Eugene Cornwell

[MR.X]

That's a good question Lugz. It just seems to be one of those old leather handle utility tool boxes that you see all the time. There was no removable or pop up tray or any other obvious clues. The pic is just so funky, i feel like this this style of art was already old fashioned by the mid late 20's. The early DOE is a nice touch too. The box is such rough shape I'm considering unhinging the lid, putting a rough wood frame / shadow box border around it and just hanging it on the wall.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That would do it justice. Ironically, I passed up an early Cornwell DOE this morning. It was in one of these bins filled with painted over pitted wrenches. Sometimes you just have to leave them behind.

 

[MR.X]

That would do it justice. Ironically, I passed up an early Cornwell DOE this morning. It was in one of these bins filled with painted over pitted wrenches. Sometimes you just have to leave them behind.

Ah yes.....the Shaolin Iron Arm tool bin training exercise.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Five things I never leave behind are cad-plated anything, swivel sockets, deep sockets, 3/8-inch drive, and Cornwell, and these pieces - picked out of a house liquidators lot that looked more like a garbage dump than folding tables with stuff on top - met several categories at once.

My wartime Cornwell tote runneth over, so if someone who shall remain nameless but lives in Northern Virginia and has several Cornwell boxes would only let one go, I'd appreciate it.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

By the way, the subject of proprietary owner's marks comes up from time to time, in its own thread or scattered about, and it's usually a polarizing topic. My own opinion is well-known: I prefer no owners' marks whatsoever, but if a tool has them, at least let them be subtle and well-placed, or, if the tool is antique, let them be applied with a style and finesse that matches the age of the tool. Mr. Three Dots in the shop this PO worked in had at least the good sense and taste to keep it simple and away from the branding.

 

[DadsTools]

A rare hand-forged Cornwell Model A flathead V8 8-point brake wrench, 7/16" x 1/2", date code B 1928.

 

[Rileysan]

I got this 1/2" socket box from a buddy who's been using it for a mixed socket set for decades. None of the original tools remained bu the label on the box is still in excellent shape.

Brian

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice box, Brian! Still too small for my approaching Master Set level orphanage (see Pic 1), but sooooo jealous. Love the Cornwell Man! And look, not just FORGED AND HEAT TREATED, but PROPERLY FORGED AND HEAT TREATED!

I haven't done any definitive research on that stylized mechanics-cap-wearing C Cornwell Man as a logo or trademark, and I don't remember if we 'carbon dated' him on TA, but he doesn't appear in the 1941 catalog, and he does appear in the 1946 catalog.

My guess would be that was the introduction - that catalog (No. 26) was a major publication for Cornwell. Like the 1947 Williams and a few other immediate post-war catalogs I can think of, it was like a re-debut. There was a 2-page "Foreword" and a 4-page "Heart-to-heart chat with our customers..." that starts off with a patriotic look back at the reasons for their growth and production superiority during WWII, and then moves into an illustrated (12 photos) and narrated "tour" of the factory, from the die room, to forging, to grinding, hot-broaching to tempering and hardening, to shipping. Then a 1-page guarantee followed by a page listing the addresses of their "coast-to-coast distributors." (I count 24 states.) That in comparison to the No. 21-A (1941), which discusses their standards, and includes a statement of their guarantee with a photo of the factory all on a single page. But that's just conjecture.

EDIT: The early concept of the Cornwell Man was an illustration of an actual mechanic wearing a cap. See MR. X's post on page linked here.

 

[Rileysan]

Nice box, Brian! Still too small for my approaching Master Set level orphanage (see Pic 1), but sooooo jealous. Love the Cornwell Man! And look, not just FORGED AND HEAT TREATED, but PROPERLY FORGED AND HEAT TREATED!

I haven't done any definitive research on that stylized mechanics-cap-wearing C Cornwell Man as a logo or trademark, and I don't remember if we 'carbon dated' him on TA, but he doesn't appear in the 1941 catalog, and he does appear in the 1946 catalog.

My guess would be that was the introduction - that catalog (No. 26) was a major publication for Cornwell. Like the 1947 Williams and a few other immediate post-war catalogs I can think of, it was like a re-debut. There was a 2-page "Foreword" and a 4-page "Heart-to-heart chat with our customers..." that starts off with a patriotic look back at the reasons for their growth and production superiority during WWII, and then moves into an illustrated (12 photos) and narrated "tour" of the factory, from the die room, to forging, to grinding, hot-broaching to tempering and hardening, to shipping. Then a 1-page guarantee followed by a page listing the addresses of their "coast-to-coast distributors." (I count 24 states.) That in comparison to the No. 21-A (1941), which discusses their standards, and includes a statement of their guarantee with a photo of the factory all on a single page. But that's just conjecture.

EDIT: The early concept of the Cornwell Man was an illustration of an actual mechanic wearing a cap. See MR. X's post on page linked here.

Great stuff! I believe I have the correct sockets to fill in the set, which are unplated, giving me the belief they are wartime (no pictures available).

I really had no frame of reference to go on as I haven't seen or acquired any catalogs. Speaking of which, are you aware of Cornwell digital catalogs being available in the public domain?

Thanks!

Brian

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Speaking of which, are you aware of Cornwell digital catalogs being available in the public domain?

Other than the 1941 and the 1946 that Todd or his generous contributors provided to Todd for scanning and uploading to the now defunct TA, no.

 

[d42jeep]

Here are some I haven’t had a chance to look at yet.
https://archive.org/search.php?query=Cornwell tool catalog
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Good to know, Don!

