Sharing my Duplex Tool Box Catalog from April 1966

Flash21 · Sep 10, 2013

Hey all - My old Duplex Tool Box thread has been bumped a couple of times. In short, not a lot of knowledge or details exist about this tool box manufacturer.

If you are reading this thread and have a good condition Duplex to sell from this era, send me a message because I'm interested.

Here is the old thread if you to review. I've included a picture of my Dad's top box paired with a bottom box I found through the old thread and purchased from CA.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20404&highlight=duplex+tool+box

Well, recently I found a small gem - a Duplex catalog from April 1966 with price list. I wanted to share the details for others interested in Duplex.

My Dad's box was made by Duplex, the top box below (1244) and retailed for $75.95 in 1966 and was 71 lbs. (Inflation calculator says this is $547.58 in 2013 dollars)

The Bottom Box (1302) is not in the catalog, suspected to be earlier as it is bolt together and this catalog touts "All electrically welded"

Enjoy Duplex Fans! Anyone with information about Duplex, post it up!

(Pardon the big pictures but I wanted you to be able to easily read the text on the pages)

My box:

April 1966:

Flash21 · Sep 10, 2013

A question for you guys...

I see Duplex was a subsidiary of Pendleton Tool Industries...anyone have details on Pendleton ?

neophyte · Sep 10, 2013

Pendleton Tool Industries was the corporate name used by Proto tools parent company.

From the Wikipedia article on Proto Tools.

"In 1946, Plomb was sued by another tool manufacturer—Fayette R. Plumb, Inc., now a brand of Cooper Hand Tools[3]—for trademark infringement.[4] The company began manufacturing its tools with the Proto name, a portmanteau of "professional" and "tools," in 1948. In 1957, the company began operating as Pendleton Tool Industries."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto_(tools)

lbgradwell · Sep 10, 2013

Thank you for posting this, KLars1. Much appreciated! :thumbup:

zkling · Sep 10, 2013

Sweet.

Thank you so much for posting this. I love looking though old tool box catalogs. :beer:

mitusa · Sep 10, 2013

Have you been able to find a "born on" date on any of these boxes? I have a 1216 bottom roller and a 1225 top chest that I've had for a couple of years. They are nice old boxes that I would like to know a little more about..... :dunno:

sk farmer · Sep 10, 2013

thanks!

cools stuff, i want a 1220 box!

i'd even pay 27.95 for it!

Flash21 · Sep 11, 2013

mitusa said:
Have you been able to find a "born on" date on any of these boxes? I have a 1216 bottom roller and a 1225 top chest that I've had for a couple of years. They are nice old boxes that I would like to know a little more about.....

Please post some detailed pics! Would love to see them! I find the two series of top chests and bottom boxes interesting as they are almost the same box with the addition of handles...

Flash21 · Sep 11, 2013

sk farmer said:
thanks!

cools stuff, i want a 1220 box!

i'd even pay 27.95 for it!

The 1220 is very awesome, 0214 is as well.

CWP1616L · Sep 11, 2013

What kind of scanner did you use to scan those pages if you don't mind me asking?

Flash21 · Sep 11, 2013

CWP1616L said:
What kind of scanner did you use to scan those pages if you don't mind me asking?

That was taken with a digital SLR camera.

KL

lbgradwell · Sep 11, 2013

I have taken the liberty of cropping the images, compressing them and compiling them as a PDF document.

With KLars1's permission, the PDF can be downloaded here!

zkling · Sep 11, 2013

lbgradwell said:
I have taken the liberty of cropping the images, compressing them and compiling them as a PDF document.

And.... saved to computer :thumbup:

Thanks, both of you. :beer:

Now anyone have old matco or mac catalogs floating around?

CWP1616L · Sep 11, 2013

KLars1 said:
That was taken with a digital SLR camera.

KL

Wow......I would never be able to get that much real estate in focus with my point and shoot. Were you using the stock lens that came with the camera?

Flash21 · Sep 11, 2013

CWP1616L said:
Wow......I would never be able to get that much real estate in focus with my point and shoot. Were you using the stock lens that came with the camera?

Yes, I was using the 18-55mm Nikon lens that came on my D40x

CWP1616L · Sep 11, 2013

zkling said:
Now anyone have old matco or mac catalogs floating around?

Yes, but I haven't been able to determine the capability of hand held scanners. I can't get much information on them. :dunno:

zkling · Sep 11, 2013

CWP1616L said:
Yes, but I haven't been able to determine the capability of hand held scanners. I can't get much information on them.

What ends up happening? What do you mean by "hand held scanner"? Do you have just a flat bed 3 in one?

CWP1616L said:
Wow......I would never be able to get that much real estate in focus with my point and shoot. Were you using the stock lens that came with the camera?

Try it with the macro setting. I just have a cheap 6.x mp kodiak point and shoot. And took pictures of pages in books all the time in college. Hey when you can't afford the books you have to be resourceful.

