Aaron Montgomery Ward

[Username already in use]

four.cycle, that is a dandy little POWR-KRAFT set you have there! Thanks for sharing.
Ever since I picked up a POWR-KRAFT stack, I've been grabbing all the Ward's and Powr-Kraft stuff that I come across. A few new additions from the weekend. A pair of nice 1/2in and 3/8in drive ratchets, impact socket and chrome socket.

Does anyone know who made these ratchets?

 

[four.cycle]

they look suspiciously like Thorsen to me, but I could be mistaken.
compare to Thorsen models 77C and 77JC

here's a Thorsen 77JC. note clip ring on drive side:



could possibly be New Britain, though... MW used a bunch of different suppliers. if there's a patent number stamped on them that's a sure indicator.

here's a mish-mash (because I'm too lazy to dig these out right now and shoot new photos) - the Thorsen 77JC is at center and to its immediate right is an old New Britain manufactured "Husky". note clip ring on drive side:



I'm leaning toward Thorsen on that one, but my eyes aren't really focused yet.

 

[paulm12]

Wards spark plug gauge from a recent batch of tools, is in pretty good shape. Shoot me a note if anyone wants for their collection.

 

[jeeper46]

I have a Winter 1939-'40 Wards catalog-it's as big and thick as a phonebook. It's a fascinating window into what was available in the United States then, and even more amazing when you consider that probably 99% of the things in it were made here. It would be nice to have a Sears catalog of the same vintage to compare their offerings, but I can say that Wards offered a wide range of tools, that were the equals of whatever Sears had. Here's a few pages from that catalog:

 

[jeeper46]

A couple more pages: It looks like they had two levels of quality - "Master Quality" and "Lakeside Quality"

 

[2000-cvpi]

I remember going to the Kalamazoo Montgomery Wards in the mid 1980's to see Harry Blackstone Jr do a magic show. I don't remember anything about the magi show, but I do still have the free handout cardboard magic trick that was given to every kid. My mom loved MW, she wouldn't go anywhere else to shop.

 

[Nunci0]

I thought identifying Powr-Kraft manufacturers was as simple as "H" coded tools were Thorson and "W" coded tools were Wright. I don't know what Indestro's code was? "D" maybe based on other contract tool designations.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Brought back memories - My first promotion at my current job was around the corner from the old MW building in Oakland... huge building, it was slated to become low cost housing and a shopping center, but the Loma Prieta earthquake happened in 1989 and rendered it uninhabitable. They started having problems with homeless and fires, and finally tore it down in the early 2000's. Sad for a lot of people - it was historic!

 

[EOC_Jason]

Man I have too much Powr-Kraft stuff to even want to photograph & post... They were a lot like Sears just re-branding other companies stuff. Still fun to collect IMO, a lot of it goes cheaper at estate sales especially when a majority is old Craftsman stuff...

 

[PugetDude]

My big SAE combination wrenches (1-1/16"-1-1/2" ) are all TATools (Thorsen Allied?) purchased at Montgomery Ward in the early 1980's.

 

[jocww]

Brought back memories - My first promotion at my current job was around the corner from the old MW building in Oakland... huge building, it was slated to become low cost housing and a shopping center, but the Loma Prieta earthquake happened in 1989 and rendered it uninhabitable. They started having problems with homeless and fires, and finally tore it down in the early 2000's. Sad for a lot of people - it was historic!

I remember the one in San Leandro off of Washington

 

[Username already in use]

Picked up a couple of Wards pieces over the weekend.

 

[d42jeep]

I found these unused punches at the Tahoe flea yesterday.
-Don

 

[driftpin]

Probably my oldest tools which I've had since new. A Montgomery Wards Powr-Kraft socket set, made by Wright. I got them in the mid-1960's, along with a set of open-end metric wrenches. I can't recall if it was Christmas or my birthday, I was probably age 16, and we had a '62 VW beetle cabriolet, bought new, one of my older brothers broke something in the front suspension sliding into a curb on a snowy road. I told my parents, "if you buy me this metric set, I can work on the broken car." Needless to say, this set wasn't sufficient to make the front end repair. However, it's still used frequently, and while a couple of sockets are no-longer there/functional, I've used the set on probably everything two or four-wheeled in over 50 years of driving/working on gas-powered cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

This set has the famous Wright 'tootsie roll' rubber handle.

 

[zendriver]

I'm pining to pick up of of their smaller Air Power System air compressors, at an upcoming auction.

No idea - yet, who makes it.

I did have a AD/DC Powr-Kraft welder, that was made by Century. Sold it.

 

[zendriver]

Wood - Curious, what triggered the sudden interest in Montgomery Wards?

For me, it's because old Sears stuff, is approaching Snap-On prices.

 

[BFBOB]

I have a Winter 1939-'40 Wards catalog-it's as big and thick as a phonebook.

What is this "phonebook" of which you speak?:

 

[Outlawmws]

You mean this lil' thing?

This one covers FIVE cities!

 

[woody 73]

I found this today a Montgomery Ward Paper trimmer I think the No. is 5379 (the first number is hard to read).

 

[Outlawmws]

Bringing this one "Back to life" as I'm researching my Lakeside Dykes from last weekend, and rediscovered a very few other Lakeside tools I have. I'd like to pin done the Lakeside time line, -seen 1931 catalog pages and Jeeper posted a 39-40 catalog with "Lakeside Quality" along side of "Master Quality" above. I doubt Lakeside branding made it past WWII?

I found the BP hammer but not the DBE. Clearly an Underline, and "Long L":









Old Pic of the DBE, I could not get the marking to come up:

 

[engineer2]

When I worked for Bear Automotive we sold a ton of equipment to Montgomery Wards auto service centers. One of their VPs brought his Oldsmobile into our training center for a full diagnosis before he gave it to his daughter for college. Looked OK, but after checking it over we found it had never been maintained. 50k and original spark plugs, wires and filters. Lots of sludge inside the engine and compression was low on all cylinders due to a lack of oil changes. Told him the truth, and boy was he pissed.

 

[woody 73]

I found the following box end wrench this week; I am sure most of you know that the cheapest line of tools produced for Montgomery wards was their Eclipse line of tools and the following is an example of an Eclipse box end wrench.

If I was a betting man, don't tell my wife, I would bet that it was made by the Barcalo tool Company, it has that look.

 

[four.cycle]

I have to wonder who made these? Midwest?


Eclipse 12-in tinner's snips

 

[woody 73]

four cycle Hi,

I sent Midwest a pm asking about your snips, they might need some time to research it and when they get to me, I will send you a pm.