnut]

Here is my 18" wrench like yours OP. I looked in my parts box and I do not have an extra jaws or I'd happily send it to you !!


Here are the most of the Diamond Tools in my collection. Hung up proudly in the shop bathroom. Oldest set in the top middle right, newest production set in the top middle left. Couple nail pullers, HandyBoy pliers, calk wrenches, a crate tool, Model T wrench, and an oddball with two 12pt ends that I have no idea what was for.

 

[GarageHobbyist]

Here is my 18" wrench like yours OP. I looked in my parts box and I do not have an extra jaws or I'd happily send it to you !!


Here are the most of the Diamond Tools in my collection. Hung up proudly in the shop bathroom. Oldest set in the top middle right, newest production set in the top middle left. Couple nail pullers, HandyBoy pliers, calk wrenches, a crate tool, Model T wrench, and an oddball with two 12pt ends that I have no idea what was for.

Nice! I hope to get to something like that one day.
This is NOT mine, but it is my white whale.

 

[GarageHobbyist]

I picked this 15” up over the weekend. Jaw wouldn’t move, but I got it freed up last night.
The next issue is that someone used it as a hammer, so if I want to close it all the way there is some grinding and filing in my future.


And here is what I’ve got so far. The Tin Snips are probably a lost cause due to the bolt a previous owner forced in there.


I joined a FB group and there are several former Diamond Employees in it. There is some pretty interesting information in there if you are interested in Diamond tools.

 

[txtoolguy]

Here is my 18" wrench like yours OP. I looked in my parts box and I do not have an extra jaws or I'd happily send it to you !!


Here are the most of the Diamond Tools in my collection. Hung up proudly in the shop bathroom. Oldest set in the top middle right, newest production set in the top middle left. Couple nail pullers, HandyBoy pliers, calk wrenches, a crate tool, Model T wrench, and an oddball with two 12pt ends that I have no idea what was for.

Superb Collection, I have almost all these but your double ended collection is particularly impressive. very cool..

 

[OmegaDPW]

I just decided to start collecting adjustable wrenches and everything I've read and researched talked about Diamond Calk being one of the best. Picked up my first one today. It's fairly beat up but is in perfect working condition. On to the next USA brand now!

 

[Leviton]

Posting this one because having a forge code in this location on the wrench does not seem common. Has a "68" forge code near the broached end.

 

[d42jeep]

Looks wartime. This 6” version has a 86 casting mark in a different location.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

We found this at yesterday’s estate sale and cleaned it up a bit. Most of the red paint came off.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I found this 4” example at a garage sale yesterday. It cleaned up pretty well.
It even has an odd 131 casting mark.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

This 8” wartime adjustable has had a hard life. I did what I could with it. Here I how I found it.
After it spent an overnight in the evaporust I managed to get it apart. It had been used as a hammer so much that I had to drill out the passage that the jaw slides in.
-Don

 

[Beerhippie]

Oops. Wrong thread!

 

[3baygarage]

Here is an oddball unbranded 6” I found. I think it’s an old Diamond based on the markings.

 

[INSP380]

Love me some Diamonds !!!

 

[jblnut]

Here is an oddball unbranded 6” I found. I think it’s an old Diamond based on the markings.

The A223 is a Diamond Wrench. I’ve looked for other sizes but have only ever found a 6” version of this.

 

[Oregon Dave]

Here is an oddball unbranded 6” I found. I think it’s an old Diamond based on the markings.

Wrench copies like this one, old, at least before the hanging hole was reinforced or broached; make me wonder about 'transitional' or press set ups - not quite ready to put the brand/name on - still working the bugs/glitches out. Another thought is contract produced; ready for stamping some other brand/name.

Do the edges appear raw/unfinished/as forged whatever?

 

[3baygarage]

The hang hole is rough. The edges of the wrench are smooth. Thanks for your input guys.

 

[four.cycle]

This is the most impressive pair of 9-inch linemans pliers I've ever held in my hand (and yes, I own a pair of Kleins.)


Diamond SL58 9-inch linemans pliers

 

[Oregon Dave]

This is the most impressive pair of 9-inch linemans pliers I've ever held in my hand (and yes, I own a pair of Kleins.)


Diamond SL58 9-inch linemans pliers

Nice find; The Workhorse of American Pliers.

