billymade
Well-known member
I was going through my usual trek through the flea market today when I came across this toolbox; first I was confused and then in shock! I was thinking, why does this box say "Plomb" on it when the box is in such good condition, at first I thought it was some modern anniversary box or something from the modern era of Proto. I flipped down the lid and it say "Plomb Tool Co. Los Angeles"; at that point I figured this was a the "real deal", a vintage Plomb tool box! Check out the pics; this is one case where the box living in the desert really preserved it; it has surface rust but is in really amazing condition for how old it is! According to the Proto website in 1947 name changes take place from Plomb Tool Company to Pendleton Tool Industries, Inc; so I would assume the box is from before 1947. Does anyone have any old Plomb catalogs or ads with this box in it?
The pics show the box in the condition that I got it from the flea in; it looks like the flea man tried to do a quick "clean up" around the corners with WD40 or something like that; at least he didn't "spray bomb" it or something! This happens at the flea; people will wire wheel (sometimes not) and spray everything silver or something like that in attempt to "improve" or "clean up" that tool for resale.
The logo is in pretty good shape with some of it being scratched off; the finish is similar to the "crinkle" finish you see on machinists tool boxes but has a different texture to it. It kind of reminds me of the "splatter" finish that comes in a spray can, some people put in the engine compartments, truck beds or trunks on "restored" classic cars. The green inside is pretty well preserved!
There is a removable tray (seen below); that comes out and then the front door "flops" down, I have not seen a design like this before! This is unique, I haven't seen any other company do this but I am not a vintage tool box expert either!
There were some nuts/bolts in the box, a envelope (shown in last pic) and some really long feeler gages! Anyone know what these are used for?
The hinges and everything work fine; the box is solid, aside from some surface rust in some areas!
This piece of "ephemera" was in the box; talk about time capsule, this says "1942" on the little envelope!
The pics show the box in the condition that I got it from the flea in; it looks like the flea man tried to do a quick "clean up" around the corners with WD40 or something like that; at least he didn't "spray bomb" it or something! This happens at the flea; people will wire wheel (sometimes not) and spray everything silver or something like that in attempt to "improve" or "clean up" that tool for resale.
The logo is in pretty good shape with some of it being scratched off; the finish is similar to the "crinkle" finish you see on machinists tool boxes but has a different texture to it. It kind of reminds me of the "splatter" finish that comes in a spray can, some people put in the engine compartments, truck beds or trunks on "restored" classic cars. The green inside is pretty well preserved!
There is a removable tray (seen below); that comes out and then the front door "flops" down, I have not seen a design like this before! This is unique, I haven't seen any other company do this but I am not a vintage tool box expert either!
There were some nuts/bolts in the box, a envelope (shown in last pic) and some really long feeler gages! Anyone know what these are used for?
The hinges and everything work fine; the box is solid, aside from some surface rust in some areas!
This piece of "ephemera" was in the box; talk about time capsule, this says "1942" on the little envelope!
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BTW, Snap-on had some hand carry boxes with drop fronts and the like during the same era, I think several of the old players did. Very nice box though.
