The vintage Blackhawk Thread

C1070RS · Feb 19, 2019

So why would it have Blackhawk stamped on it if it was a William's? I'm a newbie on this vintage stuff. Any guess as to what year it may have been made?

r_olson_06 · Feb 19, 2019

C1070RS said:
So why would it have Blackhawk stamped on it if it was a William's? I'm a newbie on this vintage stuff. Any guess as to what year it may have been made?

It's very common and even in today's world. Williams would make the tools and sell them under Williams. They would also sell them to Blackhawk and stamp Blackhawks name on this.
New Britian followed this business model along with several others.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrenches 3061, 3070,

3baygarage · Feb 19, 2019

That’s a good explanation. Lots of rebranding has always occurred with tools. I’m not good with the dates but maybe someone has a catalog.

txlonghorn1989 · Feb 20, 2019

CRTDI said:
From a 1939 catalog. "CB" chest.

Nugget? Was that a different company than Blackhawk or a subsidiary?

Tried to view the pic but got taken to another website. No thanks. Seems folks didn't learn much from the other photo site fiasco.

txlonghorn1989 · Feb 20, 2019

Private Lugnutz said:
The dilemma was the measured dimensions not matching the specs, notlob. And not negligible differences, either. But I suppose it could be how/where the measurements are taken, as Tex and Otg suggest.

Right Lugz. Those are not negligible differences in the dimensions. I wonder what's the story on that? For what it's worth even allowing some discrepancy I could not see how you'd get to the measurements listed from the actual sizes that Otg and I were measuring on our boxes. Maybe there are catalogs we don't have access to any longer? ???

Oldtuleguy · Feb 20, 2019

txlonghorn1989 said:
Nugget? Was that a different company than Blackhawk or a subsidiary?

Tried to view the pic but got taken to another website. No thanks. Seems folks didn't learn much from the other photo site fiasco.

Nuggets are 7/16 drive tools sold by blackhawk in that time period

notlob · Feb 20, 2019

txlonghorn1989 said:
Nugget? Was that a different company than Blackhawk or a subsidiary?

txlonghorn1989 · Feb 20, 2019

Otg Never seen Nuggets tools. Very cool! And 7/16 drive to boot. Now, how handy is that?! :lol_hitti

Oldtuleguy · Feb 20, 2019

From the 30s all the way up to 55 or so , then new britain bought them out and did away with it

Oldtuleguy · Feb 28, 2019

Picked up a 69987 3/4 ratchet with a 42 date code. Works good!

Private Lugnutz · Mar 3, 2019

This 49997 Freewheeler found me today at the flea market. Literally. I was walking to my truck ready to go home when a buddy called me over to his. He hands me this and says a vendor gave it to him because it's broken. Do I want it? He knows I collect WWII tools and guessed, correctly, that the "-2" on the handle might be 1942. Sure, I said, but to be fair and square, it's not broken. There are no teeth. That's what the "FREEWHEELING" refers to. You can have it anyway, he says. Sometimes it pays to have tool buddies - but only when they don't collect the same things!

I am very surprised it's chrome-plated. Had to be very early 1942 or new old stock at that time.

northwoods · Mar 3, 2019

jwitt said:
Here are a few

Tiny Blackhawk 1/4 ratchet (one of my favorites!)

Some sockets, breakers, and speeder

Early 50's Baldhead 3/8 ratchet, I also have a 1/2.

I'm really liking this older Blackhawk stuff. Always looking for more.

Jim

That's the rat they call "Baldie".

Oldtuleguy · Mar 3, 2019

Private Lugnutz said:
This 49997 Freewheeler found me today at the flea market. Literally. I was walking to my truck ready to go home when a buddy called me over to his. He hands me this and says a vendor gave it to him because it's broken. Do I want it? He knows I collect WWII tools and guessed, correctly, that the "-2" on the handle might be 1942. Sure, I said, but to be fair and square, it's not broken. There are no teeth. That's what the "FREEWHEELING" refers to. You can have it anyway, he says. Sometimes it pays to have tool buddies - but only when they don't collect the same things!

