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Any idea who made this old Box

Yankeeblue

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its has a Chicago LL lock... all grey never repainted... only id is the old water decal, none on the slides drawers

any guess?
 

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thehorse13

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Looks like a Metal Advertising Display Company box to me. They were in Chicago and your box looks like the same one made for Craftsman in the 40s.

Look inside the bottom drawer directly behind the pull handle. You might find the stamp there.
 

Rileysan

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There are some similarities to the AMD boxes, but I don't think that's an AMD box. The drawer pulls are different than any I have ever seen by AMD and I believe they were consistent across all models; Craftsman, Ward's, etc.

Advertising Metal Display made Craftsman boxes throughout most of the 1950s and early 60s, but prior to that, I read somewhere that Pressteel made boxes for Craftsman.

Yankeeblue, would you be willing to pull a drawer and take some photos of the drawer slides - both inside the box as well as the side of the drawer?

Thanks!

Brian
 

thehorse13

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Now that I look, the 40s Craftsman box has oval inlays on the handles but this one has horizontal lines.

I can tell you that Wynn's Friction Proofing is oil. Magic in a can additive much like the Slick50 **** they used to sell in the 80s.
 
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Yankeeblue

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Here some more photos my... 40s craftsmen top chest is a lot lighter than this thing it's as heavy as my 30s Blackhawk chest
 

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Yankeeblue

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The hinge is different than the craftsmen. And under that wyant sticker was that old label with a Buffalo New York address
 

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Rileysan

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plus I don't know to many tool chest companies in Buffalo NY

That decal is for a "tool & supply" company that is almost certainly a retailer, not a manufacturer.

A great many retailers brand tool boxes that are made by manufacturers that are not household names. Sears, Montgomery Wards, JC Penny are stores we all recognize. Western Auto is one some of us recognize. How many dozens of retailers are out their who put their names on tool boxes - who can say? I'm always fascinated when a new one comes up though!

Brian
 

Sunset_Z28

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I don’t think it’s made by Kennedy, but it has a similar layout to a Kennedy 260 I have.
 

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Yankeeblue

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Top lid is constructed a lot different then the Kennedy box. I had one traded it for 40s beast of a table saw by craftsmen.

paid $20 for the box, pulled the bottom drawer found old craftsmen socket and a proto socket and navy work orders from California from the 40s, shopping list and envelop with $23.00 dollars in it the newest bill was 1978

so this is a good box lol:)
 

thehorse13

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I know that Plomb boxes are Pressteel but I had no idea that they made boxes for Craftsman pre 50s.

After seeing the slides and additional pictures, I am at a loss for a definitive maker. It looks close to the old Craftsman boxes at first glance but the devil is in the details. This is a beast of another kind.

So we know that:
1) It's not a Craftsman ADM box.
2) A Wynn advertisement sticker was placed over the local retailer water decal.
3) Given the 2L-4N phone number, the decal was made between the late 40s - early 60s. This was when this phone number format was in use. Looking at the box, I would lean heavy to the late 40s on both the decal and the tool box.

I guess we have to look at who was manufacturing boxes immediately after WWII to narrow this down.

I think that Huot is worth a look to start with.
 
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Yankeeblue

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I'm wondering if was made for the navy. because the old 30s Kennedy 520 box that I bought from the same guy had one of the navy work order stuff in the bottom to. and the guys name stenciled on the box, but the name is missing most of the letters in middle
 

twertsy

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I looked at every tool box I have (92), not one has those handles. I have a lot of Huot-made boxes and none resemble this example. Interesting piece.
 

drivesitfar

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Yankee: nice looking box. i would have thought it was a heritage Craftsman box too at first look.

since the drawer handles i think have the look of a BEECH box any chance this could have been made in Canada?

also welcome to the forum and post up more of your vintage toolboxes over on the vintage toolbox thread if you haven't already.

cheers
 
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