USA made tools names I have never heard of

american lockpicker · May 26, 2011

Seen some Harold USA made slip joint pliers in my step grandfathers tool collection.

PowderKeg · May 26, 2011

lauver said:
PK,

Can you list the 22 brands you have linked to NB and the brands you have linked to Wright.

Thanks

Lauver,

New Britain Machine (Kilness and/or Fors patent):
American Forge
Blackhawk
Bluegrass
Craftsman
Crescent
Fairmount
Filson
Giller
Husky
Litton
Mac
Matco
Mustang
NBM
New Britain
None Better
OTC
Penncraft
Precision-Bilt
SP 45
Sparta
Thorsen

Really could add Vlchek to the list as #23, as I'm reasonably confident (barring any solid evidence like a patent or such to the contrary) that the early Vlchek ratchet we've discussed before (kissin' cousin to the early Craftsman BT ratchet) just screams New Britain to me in its design and feel. I know Alloy Artifacts says otherwise, but I don't think they have anything more conclusive than the brand name on the ratchet to say that it was actually made by Vlchek and not New Britain.

Wright:
Alllenite
Bluegrass
Cougar
Crescent
Fairmount
G&G
International Harvester
KAL
Matco
Powr-Kraft
Speedmaster
Wright

I also hesitate to say "linked". I'd rather note them as produced by at some point, since all the brands listed weren't regularly produced by New Britain or Wright. For example hand tool manufacturer Thorsen and Thorsen's .gov contract line Giller. The info I was told was that Thorsen ran into problems opening a greenfield factory and had to subcontract some production to fill orders until the new facility was up and running smoothly. That's the only reasonable explanation I can see for Thorsen manufactured brands appearing on a competitor's (New Britain) ratchet design.

I should also reiterate that my list only includes US manufactured ratchet brands that are, for a lack of a better term, "modern" style, meaning solid steel shank, square drive stud, and reversible with a switch of some sort. No early ratchet designs/brands that are only found as drive stud push-thrus, hex drive studs, chain drive mechanisms, stamped tin handles riveted together, etc. Also, no highly specialized ratchets for very specific (and sometimes expensive) uses, like non-magnetic, non-sparking beryllium, all stainless steel, refrigeration ratchets, etc. Finally, no US tool brands are listed that haven't been found on ratchets (at least not yet), like Hexo, Lectrolite, Diamond, Utica, etc. I had to draw some lines somewhere, or this obsess.... er, "collection" would've gone completely out of control (as if it hasn't anyway :willy_nil

).

I appreciate all the interest - one of these days I'll get around to taking more pics.

toolnut · May 26, 2011

Hey PowderKeg I see you have Vulcan on your list. That would have been manufactured by Williams as their automotive service line. I have some sockets that are stamped both Williams/Vulcan and than just Vulcan. My local Williams supplier will not supplier Warranty the Vulcan only stamped sockets but will warranty the ones with both stamps on them.

lauver · May 27, 2011

PowderKeg & toolnut--Thanks for the updates and additions. Good stuff.

PowderKeg-- I'm going to take a shot at revising your brand list with columns for OEM, OEM Lineage, brand status, and notes/comments. When I get this completed or mostly completed, I'd like to email a copy to you for review/comments/suggestions/corrections/etc. If this is acceptable to you, could you PM me your email address? I don't want to tie up thread space with this little side project.

Thanks again,

Gary

PowderKeg · May 27, 2011

Sure lauver, knock yourself out, that's what I've had in mind over the long run as well, I just haven't put much time into it. Every time I started to, I'd get sidetracked or bogged down or a splitting headache or such. Oughta be a right complex list. Your experience with the Craftsman list may help here as well.

pm sent.

PowderKeg · Jul 5, 2011

PowderKeg said:
Lauver,

New Britain Machine (Kilness and/or Fors patent):
American Forge
Blackhawk
Bluegrass
Craftsman
Crescent
Fairmount
Filson
Giller
Husky
Litton
Mac
Matco
Mustang
NBM
New Britain
None Better
OTC
Penncraft
Precision-Bilt
SP 45
Sparta
Thorsen

Really could add Vlchek to the list as #23, as I'm reasonably confident (barring any solid evidence like a patent or such to the contrary) that the early Vlchek ratchet we've discussed before (kissin' cousin to the early Craftsman BT ratchet) just screams New Britain to me in its design and feel...

I believe the count can be upped to 25. For whatever reason, I thought the Champion Spark Plug ratchets were likely sourced from Pendleton/Proto, until I finally pulled mine apart tonight and found Kilness patent guts (that makes #24). Also, there are "unbranded" Kilness patent round heads floating around (perhaps for govt contract?), so I'd say "unbranded" is #25.

