J.C. Penny tools

[h~moto]

Just purchased this weekend to add to my penetrating oil collection.

 

[Username already in use]

Found this New Britain made JC Penny Penncraft 3/8" socket set at the flea on Sunday. Only missing the short 11/16" socket.

 

[outofbounds]

These 4 polished chrome DOBE wrenches came home as part of a big estate sale haul this weekend. Curious the maker.....I have had the polished combination wrenches presumed to be made by SK, and the resemblance was apparent. I'm not familiar with SK producing a full polish DOBE like this. Are there any dedicated JC Penney tool collectors with an authoritative opinion on the origin of these wrenches?

 

[outofbounds]

Also found these JC Penney 1/2 drive sockets complete from 7/16" through 1-1/8" In terrific shape.....too bad I couldn't uncover any of the matching drive tools. 10 of the 12 sockets were on a shelf in their own metal storage tray. (I lucked out and found the two larger ones in an abandoned box from another shopper who apparently evacuated the scene as it was becoming mayhem inside the tool hoarders house!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The penneys stuff i have is new britain, sk then thorsen

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The sk tools are 35oo series, new britain 3600, thorsen 3000 series. The wrenches you have are 3400 series, so maybe another manufacturer such as wright. Penneys could have contracted with anyone.

 

[thefraze_1020]

I'm currently in the process of cleaning out my grandpa's old shop. I've been taking most of the "good" brands of tools home. I saw a bunch of JCPenney sockets and a ratchet while hunting through tools. I left them because I assumed they were junk. But based on what you all are saying, I think I better reconsider!

 

[bonneyman]

Found this New Britain made JC Penny Penncraft 3/8" socket set at the flea on Sunday. Only missing the short 11/16" socket.

I've got the internal view of that ratchet if U R interested. I had an American something ratchet years ago, and it used the typical NB guts.

 

[bonneyman]

Just purchased this weekend to add to my penetrating oil collection.

A penetrating oil collection - now that's not something you see every day!

 

[3baygarage]

I like this one, it looks like a hybrid.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Looks like a thorsen head on that one

 

[3baygarage]

Yes, Thorsen mechanism, but for some reason the handle is very similar to S-K’s panel rats.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Penneys probably specified the handle. Nice ratchet.

 

[TimA]

My wife saw this toolbox combo pop-up on Facebook Marketplace the other night and a 1/2 hour later my son and I were taking a 30-minute road trip to pick it up before the snowstorm hit. I couldn't tell what brand it was from the photo but for $25 I figured why not. They also said it had some tools in it and they wanted an additional $25 for the tools. Once there I saw it was a JCPenney box and I saw the drawer full of wrenches, some hammers and ratchets so I figured that was worth the extra $25. Once we got home I was able to sort thru it all and I ended up with a good bit of Penncraft tools and a mix of other tools.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Nice penneys haul. Dont see too many penneys stacks.

 

[WNYflyer]

My wife saw this toolbox combo pop-up on Facebook Marketplace the other night and a 1/2 hour later my son and I were taking a 30-minute road trip to pick it up before the snowstorm hit. I couldn't tell what brand it was from the photo but for $25 I figured why not. They also said it had some tools in it and they wanted an additional $25 for the tools. Once there I saw it was a JCPenney box and I saw the drawer full of wrenches, some hammers and ratchets so I figured that was worth the extra $25. Once we got home I was able to sort thru it all and I ended up with a good bit of Penncraft tools and a mix of other tools.

Very nice score. A lot of steel there for a lowly $50, well done. I have two JC Penney/Penncraft tool box stacks and they look nothing like yours. I have not seen too many JC Penney tool boxes nor tools but I know I have never seen one of their boxes like that.

 

[woody 73]

Tim A hi,

Now for a little surprise for you...

Take a good look at pile of wrenches, look close at the pile you made ; look close at the one wrench that is very black in color it will not be stamped with a name or metric/sae numbers, one end will be at an angle and the other end will have the opposite angle ( take good care of it) not worth any money but if you own a circular saw it will remove the blade bolt with ease.

Good catch.

 

[TimA]

I haven't had much luck finding much info online on it. I found one picture on Worthpoint and there is a previous thread from Boxerrider back in 2015 with almost the same boxes. It doesn't appear that he answered his question of who made the box and he hasn't posted anything since 2017

Search "JC Penney Chest" for the thread, my post count is too low to post the link.

His top box was a 5 drawer and mine is a 4 drawer but the bottom boxes seem the same. According to his photos, there are hidden pegboard storage areas on each side that open when the key is turned. Mine appears to be the same and I can see the pegboard when I removed my drawers. It didn't come with the keys so I'm going to order the keys online, they are Hudson locks with MM code.

I did find the date code stamped on the top box inside of the top front rail next to the JCPenney badge. Mine was made in 1974 on the 21st of an unknown month

Unfortunately, the only JCPenney Catalogs I have found online were the 1974 Power Tools catalog (no toolboxes) and their Christmas catalogs which are very lacking in tools.

The other style JCPenney boxes seem to have been made by Kennedy. I'm going to go thru some old Kennedy catalogs to see if they have anything similar. I know the drawer slide springs on this one do not look like my Kennedy box slide springs and any Kennedy springs I have seen. These are riveted to the slide. The door on the bottom cabinet also has slides.

The picture of the open end pegboard storage area is borrowed from Boxerrider's thread.