I am very surprised it's chrome-plated. Had to be very early 1942 or new old stock at that time.

Every one of those the seller seems to think it's broken!

d42jeep · Mar 3, 2019

I found this cool spinner at an estate sale a few blocks from home along with some other Blackhawk pieces. The color of the handle is very reminiscent of the RTEC spinner I used to have. I wonder if Blackhawk was providing the RTEC set unmarked spinners.
-Don

r_olson_06 · Mar 3, 2019

d42jeep said:
I found this cool spinner at an estate sale a few blocks from home along with some other Blackhawk pieces. The color of the handle is very reminiscent of the RTEC spinner I used to have. I wonder if Blackhawk was providing the RTEC set unmarked spinners.
-Don

What's the drive size on that spinner?

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrenches 3061, 3070,

Oldtuleguy · Mar 3, 2019

That's a 1/4 incher

Private Lugnutz · Mar 3, 2019

Oldtuleguy said:
Every one of those the seller seems to think it's broken!

I guess "freewheeling" isn't descriptive enough!

Capt. Spaulding · Mar 3, 2019

Picked up a speeder that says 500 Blackhawk and looks fairly old. Any info on this?

Pics when I get home from work.

Private Lugnutz · Mar 3, 2019

20s into early 30s. Quick Disconnect (Q.D.) era. Before Lock-On. Tools were black satin. It should be a short brace-type speeder with rotating grips on the end and the swing.

EDIT: Here's one in my Q.D. No. 18-A set.

View media item 83484

Oldtuleguy · Mar 3, 2019

Nice set! Some of the later ones did not have the grip

d42jeep · Mar 3, 2019

Oldtuleguy said:
That's a 1/4 incher

Yes it is. I should have checked though.
-Don

r_olson_06 · Mar 3, 2019

Private Lugnutz said:
20s into early 30s. Quick Disconnect (Q.D.) era. Before Lock-On. Tools were black satin. It should be a short brace-type speeder with rotating grips on the end and the swing.

EDIT: Here's one in my Q.D. No. 18-A set.

View media item 83484

Nice set Lugz. I am still looking for the crimp on Spinner Tee for my C-32 set.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrenches 3061, 3070,

Private Lugnutz · Mar 3, 2019

I've shown it before, and I wasn't trying to steal Cpt. Spaulding's No. 500 Q.D. speeder thunder this time, but thanks, guys.

I have never seen a 500 without both rotating grips, Otg. In a catalog or anywhere else. Interesting.

What tool are you referring to, Roy? The T60 extension with the rotating grip? Or the 3310 Tee handle with the rotating grip?

Oldtuleguy · Mar 3, 2019

Here is one, late 30s

JoCoSawdust · Mar 3, 2019

Something I never expected to own. I was about to settle up on some Craftsman stuff today when the seller asked me if I might be interested in a "weird box that looks like a bomb" that he had out in his trailer. Unfortunately the box has been spray bombed but it's dent and rust free. I've rolled through this thread pretty quickly so forgive me if I've missed it but does anyone have a list of what all came in this set? I've jogged what's in here against Don's pristine set and it appears that I'm missing 7 pieces that he has however I have several 6pt deep wells that are not in his set. I generally just clean an old box up and enjoy the patina but seeing how this has been bombed and is missing the decals, this one will get a full refurb.

Private Lugnutz · Mar 3, 2019

Oldtuleguy said:
Here is one, late 30s

Ah, I see. Not Q.D. In that transition period between the Q.D. and Lock-On eras when they used some of the same part numbers.

JoCoSawdust said:
Something I never expected to own.

Nothing like being upstaged by a near-complete postwar Nuggets set in a Bullet case! :lol:

Nice get, JoCo!

r_olson_06 · Mar 3, 2019

Private Lugnutz said:
I've shown it before, and I wasn't trying to steal Cpt. Spaulding's No. 500 Q.D. speeder thunder this time, but thanks, guys.