So that would make 25 different "brandings" (so far) on New Britain sourced ratchets, from the early models (haven't found a patent/name/# for them yet) thru Fors to Kilness.

New Britain Machine was mighty busy for a good while.

Ramblur · Jul 5, 2011

american lockpicker said:
Seen some Harold USA made slip joint pliers in my step grandfathers tool collection.

Are you sure its not Harrold with 2R's? Reason I ask is I had a pair of "harrold"
pliers too but not slip joint. I always took for granted that they came from
Harrold Tool Co. in my hometown of Columbiana,OH but not sure.It was
actually a tool and die shop when I grew up there but who knows what they
did before. I did turn up a patent from the founder for a racheting screwdriver.
Now your gonna make me find the pliers and do some more research... Thanks :headscrat

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/1712433.pdf

PowderKeg · Jul 30, 2011

Revising the New Britain brand/patent ratchet list:

New Britain Machine (Kilness, Fors and/or early patent):
American Forge
Blackhawk
Bluegrass
Champion Sparkplug
Craftsman
Crescent
Fairmount
Filson
Giller
Husky
JS
Litton
Mac
Matco
Mustang
NBM
New Britain
None Better
OTC
Penncraft
Precision-Bilt
Proto Challenger
SP 45
Sparta
Thorsen
"unbranded"
Vlchek

My latest find (a Kilness patent Proto Challenger) also causes me to question how many might have actually be produced by Stanley after they acquired some of the remains of New Britain. And assuming Stanley did produce at least a few ratchets/brands using the Kilness patent, why did they stop using it?

four.cycle · Feb 18, 2016

* there was mention up-thread of both "JS" tools of Alpharetta, Ga.

I recently acquired a little 1/4" drive set made by JS Technologies, and the ratchet is not an S-K: the head diameter is much smaller (actually one of the smallest 1/4" drive ratchets I own, including the early Thorsen open-gear models) and the teeth feel much finer. Very nice stuff, actually. No idea who OE is on their stuff.
I'll have to dig it out and get a photo of it.

Al Borland · Apr 24, 2016

PowderKeg said:
Revising the New Britain brand/patent ratchet list:

My latest find (a Kilness patent Proto Challenger) also causes me to question how many might have actually be produced by Stanley after they acquired some of the remains of New Britain. And assuming Stanley did produce at least a few ratchets/brands using the Kilness patent, why did they stop using it?

Stanley did keep up production of Kilness patent ratchets at least thru to 2000they produced Husky CS-45 ratchets for Home Depot with the patent # still stamped on it as well.

bluebolt · May 18, 2016

There are some "M"s missing let me try to find my examples to be sure of spelling but they are Metco, Metcoid and Malco.

four.cycle · Jul 13, 2016

Alchymist · Jul 13, 2016

Have at least one example of over 1/3 of the names in post 92, familiar with probably 1/2- 2/3 of the rest of the names on the list. :dunno:

Know Wosad · Jul 13, 2016

No Utica ?
Vacuum Grip(pre Snap-On)?
Fuller(not sure USA before or after Japan)

Pliers came to mind since I was surf-baying for some end nips

Davefr · Jul 13, 2016

Know Wosad said:
No Utica ?
Vacuum Grip(pre Snap-On)?
Fuller(not sure USA before or after Japan)

Pliers came to mind since I was surf-baying for some end nips

The list is also missing Diamond/Diamalloy, Enderes, Starrett

four.cycle · Jul 13, 2016

thanks gentlemen.
since you mentioned Utica, I just noticed it's also missing Pexto.
will revise again and re-post later - allowing time for some more feedback here.

re: Starrett:
Is Starrett a TOOL manufacturer? or a measuring device manufacturer?

In the genre of "hand tool", where do you draw the proverbial line?

If we're just talking "tool", we should include Ames - the people in Iowa who make shovels and rakes and pitchforks. (Okay, they make 'em in China now, but you get the point.) Obviously trying to include every brand of every type of tool would just get crazy. (think: Ingersoll-Rand, Porter-Cable, ad infinitum.)

Okay, yeah... I agree... Starrett should be on that list in the context of this website and user group. Too much narrowing of the parameters would eliminate too many other oddball "brands" (like Gilfillan Bros., who were actually radio makers.)

This is obviously a work in progress.

Renorton · Jan 28, 2025

What about Stratco-liner?

Beerhippie · Jan 28, 2025

Man, you all are full of it!

As any 'Murican of a certain age should know, Hornet was made by AMC, Cougar by Ford/Mercury and Mustang by Ford!

No idea on the Apex....

SwissMetric · Jan 28, 2025

I always believed OTC was specialized in hydraulic tools, like a competitor of Enerpac. Just discovered that they sell a lot of various tools.

