Vintage ratchet ID help?

r_olson_06 · Oct 3, 2015

Here is a couple pics of this 1/2" Dr ratchet I picked up. Is duro or indestro? Any help is appreciated.

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sk farmer · Oct 4, 2015

my gut tells me that could be a "very" early sk. they madeone similar to that but i don't think that is quite right.

maybe a duro?

Sam'sAutoParts · Oct 4, 2015

it does appear to be similar to early SK ratchets, not seeing any similar Duro. Maybe woody will know.

r_olson_06 · Oct 4, 2015

That does look pretty close. I forgot they ran the Brazil line in their early productions. It is really close but selectors are slightly different.

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r_olson_06 · Oct 4, 2015

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drivesitfar · Oct 4, 2015

R: i was wondering how you narrowed it down to just those two choices. i might own one, but i need to clean up mine to see if there is any name on it. Twertsy i think has a couple hundred ratchets so maybe he'll chime in with one that still has the name on his.

how does it work?

woody 73 · Oct 4, 2015

It does remind me of the early sk ratchets from the 1930's. OP any way to get more pictures with less flash bulb effect in order to get a better close up shot of both sides of the ratchet.

r_olson_06 · Oct 4, 2015

Phone has been acting up and will have to wait to get home to get better pics. It is screaming s-k production before s-k went out on their own. It is crazy this ratchet is probably approaching 100 years old and has had the **** worked out of it by the wear on the handle and still has a strong click sound.

I haven't been around tool collecting very long and am young compared to most of the collectors on the site. So most of information comes from what you guys write and tool history sites. But when I bought this I was thinking old duro for sure but when I started researching it was apparent that wasn't so.

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woody 73 · Oct 4, 2015

I will send a pm to GJ member kxxr he has a large ratchet collection maybe he has run across another example of the above ratchet.

woody 73 · Oct 4, 2015

I sent Twertsy a pm maybe he has one in his collection with a name on the handle. Drivesitfar could you check your collection and see if you have another copy to look at.

I looked over my collection but nothing like that example came up.

twertsy · Oct 4, 2015

As far as I know I don't have one similar to that. At least, I haven't made to a drawer with one like it in there. I'm not at the shop today actually. I'll see what I can find out.

woody 73 · Oct 4, 2015

Take a look at the following handle shape (not the ratchet head) and compare the two items, somewhat the same design, but still different.

http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/Photos/tools/williams_12dr_s51_ratchet_f_cropped_inset2.jpg

Not saying it was made by Williams but maybe copied by others???

ganymede · Oct 4, 2015

Hinsdale also had crimped or riveted heads like that.

woody 73 · Oct 4, 2015

Still looking:

http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/Photos/tools/mtf_ratchet_sockets_cropped.jpg

r_olson_06 · Oct 4, 2015

I think so far the Brazil ratchet (sk) is the closet with head configuration and handle design. There is alot of Erie similar handles on a variety of ratchets. I would like to see if anyone else has something similar

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woody 73 · Oct 4, 2015

The crazy thing is how in the heck do they get any drops of oil in it? Just by chance does it have an oil cap on top?

Or does the drive section come out like a push/pull design?

r_olson_06 · Oct 4, 2015

I will check on an oil port but I don't remember seeing one. I do know that there was grease coming out behind the selector switch. I can see why they went away from this style of ratchet. When anything goes wrong it is unfixable by any normal means. I have an old OTC that is crimped and it has a skip.

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3baygarage · Oct 5, 2015

r olson I was just looking at that ratchet. My best guess would be S-K made like the Chrome Alloy line with those rivets in it, although most I have seen had the crimped on selector like the one you showed from AA.

As far as Duro, they (like their Western Auto Westcraft counterpart) also have a crimped together two piece selector, other than the push through ratchets of course.

Here is a completely unmarked ratchet I found. It think it is Chrome Alloy or at least made by S-K. I've seen quite a few of this style ratchet. Bent and missing the selector unfortunately, must have had a rough life.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 5, 2015

The fact that it's unmarked hints at contract production, or third party knock-off, as others have suggested. But both of those cases are usually immediately identifiable.

While I agree with Woody that the ratchet sort of resembles the Williams design, it's not exactly the same, and I can’t think of another US mfgr that had a tapered shank with a concave panel and a solid handle on the end. (I see where you guys are going with the SK comparison in terms of the head construction and even the overall profile - but the SK's shank is solid and the handle has the concave panel.) But it's the selector switch that defies comparison. I've never seen a selector switch like that. (Almost art deco.)

It might be foreign.

woody 73 · Oct 5, 2015

Yes I would also say it has that Art deco look say from 1920 up to WWII made look about it; Made in South America not sure??? I would also agree with the contract production run, or third party knock-off with the design copied by others.

Very interesting design it will keep me looking for a long time.

kxxr · Oct 24, 2015

woody 73 said:
I will send a pm to GJ member kxxr he has a large ratchet collection maybe he has run across another example of the above ratchet.

Late to the party and I bring no help. That one is a mystery to me as well. Keep looking and good luck!

twertsy · Oct 24, 2015

The head looks very much like Duro and, as someone mentioned I believe, Hinsdale also had that model (although I'm close to certain the Hinsdale was made by Duro). The only selector I've seen close to that one is this Wright ratchet. That Wright also has the weirdest "piston" type mechanism I've seen.

four.cycle · Oct 24, 2015

Gentlemen:
There are obviously many of you who are far more knowledgeable about this subject than I am, and I'm reluctant to start a new thread here yet, so let me toss this out here:

I picked up a whole box of stuff a week ago for $25, and there were two 1/2" drive ratchets in the mix. One is an old "Penens", and the other is this one, which has me puzzled.
It's obviously got some miles on it - the grease inside had hardened - like wax.
There are no markings on it at all - nothing. It has 28 teeth on the cog, and there is a 1/4" diameter hole in the top of the head for oiling.
I disassembled it, cleaned it up a bit, lubricated it with a bit of white lithium grease and Marvel Mystery Oil, and put it back together.
Any ideas?

vintage_ratchet_01 by four.cycle, on Flickr

vintage_ratchet_02 by four.cycle, on Flickr

vintage_ratchet_03 by four.cycle, on Flickr

vintage_ratchet_04 by four.cycle, on Flickr

vintage_ratchet_05 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Sam'sAutoParts · Oct 24, 2015

Walden, a very clean example, I got one a few weeks ago and had to ask the same question.

kwoswalt99 · Oct 24, 2015

Hmm...I've seen Wizard ratchets that have very similar pawls, so that's what I guess. Hello everyone! Awesome forum. So many tools :drool:

r_olson_06 · Oct 24, 2015

2nd on the Walden I have an 1150 that looks to be a twin.

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four.cycle · Oct 25, 2015

thank you.
so... after poking around a bit it appears to be very similar to a model #1150 Walden, but without the knurling on the handle or any identification marks.
contract made model, perhaps?

twertsy · Oct 27, 2015

I doubt it, I have a couple of those too. I also have several Walden box sets. Many of the tools in the sets are very evidently Walden, but some tools, with no apparent rhyme or reason, are unmarked. Could be contract but at this point I'm simply presuming Walden wasn't overly concerned with markings during that time. I have one box set where the only thing in the set that's marked is the ratchet.

Vintage ratchet ID help?

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