I have never seen a 500 without both rotating grips, Otg. In a catalog or anywhere else. Interesting.

What tool are you referring to, Roy? The T60 extension with the rotating grip? Or the 3310 Tee handle with the rotating grip?

This one. Was going for it but looked bent.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrenches 3061, 3070,

Private Lugnutz · Mar 3, 2019

That's the 3310. It does look bent, but that's a decent price for online. It could probably be straightened easily enough with a torch and a vise, no?

Oldtuleguy · Mar 3, 2019

For 10$ it's cheap

r_olson_06 · Mar 3, 2019

Private Lugnutz said:
That's the 3310. It does look bent, but that's a decent price for online. It could probably be straightened easily enough with a torch and a vise, no?

Still in a possible pipe dream that I will find one in the wild. See so many of the damn Walden and Ray special purpose ones at auction and farming flea markets that one of them has to be a Blackhawk.

Also I may have gone a little Plomb crazy with the old slush fund trying to fill out my smooth combos, DOEs, and DBEs that this one took a backseat.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrenches 3061, 3070,

Private Lugnutz · Mar 3, 2019

r_olson_06 said:
Still in a possible pipe dream that I will find one in the wild.

I've only seen one 3310 Speed Tee in the wild, several years ago, and that one was in this near-complete Q.D. 32-CD set, linked here. I had a lot of fun "restoring" that set and case. I have never seen one by itself.

twertsy · Mar 4, 2019

JoCoSawdust said:
Something I never expected to own. I was about to settle up on some Craftsman stuff today when the seller asked me if I might be interested in a "weird box that looks like a bomb" that he had out in his trailer. Unfortunately the box has been spray bombed but it's dent and rust free. I've rolled through this thread pretty quickly so forgive me if I've missed it but does anyone have a list of what all came in this set? I've jogged what's in here against Don's pristine set and it appears that I'm missing 7 pieces that he has however I have several 6pt deep wells that are not in his set. I generally just clean an old box up and enjoy the patina but seeing how this has been bombed and is missing the decals, this one will get a full refurb.

The impossible dream.......what luck! Nice Snag! Would you mind disclosing the price? Although, you may attract bullets.......... :shocking:

JoCoSawdust · Mar 4, 2019

twertsy said:
The impossible dream.......what luck! Nice Snag! Would you mind disclosing the price? Although, you may attract bullets..........

I paid 325 for everything on the bench here. He was asking 10 each on the wrench racks, after that we decided to go to a bundle price so I'd put the nugget set between 250 and 275 or so. I think this is going to be a long term pick as this gentleman slowly helps a buddy clear his shop out. Hard telling what's going to turn up here.

"bullets"...I see what you did there! :beer:

Private Lugnutz · Mar 4, 2019

Everyone would want to find one in its original state being sold for a low price by some guy at a flea market who didn't know what he had, but that is actually a good price for what you got and how you got it. Even though the bullet case has been re-painted, and there is no decal, it is in great shape, and the tools are in excellent condition.

Oldtuleguy · Mar 4, 2019

Yes that awful how it has been repainted, I can tell it bothers you. Just send it to me!

Oldtuleguy · Mar 4, 2019

Roy I think it is not uncommon for these 3310s to be bent a little. I have been thinking of straightening mine, but it is kinda part of the patina. Here it is with its qd buddies.

JoCoSawdust · Mar 4, 2019

Thanks Lugz. I know had I walked away from that I'd have regretted it to eternity.

OTG, Thanks for the kind offer but I'm trying to shake it off and suffer in silence

Oldtuleguy · Mar 4, 2019

Since you dropped the "bomb" box I will post up my recent torpedo find...

It is larger than my bomb box and made of some pretty thick metal

JoCoSawdust · Mar 4, 2019

Very cool OTG! Porta Power box? What's the purpose of the threaded tail cap? I'm assuming it holds part of the Porta Power from shifting around?

Oldtuleguy · Mar 4, 2019

You unscrew it to open the lid

The vintage Blackhawk Thread

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member