IIRC there are also U.S. manufacturers of hydraulic torque tools, such tools are used up to above 100'000 Nm. And there is also one (or more?) company manufacturing giant impact sockets, or possibly one is (still for now

) Canadian.

Dixie_Flatline · Jan 28, 2025

When I look up Apex tools it shows them now having a number of brands under the umbrella, like Crescent and Gearwrench. Is the Apex brand itself no more?

Swervyjoe · Jan 28, 2025

'09, '11, '16, and '25. This thread has to hold a record for being brought back to life

mikey03 · Jan 29, 2025

!remindme in 10 years

four.cycle · Jan 29, 2025

The LIST is here, guys.

Milton Shaw · Feb 1, 2025

A tool I haven't seen mentioned is Zephyr. They are big in aircraft manufacturing. They make bits, micro-stop countersinks and all size and angle bits for them. Micro-stop countersinks are the best countersinks I have ever found for metal and wood. The micro-stop means that they are handheld and can use micrometer settings to precisely set the dept of rivets and screws for minimum air flow restrictions around rivets. You can find pictures of them on Ebay under micro-stop countersink or aircraft tools. I still use one that I bought at least 60 years ago used. I bought some cheap and cleaned them up and took them to a woodworking club I belonged too at the time and sold out in 5 minutes.

Renorton · Apr 30, 2025

PowderKeg said:
Well someone just had to go and revive this thread, so I'll add my .02 cents worth and post the list of ratchet brands I've come across to date - how many have you NOT heard of? More importantly, are there any missing (for ratchets/sockets)? Keep in mind that my interest/search has only been for US made, square drive, reversible (with a switch of some sort) ratchets - no push-thru's, no hex drives, etc. - so Mossberg and some other very early brands aren't on the list. And I've mostly limited myself to the standard drive sizes - 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" - 3/4" and up take up too much space, and the oddball drive sizes are just that, oddball and not usable (unless you have a complete set).

First off, the short list of USA sockets I have, but haven't seen a ratchet yet: Wilde

Of the USA made list below, the ones in red are ratchets I've seen but haven't acquired one of (yet), the rest I have at least one of:

Action
Allen
Allenite
American Forge
Armstrong
Artisan
Billings
Blackhawk
Bluegrass
Blue Point
Bog
Bon-e-Con
Bonney
Caterpillar (CAT)
Challenger
Champion
Companion
Co-op
Cornwell
Craftsman
Crescent
Cougar
Dayton
Duro Chrome
Easco
ES (may be unmarked or only marked "USA" SK sourced)
Fairmount
Filson
Firestone
Fleet
G&G
Gambles
Giller
Granco
Herbrand
Hinsdale
Hornet
Husky
Indestro
Indestro Select
Indestro Super
International Harvester
JC Penney
Jensen
John Deere
JS
KAL
KD
Kiowa
Klein
Kobalt
Kraeuter
Litton
Mac
Master Mechanic
Master Pro
Matco
Millers Falls
Mustang
Napa
NBM
New Britain
None Better
OTC
P&C
Par-X
Patriot
Penens
Penncraft
Pioneer
Plomb
Popular Mechanics
Powr-Kraft
Precision-Bilt
ProAmerica
Proto
Proto-Plomb
Reed Manufacturing
Rigid
S-K
SK Tools
S-K Wayne
Schwinn
Snap-On
SP 45
Sparta
Speedmaster
Stanley Professional
Stevens-Walden (SW)
Thorsen
Trek Tools
Tru-Test
Truth
TRW
Vi-Chrome
Vlchek
Vulcan
Walden
Walden Worcester
Wardmaster
Wards Master Quality
Westcraft
Western
Westline
Williams
Wizard
Wright
and finally, no name stamped, only "USA" or some variant

That's 108 "brands" of ratchets (and still counting)... Yeah, S-K vs SK Tools vs S-K Wayne is really pushing the limits by defining each as a separate "brand" (actually more of a different period within the evolution of the company), as one could also argue about a few other brand variations, like Walden/Walden-Worcester/Stevens Walden, Plomb/Proto-Plomb/Proto. But then again, they are technically different brand stamps.

PK

Has anyone ever had a Jesco ratchet? The handle twists to change directions. Very unusual.

four.cycle · Apr 30, 2025

@Milton Shaw -

Zephyr / Zephyr Mfg. Co., Inc., 201 Hindry Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90301 / https://zephyrtoolgroup.com/ / est. 1939 / "Lok-Fast", "Zephyr", "Martin" / specialty hand and power tools for aerospace industry /

@Renorton -

Jesco / Jesco / ratchet / no information /

that one remains something of a mystery until somebody turns up some information on it.

USA made tools names I have never heard of

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