Gray Bonney Socket Set Find

[3baygarage]

Or part of a set anyway.

My friend is closing his flea market tool shop so I bundled this in with some other things I had my eye on for a while.

Let me apologize for my as usual subpar photography but it's late for me here.

I see that there are some good past threads pertaining to Gray and perhaps some of you guys can tell me more about this as I do have a few questions. Any of you Canadian guys out there?

If anybody has any info I'm wondering:

About how old are these?
What ratchet came with the set?
Does anybody have an old picture or description of contents? (There is a second compartment in the tool case).


Thanks.

 

[3baygarage]

I love old automotive tools. I can honestly say that handling these sockets and looking at the stampings makes me feel like I'm in a time warp.
They're very heavy made. The leather handle on the case was built to last too.
Measured the speeder bar and it's over 20-1/4" long.

 

[thetreshon]

Like some people commented in this GJ Thread:



I've been told they first partnered in 1930 but I'm not sure when they went their seperate ways.



According to Gray's website, they terminated their joint venture with Bonney in 1961.





So...that set is from anytime before that!?

And maybe someone can clarify, is "Canada" omitted due to these being sold Stateside to avoid Americans not buying the product because it's not made in America? I don't remember if Gray started producing sockets without "Canada" stamped on them when the company started...then added "Canada" later on...say 1950's onward?

 

[lbgradwell]

It's almost certainly a SW23 Set. There are really only two possibilities - SW23 and SW20 - and the SW20 only included sockets up to 1". The set number ought to be on the box somewhere - maybe inside the lid, top right - or possibly on a long-gone decal.

I can see "SW" on one of the sockets - and that is a bit odd as the model number should be all digits. Can you list all the sizes and model numbers? If a 19/32" is included it will help refine the date.

The leather handle means it was before the very end of the partnership as the handle on the SW23 Set was metal by then. But the handles were still leather in 1953...

The speeder was included in the set for decades, so it's no help. Too bad the ratchet is missing as that model number changed over the years.

 

[3baygarage]

Like some people commented in this GJ Thread:



I've been told they first partnered in 1930 but I'm not sure when they went their seperate ways.



According to Gray's website, they terminated their joint venture with Bonney in 1961.





So...that set is from anytime before that!?

And maybe someone can clarify, is "Canada" omitted due to these being sold Stateside to avoid Americans not buying the product because it's not made in America? I don't remember if Gray started producing sockets without "Canada" stamped on them when the company started...then added "Canada" later on...say 1950's onward?

I hope that wasn't the case as these are quality old tools. In the way some companies , ahem, ahemsnapon, ahem, excuse the cough, may have omitted USA in past years for their global market? I'd like to know if it was done for cost or that reason.

 

[3baygarage]

Here are some better pics Lb. All sockets are only stamped SW after the size.

It appears a past owner painted over the original light blue and covered up the set # on the lid. Then wrote inside the lid too.

The sockets are: 3/4" SW
7/8" SW
15/16" SW
31/32" SW
1" SW
1-1/16" SW
1-1/8" SW

Thanks for the help thus far guys.

 

[lbgradwell]

The speeder was included in the set for decades, so it's no help.

OK, I noticed something I missed this morning...

The set is from before 1953 as the handle pattern on the speeder was different by then (though the model number remained the same).

Also, although a 31/32" socket was available from at least 1941 through 1961, it does not ever appear to have been part of a SW23 Set.

And I still don't know what to make of the "SW" markings with no models numbers on the sockets.

 

[3baygarage]

Very interesting. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge on these. It's hard to research a lot of old tools without old documentation like catalogs and old ads to go with the tools.

Even a look on Ebay drives me mad with all that Grey Pneumatic **** that pops up.

 

[Keep]

When you search add -grey at the end, it will remove most of the GP results.

I will look in my books as well, though I am not sure it will have set info in the ones I have.

 

[jkeller]

I have a similar socket, that is labelled "Gray 7-8 D" I'm guessing the "D" stands for Double-Hex (12 point), just as your "SW" probably stands for "Straight-wall". I'm afraid I can't really help narrow down the dates for you though.

 

[lbgradwell]

I have a similar socket, that is labelled "Gray 7-8 D" I'm guessing the "D" stands for Double-Hex (12 point), just as your "SW" probably stands for "Straight-wall". I'm afraid I can't really help narrow down the dates for you though.

I think you are right on both counts, but I still don't understand why your socket, for instance, is not marked D414 - the model number for a Double-Hex 7/8" in half-inch drive.

 

[3baygarage]

When you search add -grey at the end, it will remove most of the GP results.

I will look in my books as well, though I am not sure it will have set info in the ones I have.

Thanks.
That's a nice search engine trick. I remember a computer professor telling my class that. I guess I really paid attention as I had to be reminded on GJ, lol.

Now I can snipe all the Gray tools out from under you guys.

