Buying engraved tools....

[ScottsGT]

Isn't that like marrying a woman with another mans name tattooed on her?

 

[WunTon]

Possibly but I imagine it is more socially acceptable to take a grinder of some sort to a tool to erase the memory than it would be to do the same to your new wife!!

 

[ddawg16]

Depends on where you get the tools from.

All too often that tool is stolen.

How many of us sell our old tools....especially if we took the time to engrave it?

 

[Rogers954]

Part of the reason i have held onto stuff that i got thought a military action, all the tools are engraved and even though there mostly Snap-On i figured with them being engraved the value went way down. Wish it wasn’t the case i don’t use a lot of them and would rather sell for tools i could actually use.


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[Davefr]

Isn't that like marrying a woman with another mans name tattooed on her?

Yes, but if she's frugal, is otherwise good looking and get's the job done, then some things can be overlooked. Just like tools.

 

[Perrorojo]

I look at marked tools in a different way. I have sets of tools from three different estates that are marked. One set has the guys name, one has a funky Z with a line through it and the other set has 3 scallops in each piece. Wrenches, sockets, extensions and all were marked by the owners. To me it's history. It shows that those tools were used by older humans (all 3 gentlemen are dead). I'm going to mark them with something (Stamped Logo maybe)and then when they get passed on after I die hopefully someone else can use them. I don't buy/resell for profit so to me it's history.

I knew two of the guys. One was a retired Orthopedic machinist, who according to the Sheriff's Department, supplemented his pension by converting 100's AR's to full auto. The other owned a muffler shop that went belly up.

 

[Bellaireroad]

Isn't that like marrying a woman with another mans name tattooed on her?

Maybe if you’re planning on having *** with the tool


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[ScottsGT]

Maybe if you’re planning on having *** with the tool


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Nothing below 24mm. Wait, 87mm

 

[OccupantRJ]

I have bought a lot of tools from hard luck co workers that had their initials on them. I am not a tool polisher so I just put them to use.

 

[danielbuck]

Depends on where you get the tools from.

All too often that tool is stolen.

How many of us sell our old tools....especially if we took the time to engrave it?

when someone dies, retires, or inherits tools that they don't care about and just sells them, or whatever.


I had almost all of my air tools and battery tools stolen a while ago, every single one of them had BUCK engraved on them. I stop by pawn shops every now and then just to see if any of them ever turned up. Never found a single one.

I still engrave all my tools though.

I wouldn't pay more or less $ for a used tool if it were engraved.

 

[gerryw]

if a used tool was a good price @ say $50, the same tool engraved i would pay $25 . I never engrave tools, i just have really good insurance ( with well documented inventory)

Gerry

 

[larry_g]

If the fastener doesn't complain, neither do I. I have lots of engraved tools by a lot of different people and places. They all work just as designed, except the ones modified to do something other than what they were designed for.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[GrayFlattop]

If the price is right, I'll buy an engraved tool - particularly if it fills out a set or replaces something damaged or lost. I end up buying used tools on ebay as well as at garage sales. I do get pissed if the ebay seller does not disclose or the photo is deliberately fuzzy, but I've never complained if the price was appropriate.

I think the assumption that the tool is stolen if engraved is somewhat faulty. Possible, absolutely. But I've picked up tools at estate sales as well as from guys that have retired. Another way to look at it is that the engraving is part of the tool's history. I'm more concerned if the broaching is worn of if the chrome is badly peeling.

Now if somebody asks me if any of my tools are engraved with such and such, I won't lie. I would return them to the police with the appropriate police report. If purchased on ebay, I have a record. If at a garage sale or flea market, I have no way of defending or documenting the provenance.

 

[joe_padavano]

If the fastener doesn't complain, neither do I.

 

[davethorik]

I generally don't buy etched tools, however sometimes it is unavoidable, especially if the price is right. I generally pass if it's a chrome tool (can cause chrome peel) and also if the mark is unnecessarily large and sloppy.

 

[PugetDude]

I had almost all of my air tools and battery tools stolen a while ago, every single one of them had BUCK engraved on them. I stop by pawn shops every now and then just to see if any of them ever turned up. Never found a single one.

Maybe they sold quickly because everyone thought "buck" was the price?

 

[Rickster]

I buy them when I see them at estate sales and retired mechanics garage sales..... and it's not unusual at all.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I never give it any thought. Engraved tools bother me even less.

 

[FlaGman]

I ended up with quite a few sets of vintage USA made wrenches that were all engraved with the name of the original owner, who I would assume was a professional mechanic who felt the need to put his mark on every tool he owned. After wire brushing, then belt sanding through several grits, and polishing one I decided it really was not worth the effort to eradicate his signature. I like the tools, and I will use them with his name engraved on them proudly.

 

[bpjr]

I have a few etched tools, mostly from estate sales. It's no big deal to me. On the flip side..if its on a firearms I wouldn't buy it.

 

[Magnum440d100]

I have most of my Grampa’s US Craftsman tools that have PVA engraved on them. That was the name of his business right before he retired in the 80’s (Perris Valley Auto) or at least that’s what he told me haha.

They are in my extra box, and I don’t use them much. I’m too afraid of losing any more of them (through theft or carelessness). I had one box stolen with some of his tools in it. Same as Buck above. I’ve checked pawn shops and swap meets around here, and nada. Zip, zilch, nada. Although I was working on my Lincoln (he left it to me when he died) and found a 15/16” socket wedged up in there. That was a cool find.