 

[elidas]

Wait,You mean you CAN leave stuff behind? What a concept!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Some cad 1/4 stuff

 

[tom coffey]

I just bought a Cornwell SR4 ratchet for $! at a flea market. It will get a good cleaning. The casting reads "PAT APPLIED FOR". I would like to know the approx date of manufacture.

 

[woody 73]

I am thinking around 1935 for the "Pat Applied For"; plus or minus a few years for the SR4

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I picked up this early Cornwell-F half-moon wrench (9/16" x 5/8") at the flea market yesterday. Most of these are some kind of starter/manifold combination. They billed theirs as a front motor support wrench for "Chevies" and a starter wrench for Chryslers and other cars. Of all the half-moon wrenches I have in my collection, it's the one that comes closest to an actual half moon (or half-circle) in terms of geometry. The variance on these across mfgrs is such that 'no two alike' is no exaggeration.

 

[gpw_42]

Picked up these two at the flea yesterday. I believe they are World War 2 vintage; 15/16 x 1" DOE and 1/2" dr. 1-1/16" opening SS24 socket. Interestingly, the 1 and the 15/16 are upside down from each other (on the same side of the wrench); the 15/16 and the Cornwell line are aligned.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Interestingly, the 1 and the 15/16 are upside down from each other (on the same side of the wrench)

The size marking is consistent to the 15* angle of the jaws. When you're looking at the 15/16" opening marking, the jaw is angled down. When you're looking at the 1" marking, the jaw is also angled down.

 

[misterbill]

Some early Cornwellian goodness I picked up yesterday.

Bill

 

[CRTDI]

WK-16 set. Not real sure that the feeler gauge belongs here, but it seems to fit in nicely.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Very nice. Looks like an oldie!

 

[CRTDI]

I'm thinking 1930s...

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Pre cornwell man, so I would say so.

 

[CRTDI]

Cornwell carburetor set.

 

[Username already in use]

Not sure how I overlooked that Carb set. That's real nice!

It's a tough act to follow, but here's a couple of old Cornwell extension and a socket I picked up this weekend.

I should have a nice place to put them next weekend, if all goes well.

 

[Username already in use]

Cross post from the toolbox thread.
Weeks ago Private Lugnutz alerted me a really nice old Cornwell box on Craigslist not too far from him. He and I already had a trade in the works. An antique wooden tool box posted HERE for the entirety of his Cornwell tools posted on the previous page of this thread.

Here's a few images of the box and the tools.

 

[MR.X]

 

[Provincial]

I attended a sale Friday where the widow was selling off his tools. There was a variety of good quality brands, and one breaker (hinge handle) bar caught my eye. It was pretty rusty, and had two layers of paint on it. An off-white covered by gold spray bomb. It has the fork incorporated in the drive, instead of the handle, and the 1/2" square drive is rotated 45 degrees from the hinge axis. The handle is 17-1/2" from the hinge point to the end. There is a square drive in the end of the handle, and a large cross-bar hole. The entire gripping surface is knurled.

I had trouble identifying it. I finally found a legible "ell" on the shaft, and a search of Alloy Artifacts turned up a 3/8" drive version that confirmed my identification.

Because of the design, I think this was an earlier production tool. I'm surprised that the handle isn't bent, given how slender it is in the critical area.

Too bad it is so rusty, but it is a great conversation piece!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Wow great find. That definitely looks like it could have been bent if abused. A credit to the fine tools they produced.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Found this little sharpening stone at the flea market this morning. The Philadelphia address on the back is pre-Zip Code. I may just rub that off to see what the branding on the pouch reads underneath. Final destination on this is eventually the Cincinnati, Ahia area.

 

[Username already in use]

Yes! I was gonna ask about it when I saw it in the garage sale thread! Nice find!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I was just jiggling the bait over there, luring you into the shallows over here. Haha! I am thinking of taking that sticker off. I'm guessing that "C" sticking out is Carborundum. It could be Cornwell, but that seems redundant to the front, it's not as if sharpening stones were in their manufacturing wheelhouse, it seems like a complimentary kind of thing in size and looks, and, unlike many mfgrs who went out of their way to hide or disguise their contract products, Cornwell wasn't coy about giving their suppliers the spotlight, outright naming them in their own catalogs. I admire that, actually.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yeah, I was right. It's "CARBORUNDUM". You can see the letters showing through the sticker after lightly rubbing with some SG. I'm not going to mess with it anymore. The sticker was just some old Philly business. You can try to remove it if you want. This is just the kind of accessory I like, but it will look better in your Cornwell box!

 

[d42jeep]

I spotted this on eBay and decided to bid conservatively on it and to my surprise I won. Obviously it didn’t come with the plug but even though it’s had a hard life it seems to work just fine.
-Don

 

[outofbounds]

Part of a pile of old wrenches. Very slender, like a tappet wrench, but with SAE sizing. Alloy Artifacts seems to peg it as c.1927

 

[Username already in use]

Found a couple of nice Cornwell pieces today. The 3/8" drive speeder, a gap tool, and an impact driver.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

After a week long soak in oil, this old sr4 works like new

 

[Shelbylex]

Got 4 large tappet wrenches and a regular one...
Cornwell TW-42 long tappet wrench 7/16-1/2 (two wrenches, opposite directions)
Cornwell TW-46 long tappet wrench 1/2-9/16 (two wrenches, opposite directions)
Cornwell EWB1618

 

[Acgreen]

I found a few cornwell 5/8th drive sockets and converters. Aswell as a strange "round" drive to half inch converter, pics to come