"Chromium Vanadium" - Who Made it? 10/21/21

[Username already in use]

This is an interesting little set:

10 Vintage Chromium Vanadium 1/2" Drive 12 Point Socket Double Ended Breaker Bar | eBay

<p>The breaker bar has no markings. The sockets are marked. Satisfaction guaranteed. Great excellent condition. Great stuff. 10 Vintage Chromium Vanadium 1/2" Drive 12 Point Sockets Double Ended Brakes Bar. </p>

www.ebay.com

Ebay item # 294658767217

 

[d42jeep]

That is an interesting early Indestro made set with the star markings on the sockets. I wonder if they marketed it themselves or it was made for Western Auto or a similar retailer?
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

This is an interesting little set:

and you noticed that it had my name written on it, right?


Don, I think the ones with the stars were Indestro.

 

[Username already in use]

and you noticed that it had my name written on it, right?

Hahaha. Yes, yes I did notice that.

 

[81CJ-7]

who made this one? and whose private-label brand was "Brighton" ?


Brighton 5/8" x 11/16" Chromium Vanadium offset double-end box wrench

That looks an awful lot like Barcalo to me

 

[d42jeep]

It does, doesn’t it.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

This is an interesting little set:

10 Vintage Chromium Vanadium 1/2" Drive 12 Point Socket Double Ended Breaker Bar | eBay

<p>The breaker bar has no markings. The sockets are marked. Satisfaction guaranteed. Great excellent condition. Great stuff. 10 Vintage Chromium Vanadium 1/2" Drive 12 Point Sockets Double Ended Brakes Bar. </p>

www.ebay.com

Ebay item # 294658767217

That is a bog set. Bog also used stars. Probably sold by western auto. Here is same hinge handle marked bog (right of photo). Left one is a duro indestro version.

 

[81CJ-7]

Came across these today while going through some stuff. Looks like MW had “Chromium Vanadium” as well. The other two have no name, but look like DI to me.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Chromium vanadium seems to pop up on western auto and wards sets.

 

[hoinox11]

and you noticed that it had my name written on it, right?


Don, I think the ones with the stars were Indestro.

Yeah, yeah, you got me this time! lol. I was the other bidder on it. I can't keep away from the bog stuff

 

[Ricky Joe]

That looks an awful lot like Barcalo to me

I think Brighton was made by Herbrand, but not certain.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

My suspicion as well, but that one did resemble barcalo. Maybe more than one manufacturer involved here.

 

[four.cycle]

doubtless more than one. more than two or three or four.
as with the "Chrome Alloy" and "Chrome Alloy Steel" monikers stamped on wrenches and sockets and drive tools, this one is going to be a while in the untangling.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a tappet wrench that was in my recent Craftsman toolset purchase. It looks Duro/Indestro made to me. The question is should I keep it with the Indestro tools or the Western Auto tools? Most of the chrome plating has worn off.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ don't know. wondered about that one when you first posted it. I'd assume that Indestro would have marked theirs T1, T1A, T2, etc., but assuming anything doesn't seem to be a safe bet.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a 1/4” breaker bar I found today.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ it's not marked "2850" or "Indestro", is it?

I think that one was made for the Montgomery Ward "Chromium Vanadium" line.

 

[d42jeep]

Probably so. I’ll dig one of those sets out and compare.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ I have at least two sets of sockets. not sure how many breakers. no cross bars. I don't think those sets came with anything else.
plain skinny box, as I recall. narrower than the Indestro or Duro boxes.

 

[d42jeep]

Like this but I added a crossbar and extension. I have quite a few of the sockets.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I pulled out the Riverside set to compare the breakers and they were identical except there was no Chromium Vanadium marking on the Riverside breaker. I threw the Chromium Vanadium marked breaker into my made up set. I have plenty of extra sockets if anyone needs any.
-Don

 

[SquareWave]

Cool wrenches!! I'm definitely on the lookout for some of those.

 

[four.cycle]

Here's a new entry to the list:

Wilde 1725 7/16" x 1/2" open-end Chromium Vanadium wrench (photos ebay)

and another Armstrong "Chromium Vanadium" sample.
maybe it's just my imagination, but something about this one says "tappet wrench":


Armstrong 7/16" x 1/2" open-end Chromium Vanadium wrench (photos ebay)

 

[RTM]

Just to throw another one into the mix, I grabbed this beast during my 3rd dive into the hoarder's estate sale. Over the past years, I've grabbed a 3/4" drive socket or two, without owning a way to drive it. Some time recently I found a 1/2" - 3/4" adapter, seemed kinda silly small, but it was cheap. This was found early into the foray, and I eventually found a Challenger by Proto 1818 Sliding Tee with the handle, but that's a story for another thread.

