Gray Canada vs. Gray Canada with Maple Leaf ??

[thetreshon]

I've looked thru all the Gray Canada threads and I know that the 'Maple Leaf' series (meaning NO mention of "Gray" on the wrench - just the maple leaf logo) is the hardware store line, no warranty.

But looking at my inherited Gray Canada pieces and some of the stuff I've picked up used, is there any difference between pieces labeled:

1) just "Gray Canada"


2) "Gray MAPLE LEAF LOGO Canada"


is there any difference in quality, or just a change up in the labeling. I've seen the maple leaf logo on really old stuff and very recent pieces.

Any info is appreciated - thanks!


ADDED NOTE: One thing I should add is ALL the pieces I'm talking about are smooth polished chrome, and NOT the satin finish.

 

[thetreshon]

bump

 

[billymade]

Maybe contact gray and ask them? Gray seems to be a brand that we have not documented much about around here: http://www.graytools.com/customer_service.htm

Its a shame too; because as an american I have allot of interest in their tools (especially their vintage and current ratchets, what many times looks like a twin to Snap-On separated @ birth!) but for some reason they just are not sold or distributed much here in the USA! I wish they were; from all indications they were and are good quality tools... they seem to now have moved into the "industrial tool" sector, not unlike Proto. I get the feeling that this wasn't always the case and that they were sold to the general public more in the past.

While not answering your question specifically; here is a cool brochure on the basic history of gray from their corporate website: http://www.graytools.com/pdf/Corporate Brochure2.pdf

I particularly like one of the quotes from the brochure:

As the founding father of the company stated...
"I could never bear the thought of my name
being associated with an inferior product.
We will only produce a product of the
highest quality. One I can stand behind".
- Alex Gray (1883-1969)

 

[Gtamazing]

All the maple leaf stuff I have has a rough finish and flaking chrome.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

As the founding father of the company stated...
"I could never bear the thought of my name
being associated with an inferior product.
We will only produce a product of the
highest quality. One I can stand behind".
- Alex Gray (1883-1969)

Sounds like he and Robert Bosch thought along the same lines:

"It has always been an unbearable thought to me that someone could inspect one of my products and find it inferior in any way."

 

[thetreshon]

All the maple leaf stuff I have has a rough finish and flaking chrome.

One thing I should add is ALL the pieces I'm talking about are polished chrome, and NOT the satin finish.

 

[rlb1953]

I always thought the "maple leaf" series also had "Gray Canada" on it. I've never seen a wrench with the maple leaf that did not also say "Gray Canada."
(Then again, I've never seen "maple leaf" series wrench that was chromed.)

For some reason, I always thought the wrenches with no warranty had a part number starting with a 0. I have a number of duplicate wrenches where the two are very similar, but the one with the part # starting with 0 doesn't have the forging flash ground off, and usually these have the maple leaf stamped in as well. The other will have the same part #, but the 0 is replaced by a 1, and the finish will be much nicer.

 

[Gregg33]

I have 3 types of wrenches by Gray. Part # starting with zero but they are no name (look identical to Gray #0xxx and say made in Canada), Gray branded wrenches starting with 0 and the nicer ones starting with 1. I've also seen some newer ones where the part # starts with 3.

 

[Toolhorder]

I never see these brand wrenches at the flea until just recently, so they have a lifetime warranty? That work for us in the USA? Are they good tools to resell?

 

[JeremyManning]

They are like Canada-only, snap on equivalent tools, which hold a lifetime warranty. Just posted some of the wrenches in the classified if you want to see what they look like.

 

[billymade]

Customer service site; lists this number for USA distribution:

U.S.A. Distribution Tel. 1-800-471-9473

 

[matthew]

Their website also has a US distributor locator on it, you just have to select US on the left of the screen after clicking distributors - it shows Canadian distributors as default. See this link

Any pictures? We all like pictures...