A unique Craftsman
- Thread starter Elroy
- Start date
Uncle Buck
Banned
Man Elroy, I have never seen that either. It is not only missing the additional lines on each side, the font looks to be totally different as well!
RRmech
Well-known member
Nothing like any of the 60's -V- Craftsman wrenches I have either?
Probably pre-60's would be my guess?
Steve
Probably pre-60's would be my guess?
Steve
Uncle Buck
Banned
Nope, I bet it would go the other way, older.
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I would think older than the 60s too. There's no part number.
Rigmaster
Well-known member
Funny that it looks like it says "Craptsman"..... 
On a side note- I saw a Craftsman wrench the other day at the flea market that looked like your average raised panel wrench like they've sold for the past ~25-30 years, BUT it was clearly marked "Taiwan"!!!!
I was going to buy it but the guy wanted like $5 for it....... If it's still there next time I'll at least get a pic of it- and try to chisel the guy down a bit and buy it.
I've never seen anything other than US made Cman wrenches before this one........
On a side note- I saw a Craftsman wrench the other day at the flea market that looked like your average raised panel wrench like they've sold for the past ~25-30 years, BUT it was clearly marked "Taiwan"!!!!
I was going to buy it but the guy wanted like $5 for it....... If it's still there next time I'll at least get a pic of it- and try to chisel the guy down a bit and buy it.
I've never seen anything other than US made Cman wrenches before this one........
mkdive
Well-known member
nice find elroy, thanks for sharing!
kythri
Well-known member
Funny that it looks like it says "Craptsman".....
On a side note- I saw a Craftsman wrench the other day at the flea market that looked like your average raised panel wrench like they've sold for the past ~25-30 years, BUT it was clearly marked "Taiwan"!!!!
I was going to buy it but the guy wanted like $5 for it....... If it's still there next time I'll at least get a pic of it- and try to chisel the guy down a bit and buy it.
I've never seen anything other than US made Cman wrenches before this one........
Canadian import, most likely.
Danaher may supply some Craftsman Canada/Sears Canada now, but for quite a while, they were sourcing Taiwanese stuff for the Canadian Craftsman label - Stanley, I think?
The sears.ca website still sells those goofy full-polish Taiwanese tri-wing thumbwheel ratchets that find their way here all the time.
Country of origin is missing from most Sears Canada tool listings, and all of the Craftsman stuff is labeled "Craftsman/MD".
The ratcheting wrenches are funny, though - they're Craftsman-marked, but listed as Craftsman GearWrenches.
jerk_chicken
Banned
That's interesting because I had a set of wrenches stamped like that which I gave to a friend before I moved from the US. I got them at the Stormville flea market in 1996, and never thought much of them, nor did I even use them much. They were perfectly mint and unused, it appeared, so I thought they were a current series, but never checked. I always noted that the CM name looked different and I even thought it could have been a fake or something, but definitely not.
That's what i was thinking... a knock off from china or worse. interesting.... looks like none of mine or my dad's(which are pretty old...early 60's) even his old ones have a crisp looking lettering.
krusty the clown
Member Emeritus
interesting theory.......lauver lists 1938 as the start of the "V" series although alloy-artifacts states 1945 as the start.
it will be interesting to find out! maybe elroy should post this on the craftsman club?
kythri
Well-known member
FYI - I wasn't saying Elroy's wrench was Taiwanadian, I was referring to the one Rigmaster was describing.
lbgradwell
Well-known member
I'd guess the majority of those tri-wings were sold in the US Sears stores; mine were...
The country of manufacture is listed on the packaging for the tool. Almost all are made in China...
And the tools themselves aren't marked "CRAFTSMAN®/MD", just the website description. It's not how it might appear either; that is, there is no tool company named MD involved in the manufacture of the item. The MD is simply the French equivalent of the "registered trademark" symbol, ®; it stands for "marque déposée".
T56 Impala
Well-known member
That is either a fake Craftsman from the 70's (Japan) or it pre-dates the U series. FWIW, V series is a post war marking. Circle U, BE and circle H are the 3 oldest know markings. BE and H were predominantly war era with BE being the oldest of those two.
But then again... I have been known to be wrong sometimes.
But then again... I have been known to be wrong sometimes.
kythri
Well-known member
Mine didn't have a US part numbers on it (the US ones did, from what I've seen). It started slipping, so I exchanged it, and they didn't have that style anymore. I didn't discover the Canadian stuff until afterwards.
Who's making them, out of curiosity?
Funky.
IDASHO
Well-known member
Ive got a couple of the single-line open end Craftsman wrenches.
One 6/8mm and one 10/11mm
I can get photos later on. Im out of town this weekend.
