Gimmick Wrenches, Tools.

[Bogie1632]

If you have a weakness for nutdrivers you can’t leave one of these one size fits all models behind but I promise that I’ll never use it.
-Don

Found one of those in a toolbox I inherited from my grandfather. It now resides in my tool belt. Been handy to have a couple times.

V/R
Bogie

 

[joseywales]

Ok. I’ll play.

The Brookstone tool, you turn the handle and the orbital piece turns the bits. Bits are stored inside the handle.

The Stanley has already been covered in previous posts.

the other is self explanatory. There’s a new one inside the box.

 

[joseywales]

Actually the robogrip pliers work great for me. I use them all the time for nuts.
Seriously they are perfect for cracking nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts etc. The auto adjust is just right for cracking the shell without destroying the nut meat.

Cracking nuts. That's a great idea. I'll take my small set and bring them upstairs for that.

 

[four.cycle]

JoseyWales -
RE: "Brookstone" unit in post #122
I cannot make out the patent number molded into the handle. Could you please let me know what it is?
Is there any sort of part number or any other information on it?
Thank you.

 

[Moldyjim]

Cracking nuts. That's a great idea. I'll take my small set and bring them upstairs for that.

Yeah, I'm not kidding, they really do work well.
We have around 300 hazelnut trees and one very prolific walnut tree on our property.
The hazelnut pay the property tax, the walnuts I eat.

 

[RTM]

JoseyWales -
RE: "Brookstone" unit in post #122
I cannot make out the patent number molded into the handle. Could you please let me know what it is?
Is there any sort of part number or any other information on it?

Not Josey, but Skewdriver, patent 4643052.

US4643052A - Bevel gear driven offset screwdriver arrangement - Google Patents

A bevel gear driven offset screwdriver arrangement includes a housing which bounds an elongated passage and an opening which communicates with the passage and is centered on an axis that includes an obtuse angle of substantially between 100° and 135°, preferably 105°, with the axis of the...

patents.google.com

 

[four.cycle]

thanks, RTM
Brookstone doesn't appear to be a manufacturer - that has to be a private-label brand.
begs the question of who actually made that unit. patent was issued to one John A. Badiali assignee Custom Spec Engineering Inc., formerly of Brockton, MA. (now located in West Bridgewater, MA) - but it says they're an "engineering consultant".
The "Brookstone" brand also appears on other items which were clearly not made by the same people.

Brookstone / Brookstone Co., Peterborough, NH 03458 / (see also Latshaw Pocketwrench) / patent 4643052 Feb 17 1987 John A. Badiali /

Latshaw / Latshaw Tools, Wichita, 11020 Ambassador Dr., PO Box 7710, Wichita KS 67277-7710 / hand & edge tools / "PocketWrench II" / patent (?) / (see also Brookstone ) /

I'm not seeing any kind of relationship between those two companies, other than what appears to be Brookstone outsourcing the "PocketWrench II" from Latshaw. (Latshaw was also marketing the "PocketWrench II" under their own label. No idea what the patent number on it might be.)

(* photos: ebay *)

 

[RTM]

Brookstone used to be a hard to find tool catalog, back in the 70s, then started peddling trendy garbage in mall stores.

This tool is probably in the later transitional phase.

Check out their catalog at ITCL, halfway decent stuff, unlike now.

Brookstone Hard-To-Find Tools and Other Fine Things : Fall 1979 : Brookstone Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

72 p., illus., 29.9 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Massage, Personal Care & Home Essentials

Your one-stop destination for the very best new products in massage & personal care, home, travel, gifts, and more.

www.brookstone.com

 

[RTM]

This says these guys are the home of the Skewdriver.

SpecTools - A Division of Skew Products Inc.

Reach the Unreachable, Extend the Power and Save Time with Our Unique Power Tools

spectools.com

I’m guessing they private labeled it for Brookstone.

