Pre-SK Sherman Klove Wrench Set

jreb10 · Oct 24, 2015

I found this set of nested box end wrenches in the bottom of a box of miscelleneous stuff I bought at an auction. I did not know that "SK" was derived from Sherman Klove.

I have read that they came out with the SK designation in the early 1930s, so these wrenches probably are earlier than that. The full set seems to be there, along with the original pin and wingnut.

raiderhillbilly · Oct 24, 2015

That is a very cool set. Thanks for the pictures!

sha · Oct 25, 2015

Very, very cool :thumbup:

rickhigginshtbr · Oct 25, 2015

that's real cool!

Gear Wolf · Oct 26, 2015

These survived 85 years and with luck they didn't get thrown out or melted. Thank you for showing us this!

Sanny81 · Nov 6, 2015

Found this thread doing a Google search on these cuz I think I won your auction lol. As soon as I saw them in my eBay hunting I knew I wanted them.

twertsy · Nov 6, 2015

I've seen the patent for that but can't find it now. For some reason, I don't think it was before 1940. Any chance there's a patent number on them? That wouldn't be odd for S-K.

jreb10 · Nov 6, 2015

twertsy said:
I've seen the patent for that but can't find it now. For some reason, I don't think it was before 1940. Any chance there's a patent number on them? That wouldn't be odd for S-K.

No patent number on them. They are in the envelope now awaiting pickup tomorrow. I am very glad they are going to a fan of old tools!

Sanny81 · Jan 21, 2018

Reviving this old thread...I was the one who bought these from you off eBay? I think? Anyway I brought them into work today and used them along with a War Finish Plomb ratchet. Both tools were sitting in a drawer collecting dust so I figured why not put them to use again! Nearly 100 years old and work like they were made yesterday!

davethorik · Jan 21, 2018

I have a stamped steel hex drive non-reversible ratchet marked Sherman-Klove, had never seen anything else marked that way. For a stamped steel wrench set, that is pretty cool.

four.cycle · Jan 21, 2018

funny that this one should pop back up....

there were two of those sets sold within the last 60 days on Ebay.
the first set sold for only about $8 bucks
the second set went for about $35.
one of them (I can't remember which) languished in the listings and was re-listed twice before it sold. I remember thinking it seemed odd considering the number of avid S-K fans here... they must not be paying attention to the "Ebay" thread.

Sherman Klove 5-pc SAE stamped double-end box wrench set (Ebay 122837833704 01).jpg

Sherman Klove 5-pc SAE stamped double-end box wrench set (Ebay 222776159297 01).jpg

Indestro made a set exactly like that one. I have to wonder if one of them was making those for the other. Maybe I should dig mine out and take some photos for comparison purposes. :eyecrazy:

Indestro 147 148 Flat Box End Wrench Sets - 1935 Indestro catalog pp 27.jpg

Indestro 147 148 Flat Box End Wrench Sets - 1948 Indestro catalog No. 16 pp 51.jpg

potato · Jan 21, 2018

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-6-...318593?hash=item25e96239c1:g:ufMAAOSwrFtaFMmd

four.cycle · Jan 21, 2018

^ that one sold ten minutes after you posted the link:

Sherman Klove 5-pc SAE stamped double-end box wrench set (Ebay 162829318593 01).jpg

four.cycle · Jan 21, 2018

for comparison:

Indestro 147 6-pc SAE Flat Box End Wrench Set 01.jpg

Indestro 147 6-pc SAE Flat Box End Wrench Set 02.jpg

Indestro 147 6-pc SAE Flat Box End Wrench Set 03.jpg

Indestro 147 6-pc SAE Flat Box End Wrench Set 04.jpg

four.cycle · Jan 21, 2018

^ If you've got copies of both line them up side by side and take a look. (Even better if you posted photos.)
My guess would be that Indestro was probably stamping them out for S-K, but who knows? Could have been either way - they were both in Chicago.
Indestro made tons of stuff for other outfits - lots of private-label brands.

