WW 1 Ace Fighter Pilots/ Ace Hardware.

woody 73 · Jan 8, 2021

Five men got together back in 1924 they were: Richard Hesse, E. Gunnard Lindquist, Frank Burke, Oscar Fisher, & William Stauber in Chicago,Illinois. The first World War had ended just 6 years before, but they came up with a great name to honor all the Ace fighter pilots from that war and they called their first Company Ace Stores.

Special thanks to GJ member RTM (you better not get into any trouble at work); for hunting old Ace catalogs a task that did not pan out.

Funny how in all these many years I have not seen very much posted on the GJ about the tools that Ace Hardware stores sells to the public.

With special thanks to my wife for putting up with me she gets very upset with me because I cannot even remember the simple things she tells me, yet I can remember seeing this screwdriver over 50 years ago while I was in my local Ace Store...

I have some very nice links about the History of Ace Hardware and a very nice link that many of you will find very interesting because it shows all their company logos and it even shows the years they were used.

The vintage screwdriver that I found at a garage sale this week was sold from 1968-1973 at local Ace Hardware stores.

https://1000logos.net/ace-logo/

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Ace_Hardware

https://www.behance.net/gallery/31622865/Ace-Hardware-Corporate-Brand-Identity-Manual

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_H... name was changed to Ace Hardware Corporation.

https://www.encyclopedia.com/social.../businesses-and-occupations/ace-hardware-corp

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LOOK-NICE-...007459?hash=item42243fe023:g:hL0AAOSw79Vfqz~M

vavet · Jan 8, 2021

I had no idea that's where the name came from. Thank you.

oak_park · Jan 8, 2021

Thanks., I didn't know all that. Their headquarters is right down the road. I've found tons of Ace stuff at estate sales here in Chicagoland over the years. I've got a several of those screwdrivers, I think Stanley made them for them.

JoCoSawdust · Jan 8, 2021

Very interesting Woody and fun reading through that stuff. Thanks.

jeffmoss26 · Jan 8, 2021

Nice!!

MJOPE · Jan 9, 2021

Thanks. Great info. My weekend isn’t complete unless I visit ACE at least once. Their customer service is excellent...

RubiconJK · Jan 9, 2021

Good stuff Woody, thank you! I'm in my local Ace Hardware at least once a week.

Dumber than lumber · Jan 9, 2021

We have a new Ace Hardware near us. Opened in December 2020.
Whoopee!!!
Orchard Supply was close, but they shut down over 2 years ago. That sucked (except for all the great savings from closeout pricing).

AZ Pete · Jan 9, 2021

off topic, but the first "flying ace" of WWI was not a pilot, but an observer/gunner. Fredrick Libby (a relative of mine) was the first. He began service for Canada and later transferred to the USArmy, when the US joined the war.

Private Lugnutz · Jan 9, 2021

woody 73 said:
Funny how in all these many years I have not seen very much posted on the GJ about the tools that Ace Hardware stores sells to the public.

Ironically, like True Temper*, I think it's a Catch-22 at work. They weren't the OEM, and there have been so many stores successfully putting out so many tools with that name on them for so many years, that their numbers and commonality actually work against them in terms of collectibility. Not sure why that is when it's not so different than the situation with Sears, Roebuck, & Company and Craftsman, though.

(* I don't think Woody will mind tacking on a quick relevant story. True Temper was not a company during WWII, it was a brand, used by the American Fork & Hoe Company, first trademarked in 1929. It became the name of a company in 1949, when American Fork & Hoe changed their name to True Temper. It became a brand again in 1999, when True Temper was bought by Ames, becoming Ames True Temper, and later, The Ames Companies, then just Ames.)

Private Lugnutz · Jan 9, 2021

One more thing. If you look at the evolution of the Ace logo in some of the timelines that Woody helpfully linked, it's kind of telling when they dropped any last vestiges of the wings in the original logo. 1973.

slowtwitch73 · Jan 9, 2021

Wow never knew.... pitty... they should revamp a heritage logo instead of the mini mall logo of current.

I would bet ACE now is most associated with MIC **** and high prices.

woody 73 · Jan 9, 2021

AZ Pete said:
off topic, but the first "flying ace" of WWI was not a pilot, but an observer/gunner. Fredrick Libby (a relative of mine) was the first. He began service for Canada and later transferred to the USArmy, when the US joined the war.

Good story.

I bet you some of did not know this but my hometown of Columbus, Ohio was also the home of the famous WW1 Ace Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker...Long before Covid 19 I told my wife one of my bucket list wishes was to see his home; ok nothing big here like skydiving I just wanted to see it. Turns out I had driven past it many times without a clue. Go figure, anyhow it is just a tiny home; had the street parking been better that day I would have parked my car and took a walk.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Rickenbacker

930dreamer · Jan 9, 2021

There's an Ace Hardware in Borger, TX near my shop, they are Johnny on the spot in that store.

AZ Pete · Jan 9, 2021

I grew up in Borger. Small world.

allan599 · Jul 17, 2023

Came up with an ACE 13 piece high speed drill set at Garage sale. In small letters on bottom of Plastic Case its Marked Ace Hardware oak brook Ill. Made in Usa. Each bit is marked hss USA. Any Thoughts?

WisJim · Jul 17, 2023

I have an Ace adjustable ("crescent") wrench that I'll have to get a picture of to share.

edited to add picture of 10' Ace wrench

Mike'smeatshop · Oct 22, 2023

Thanks a lot Woody. My local Ace store owner is a history buff. I am going to donate this driver o him.

d42jeep · Oct 22, 2023

Here are some Ace nutdrivers.
-Don

4xdog · Oct 22, 2023

These aren't old -- probably 20-25y, inherited from my brother -- but they're really quite nice little picks. My favorites. Ullman was almost certainly the OEM.

four.cycle · Oct 22, 2023

excellent.
thanks Woody!

Ace / Ace Hardware Corp., 2200 Kensington Court, Oak Brook, IL 60523-2100 / http://www.acehardware.com/ / est. 1924 / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/ww-1-ace-fighter-pilots-ace-hardware.471483/ /

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