One 6/8mm and one 10/11mm
I can get photos later on. Im out of town this weekend.
paramudduck
Well-known member
During the Stanly period in the early 80's. Sears experimented with selling Taiwan produced Craftsman tools. I still have pieces from a couple of sets I received as presents.
Both sets were bought in Ohio from Sears tool departments.
Both sets were bought in Ohio from Sears tool departments.
Ive got a couple of the single-line open end Craftsman wrenches.
One 6/8mm and one 10/11mm
I can get photos later on. Im out of town this weekend.
Please do.
IDASHO
Well-known member
I will Elroy.
These came from my grandfather's collection, so I dont doubt they are old. I have them in my active line-up
These came from my grandfather's collection, so I dont doubt they are old. I have them in my active line-up
lbgradwell
Well-known member
I don't think any of them were made in the USA; at least I've never seen or heard of one so marked... The only country-of-origin marks I've ever seen were Taiwan. Have you actually seen one marked "USA"?
My USA-purchased 3/8" is 943796. My friend's similar Canadian-bought model is 42282 EE 7, but this has a QR feature and lacks the built-in speeder.
My guess is Stanley. The ratchets pretty much imply that as they own the design.
skeletonizer
Well-known member
Here are a couple from my Dad's tools. He got most of his tools in the late 60's early 70's.
lauver
Well-known member
Elroy and others,
Where do you come up with this stuff? So, now I'm scrambling to my tools box and inventory spreadsheet. Here's what I found:
A 6-piece set of metric Craftsman V series open end wrenches purchased new in 1968. Half of the set have the traditional ==CRAFTSMAN== logo, the other half of the wrenches (10/11mm, 6/8mm, 7/9mm) have the --CRAFTSMAN-- logo with different font. All wrenches in the set are stamped "FORGED IN USA".
The key piece of information here is the 1968 date. That was the year Easco acquired the Moore Drop Forge facilities.
Here's a couple of theories that might explain the different logo/font stampings:
1) The MDF/Easco transition was not so smooth or complete; i.e. some of the tools were produced in the original MDF facilities and some of the tools were produced in the Easco facilities. This could explain the different logo/font styles.
2) Easco inherited MDF capacity problems and had to quickly outsource some tool production; i.e. some of the tools were produced in the original MDF facilities and some of the tools were subcontracted to yet a third US OEM (unknown). This could also explain the different logo/font styles.
In either event, I think it is unlikely that the --CRAFTSMAN-- variation was manufactured in Canada, Taiwan, or Japan; both variations were stamped "FORGED IN USA". I also think the --CRAFTSMAN-- variation was short lived (i.e. a few years); I looked at my earlier and later V series wrenches and only find the traditional ==CRAFTSMAN== logo/font style.
EDIT: I've owned this wrench set for 40 years and used it a million times but never noticed the logo/font variations until this thread was posted.
EDIT2: I picked up an Easco 10" adjustable wrench at a pawn shop yesterday. I have no idea when this wrench may have been made, but likely before 1990 when Danaher acquired Easco. I just noticed it is stamped "MADE IN JAPAN". Hum...this suggests a Japanese production connection. Anybody else notice any Japanese made Easco or V/VV/G series Craftsman tools made before 1990?
Where do you come up with this stuff? So, now I'm scrambling to my tools box and inventory spreadsheet. Here's what I found:
A 6-piece set of metric Craftsman V series open end wrenches purchased new in 1968. Half of the set have the traditional ==CRAFTSMAN== logo, the other half of the wrenches (10/11mm, 6/8mm, 7/9mm) have the --CRAFTSMAN-- logo with different font. All wrenches in the set are stamped "FORGED IN USA".
The key piece of information here is the 1968 date. That was the year Easco acquired the Moore Drop Forge facilities.
Here's a couple of theories that might explain the different logo/font stampings:
1) The MDF/Easco transition was not so smooth or complete; i.e. some of the tools were produced in the original MDF facilities and some of the tools were produced in the Easco facilities. This could explain the different logo/font styles.
2) Easco inherited MDF capacity problems and had to quickly outsource some tool production; i.e. some of the tools were produced in the original MDF facilities and some of the tools were subcontracted to yet a third US OEM (unknown). This could also explain the different logo/font styles.
In either event, I think it is unlikely that the --CRAFTSMAN-- variation was manufactured in Canada, Taiwan, or Japan; both variations were stamped "FORGED IN USA". I also think the --CRAFTSMAN-- variation was short lived (i.e. a few years); I looked at my earlier and later V series wrenches and only find the traditional ==CRAFTSMAN== logo/font style.
EDIT: I've owned this wrench set for 40 years and used it a million times but never noticed the logo/font variations until this thread was posted.
