Hartville Flea finds

[davethorik]

Well to keep it short...temps were high, along with prices. It took me about 20 minutes to break the ice.

First grabs were Vanadium Tool Co. Athens, O. alignment bar (made of 1/2" octagonal stock, 15-1/2" long), with Warner & Swasey Lathe Cutter Grinding Gauge for $10 at same booth.

Snagged the Boker USA 12" adjustable for $4 at another booth. That guy made a big deal about it being a Boker USA wrench, lol. But he was nice enough.

Then thunderstorms rolled in and everyone scrambled to get put away. On way to truck, ran into a tool guy packing up that had 3 Felco F-8 Swiss-made pruners, used but resharpened, for $3 ea. Remembered seeing them mentioned here, surprise lol. He asked $7 if I bought them all, so I did. No. 8 pruners that are $45 new ea.

Anyway, curious about the Boker adjustable. From what I can tell, it was made by Utica. However this one has different, very simple stamping vs images online. It's also weird bc on nowhere is the size listed. No part number. There is a forge mark that looks like a 3 under the knurl on same side as BOKER USA stamp, opposite side devoid of markings. The Stamped text just has a large B, then OKE over USA, then large R.

There is some type of plating on it. Looks kinda like the greyish finish on Circle-U Craftsman made by Plomb. Is this cadmium? I already took acetone to it to clean marker and tape residue, think I'll just leave it alone for now.

The Vanadium Tool Co. alignment bar was a surprise, they were until today another vintage Ohio tool mfr whose product I have never, ever seen in this state in the wild (another being Herbrand). This company was purchased by Cornwell in 1974 IIRC having been a contract supplier of wrenches for them, for some time. I like that it is stamped with old-timey ATHENS, O. and also that it is made of octagonal bar stock.

Steel is very good. Has a nice ring when struck. Chisel tip is 5/8" wide and has a very very slight angle to it. Chisel end good shape, pointed end is either bent or has mfr inconsistencies, hard to tell. Not bad enough to matter.

The full stamp reads "VANADIUM TOOL CO. ATHENS, O. 1/2" and the octagonal stock is 1/2" across flats.

 

[3baygarage]

Dave I’m not much help on the wrench as it can be tricky to compare adjustable wrenches, but I will say that is a cool find with that small marking. I’ve seen a ton more Boker pliers and knives than wrenches.

There are so many darn Crescent, Diamond, Williams, and a number of other common names, that it’s fun to see the more obscure.

 

[Mintgrun]

The Felco #8s are my favorite.
I have #2 and #6 as well and try to rotate them into service to mix it up; but the eights just feel right. Nice score.

 

[davethorik]

Thanks, guys.
Here are some different pics of the Warner & Swasey Lathe Cutter Grinding gauge I got at same booth as the Vanadium pry bar. Drill grinding gauges are very common; I've never seen one for lathe.

This guy is pretty small. Must be at least somewhat old, as carbide isn't mentioned, just HSS cutters.

Mintgrun, all 3 of the Felcos have many tiny dings on the aluminum handles and show a bit of wear, one even totally marked up from a pipe wrench (guessing as a cheater bar to sever something too large and heavy to do by hand, proof these are well made), although the not pictured set did have red dipped grips and was most presentable. Mom got those ones. All 3 are sharp, I'm definitely impressed, especially given price.

 

[davethorik]

Dave I’m not much help on the wrench as it can be tricky to compare adjustable wrenches, but I will say that is a cool find with that small marking. I’ve seen a ton more Boker pliers and knives than wrenches.

There are so many darn Crescent, Diamond, Williams, and a number of other common names, that it’s fun to see the more obscure.

And 3bay, you are right. I saw this wrench had a square throat initially and assumed it was Danielson contract. Looking at pics online, most Bokers look like Utica. Then I found this pic online...a Boker adjustable with the Utica Select-o-Lock mechanism on it, which made me feel confident it is a Utica rebadge.

Not my pic btw. However, randomly I do know that Triangle Tool kept the locking mechanism around when they owned Utica, as I've seen the Triangle on Select-o-Lock wrenches before.

Still baffled at tiny stamp, no size, and different look than what Google shows for Bokers, on my new acquisition. Probably an older wrench guessing by amount of plating loss. I don't even really know much about Boker USA, need to do some reading.

Edit: just realized most other Boker adjustables, and tools in general, have the H. initial before the Boker. Not this wrench. Pure minimalist markings.

Edit2: stamp measures 5/8" wide and 1/4" tall. It appears to be centered in the panel. Strike was light, tops of letters faint.

 

[davethorik]

Then I find this. Boker USA chrome adjustable wrench w/ red translucent grip. Looking at the pics, I was able to rather quickly tell it was made by JH Williams, and it used their version of the Select-o-Lock, which was more elegant than Utica's design, but IIRC doesn't have the cool name...it looks like it is built in to the knurl pin.

https://m.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Boke...480830?hash=item2aa9becf3e:g:AjoAAOSwgslbAzl6

Edit: uploading pics. The close up of the head 3rd pic told me all I needed to know. Hexagonal throat, square edges on top of slide. Protrusion for locking mechanism. Definite Williams.

 

[BSA1]

Well to keep it short...temps were high, along with prices. It took me about 20 minutes to break the ice.

First grabs were Vanadium Tool Co. Athens, O. alignment bar (made of 1/2" octagonal stock, 15-1/2" long), with Warner & Swasey Lathe Cutter Grinding Gauge for $10 at same booth.

Snagged the Boker USA 12" adjustable for $4 at another booth. That guy made a big deal about it being a Boker USA wrench, lol. But he was nice enough.

Then thunderstorms rolled in and everyone scrambled to get put away. On way to truck, ran into a tool guy packing up that had 3 Felco F-8 Swiss-made pruners, used but resharpened, for $3 ea. Remembered seeing them mentioned here, surprise lol. He asked $7 if I bought them all, so I did. No. 8 pruners that are $45 new ea.

Anyway, curious about the Boker adjustable. From what I can tell, it was made by Utica. However this one has different, very simple stamping vs images online. It's also weird bc on nowhere is the size listed. No part number. There is a forge mark that looks like a 3 under the knurl on same side as BOKER USA stamp, opposite side devoid of markings. The Stamped text just has a large B, then OKE over USA, then large R.

There is some type of plating on it. Looks kinda like the greyish finish on Circle-U Craftsman made by Plomb. Is this cadmium? I already took acetone to it to clean marker and tape residue, think I'll just leave it alone for now.

The Vanadium Tool Co. alignment bar was a surprise, they were until today another vintage Ohio tool mfr whose product I have never, ever seen in this state in the wild (another being Herbrand). This company was purchased by Cornwell in 1974 IIRC having been a contract supplier of wrenches for them, for some time. I like that it is stamped with old-timey ATHENS, O. and also that it is made of octagonal bar stock.

Steel is very good. Has a nice ring when struck. Chisel tip is 5/8" wide and has a very very slight angle to it. Chisel end good shape, pointed end is either bent or has mfr inconsistencies, hard to tell. Not bad enough to matter.

The full stamp reads "VANADIUM TOOL CO. ATHENS, O. 1/2" and the octagonal stock is 1/2" across flats.

 

[BSA1]

I just picked this 12” Boker adjustable up this weekend. No other markings.