Just kidding.

 

[3baygarage]

I think you are right on both counts, but I still don't understand why your socket, for instance, is not marked D414 - the model number for a Double-Hex 7/8" in half-inch drive.

Perhaps these sockets are a bit earlier.

 

[Vespita]

I just bought a set from Gray Tools.

Any idea what year was this produced?

As far has I kno the set was bought by a Portuguese mecanic Sailor from the Portuguese wite fleet, that has aquired it in St Johns NewFoundLand in Canada.

Regards From Portugal

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[jkeller]

I just bought a set from Gray Tools.

Any idea what year was this produced?

As far has I kno the set was bought by a Portuguese mecanic Sailor from the Portuguese wite fleet, that has aquired it in St Johns NewFoundLand in Canada.

Regards From Portugal

I love the story that came with your socket set, it looks like it is in really nice shape too!

For the date, I would guess 1960's or 1970's. However I am definitely not an expert on Gray.

The fastest way to tell is to check the symbols on the speeder and ratchet. I believe that the number inside the symbol is the year of that decade the tool was made. So a circle with a 6 in it is 1956 (or 1996, but your set has the old shield logo which I believe they dropped in the early 1980s.).

<a href="http://ow.ly/i/tgKU" target="_blank"><img src="http://static.ow.ly/photos/normal/tgKU.jpg" alt="Owly Image"></a>

 

[bonneyman]

Don't know about the Gary logo, but that Bonney logo is pre-1929 IIRC.

 

[Vespita]

Hallo

Here is another picture from the tool.

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The numer inside is a 9, so that means was made in the 90?

Thanks in advance.

Regards from Portugal.

 

[lbgradwell]

Hallo

Here is another picture from the tool.

[/IMG]

The numer inside is a 9, so that means was made in the 90?

No, it means 1969.

That is a nice set and a cool story. I grew up in St. John's (Mount Pearl actually - just outside St. John's)...

 

[Vespita]

No, it means 1969.

That is a nice set and a cool story. I grew up in St. John's (Mount Pearl actually - just outside St. John's)...

Thanks for the information, about the year.

The set is in very nice condition, due to the fack that is in inches. Here we use more the metric sistem in now days.

I have listen so many stories from the St Johns harbor, and the Grand Banques of Terra Nova from the Portuguese Sailors. I have been in Canada several times ( Oakville On, and Mississauga On) but never been in St. John´s.

I have other tools that have some historie too.

The wrench in the picture I supose that are from the 1940/s. The brand is Lister from the Lister engines, that gave propultion and electricity to the old fisching boats.

 

[Billiam]

I'd be fairly sure that set was made between 1968 and 1969. The company logo changed wording from Gray Bonney Tools to Gray Tools Canada around 1963 and I recognize the silver trim in the crest as being in use between 68 and 69. Hope this helps...you have some quality items there! BH

 

[jvitez]

I just bought a set from Gray Tools.

Any idea what year was this produced?

As far has I kno the set was bought by a Portuguese mecanic Sailor from the Portuguese wite fleet, that has aquired it in St Johns NewFoundLand in Canada.

Regards From Portugal

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Esta. Bem-vindo a Garage Journal!

Great story, and many thanks for posting! The world gets smaller all the time.

BTW though, maybe you shouldn't try and visit Atlantic Canada in the winter, or at least no this winter:

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/02/03/saint-john-nb-declares-state-of-emergency-because-of-heavy-snow

140 cm of snow in one week........

 

[Vespita]

Many thanks for the advice.

I live at about 3km in a stright line to the Atlantic, but here the winters are not sow rughf has there.

Best Regards

 

[Ayrhead]

Hi All. I saw this post about the SW23. I have that set. Here are some pictures...

 

[Ayrhead]

What year do you think this set is? Anyone know??

 

[3baygarage]

What year do you think this set is? Anyone know??

Hi. Old post, I don’t know if you ever found an answer, but I’m thinking 50s-60s. I just spent some time in the catalogs and according to the ‘73 catalog, that knurled style handle was still around on some items, but the ratchets have the smooth tapered handle by then.

 

[3baygarage]

Here is an offset 1/2” drive handle I was happy to find online. A US seller had a bunch of old Canadian made tools.
Appears in the 1930’s-40’s catalogs.

No. 905


One 8 point socket came along with it.

 

[Snaparxon]

Nice find. That handle looks Snap-on-ish

 

[3baygarage]

Nice find. That handle looks Snap-on-ish

It does have that “Wisconsin” look to it. Snap-On/MTF.
It says made in Canada though. I don’t think Bonney had an equivalent handle, right? Their early offset handles were flat beam.

 

[Snaparxon]

I thought Gray and Snap on had a connection at one point, Tecomaster tools maybe, but don't know the years. Could be mixing up things up in my head too, I'll ask Chatgpt