EDIT2: I picked up an Easco 10" adjustable wrench at a pawn shop yesterday. I have no idea when this wrench may have been made, but likely before 1990 when Danaher acquired Easco. I just noticed it is stamped "MADE IN JAPAN". Hum...this suggests a Japanese production connection. Anybody else notice any Japanese made Easco or V/VV/G series Craftsman tools made before 1990?
Last edited:
lauver
Well-known member
Gang,
Here's another example of the single line logo. I found it on the Tool Logo thread, posted by billymade. I'm not sure what the tool is...maybe a sliding breaker bar handle or an extension:
Here's another example of the single line logo. I found it on the Tool Logo thread, posted by billymade. I'm not sure what the tool is...maybe a sliding breaker bar handle or an extension:
this one has the single line, but the lettering is the newer font - the "A" is more angular than the one Elroy posted
Gang,
Here's another example of the single line logo. I found it on the Tool Logo thread, posted by billymade. I'm not sure what the tool is...maybe a sliding breaker bar handle or an extension:
IDASHO
Well-known member
Here you go...
Both single line, two distinctly different fonts
Both single line, two distinctly different fonts
IDASHO
Well-known member
No idea.
shovel
Well-known member
Elroy,
I too looked after seeing this thread. I have (two) 7 x 9 mm open end wrenches, one with each font. These came from my Dads toolbox. They HAVE to be at least 40 - 50 years old. We used these tools working on VWs back in the 60s. Thanks for making me look. I needed a good reason to open Dads toolbox.
shovel
I too looked after seeing this thread. I have (two) 7 x 9 mm open end wrenches, one with each font. These came from my Dads toolbox. They HAVE to be at least 40 - 50 years old. We used these tools working on VWs back in the 60s. Thanks for making me look. I needed a good reason to open Dads toolbox.
shovel
Abodyracer
Well-known member
My metric wrenches are "Made in Japan". They are stamped BF though. I inherited these from my dad a few years ago but I have no idea how old they are.
HandyManny
Well-known member
My step farther-in-law has several of the Japanese made Craftsman tools, mostly wrenches, and sockets. I believe they are from the early 80's. He also has some tools just marked "Sears". I believe that there was a streatch there in the 80's when many of the Craftsman tools were being made in Japan. Many of the Craftsman wrenches, ratchets, and sockets used to be made at the National Hand Tools facility in Texas until the facility was acquired by Stanley. I believe once that happened Sears had to find another contractor to meet supply demands and shifted over to Japan for a couple years until they made agreements with certain tool companies here in the US.
speed bump
Well-known member
Ran into the same wrench that Elroy has today at a pawn shop. If I felt like spending 15 minutes dickering over prices for the stuff I wanted I would of bought it but as it stands i'll just wait until its just my two favorite ladies working and pick that stuff up later.
I have a complete set of Cman raised panels at work that were bought at Sears in Cedar Rapids,Iowa and when I opened them they were all stamped Japan on the side where it usualy says U.S.A. I bought them about 10-15 years ago.
Mike
Mike
superautobacs
Well-known member
I've read through this thread a few times and came to this conclusion:
The --CRAFTSMAN-- logo ONLY appears on the smaller 6mm-8mm ; 10mm-11mm ; 1/4-5/16 ; 3/8-7/16 sizes. Not only that, but it's ONLY on double open-ended spanners; not in any other size or wrench style.
This is evident looking through page 14 in the 1949 Craftsman catalogue. However, for whatever reason, the catalogue only shows the smallest 1/4-5/16 to be --CRAFTSMAN-- while the 3/8-7/16 is the common ==CRAFTSMAN== .
The --CRAFTSMAN-- logo ONLY appears on the smaller 6mm-8mm ; 10mm-11mm ; 1/4-5/16 ; 3/8-7/16 sizes. Not only that, but it's ONLY on double open-ended spanners; not in any other size or wrench style.
This is evident looking through page 14 in the 1949 Craftsman catalogue. However, for whatever reason, the catalogue only shows the smallest 1/4-5/16 to be --CRAFTSMAN-- while the 3/8-7/16 is the common ==CRAFTSMAN== .
that's interesting. So what's the final verdict on the year? 1949 or 1968?
superautobacs
Well-known member
Bchee,
I couldn't say as I'm far from being an expert on this.
Here's are three spanners that I recently got in possession.
Note that the two 3/8-7/16 are mostlikely from different production runs/dates and perhaps came out from different factories.
I couldn't say as I'm far from being an expert on this.
Here's are three spanners that I recently got in possession.
Note that the two 3/8-7/16 are mostlikely from different production runs/dates and perhaps came out from different factories.