Brings back memories; my Dad was a lineman 30+ years for Pacific Power & Light - have umpteen different brands he tried out and more than umpteen Kleins. He and pretty much the entire crew system chose ‘Old-School’ Klein equipment at that time. Remember as a kid they would drive those ¾” galvanized bolts in and out of poles and crossarms with them; just loos’nd up the pliers. They used to throw new Kleins (they were very tight then) as hard as they could, many times, on a steel plate at the shop, until they ‘worked right’; take them homes, heat some grips in hot water - good to go. Only thing that damaged them was having to cut a live wire; blew a hole in the cutter; and why I have more than umpteen.

 

[d42jeep]

I found this 15” Diamond Calk auto wrench at an estate sale yesterday. I’ll probably remove the red spray paint.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I cursed the unknown person that spray bombed my new 15” auto wrench several times during the cleaning process.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ The "soak in straight Simple Green for three days" trick worked wonders on that Dunlap adjustable I sent down to you.

 

[INSP380]

I’ve had this one for years, inherited it from my Grandfather when he retired in 1980. A C711 in almost pristine condition. His name is stamped on the opposite side. I’ll have this forever.

Steve

 

[kams1973]

Here’s a few adjustable wrenches from my box.

 

[d42jeep]

I found this rusty 18” auto wrench at an estate sale Thursday.

After doing a little hand wire brushing in preparation for cleaning in evaporust, I noticed some markings stamped on the upper jaw.

Some research showed that the stamped markings stood for Southern Pacific Transportation Company/St. Louis Southwestern Railway
The wrench came out of the evaporust today looking much different.



-Don

 

[d42jeep]

The new large auto wrench needed to be added to the Diamond storage box along with my other Diamond additions since last summer.
I added the new tools to the Diamond ones already in the Kennedy storage box.
Green handle tools.
Tools without green handles.
Auto wrenches.
Adjustable wrenches.
Snips, nippers and others.
Possibly too many pliers.
Oddballs; Motor Spec, DC and others.
I seem to need a larger storage box since the lid will no longer close!
-Don

 

[jblnut]

The new large auto wrench needed to be added to the Diamond storage box along with my other Diamond additions since last summer.
I added the new tools to the Diamond ones already in the Kennedy storage box.
Green handle tools.
Tools without green handles.
Auto wrenches.
Adjustable wrenches.
Snips, nippers and others.
Possibly too many pliers.
Oddballs; Motor Spec, DC and others.
I seem to need a larger storage box since the lid will no longer close!
-Don

Haven’t seen a “6” Wide Opening” before. That’s a neat piece.

No double ended wrenches ?

I have found a couple oddballs over the years. The pair of KHT adjustables are neat.




I also ran across a pair of “Refrigeration Special” wrenches a while back and brought them home.

 

[d42jeep]

Haven’t seen a “6” Wide Opening” before. That’s a neat piece.

No double ended wrenches ?

I have found a couple oddballs over the years. The pair of KHT adjustables are neat.




I also ran across a pair of “Refrigeration Special” wrenches a while back and brought them home.

Nice collection. I used to flip double end adjustables when I found them as I couldn’t see using them. I finally found a couple of the Crescent versions and hung onto them.
-Don

 

[jaceq]

first Diamond in my collection:

 

[INSP380]

first Diamond in my collection:

Very clean!! I’m Diggin the green too… Nice Diamond!

Steve

 

[d42jeep]

I found this at an estate sale recently. The plastic wasn’t in very good condition and it didn’t operate very smoothly but it does open quite wide.
-Don

 

[Beerhippie]

What use is an adjustable that you can't hammer with, or use a cheater on?

 

[d42jeep]

What use is an adjustable that you can't hammer with, or use a cheater on?

Here is one with the hammer kind of built in.
-Don

 

[3baygarage]

I finally got a nice 4 x 6. It needed a little clean up and a new screw. For now I have a NOS Crescent screw in there. Slightly long, must be for a 6 incher.

 

[Beerhippie]

Wait, wait... it's 4 inches long on one end and 6 inches long on the other..... This is gonna take some contemplation....

 

[genog]

I was reaching under the front seat of my truck hoping to find my sunglasses....
I found instead, this little 4" Diamalloy that I had forgotten about

 

[Fred Knox]

O.K., my Double Diamond Calk Horseshoe Co adjustable wrench set is starting to come together. This is the 6”-8”. The last photo is with its older brothers, the 8”-10” double and the 10”-12” double. Now I’m on the hunt for the 4”–6” to round it out!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

^ That's a neat collection! I'll keep my eyes peeled, too.