I found this a few days ago.

[navyeoseabee]

i Don't consider myself a collector but when i see something i like i buy it.

 

[3baygarage]

Western Auto. Now that's a convenient socket holder with those wall mount holes.

 

[montanafordman]

Cool! Nice find!

 

[firemanast]

Nice find good old Western Auto !

 

[Tireman]

yeah I had to buy one also. Too cool too pass up.

 

[navyeoseabee]

would this be sold in the old western auto stores? or completely something different?

 

[Ronbedard57]

Nice! There were Western Auto stores in many of the towns here in N.E. Pretty cool that that kit has nothing missing after all these years.

 

[Cope]

would this be sold in the old western auto stores? or completely something different?

Yes. I had that set around 1958-59.

 

[panknuckshovel]

What kind of warranty does it have, and are those SAE or MM?

All kidding aside that is pretty cool.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Almost surely manufacturerd for Western Auto by Duro Metal Products in the late 1930's, early 1940's. The Duro and Indestro models were marked on both sides of the handle, the Western Auto models were unmarked. What little I can see of the knurling on the sockets looks like the plain ribbed knurling Duro used on its own sockets until mid 40's when it went cross-hatched. Those holders, with the L-handle holding the sockets in place, were a Duro/Indestro thing. Nickel plated. Ratchet is hollow, made from two pieces of pressed steel. The other end of the screwdriver bit is the drive plug!

I've never seen one so complete in such good shape.

Really nice find.

 

[McFarmer]

Sherman-Kleve (SK) made a similar set.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I didn't know that, McFarmer! Thanks for the tip. I just checked it out. Almost identical ratchets. I wonder if they had something going between them (both in Chicago). Did Western Auto stock unbranded S-K contract stuff? The knurling will be the tell. Looks like S-K was cross-hatched. And they might actually have a code on them. D=Duro.

 

[caesar2001]

I have a New Britain set that is similar to yours

 

[Jyzze]

Cool find! Was it expensive?

 

[bluebolt]

I didn't know that, McFarmer! Thanks for the tip. I just checked it out. Almost identical ratchets. I wonder if they had something going between them (both in Chicago). Did Western Auto stock unbranded S-K contract stuff? The knurling will be the tell. Looks like S-K was cross-hatched. And they might actually have a code on them. D=Duro.

I just picked up a Sherman Klove set. Is this the one you saw? No sign of a D on them just the knurling and the size.

 

[Jim C.]

Nice find for sure and thanks for the picture.

Jim C.

 

[Barnabas]

I found a similar set by Industro. According to the label, they are "Scientifically Hardened."

My green set is Metric, the red sets are SAE.

Here is a red set on eBay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Indestro-No-1454-Ratchet-Socket-Set-with-Metal-Case-/221543974883?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33950cc7e3

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I just picked up a Sherman Klove set. Is this the one you saw? No sign of a D on them just the knurling and the size.

Yes, that's the set. The ratchet looks identical to seabee's. The sockets don't, though.

D is the Western Auto code for Duro. Western Auto stuff with a V on it was made by Vlchek. I don't know if SK sold to Western Auto.

The SK knurling is cross-hatched, isn't it?

In the late 30's until 1941 or 1942, Duro knurling was ribbed (parallel ridges).

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I found a similar set by Industro.

Nice set.

Duro-Chrome and Indestro were two operating arms of the same company, Duro Metal Products.

I am convinced the OP's set is a Duro Metal Products set, despite the resemblance of the ratchet to the SK ratchet. The knurling is dead give-away Duro knurling.

 

[bluebolt]

Actually, SK made many tools for other companies (as did Vlchek), and probably made the Indestro/Duro ratchets of that design. Look closely at the rivets.

Bluebolt, does your ratchet say Sherman Klove or SK on it?

Sherman Klove

 

[navyeoseabee]

Cool find! Was it expensive?

It was $10.00

I just picked up a Sherman Klove set. Is this the one you saw? No sign of a D on them just the knurling and the size.

I found a similar set by Industro. According to the label, they are "Scientifically Hardened."

My green set is Metric, the red sets are SAE.

Here is a red set on eBay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Indestro-No-1454-Ratchet-Socket-Set-with-Metal-Case-/221543974883?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33950cc7e3

That is really close if not the same...

 

[A E Numan]

This is a set I found in a tool chest that I bought last week, I'll clean it up---at some point.