This one is unmarked as to maker, but it belongs here. If anyone has clues as to the maker, I'll gladly listen. This takes a tommy bar somewhere around 7/8", don't have one to test just yet. And yes, a through hole in the midst of the lettering.

 

[d42jeep]

I believe that Duro/Indestro sliding tees generally have the hole which allowed for machining to insert the retaining ball and spring. Their bars had a slot in the middle to allow for centering. I’ll need to take a picture or two of my 1/2” drive examples since I don’t believe that I have a 3/4” drive tee.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I would concur. My 3/4 drive example looks similar.

 

[RTM]

I believe that Duro/Indestro sliding tees generally have the hole which allowed for machining to insert the retaining ball and spring. Their bars had a slot in the middle to allow for centering. I’ll need to take a picture or two of my 1/2” drive examples since I don’t believe that I have a 3/4” drive tee.

I would concur. My 3/4 drive example looks similar.

Thanks Gents, I will file that info away as I look for a sliding bar. Appreciate the knowledge.

 

[four.cycle]

^ my first thought when i saw it but held off commenting because my 3206 is buried somewhere. I know I have a 3/8" drive unit here too, but no idea where. no 3/4" drive, though.

 

[d42jeep]

This Indestro looking Chromium Vanadium marked 1/4” breaker bar arrived as part of a Duro set. I very much doubt that it came with the set originally.
-Don

 

[rdjohannes]

Here’s an interesting battery terminal plier, “Chromium Vanadium.” It’s also on sale on Ebay! Does anyone recognize the “O” mark?

 

[Mintgrun]

It’s also on sale on Ebay!

Are you the seller? (This isn't an advertising platform).

Edit -- Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry if I jumped to the wrong conclusion. Tom

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That's a foundry mark. Found on tools from many different OEMs.

 

[four.cycle]

@rdjohannes -

Hey, thanks for signing up!

As I said, it does definitely resemble other Duro/Indestro manufactured units I looked at on ebay the other day, but because of the different manufacturers, and in particular the font used on the two "Riverside" double-box-end "S" wrenches (see upthread), I am now a bit more hesitant to make a call on any of this "Chromium Vanadium" stuff unless I'm absolutely certain.

And I'm not certain about that unit.

And yes, rd is the seller ... I think I put those up in the "hot deal" thread. You guys take a look at some others and we'll take a vote on it, because I am just not certain. As to the "O" forging mark - I have no clue.
(I asked rd to join and post those because I was hoping somebody here might have better eyeballs than me and see some other give-away detail.)

This is the catalog listing for the Indestro equivalent, so you know what part number to run a search on:


Indestro 3416 battery pliers - 1961 Indestro catalog No. 22A pp 51

 

[four.cycle]

another example of "CHROMIUM VANADIUM" on a "Western Giant" wrench manufactured by Herbrand
Western Giant "Chromium Vanadium" 5/8" combination wrench manufactured by Herbrand

 

[Username already in use]

another example of "CHROMIUM VANADIUM" on a "Western Giant" wrench manufactured by..... who?

That’s a Herbrand made combo.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Western giant wrenches made by herbrand

 

[d42jeep]

There can be little doubt that my new 1/2” drive universal was made by Duro/Indestro.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Some riverside 3/4 drive

 

[middleofnowhere1]

Just to throw another one into the mix, I grabbed this beast during my 3rd dive into the hoarder's estate sale. Over the past years, I've grabbed a 3/4" drive socket or two, without owning a way to drive it. Some time recently I found a 1/2" - 3/4" adapter, seemed kinda silly small, but it was cheap. This was found early into the foray, and I eventually found a Challenger by Proto 1818 Sliding Tee with the handle, but that's a story for another thread.

This one is unmarked as to maker, but it belongs here. If anyone has clues as to the maker, I'll gladly listen. This takes a tommy bar somewhere around 7/8", don't have one to test just yet. And yes, a through hole in the midst of the lettering.

I have a 1/2" sliding T-handle with no markings except chromium vanadium just like yours, with the hole midst the lettering. I'm curious, as well, as to manufacturer.

 

[d42jeep]

My guess is that they were made by Duro/Indestro, like many of the Chromium Vanadium marked tools. The hole was to make the recess for the spring and centering ball.
-Don