Giller Tool Co?

[geezer48]

i have some giller tools get them in the 60,s i think they came off a navy base.

 

[Cableguy777]

Anyone know anything about this company?

Giller Tool Co, division of Giller Industries, Inc, out of Dallas, TX?

Another hawk-shop find - 18" 3/8" drive extension, marked:

GILLER 59J MFG USA

Picked it up for a buck - if it turns to dust tomorrow, I lost a buck.

Not really expecting it to be worth anything, or anything spectacularly awesome, but I'm kinda interested in knowing more about the company.

The only references I can find suggest that Giller was a GSA supplier, but they're only mentioned in reference to past legal disputes, as precedent.

If anyone has any history on them, I'd be real interested (and very appreciative).

Thanks!

I was a track vehicle in the Army 1971-1973. We used Giller hand tools almost exclusicely both in tech school and during regular duty, both stateside and in Vietnam. For some reason I was never impressed with them. When I returned to the states I was ztationed for my ladt 18 months of service in Texas. In addition to track vehicles we also did maintenance on military sedans. I generally prefer using 3/8 drive tools on sedans instead of the 1/2 drive that we were issued for track vehicles. I followed the parh of many my cowirkers and bought my own personal Craftsman 3/8 drive socket set. The Army said we were only authorized 1/2 inch drive tools. <sigh>. Interesting enough, a tour of the local pawn shops produced a vast amount of Giller hand tools for sale. Imagine that.

 

[tshusker]

Just picked up a Giller 1" drive flex handle/breaker bar, with 12 pt. 19/32 socket.

 

[Snaparxon]

1" dr with a 19/32" (15mm) socket?

 

[dsh]

Here's a 3/8 breaker I have in my box. Solid no nonsense. Just a little short at 7.5", I have a longer Proto that I usually use.

 

[RinNO]

First post here and found the forum and this thread from a search, so I'm just adding to the Giller Tool pool of information:

I bought a pretty cool small 6-drawer Giller Tool toolbox at an estate sale of a retired USN CPO. Our area has a lot of USN and mil retirees (US GUlf Coast) so it makes sense that it was originally a mil box. It looks just like a typical Snap-On, etc. front-panel style top box, but it is only about 18" x 12" x 12". Clearly, it is a benchtop or carryaround box and not a top to a rolling chest. The front panel slides under the bottom drawer and when in place over the drawers it locks just like a larger Snap-Ons or Kennedy box, except with a hasp style lock on the top rather than a key lock in the front panel. It even has hinged/hasp side handles just like a larger box but also has a fold down top handle that a fullsized box wouldn't have. It has decent rail-style slides on the drawers and is heavy and well-built. It could be an early version of a GMTK type military box. 4 of the 6 drawers have easily removable/movable dividers that are secured with friction-fit "W"-shaped metal holders (they simply flex against the drawer sides and the dividers slide into them) but I don't know if it is missing any dividers, which are plainly original to the box and not a homebrew addition. The only marking is "Giller Tool Co." stamped (raised) directly under the handle on the top panel of the box.

 

[THATDUDERUDDY]

I disagree with anyone saying they are throng or a decent tool. I’m only 5’9” 160 pounds, not not a very big guy most would say. And this morning I snapped 2 extensions only using a 6” or 8” ratchet. Normally wouldn’t be a big deal but this was different. The position I was in and angle I needed to attack this bolt kinda forced me to put faith the socket wouldn’t slip and remain the full support of my body weight. To sum up this story the extension snapped and I wound up smacking the side of my face against my truck with the full force of my body weight behind it. It really rang my bell and here I am a few hours later with a severely painful headache and a jaw that hurts to eat my lunch. That’s when it dawned on me. I never buy cheap tools so I dig out the extension from the trash and it lead me here after googling gilled tools. This would have never happened with a craftsman, a husky, or a snap on tool. Ever.

 

[woody 73]

My memory is not what it used to be but from what I can recall, during the Vietnam war in the 1960, s, Giller had an army contract that made them overnight wealthy, and I mean mega, mega, wealthy from selling their overpriced **** to fix military vehicles.

I always pass on Thorson and Giller tools whenever I see them. Now the funny part of the story is the Big old US Government did not give a rat's *** how much that tool cost because guess what, the US taxpayer was paying the bill, so what did they care.

Funny because while looking through an old socket box at a garage sale yesterday, I spotted and old 3/8 ratchet full of rust and seized up to boot, I knew what it was the moment I saw it and the nice lady told me 50cents...A Ferret ratchet, well I just took it out of the soup and cleaned up that old girl and she purrs like a kitten, much better than any Giller ratchet.

 

[Tankersteve]

Found an 18" 3/8" extension and initially could only read the 59J marking which brought me here. I was all impressed to learn it was Giller for DoD, but then saw some smaller type (fairly worn and very small) that said Made in USA and... Thorsen. So same part marking as Giller, but with Thorsen branding - definitely shows the relationship.

 

[shoggoth80]

We've got some miscellaneous Giller at work still. Proamerica, KAL, and Thorsen too. Pretty sure all of these are one time we're GSA/government contract suppliers. There's another brand, Action USA that also strikes me as contract supply. Most of it is American made, and probably been kicking around for decades. Nothing fancy, but they still work. The ProAmerica stuff seems to be the nicest... But all my examples are combo wrenches. Some of our older stuff is a treasure trove of names.

 

[shoggoth80]

Not trying to thread hijack, but just for viewing sake...

 

[d42jeep]

Most Thorsen, Action and Giller tools are similar in appearance and have similar part numbers. It’s not too surprising since they were likely made side by side in the Thorsen factory. Here are some random pictures of my Giller tools.
-Don