 

[four.cycle]

Yes. Thanks.
I already had Spec listed. I just hadn't made the connection to Brookstone, which is/was (as I suspected) some sort of mass-merchandiser outsourcing everything they sell.

see: Spec Tools Div. Skew Products Inc.

 

[joseywales]

Brookstone used to be a hard to find tool catalog, back in the 70s, then started peddling trendy garbage in mall stores.

This tool is probably in the later transitional phase.

Check out their catalog at ITCL, halfway decent stuff, unlike now.

Brookstone Hard-To-Find Tools and Other Fine Things : Fall 1979 : Brookstone Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

72 p., illus., 29.9 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Massage, Personal Care & Home Essentials

Your one-stop destination for the very best new products in massage & personal care, home, travel, gifts, and more.

www.brookstone.com

Did he just call the neat tool, my FIL gave me, garbage?

 

[MrPink]

Yeah. I have two sizes of the Matco brand I bought decades ago as a young mechanic.

I got mine for free from my ex-father in law. I only used them once and they then just took up space.

 

[RTM]

Did he just call the neat tool, my FIL gave me, garbage?

No. I bought mine at a GS since I thought it was usable. Never bought a Brookstone foot massager at a GS.

not tools = trendy garbage.

Brookstone’s stuff is usually decent quality, just lots of stuff that makes makes me shake my head.

 

[Arne73]

This guy falls into the gimmick category. Starrett 25' "Digitape".
As a Starrett I'd rely on the accuracy of the tape but the digital readout feature is a little too gimmicky for me. It's still a great 25' tape measure tho.

 

[mrvm]

I bought this several years ago thinking it was a very cool idea. The handle rotates to turn the head, and it operates as a regular fine tooth ratchet. One of the few Chinese tools I own. I have never used it, but can see how it could be handy in the right situation. Bonus feature is the quick release.

Got the same Husky ratchet several years ago but have not used much. The ratchet is innovative but it might not be able to handle high torque and if it broke there won't be a Husky replacement available thus it resides in the "gimmick" but unique drawer along with the RoboGrip and ClenchWrench from Xmas many years ago. The quarter-in Husky Pro ratchet has an index feature.

 

[4xdog]

...Stanley 61-125 "Hex-a-Matic" adjustable nut driver... ...the patent number stamped on your "Stanley" unit.

Seaboard / Seaboard Tools, Cherry Hills, NJ / adjustable nut driver / patent 3339439 Sep 5 1967 Leonard Van Dalen & Horace C. Disston, Jr. / (appears later as Stanley 61-125 "Hex-a-Matic" see https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/gimmick-wrenches-tools.428536/page-3#post-9305139) /

I am assuming that Van Dalen and Disston sold it to Stanley, which is probably why I was unable to find any information on them and didn’t figure this one out until I saw the Stanley unit posted above...

@four.cycle, the patent file shows Seaboard was the assignee of that adjustable nut driver until the end of the patent's life. However the Hex-a-Matic made it into Stanley's catalog, it didn't include the patent rights as far as I can tell. Probably contract manufacturing or some sort of licensing arrangement.

 

[jcturbot]

I have a Craftsman Clench Wrench that was given to me. It is constructed similarly to the Robo Grips, of sandwiched pieces of thin stamped steel. Only the Clench Wrench has a spring loaded jaw, advertised as "ratcheting". It also folds out of a handle like a pocket knife. Never used once, don't even know where it is. Here's a stock photo.

Now that I found this nice modern Craftsman version, like Dave’s above, I can discard all of my vintage Heller ones. Or not!
-Don

I forgot that I had these but I was poking through my miscellaneous drawer and found them. At least they are prettier than my Heller originals and likely decent quality since they are made in Japan.
-Don

I bought a set of the same Clench Wrench style pliers at K-Mart way back in the 80's when I was an Auto Mechanic and I figured I'd never use them. I was totally wrong...
They worked absolutely fantastic for the GM metal fuel filter lines used under-car that would rust solid to the fuel filter. I found nothing that worked better.
When I saw the Craftsman laminated ones years later I happily purchased the three piece kit.

