Barcalo Buffalo Tools

[leg17]

My largest ones are 7/8” x 25/32” and 3/4” x 5/8”.
-Don

The largest I have is 15/16 x 1".

 

[RedVise]

Used a pair of Barcalo parrot head pliers while working on my stove yesterday.
Used them on a brake job a couple of weeks ago, the narrow jaws helped me out.

Brian

 

[d42jeep]

It’s good to have the right tool for the job. The matched pair are some that Notlob pointed out to me at an estate sale in 2017.
-Don

 

[RedVise]

It’s good to have the right tool for the job. The matched pair are some that Notlob pointed out to me at an estate sale in 2017.
-Don

What !! You mean that shiny was an option ?? LOL

Brian

 

[d42jeep]

The silver and red paint acted as a preservative on one pair.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Do any of you guys with the Art Deco style (so-called "geometric pattern") DOE wrenches have examples with a forge code on the flip side? I have had a 3/8" x 7/16" forever with a "C8" forged-in the panel on the smallest head. Today I picked up a ********* and the 1/2" x 9/16" wrench has an "A1" forged-in that panel.

 

[d42jeep]

In checking my photos of those wrenches, I tend to only take ones of the sides with the sizes marked. I don’t see any codes on the wrenches I can see in the set though. I’ll check them next time I go through the collection.
-Don

 

[Provincial]

I found my first Barcalo Buffalo auto wrench Friday. It also has the Ford script forged in. With the square lug on the tang, it should date from the Model A era, since the male square was for differential fill/drain plugs on the "A".

 

[d42jeep]

I’ve made an effort to find Barcalo auto wrenches but that is one I haven’t yet run across. Good find!
-Don

 

[Provincial]

Thanks! The use of the trademarked Ford script means it was approved by Ford Motor Company. I don't think it was sold by Ford, or included in a tool kit that came with the automobile. It would have been a Ford-approved item sold under license.

 

[d42jeep]

I recently picked up two pairs of identical NOS Barcalo diagonal pliers from two different eBay sellers. The second pair even came in the original box. I’d been looking for a pair to replace the early placeholder in this tool roll.
-Don

 

[paris by night]

Hi guys. Come here because i fal last week on a barcalo buffalo wrench and don’t found details for it. Others i saw had a split handle. Anyway very happy with. Buy for the look and finally Use it with enjoy ! An old tool well design.

 

[lardy1]

Another example.

 

[d42jeep]

Out of this many wrenches, I found these three with a forging mark.
-Don

 

[damon18]

Can the Barcalo experts tell me if these four wrenches go together? I really like the feel and length of these and they look to be the start of a set I'd like to complete and use.

The number 2, 3, 4, and 7 forged in appear the same style, but the smaller ones only say BARCALO USA while the larger two say BARCALO BUFFALO USA.

 

[d42jeep]

Mine do that too. I would say that they go together.
-Don

 

[outofbounds]

My modest pair of Barcolo slip joint pliers (shown with an old pair of J.P. Danielson pliers)

 

[damon18]

Mine do that too. I would say that they go together.
-Don

Really nice set!

 

[Odes]

Here is a new addition I found this in Alberta which don’t find much barcalo out there


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[d42jeep]

Nice 12” one with the reinforced hanging hole. Good find!
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Here are my Barcalo finds from estate sales yesterday. The bottom wrench is a GMTK correct 5/8” x 3/4” shorty DBE.
-Do

 

[Provincial]

Among other items I picked up recently was a DBE 3/8 x 7/16 marked "BARCALO BUFFALO USA" which is unplated and seems to have a phospate finish. It has a small "A3" in raised letters on the back side, perhaps with an asterisk stamped in.

It seems to be from the WWII era. Does it match any military tool kits?

 

[d42jeep]

I responded on the Garage Sale thread but I don’t believe that style wrench was used in any wartime sets. All of the wartime Barcalo are of the raised panel design. Many have been found in postwar repacks. They were also making the Double Grip wrenches during the war but they don’t seem to match up to any wartime sets. The wrench that you just found is fairly rare and may have been included in some auto toolset, but that’s just conjecture on my part.
-Don

 

[lardy1]

Alloy Artifacts tells me these are post war. They show a set of these in a pouch which they attribute to military stock.





1/2 X 9/16 vintage wrenches seem to be hard for me to come by. Missing that from my Vlchek DBE set, also. If I already posted this, I apologize. Forgetful in my old age.

 

[d42jeep]

If you’re trying to complete the set, I can check my spares. This is my set. I have some duplicates but I’m not sure about the 1/2” x 9/16”.
-Don
-

 

[lardy1]

If you have an orphan I could give it a family. Looks like you already have all that I have. The only other Barcalo I can think of in my drawer is a couple of the modernistic looking ones. If you have a short set, hit me up. I might have it.

