For Craftsman V-Selector Collectors

[Tool Pants]

I have been collecting old Craftsman stuff, and part of the collection is V-selectors.

In a pile at the flea market this morning I saw the head of what looked like a Craftsman V-selector. I pulled it out of the pile and it had a round knurled handle. I turned it over to see who made it and where, and there were 3 suprises.

 

[bchee]

made in Japan?

 

[Tool Pants]

There goes one suprise. How did you know? Japan is the only marking.

It has a hex drive. It does not have the brass oil hole like a Craftsman. Other than that and a different handle, it is a clone of the Craftsman. When I get a chance I am going to take it apart and my 3/8" Craftsman and see if the parts interchange.

And I bet they do because the heads look identical except for the hex drive and lack of the oil hole. It even has the same snap ring to remove the drive and snap ring to remove the selector.

The Japan one is the second from the left in the second picture.

 

[petty4243]

interesting piece, any clues?

 

[bchee]

what size is the hex drive?

1) hex drive
2) made in Japan
3) ????? what's the 3rd surprise?

 

[Tool Pants]

If you tell me why you said Japan, I'll measure the hex drive.

3rd was that it does not have an oil hole like the Craftsman.

As you can see the drive sides are the same, except for the hex. If Sears still had a 3/8" V-selector rebuild kit I bet I could convert it to a normal 3/8" square drive, and have the advantage of a longer handle.

I have a little hex drive socket set that I have had as a kid. The hex drive on my red set is too small to fit

 

[Bobby B.]

Man, nice find. I've been wanting one of those spinning ratchets for a while.

 

[bchee]

it was a total guess

Where were the others made?

 

[KraftwerkMk1Jetta]

Are all those V-Selector ratchets made in Japan? They're really cool looking, very art deco style.

 

[Tool Pants]

V-selectors started around 1956 and went away in the 1960s. I asked on the Craftsman tool message board some time ago. There is a guy there that has all the old tool catalogs. They were made in the USA.

Someone will figure this out. I have seen Japanese clones of the Easco/Craftsman round heads at the flea market. Maybe the Japanese cloned a V-selector. Having the oil hole cost a few cents, so it was omitted. Hex drive because it was a part of a set that came with an allen wrench. All guesses on my part.

I bought it from a group of people who are at the flea market almost every Sunday, which is at a drive-in. They just pile their stuff on the gound. I have gone through the piles many Sundays, and never saw that Japan before. They always want too much for their stuff. One of the guys looked at it and saw Japan, so it was $3. If it has USA it would be $10.

 

[jwitt]

Here is one that I came across a couple of weeks ago while digging in a box of my own stuff. Don't remember when or where I got it. (sad isn't it?)
Your right, the head is just like the sears, without the oil hole. Marked Japan. Mine has a 3/8 square drive.

Jim

 

[back2class]

Funny, I just got one 1/4" drive one like this last weekend in a flea market lot. Looks exactky like the one above and marked japan. I wonder if they came with craftsman sets of some sort for a time?

 

[Tool Pants]

Does you 1/4" Japan have a hex or square drive?

I took the Japan and 3/8" Craftsman apart and swaped the parts. Parts are identical except the Craftsman gear binds in the Japan, because the Craftsman gear is a bit larger. At least it looks larger. When I measure it, it is a bit smaller. The Japan gear works fine in the Craftsman.

2 other people have the Japan version so it is not that rare. Mine is weird because of the hex drive.

 

[back2class]

Its square drive

 

[superautobacs]

Intriguing find!

Too bad there's no other stamping to help decipher a possible OEM.
My guess would be the following companies that provided OEM services:

AIBA Sangyo: established as a business in 1963.

Dia Seiko (TOUGH): established as a business in 1930--they started manufacturing ratchets in 1970.

Ko-ken: established as a business in 1959--they exhibited their offerings at the 1984 Chicago hardware show.

Kyoto Tool Company (KTC): established as a business in 1950--under contract, they exported to Fuller (USA) in 1961.

Tone: established as a business in 1938--by 1955 they produced socketry tools that met JIS standards.

I'm sure it was one of these companies that supplied these ratchets.

EDIT: I overlooked Tool Pants mentioning that the V-selector had a short phase--estimated to have started in 1956 and phased out some time in the 1960's. Given those dates, perhaps I can narrow it down closer between these two: KTC and Tone

 

[Tool Pants]

Interesting stuff. I am going to take the Japanese ratchet to Adam at Sears and see if he has seen one before. Adam, from the Craftsman message board fame, was the PMT for years that rebuilt ratchets.

I saw this one on ebay. Now this is a confused ratchet.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270451804372&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

Found the 1959 design patent for the V-selector. Robert W, Vose, assigned to Moore Drop Forging Company. Can only guess that a Japanese copmpany licensed the design.

http://www.google.com/patents?id=4U...gbs_selected_pages&cad=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false

 

[billymade]

Someone must have swapped the selector from the later type; it doesn't make sense because the selector is being obstructed by the quick release.... the correct body doesn't has the quick release... the quick release came later!

 

[Tool Pants]

Yep. Someone put a V-selector on a later quick release.

I asked the ebay seller how you could change directions, because the V-selector would hit the quick release button. He said he pushes down the button, then moves the selector. Only one he has ever seen like that....

If that thing sells for big money, I'm going to do the same.

 

[superautobacs]

Tool Pants,

If you're still interested...

I think I've found the OEM for your Made-in-Japan Craftsman ratchet: SEK (Suekage Tool Co.) Here's another GJ thread that discusses a similar topic, in which you participated in as well: My reply is on Page 2, post# 28.