blue grass tools

[KEH]

Blue Grass was the trade name for Belknap hardware company's line of tools. I have an old Blue Grass 1/2 inch drive ratchet and was wondering who the manufacturer was. It is a RHFT ratchet.

KEH

 

[2oolhound]

Here you go, I think the 2nd link gets into the maker:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27966

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78507

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2090

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60927

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72104

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=242605

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148553

 

[KnurledNut]

They sourced from New Britain, Thorsen, and Wright.
Any more details or a pic?

The demise of Belknap is a sad story. They had a good thing going during their prime.

 

[woody 73]

Some more information if you were interested:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=269152

 

[KEH]

The ratchet is just like the one pictured in the last link in 2oolhound's post above.(Thanks very much, BTW). Mine is in a lot worse shape that the one pictured. I got it at a flea market a year or more ago, put it in some tools for my unmarried daughter to have out of state, tried to use it, it slipped. Brought it home last week after leaving her another ratchet, spent some time today taking it apart, cleaning it, stretching the spring, and getting it back together. The insides are held together by an E clip, which I promptly lost. Got 2 from the hardware store, one of which I lost, but finally got it together. It works, but not as well as a Wright which the links above indicate made it for Blue Grass. I'm not going to take apart one of my Wrights to see if the insides are the same. I may go to a wright dealer and ask nicely if I could look at a kit to compare.

I found that it is best to clamp the ratchet in a vise while reassembling it. Less chance of losing the E clip and much better to have it held firmly while putting the little circular flat spring which holds the guts in place.

I did oil it during the process. Works smooth, but selector is stiff. I wish now I had taken pics while it was disassembled.

KEH