 

[d42jeep]

If you have an orphan I could give it a family. Looks like you already have all that I have. The only other Barcalo I can think of in my drawer is a couple of the modernistic looking ones. If you have a short set, hit me up. I might have it.

Here is an orphan coming your way today.
-Don

 

[lardy1]

Thank you Sir. The chisel and the wrench will pass in transit. Still owe ya one though.

 

[LesserSon]

Recently picked up a DBE 5545MH set in red metal clip. Perusing the 1940 catalog, closest I see is 5745MH set, and the blurb says “newly redesigned,” so I’m guessing this is prior to 1940. Does anyone have an earlier catalog to confirm?
Two issues: the 5501 (3/8x7/16) wrench is missing, and a previous owner has made up for the loss by crushing the clip to close it up a bit. I have a similar, unmarked clip, and am pondering how to restore the shape without damaging the paint.

 

[d42jeep]

It seems that there was a 1937 price sheet on Tool Archives before it went down judging from the screenshot below. Unfortunately, I didn’t capture the DBE offset wrench sets. I can’t tell from your side view photos but if your wrench is the style below, that one is an extra. To straighten the clip, I would start with some flanged Vise grips in the area where the paint is missing.
-Don

 

[LesserSon]

Thank you, Don. These are stamped on only one side. On the unstamped side, all but the “5” have faint, sequential forged-in numbers near the neck at the larger opening.

This set on eBay is the same, though the “5” has the “5” and the “3” isn’t forged upside-down like on mine. Too bad about the astronomical price.
This other set (of 7!) is better, and has the clip.

 

[d42jeep]

Thank you, Don. These are stamped on only one side. On the unstamped side, all but the “5” have faint, sequential forged-in numbers near the neck at the larger opening.

This set on eBay is the same, though the “5” has the “5” and the “3” isn’t forged upside-down like on mine. Too bad about the astronomical price.
This other set (of 7!) is better, and has the clip.

Got it. They are this style. I’ll dig them out after Christmas. I’ll likely have an extra of the one you’re missing.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I still haven’t dug out my DBE wrenches but I’ll get to it soon. I was happy to find this shorty today at an estate sale. These are rare to find in the wild. It is just like the ones (41-W-620) in my keeper WW2 sets.
-Don

 

[LesserSon]

I actually managed to source one from eBay, Don. But thank you for the kind offer. Please don’t bother rooting it out on my account.
Also got the red clip straightened, so it does its job.
And cleaned up an auto adjustable. It was stuck, and I had thought it was jammed up with crud, but it was actually a nick or burr on one end of the adjustment screw, which was then catching, unable to make a complete turn. A couple strokes with a file, and it was working again. While I had it apart, I filed the buggered dynamic jaw flat again. I thought the forge mark on the dynamic was interesting: a triangle inside a triangle.

 

[d42jeep]

Here are my Barcalo finds from yesterday. A no ISN 27C DOE (41-W-1005-5) and a really rusty adjustable wrench.
-Don

 

[lardy1]

According to Alloy Artifacts this might belong in this thread. The markings sure look strikingly similar. I inherited this one. Owners stamps and grindings included.

 

[d42jeep]

It wouldn’t be the only Lakside marked wrench that Barcalo ever made. It’s hard for me to see the offset but it looks like it might be Vlchek made too. Wards bought a lot of wrenches from Barcalo over the years, that’s for sure.
-Don

 

[outofbounds]

It wouldn’t be the only Lakside marked wrench that Barcalo ever made. It’s hard for me to see the offset but it looks like it might be Vlchek made too. Wards bought a lot of wrenches from Barcalo over the years, that’s for sure.
-Don

You might have solved a riddle for me with that Ward Mastr. I have several of those with all markings completely gone, but the wrenches themselves are in really good shape. Are those markings etched onto the raised panel, opposed to engraved? and would you say those pre-date a Powr-Kraft brand name of ostensibly the same wrench?

Thanks, Tom

 

[lardy1]

The plating and the marking looks identical to the later DOE set you completed for me. I compared the offset to the same size Vlchek that I have and the Vlchek has far more offset. I'm just doing visual comparison. I know little about this.

 

[d42jeep]

You might have solved a riddle for me with that Ward Mastr. I have several of those with all markings completely gone, but the wrenches themselves are in really good shape. Are those markings etched onto the raised panel, opposed to engraved? and would you say those pre-date a Powr-Kraft brand name of ostensibly the same wrench?
.

Thanks, Tom

The markings are etched and I can see where they would disappear over time. The Wards marked wrenches are earlier than Powr-Kraft. Below are some Barcalo combos and their Powr-Kraft cousins

The plating and the marking looks identical to the later DOE set you completed for me. I compared the offset to the same size Vlchek that I have and the Vlchek has far more offset. I'm just doing visual comparison. I know little about this.

Usually the offset is a giveaway but it’s hard to determine from a picture.
-Don