I figure pawn shops don’t buy engraved tools for a reason, and that may be it. ...

The only way I would buy engraved tools, is if it were through a verifiable source. Estate sale/auction, thrift store, etc. As long as the sale could be tracked. Because if I DID end up buying tools that were stolen, I’d wish the original owners could track them. I’d have no problem turning them over as well.

If it’s a craigslist or marketplace sale, and it was a huge box of like 500 sockets for $10, yeah, NO hahaha RUN!!!!

 

[danielbuck]

Maybe they sold quickly because everyone thought "buck" was the price?

if a used tool was a good price @ say $50, the same tool engraved i would pay $25 . I never engrave tools, i just have really good insurance ( with well documented inventory)

Fortunately my house insurance covered the tools, since I had receipts for JUST ABOUT everything. That's one nice thing about buying online, you always have a receipt on the email, it was actually quite easy to gather up the receipts. Still really sucked, I miss those tools. Now they are all new and shiny again, which is nice... but some of them I had modified, and I like the worn in look and feel. Like a pair of blue jeans

 

[larry_g]

Isn't that like marrying a woman with another mans name tattooed on her?

Judging buy the number of members who suggest "Bang his wife" they probably would not care about a tattoo either.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[TwoInch]

Judging buy the number of members who suggest "Bang his wife" they probably would not care about a tattoo either.



lg

no neat sig line

Never bothered me... Amateur hour was in high school.... All seasoned pros these days.

Lol

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[Gurp]

Never bothered me... Amateur hour was in high school.... All seasoned pros these days.

Lol

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He's not wrong though.

 

[emeraldcoupe]

Depends on where you get the tools from.

All too often that tool is stolen.

How many of us sell our old tools....especially if we took the time to engrave it?

I see tons of engraved tools at estate sales

 

[JUNK-MAN]

I engrave all my tools, usually another persons marking don't bother me but if its very large or ugly i grind it off.

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[unslow1]

Unless you plan on having it buried with you every tool that has been engraved will have a second owner or already does.

 

[fordkid88]

I bought a drill press from an older gentleman that put his name and ss# and forgot about it. I took care of it and then he called me explaining it was on there. I was able to tell him not to worry and that its already been taken care of.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

I look at marked tools in a different way. I have sets of tools from three different estates that are marked.

I knew two of the guys. One was a retired Orthopedic machinist, who according to the Sheriff's Department, supplemented his pension by converting 100's AR's to full auto. The other owned a muffler shop that went belly up.

What the heck is an Orthopedic machinist? And it seems like the muffler shop guy could have gone into business with the AR conversionist and made suppressors available, etc.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Isn't that like marrying a woman with another mans name tattooed on her?

So you saying that we should only consider tools and women that already have OUR OWN NAME on them?

 

[bdk1976]

Depends on where you get the tools from.

All too often that tool is stolen.

How many of us sell our old tools....especially if we took the time to engrave it?

Unless you are buried with them, they will most likely hit the open market at some point via an estate/garage sale.

 

[unslow1]

What the heck is an Orthopedic machinist? And it seems like the muffler shop guy could have gone into business with the AR conversionist and made suppressors available, etc.

I had to Google it. It looks like the guy that makes metal implants for surgeries.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Re: Buying engraved tools.Threadjack apology...

I had to Google it. It looks like the guy that makes metal implants for surgeries.

Thanks.

 

[Ign]

It's not as simple as insurance.

If your tools get mixed in with a buddy's or at a job or something, there's no arguing about what is whose. Or if you suspect someone is occasionally pocketing your stuff and you should happen to see it in their box, truck, whatever....there's no argument that they've always had that.

 

[Hytekrednek]

This reminds me of the tat my ex wife got. It was high on her shoulder... it said
""SHAUN'S BI**H"
It was very bold, and so deep that a blind man could read it with his finger tips.
So glad to be rid of that demon woman!

 

[PugetDude]

This reminds me of the tat my ex wife got. It was high on her shoulder... it said
""SHAUN'S BI**H"
It was very bold, and so deep that a blind man could read it with his finger tips.
So glad to be rid of that demon woman!

Is your name even Shaun?

 

[Hytekrednek]

Is your name even Shaun?

Yep. She surprised me with it. I was surprised, to say the least.

 

[crewchief888]

most of the used tools i buy, (pawn shop & flea mkt) have some type of engraving or marking on them.

doesnt bother me at all.

 

[jetlag]

I have some hand tools with the previous owner's initials (or company logo) engraved on them. Generally, they were purchased at an estate or industrial auction. Frankly, I don't even notice most of the engraving... as long as I knew it was there before I decided to buy the tools, it doesn't bother me in the slightest, and the engraving does not affect the tool's function.

I do have a tap/die set that I bought "unused" from the previous owner at a good price, but he did NOT disclose that every single piece, even the tiniest taps, had his initials laser engraved on it. I was not happy, but kept them anyway. Engraving your initials will reduce the resale price if you decide to sell them down the line. If you have a choice of buying an un-engraved tool, or one engraved with the previous owner's initials, we'd all choose the un-engraved tool.

I don't engrave my tools, mostly because they never leave my shop, and if they get lost, it's because I didn't put them back where they belong after use.