Jeff

 

[jcturbot]

This says these guys are the home of the Skewdriver.

SpecTools - A Division of Skew Products Inc.

Reach the Unreachable, Extend the Power and Save Time with Our Unique Power Tools

spectools.com

I’m guessing they private labeled it for Brookstone.

I have a Skewdriver kit that my Mom gave me for Christmas 35 years ago. It was my go-to tool for dashboard screws when replacing the speakers.
I let my Brother use it and he broken the internal gear mechanism on the driver. I contacted spectools and mailed it in and they replaced it under their lifetime guarantee.

Good people and good products.

Jeff

 

[driftpin]

I read not positive comments about Leatherman tools. I carry a micra on my keychain and I use it frequently. I found it so-useful, I bought another on-sale, so-far it's NIB and it hasn't moved from where it's stored.

Here is a removable-jaws set of vise-grips which I haven't used, I got it in a toolbox of a storage space I cleared-out. I think it came as a tool available through an auto club, or a gas company credit card.

The nut drivers were also in the mix of tools. Channelocks, as you can see.

 

[bobg03]

In the early 80's I worked in a large chemical plant and my first job was to hook up and unload various types of rail cars. The bolts and nuts for the hatches and lowers were good sized SAE components. The issued tool of choice for this works were a pair of Clench Wrenches in a large and small size. I wish I could remember who made them but the were a quality piece for this work, and they performed the task well.

 

[d42jeep]

Craftsman?
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have a funny bone for multi-tools, despite their gimmicky rep. Some of them like the antique Mathews 'Never-Stall" I found at a flea last year, linked here, have some dignity. Others, not so much. This slot joint jobbie I just found at the flea kinda sorta resembles a tire balancing tool, but the plier jaws aren't right, and there is no way to separate or cut the weights with it. Not marked. Judging by the pivot fastener, not antique or old vintage, either. Funny the way it works, too. The slip joint will increase of decrease the capacity on the main jaws. But the tiny vise jaws at the top and the tiny pipe/burner jaws in between the handles will only align in one (min) or the other (max) positions.

 

[four.cycle]

what? no screwdriver blade?!?!?
that is an interesting take on "multi tool" for sure.
that hex-key fastener excludes the possibility of "vintage", as you noted.

you did know that Gerald at progress-is-fine has an affinity for these gizmos, right? I wonder if he'd recognize it.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

You did know that Gerald at progress-is-fine has an affinity for these gizmos, right?

I did not, but it wouldn't be the first itch we both liked to scratch, so I'm not surprised. I don't follow him regularly though, just when the blogspot pops up in my research on something.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

what? no screwdriver blade?!?!?

Right? Or a punch or pry. What a waste of steel the rounded ends of those handles are! Haha.

 

[four.cycle]

He's been working on another gig the last several months, so he's not doing much with the site at present, but I cannot help but wonder if he might recognize it.
Every time I find one listed on Ebay I haven't seen yet, I shoot him a set of photos. Yours above will be next. Something about that hex-key fastener makes me wonder about point of origin.

And they forgot the most important thing: the obligatory bottle opener!

 

[Rkcubed]

thanks, RTM
Brookstone doesn't appear to be a manufacturer - that has to be a private-label brand.
begs the question of who actually made that unit. patent was issued to one John A. Badiali assignee Custom Spec Engineering Inc., formerly of Brockton, MA. (now located in West Bridgewater, MA) - but it says they're an "engineering consultant".
The "Brookstone" brand also appears on other items which were clearly not made by the same people.