Kenwc · Jan 31, 2018

four.cycle said:
^ that one sold ten minutes after you posted the link:

Received them yesterday. I'll have to make the screw on my lathe....

four.cycle · Feb 1, 2018

Kenwc:
If you can replicate those screws and sell them at a reasonable price there's probably a little bit of a market for them.

I'd be interested myself.

They also used a round knurled nut on some of those sets - some used a solid wing nut - and the screws themselves vary between manufacturers: i.e., Indestro's stepped tapered screw isn't quite the same as J.P. Danielson's tapered screw used on their "Auto Kit 100" wrenches.

There are some photos posted of various types of those sets in another thread here:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=354478

a couple examples:

J.P. Danielson 6-pc 'Auto Kit 100' SAE wrench set (Ebay 391722901065 02).jpg

* Indestro also made a model 148 four piece double-end flat box wrench set, and a model 109 four piece flat "nut and tap" wrench set (as well as the model 110 six-piece set), both of which would have (presumably) used a shorter version of their stepped tapered screw.

twertsy · Feb 1, 2018

Ricky Joe said:
My reasoning is that S-K was making tools for others while Indestro was still making bottle caps. My guess is that, like Snap-On, and so many others, they used another manufacturer to get started in making tools. It is easier to get started using someone else's facilities than to tool up on a bet and lose.

Also, if you knew the condition of my garage, you would know why it is harder for me to find an item on purpose than to run across it. I know what I have, but not necessarily where it is. I was going to post on the "cool logo" thread my Buffum Wrench logo, but didn't find the wrench until today, accidentally. I have boxes of wrenches and tools that I've never gotten to. Who knows what there is in there?

I have to disagree with that. SK had primarily screw machines in terms of equipment in their shop in the '20s. I can find no mention of drop hammers / forging equipment at all until the early-mid 30's. I'd bet hands down those were made by Indestro. If they were sockets, that'd be different because SK had the equipment to do it.

DadsTools · Feb 1, 2018

I have an early socket set, 3/8 and 1/2 with one of those pressed metal ratchets that has no maker's mark but are virtually identical both to the set listed on AA as the earliest sold under the SK name and to sets I've seen on eBay marked Indestro, so I too suspect there was some relationship between the two companies in those days.

3baygarage · Feb 1, 2018

DadsTools said:
I have an early socket set, 3/8 and 1/2 with one of those pressed metal ratchets that has no maker's mark but are virtually identical both to the set listed on AA as the earliest sold under the SK name and to sets I've seen on eBay marked Indestro, so I too suspect there was some relationship between the two companies in those days.

I was just thinking that very thing. I bet many a men have laid awake at night over that. :lol:

four.cycle · Feb 1, 2018

DadsTools said:
"...one of those pressed metal ratchets that has no maker's mark but are virtually identical both to the set listed on AA as the earliest sold under the SK name and to sets I've seen on eBay marked Indestro..."

I've seen those listed on Ebay in S-K and wondered about that too. They are indistinguishable from the Duro Chrome / Indestro versions. Maybe I'm not looking closely enough.

Duro Chrome 673 1.2 hex drive ratchet (Ebay 142674066921 01).jpg

DadsTools · Feb 1, 2018

The sockets are the same too (although there is mismatched socket in the AA photos that I believe is from a later set, which is a shame because that's the one he chose to photo the details--look at the broaching in each of the sockets where they're shown together in a row and you'll notice immediately it does not match the others). Some of the ratchets may have a different kind of rivet in the head, but other than that, they were either all made from the very same stamping dies or one company literally duplicated the other's die with such a high degree of fidelity that the two are indistinguishable. Same for the sockets.

That being the case, either S-K were making these for D-I or vice versa. Could be also that S-K made the sockets for both while D-I made the ratchets. Something like that was going on.

DadsTools · Feb 1, 2018

Here's some shots of mine.

Pre-SK Sherman Klove Wrench Set

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