Seriously. Try different setting on your camera, I think you will be surprised how well they turn out. :beer:

CWP1616L · Sep 11, 2013

zkling said:
What ends up happening? What do you mean by "hand held scanner"? Do you have just a flat bed 3 in one?

I'm assuming I'd need a hand held scanner to scan pages that are still bound in a catalog. A stationary scanner can only scan free pages I'm assuming. :dunno:

zkling said:
Try it with the macro setting. I just have a cheap 6.x mp kodiak point and shoot. And took pictures of pages in books all the time in college. Hey when you can't afford the books you have to be resourceful.

Seriously. Try different setting on your camera, I think you will be surprised how well they turn out.

I can take sharp pictures on the macro setting, but I can't get the entire page in focus without backing up about 6 feet. I need a camera with a bigger lens.

zkling · Sep 11, 2013

CWP1616L said:
I can take sharp pictures on the macro setting, but I can't get the entire page in focus without backing up about 6 feet. I need a camera with a bigger lens.

What camera do you have? For standard 8.5x11" pages I just hover the camera ~18" at most over the page and shoot it. :dunno:

Try adjusting the camera settings.

free1986 · Jul 12, 2016

I know this is a revival of an older thread, but thought you might be interested. I found the catalog very interesting. Duplex 1225 top box and 1215 bottom box. Picked them up for $75 on craigslist last Friday.

Its missing the locking bar for the bottom cabinet, and has a little surface rust on the edges of the bottom.

maxcarp709 · Jul 14, 2016

Great score.I picked up a Duplex 1250 Machinist Chest a few months ago along with a Kennedy 526.It was a good deal,but I knew nothing about Duplex boxes so I started a google search and found my way here to the GJ.Now I am spoiled for life and my tool addiction has resumed at full throttle! :3gears:

maxcarp709 · Jul 14, 2016

Another pic

Cope · Jul 15, 2016

free1986 said:
I know this is a revival of an older thread, but thought you might be interested. I found the catalog very interesting. Duplex 1225 top box and 1215 bottom box. Picked them up for $75 on craigslist last Friday.

Its missing the locking bar for the bottom cabinet, and has a little surface rust on the edges of the bottom.

Should have been looking 40 years ago, I had a clean 1246 add on 2 drawer middle box back then.

free1986 · Jul 16, 2016

Cope said:
Should have been looking 40 years ago, I had a clean 1246 add on 2 drawer middle box back then.

Well darn. It would be pretty cool to have that for the stack. Unfortunately, that would have been a few years before I was able to look. :thumbup:

Heap64 · Feb 12, 2018

I will bump this again as I just came across this while searching for information on the Duplex Tool Boxes. I have my Grandfather's 1225 top and 1216 bottom. They are a little rough and also missing the lock for the bottom. If anyone knows how to remove the drawers, I'm at least wanting to do a good cleaning of the tracks. It really should be completely refinished but I'm going to try to clean it up for now and see how she looks.

kshillbilly · Jun 11, 2025

Does anyone have info on any of the early duplex boxes. Not the first generation but the second from the 30s. The boxed cantilever cases with two handles. This is the closest I have seen to my grandpas cantilever toolbox and I only see a ad from 1932 on internet archive. A single page ad with a cantilever with two top handles. Page also seems to reference it’s not the only model size.

Who sold duplex?
Anyone have any other early advertisements?

RTM · Jun 11, 2025

kshillbilly said:
Does anyone have info on any of the early duplex boxes. Not the first generation but the second from the 30s. The boxed cantilever cases with two handles. This is the closest I have seen to my grandpas cantilever toolbox and I only see a ad from 1932 on internet archive. A single page ad with a cantilever with two top handles. Page also seems to reference it’s not the only model size.

Who sold duplex?
Anyone have any other early advertisements?

You might have better luck searching this thread for
Duplex

The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!

Post em' up guys. Lets say anything over 20 yrs. and older only. The newer boxes are cool, but I LOVE the lines of the older ones. Here are my humble contributions: I have a KRA54 too: I know there are some great boxes, so lets see em. And the obligatory: :needpics:

www.garagejournal.com

Several of the cantilever boxes in there, with history, including being a second company for Coe.

natas2000 · Jun 12, 2025

I cant believe this thread came back i just picked one up on Saturday for $10!!!!
Built like a tank!! No flex in the sides or back. Nothing is built like these nowdays.
Has no key, and locked but I'm a locksmith and I'm a locksmith.
One drawer is very hard to open but it feels like the grease is dried like a rock.
Hinge for the inner lock bar has a rigged pin and doesn't lock most drawers so i need t figure it out.
But I will figure it out.

rnitto · Jul 13, 2025

I just picked up a 1225 top and I'm not sure about the bottom, it says "65033 Patent No 3393951" and "MADE IN USA 10 - 74" - I started cleaning and sanding them, I'll probably paint them this week.

I never heard of Duplex until I found this for $45 on Facebook Marketplace. It feels much more substantial than the new Craftsman Made In USA boxes at Lowe's. Very cool stuff.

Sharing my Duplex Tool Box Catalog from April 1966

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