 

[TimA]

Woody 73, Thanks I think I have a couple of those floating around my toolbox. It seems like the previous owner saved every pressed wrench they ever received.

 

[TimA]

A little update on the JCPenney toolboxes in case anyone else finds one.

A guy on the Facebook JCPenney tool group mentioned that he bought one like this in 1975 and he had the optional" side doors. He also mentioned that John Deere had the same type of toolbox for a very limited time around 1976 in dark grey with black drawers with gold strips on the drawers

I was also able to talk with Boxerrider about his box. It seems there are two versions of the bottom box. Mine does not have the sided doors even though it has the pegboard inside. I was able to wedge open the panel at the bottom and see that the panels are riveted to the pegboard. If the box has side doors there will be a visible piano hinge and there is a lock on the side door itself.

Thanks to Boxerrider for the additional info & pictures.

Still no info on the maker.

 

[Ricky Joe]

My Buddy, 89 years old, has a Penny’s box from the 1950s, looks Rem Line.

 

[d42jeep]

I generally leave Penny’s tools behind if I see them at sales but somehow I ended up with a rusty 1/2” drive extension that looks like it was made by Thorsen.
-Don

 

[outofbounds]

I generally leave Penny’s tools behind if I see them at sales but somehow I ended up with a rusty 1/2” drive extension that looks like it was made by Thorsen.
-Don

The Penncraft tools seem to lag a touch in quality of their finish, which seems a Thorsen trademark too, and also with their Powr-Kraft labeled tools (versus Wright). That said, the chrome tools marked "JC Penney" with a variety of suppliers across their product line, have held their finish nicely whenever I have uncovered them, and seem to have a lively resale market interest. I'm training myself to never leave those behind, as the return has been well worth it.

 

[jdshear01]

Both of my grand parents retired from JC Penney and they would tell stories of what the store used to carry and the various departments. It's difficult to imagine how things have changed since the 60-70's. It's hard to find a Penney's or Sears store in my entire state and there used to be one in every big shopping hub surrounding any major city. I'll keep an eye out for these though...I'm such a tool nerd it's sad.

 

[d42jeep]

I found a pair of 3/8” drive sockets recently, one metric. They have a Thorsen look about them.
-Don

 

[piehammer]

Penncraft 3677 6" extension. Picked up in a lot over the weekend.

 

[four.cycle]

^ how much do you want for it?

 

[piehammer]

^ how much do you want for it?

Shoot me an offer, I'm not attached to it.

 

[four.cycle]

thanks! one more piece of a puzzle... I think I have three of those Penncraft 1/4" drive sets now - two of which are incomplete. pretty difficult to find onesie-twosies needed to fill holes.

 

[d42jeep]

I found this Penncraft 3635 spinner hiding in the Proto spinners.
-Don

 

[oldmachinenut]

Nice penneys haul. Dont see too many penneys stacks.

My J.C. Penney stack, circa 1979 made by Kennedy

 

[outofbounds]

My J.C. Penney stack, circa 1979 made by Kennedy

Awesome stuff!

 

[four.cycle]

"...Penncraft 3635..."

I've pretty much abandoned the effort to complete these other two sets since Ebay sellers think that New Britain made 3632 ratchet is worth north of $40 bucks, but do keep me in mind on that spinner.

 

[WNYflyer]

My J.C. Penney stack, circa 1979 made by Kennedy

I have the same box minus the middle box that I bought used. Pretty well built box plus nobody probably recognized it as really being a Kennedy........therefore had cheap!

 

[outofbounds]

New entry as of this evening. JC Penney 3532 by SK. In terrific shape, great deal as an add-on to another Facebook pick-up I was running down.

 

[Bill vonSteuben]

Scored a PENNCRAFT 3805 1/2" drive ratchet made by NB for J C Penny yesterday, along with it's cousin, a HUSKY CS-45, marked U.S.A. 39. The PENNCRAFT is marked 38. Both have two patent numbers on the opposite side.

 

[d42jeep]

I've pretty much abandoned the effort to complete these other two sets since Ebay sellers think that New Britain made 3632 ratchet is worth north of $40 bucks, but do keep me in mind on that spinner.

Consider the spinner yours. I’ll get it out to you shortly.
I posted these in the nutdriver thread but they belong here as well. Some before and after pictures of a complete nutdriver set I found at a Nevada garage sale on Saturday.
-Don

 

[Norcal]

Anyone else remember they also sold auto parts & tires?

Remember the JC Penny battery? Warrantied as long as you owned your vehicle. Think the battery was made by Gould for JCP.

 

[outofbounds]

I've pretty much abandoned the effort to complete these other two sets since Ebay sellers think that New Britain made 3632 ratchet is worth north of $40 bucks, but do keep me in mind on that spinner.

Is this the ratchet you seek? I have this one on Ebay now for much less, and can pull it off for you if you'd like.

 

[CHRIII]

This is the only J.C. Penney tool I own. Got it in 78-79 time frame. I had a VW Fastback and used it to turn the crankshaft when I was tuning it. The number on the handle is 1236.

Edit: Apparently I lied (or had an attack of 'old timers' disease). I found this Penncraft 8 Piece Screwdriver & Tool Kit, Item 3280 in tool bag in my garage that I keep so I don't have to go to my toolbox in the basement so often. No clue when I got these. They've been handy a few times.