What are some of your oldest tools ?

[Motorman55]

U.S. Frankford Arsenal Caliper 1869

 

[thehorse13]

U.S. Frankford Arsenal Caliper 1869

That is a fantastic tool. I'm jealous!

 

[Motorman55]

That is a fantastic tool. I'm jealous!

If I remember correctly, I found this at a garage sale where you would gather any stuff you wanted, go up to the cashier and they would give you one price for the lot.

That day we had a bunch of cool stuff and after dividing the amount of things we had into the cashiers single lot price, the caliper cost me $.25 cents.

It was originally rusted and stuck fast. This is how it turned out after soaking in vinegar or Evapo-Rust. I can't remember which.

 

[toolmutt]

Not as old as some of the other tools posted but here's mine. A pair of Crescent branded fence pliers that I inherited from my dad. I know for certain that he got them from his dad. Actually used by all three generations. It's possible, although I can't confirm it, that the original owner/user was my great-grandfather.

 

[toolmutt]

This may be older but I have no background information on it. Given to me by a long since passed away uncle. Any info that you guys may have about it would be welcome.

 

[thehorse13]

If I remember correctly, I found this at a garage sale where you would gather any stuff you wanted, go up to the cashier and they would give you one price for the lot.

That day we had a bunch of cool stuff and after dividing the amount of things we had into the cashiers single lot price, the caliper cost me $.25 cents.

It was originally rusted and stuck fast. This is how it turned out after soaking in vinegar or Evapo-Rust. I can't remember which.

Want to double your money?

That's a great way to find cool stuff. You don't find many bulk buy sales anymore. At least around here.

 

[leg17]

I have been a long time accumulator of patent marked machinist and machine shop tools. I have slowed down these days as I probably need to begin cleaning the place out while I am still upright. But, here are some oldies.

Patent 1866 pipe taps by Morse Twist Drill in original wooden boxes.
The patent refers to their recently developed machine to radially relieve the threads during manufacturing.
(A thread cutting tap is not a simple bolt with slots, but the threads are relieved between every flute.)
Morse was one of a handful of designs developed for tap manufacturing in the first years after the war, when manufacturing could settle down and begin the big push in the Industrial Age.

 

[Eric Brown]

My oldest is a 1816 auger made by L'Hommedieu. Patented. Also shown is a set made a little later.

 

[Milton Shaw]

I got one of my grandfathers wood working tools, saws, planes, etc. that he made or received when he graduated apprentice school in 1906. A lot were self made so no patent date on them. But at least 120 years old. Some of my tools I have had SK ratchets etc. I got at age 10 which is 66 years ago. Still use some of them everytime I work on nuts and bolts stuff. Yet at 66 years old they are not considered vintage tools.

 

[DAustin]

I've got a Mousterian made Hand Axe.

"The Mousterian industry is the name archaeologists have given to an ancient Middle Stone Age method of making stone tools. The Mousterian is associated with our hominid relatives the Neanderthals in Europe and Asia and both Early Modern Human and Neanderthals in Africa.
Mousterian stone tools were in use between about 200,000 years ago, until roughly 30,000 years ago."

 

[Eric Brown]

Not my oldest but pretty close. I just finished a study of Taylor braces. His patent was from 1836, so these are all after that.
The study is a 23mb PDF file. Enjoy.

 

[Beerhippie]

Joseph H. Lewis patent of 28 May, 1867.

 

[AreBeeBee]

Not sure how old exactly, but I have two J.M. King Button's patent pliers. The patent goes back to the immediate post-Civil War years (1867), but how long after that King (in Waterford, N.Y.) made them.....? I also have a Peck, Stow, & Wilcox bit brace that was probably made in the mid-late 1880s.

That's about as far back as I go — but the truth is I use all of these oldie tools currently. And why not? They do their jobs perfectly well.

 

[ararat]

Iohn (John) Green 1/2" pigsticker mortise chisel
Back when "I" was used for "J" in names like John. Late 1700's to very early 1800's. There's a book about him called John Green 18th Century York Planemaker that I want to read.

 

[Gmonkee]

These chisels were all found in an older guys collection years ago. Quite a bit of older woodworking stuff.

A 12" engineers chisel bearing no markings and two of British origin with the square pointy tang. I put them on modern handles to use them. Possibly 1850's.

 

[Gmonkee]

The markings, both Sheffield, England. W. Butcher on the chisel and illegible maker on the gouge.
I have used them for a few projects.

 

[59Sled]

Probably my oldest if it is what we think it is.
Cant find much history on it, but from the folks on this message board.
Sounds like it could be a Weber wagon wrench made from 1845
or it could be a Weber stationary engine wrench from the mid 1880's

 

[Gmonkee]

Patent applied for stampings are a tool made before the patent date.
Patented 18XX stamps usually indicate a tool made after said patent date.

Some tools were basically the same for decades in production. So an 1890 patent could be on a 1920 production tool. (even if the patent expired before production)

 

[59Sled]

Also have these Mason's combined pliers and wrench.
They were listed in a 1907 catalog. So they could be a little older than 1907.

 

[DAustin]

I have a small Mousterian Hand A xe. Supposed to be anywhere from 160,000 to 40,000 years ago and most likely to have been made by Neanderthal's. Don't really use it but if I should run into some Mammoths one day I could cut up some steaks with it.