Any info (date, value) on this Union Tool Combo Square?

[mark-NJ]

My friend's dad was a woodworker (as am I), but my friend is not. My friend has a TON of his dad's tools in a storage unit and he has handed me quite a lot of stuff that he has no use for and wants to clean out. He gave me this square, and...truth be known...I have enough squares to sink a ship. I appreciate his gesture, but I just have no space. I told him I'd try to get more info and maybe a value so we could possibly sell it.

This is a Union Tool # 615, 12", and I'm guessing it's '50s-'60s vintage, but I haven't found much on the internet to determine that.

Box is in crappy shape:

...but it still has the oil paper

The square itself is quite clean, no rust. A few scratches here & there from use, but no dings, dents, bends...

The font on the protractor is gorgeous!

Anyone want to take a stab at age & value? I've heard that Union Tool was "middle grade": certainly not junk, but by no means Starrett. Is that accurate?

Anyway, thanks for looking...

mark in NJ

 

[RTM]

It's shown here, not in the 1974 catalog

https://archive.org/details/UnionToolCatalogNo53/page/n3/mode/2up

Might be earlier.

I have no concerns w Union quality, might be a hair under Starrett, but good enough for us non machinists.

Also in the 1941, not sure about earlier

https://archive.org/details/internationaltoolcataloglibrary?and[]=Union&sin=&sort=-date

 

[propmaker]

You may be able to get around 40.00 + on ebay, but if I saw it at a yard sale, I wouldn't pay more than 20.00. Its a great tool for any carpenter to have. Personally I collect Lufkin and Starrett.

They just don't sell for that much. I recently bought this entire wooden box with a bunch of starrett and lufkin in it for 100.00.

 

[Provincial]

Fewer people needing machinist tools nowadays, even as a hobby. Technology has changed the market. Few young people enjoy working with their hands.

To compare to wrenches, Union would be like Barcalo or Walden, compared to Craftsman and Snap-On. Perfectly functional, but not pursued by large groups of buyers.

Still, a very nice set, in very good condition.

 

[macgee]

Thats a tough one as that's the nicest Union I've seen and I have had a lot of them, just restored a four piece last week. The biggest problem and to me is a huge problem is that the blade on almost all vintage combination squares are compromised and not very readable/usable compared to new fresh one. Your friends looks like new old stock which will really bump up the value considerably but as others have said, there more desirable ones out there. I would not rate it as a top tier square but a very nice one and certainly better than most you see on eBay.

I for one would rather bet on a vintage Starrett than on any Union. I've been totally shocked finding a Starrett Hardened combo sq. in the bottom of some metal scrap pile bucket sitting outside for the last 20 years completely covered in rust and after cleaning it up, they would still be dead on square. I never had that happen with a Union. They're not bad and tunable (squarable) but its hard to think it will stay square like a Starrett which are not too hard to find out in the wild. In my experience I would pass on it unless the price was very low. When it comes to measurement and a reference tool, makes no sense getting something that cant hold tolerances or hard to read. Needs to be solid, usable and very accurate and very readable, otherwise whats the point?

That Blade is very readable/exe ++ on yours, the japanning is excellent and no rust or oxidation on the important bits and in orig. box which I say somewhere between early '30's to early 60's at the most and it looks like New Old Stock so it probably very square (Or at least as good as it can be).
Getting the price you want will depend on where you sell it and how long your willing to sit on it but on eBay, I would not be surprised at all if you get $70+ for it although $50-$60 is more reasonable to me. Someone who needs a combo that can not afford a Starrett should be happy with it., for local sale then $40 but thats low for new old stock. Miller Falls get more money/following (but equal quality or worse to a Union) and Brown & Sharpe even more especially the hardened ones but Mitutoyo and Starrett hardened (the square, not the blade) are the ones that get the most attention and rightly so.

Wood workers are the ones who pay the most for these combination squares by far in my experience and still buying them a lot.
EDIT: At tool shows buyers keep asking for combo squares with a white colored level on it even though they'll probably will never use the level, even if it's accurate on a combo which they rarely are. Union's are green

 

[d42jeep]

The best way to determine value is to list your NOS Union square with the box on eBay as an auction and see how high the bids go. Personally I have found dozens at estate sales for practically nothing. I generally pick up Starrett and others in good condition.
-Don

 

[Roberts210]

It is a mystery to me why the woodworking stores sell the crummy squares they sell, when Starrett (and Union) combo squares are so cheap on the used market. I have a bunch of Starrett squares, including a builder's combo, that I bought new in the 1980's. All are dead-on square, but I did once have a small, 4" Starrett square that was not square. This was many years ago before I found out you could send a square to Starrett and they'd restore it to 90 degrees.

 

[leg17]

.....
This is a Union Tool # 615, 12", and I'm guessing it's '50s-'60s vintage, but I haven't found much on the internet to determine that.
Box is in crappy shape:

Anyone want to take a stab at age & value? I've heard that Union Tool was "middle grade": certainly not junk, but by no means Starrett. Is that accurate?

mark in NJ

Union Caliper became Union Tool around 1912-1914.
The style of box and label looks to be 1930 or earlier.

Might get $50 for this nice set from a Union collector.

As has been suggested, peruse eBay for a while for some ideas.

 

[pfaustus]

I had one just like it, but the box was in a little better shape. I think I sold it for $50=60.

Union Tools was part of Millers Falls, but had a separate little plant in Orange, a few miles down the road from Starrett in Athol. I sometimes wonder if all three of them bought their boxes from the same place.

 

[AreBeeBee]

Millers Falls Co. bought Union Tool in 1957. For some Union Tool background, the most complete account I've seen (and it's not extensive) is on a MF history website. The page explains how MF kept the Union brand alive for about 10 years.

See here: https://oldtoolheaven.com/history/history11.htm and scroll down to the subhead on Union Tool.

See also this GJ thread from two years ago: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=405734

 

[RTM]

Millers Falls Co. bought Union Tool in 1957. For some Union Tool background, the most complete account I've seen (and it's not extensive) is on a MF history website. The page explains how MF kept the Union brand alive for about 10 years.

See here: https://oldtoolheaven.com/history/history11.htm and scroll down to the subhead on Union Tool.

Randy is always a good source for almost anything Millers Falls.

 

[mark-NJ]

Update / happy outcome:

So I put my buddy's [dad's] combo square on Craigslist. No hurry to sell it, but if it goes, fine. So far there's been a few tire kickers, but just time wasters.

Sunday afternoon I'm in my shop at my bench working with my friend who's tool this is. The project I was helping him with needed a center hole drilled, so I reached for MY combo square, affixed the center-finder and did the deed. My friend said "cool tool...I don't have one of those". I reached around behind me to my other bench, grabbed the tattered old red box and said "Allow me to remind you of what you didn't want... "

He graciously accepted back 'his' square, seeing the value of owning such a great tool.

So all things worked out, the world is back in balance, and the square is exactly where it belongs, in the hands of a rightful owner!

 

[macgee]

Very cool, well done.