Brookstone / Brookstone Co., Peterborough, NH 03458 / (see also Latshaw Pocketwrench) / patent 4643052 Feb 17 1987 John A. Badiali /

Latshaw / Latshaw Tools, Wichita, 11020 Ambassador Dr., PO Box 7710, Wichita KS 67277-7710 / hand & edge tools / "PocketWrench II" / patent (?) / (see also Brookstone ) /

I'm not seeing any kind of relationship between those two companies, other than what appears to be Brookstone outsourcing the "PocketWrench II" from Latshaw. (Latshaw was also marketing the "PocketWrench II" under their own label. No idea what the patent number on it might be.)

(* photos: ebay *)

I carry a PocketWrench every day. I’ve found it to be very useful as a pry bar, screwdriver, and wrench. I deal with mainly small stove bolts. Thought it was a gimmick at first but time has showed It’s value.

 

[Rkcubed]

I have a funny bone for multi-tools, despite their gimmicky rep. Some of them like the antique Mathews 'Never-Stall" I found at a flea last year, linked here, have some dignity. Others, not so much. This slot joint jobbie I just found at the flea kinda sorta resembles a tire balancing tool, but the plier jaws aren't right, and there is no way to separate or cut the weights with it. Not marked. Judging by the pivot fastener, not antique or old vintage, either. Funny the way it works, too. The slip joint will increase of decrease the capacity on the main jaws. But the tiny vise jaws at the top and the tiny pipe/burner jaws in between the handles will only align in one (min) or the other (max) positions.

Elora tools still sell a multi tool like this. Growing up we had one on the tractor. It was handy sometime and not so otherwise.

ELORA Tools Catalog Page, ELORA Tools Made in Germany

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks, Rkcubed. 3baygarage made a similar offshore ID of Asian origin.

 

[StillTooManyHobbies]

Can anyone think of an actual use for this abomination?

 

[PelicanPines]

I love my RoboGrips... I still have a supply of N.O.S. RUBBER condoms for the grippy parts. I use them all the time.

 

[Jeff]

A couple of CMAN USA wrenches.


This one is in my truck bag. It's sloppy but it does work.


This one is confusing. One end is Size 0-1-2, the other end 3-4-5

 

[Moldyjim]

Can anyone think of an actual use for this abomination?

I don't know how useful it is...
But I want one for my collection.

How could I pass up that payment plan?
5 payments at $3.99? sign me up!
I can probably afford that by picking up soda bottles.
Lets see, at 2 cents a piece, that's 100 bottles.
Unless I can find some of those bigger pepsi bottles at 3 cents a piece.

Damn, all I'm finding are those stupid "No deposit, No return" ones.
Maybe I'll get myself a paper route....

 

[StillTooManyHobbies]

I don't know how useful it is...
But I want one for my collection.

How could I pass up that payment plan?
5 payments at $3.99? sign me up!
I can probably afford that by picking up soda bottles.
Lets see, at 2 cents a piece, that's 100 bottles.
Unless I can find some of those bigger pepsi bottles at 3 cents a piece.

Damn, all I'm finding are those stupid "No deposit, No return" ones.
Maybe I'll get myself a paper route....

Pay the Publishers Clearing House and it could be yours.

 

[Moldyjim]

You are probably closer than you think...

 

[Toxictom]

Dang it, Don - I forgot I had a Gator grip socket.

Too bad it started losing pins after the first couple of uses.

I had one of those too. Someone broke into my truck and stole it and the ratchet it was on. I wanted to track the guy down so I could thank him.

 

[firstyearchevelle]

This was in a box of tools that I bought today. When I got home I immediately threw out all of my wrenches. Apparently this will take the place of 31 and is all I need. There is so much room in my tool box that I’m thinking about getting a smaller one. Lol

 

[mrvm]

This was in a box of tools that I bought today. When I got home I immediately threw out all of my wrenches. Apparently this will take the place of 31 and is all I need

That Versa Wrench should get you in this club

 

[mrvm]

Hey Xmas is right around the corner. Want to piss off a GJ member get him/her one of these….

 

[ArcReactorKC]

Thank god they sell SAE and Metric, just like in my adjustables!