^ The same type of "open gear" ratchet was also manufactured by P&C.
I do not know when Thorsen or P&C began making them, or who was copying whose design.
The earliest catalog listings I have for the Indestro models is in an undated Indestro Select catalog which I believe to date to the early 1950s. They do not appear in what is believed to be the 1948 catalog No. 16. They do not appear in what I believe to be an early-to-mid 1950s catalog No. 20. They do not appear in what is believed to be the 1959 catalog No. 22.
It would be reasonable to assume that their production run at Indestro was of a relatively short duration. That both the 6270 and the 6470 seem to be ubiquitous and are still in service is a testament to their reliability and foolproof design. The Indestro 6070 1/4" drive models are virtually non-existent.
Some time back, another member here in one of the many "ratchet" threads described the Thorsen open-gear models as "The AK-47 of ratchets".
(see here: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5613298#post5613298 )
I have copies of all the Indestro and Thorsen models, and I think the Thorsen has a smoother action than the Indestro.
Somewhere on this site member Ganymede did a side-by-side comparison of them.
While the design may seem antiquated by current standards, it is interesting to note that the U.S. military contracted with Wright Tool to supply them with the Wright model 4480
( see here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wright-Too...10-1-2-Series-80/292328823677?epid=1300612145 )
It seems the modern-era "sealed head" designs aren't as reliable as might be desired when prosecuting a war in a desert environment.
