J H Williams vintage hand tools

[twertsy]

Yup. It's intended for automotive parts, undercarriages, etc, where it's left on wet, but, like BLO, it is highly penetrative and will stay on tools when wiped dry, and they look like new. Unlike BLO, it's non-flammable! I only use it on tools I am not going to be touching frequently. Completed sets. The under glass type keepers.

I can't stand the stench of that stuff! Plus, it doesn't work NEAR as well as Boelube T-9. Greg, I have a couple cans of Fluid Film you can render from my shop on your next visit.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks!

 

[drivesitfar]

Twertsy: do you like LIQUID, STICK or SPRAY Boelube 9? with all your tools I bet you buy it by the case?

BLO doesn't smell after a while, but i'm an old logger's grandson so sort of used to that smell and it brings back a few cool old memories like sitting on my gramps lap while he was cutting in a logging road with his D9.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Williams s330 socket set. Maybe 30s?

 

[d42jeep]

OTG,
Pre chrome restrictions anyway so likely before ‘42.

There have been some of these sets with wrenches with different markings such as Chrome Alloy or just Alloy. I was curious so I checked my set. All of mine are marked Alloy.
-Don

 

[CRTDI]

Williams s330 socket set. Maybe 30s?

You're building up a nice collection of vintage Williams sets...

There have been some of these sets with wrenches with different markings such as Chrome Alloy or just Alloy. I was curious so I checked my set. All of mine are marked Alloy.
-Don

All of mine are marked Alloy as well:

 

[wrenchguy]

90" tall advertising wrench.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Williams s330 socket set. Maybe 30s?

Besides the chrome plating, as Don pointed out, that's not the 40's ratchet or decal, so I would say so. I'm not with my references at the moment.

There have been some of these sets with wrenches with different markings such as Chrome Alloy or just Alloy.

All of mine are marked Alloy as well...

Dave Thorik had a C-A wrench in his and I had two C-A's in the set I kept for myself. Outside of these 1285-P sets I probably have upwards of thirty (30) Williams electrical wrenches and they are probably about the same ratio. So, yeah, very early wartime production with some instances of using up old 1941 NOS, as allowed by General Preference Order E-6 through September 1942.

90" tall advertising wrench.

Dang! That is the coolest thing I have seen in awhile! What is that made of?

 

[wrenchguy]

wood, but not plywood owner says.

 

[drivesitfar]

Wrench: thanks for posting up that very cool huge advertising Williams wrench. is it headed to your place or did you just get to get a picture of it?

CRTDI: very cool set. I'm guessing that's 70+ year old grease on the set or did you put that on it?

OTG: VERY NICE!!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

wood, but not plywood owner says.

Thanks. Nice find!

I'm guessing that's 70+ year old grease on the set or did you put that on it?

All ten (10) sets - scroll up to the top of this page - were NOS in original boxes and all of the tools were caked in that grease. I was calling it cosmolene by force of habit on WWII era tools, but Don questioned that, and I agree with him. It's not nearly as viscous. It may be more routine grease.

 

[drivesitfar]

LUG: it looks more like the grease my gramps bought in 55 gallon barrels for his logging business and OMG he and his crew used to slap that stuff on his Caterpillar dozers (D6 & D9), donkey that would pull cables with logs from the top of the mountain down to the landings to the trucks and anywhere a good bunch of grease could help.

maybe my love for old tools started at those logging jobs where my gramps would take me and have me wear a metal safety hat. i'd see guys take huge bolts off of a machine with probably a one inch breaker bar and if the bolt wouldn't budge then with a 3 or 6 foot pipe extension added and a couple guys laying on the pipe while trying to break a bolt loose which they usually did cause i'm not sure PB blaster or Kroil was available or there was even time for it to keep the job moving.

thanks as always for your help cause it's hard for me to keep up with all these old tool threads that hopefully i'll be able to participate on more as I get ORGANIZED.

cheers

 

[wrenchguy]

Wrench: thanks for posting up that very cool huge advertising Williams wrench. is it headed to your place or did you just get to get a picture of it?

gotta go get it next week.

Thanks. Nice find!

thanks, do u know how late that signage/labeling used? i know its good into late 20's. I assume its 1 of the "silent salesman" "stock display boards" for one of the engineer wrench lines. Not sure which 1.

help....vintage ad here, but not showing up.
https://books.google.com/books/cont...fw5tSFBiGGsDZrudAK4QxYw&ci=35,1366,3,1&edge=0

 

[Private Lugnutz]

thanks, do u know how late that signage/labeling used? i know its good into late 20's. I assume its 1 of the "silent salesman" "stock display boards" for one of the engineer wrench lines. Not sure which 1.

1924, and the line of wrenches with black enamel finish on carbon steel was Superior.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I'm not sure what's going on with that ad, wrenchguy. Do you have the URL of the document? That Goodle Books excerpt tool drives me nuts sometimes. Instead of using that, I just capture a screenshot.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

But, here are two excerpts from page 273 of a 1923 Shapleigh Hardware catalog, generously shared with me by four.cycle some time ago. These are the top right and bottom right half of the page.

 

[3baygarage]

That thing is awesome! I wonder how many survived.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Wrench guy - see two posts up for a 1923 Shapleigh Hardware catalog ad featuring the "Silent Salesman", but here is the ad from the 1922 ATD you found! When you get your Silent Salesman, you need to put on a suit and don a derby hat and get someone to take a picure recreating that ad!

 

[3baygarage]

Wrenchguy asked that I post the ad. How cool is this thing.

7-1/2 foot board!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

That's awesome

 

[wrenchguy]

I knowed about the different smaller sizes of their wrench shaped display boards, they're for horizontal display on counters or shelfs. I only heard of the big wall hangers till i started searching today and seeing the 1 on ebay.

I now got a goal in collecting again.... I got about 1/3 of the wrenches that go on that board. i have to examine my board and determine which wrench style the boared was set up for.
I LIKE WILLIAMS ALOT!

thanks 4 ur help.

special thanks to greg and 3bay.

 

[tym]

I knowed about the different smaller sizes of their wrench shaped display boards, they're for horizontal display on counters or shelfs. I only heard of the big wall hangers till i started searching today and seeing the 1 on ebay.

I now got a goal in collecting again.... I got about 1/3 of the wrenches that go on that board. i have to examine my board and determine which wrench style the boared was set up for.
I LIKE WILLIAMS ALOT!

thanks 4 ur help.

special thanks to greg and 3bay.

Let us know what sizes you're missing. I'm sure the GJ denizens can help fill out your set.

I'm working on fixing up a more modern Williams display board that got damaged in shipping. Will have some pics of it loaded up soon.

 

[twertsy]

I recall watching the Am Pickers walking right past one of those in an episode......my yells at the TV went unheeded.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Private Lugnutz]

....my yells at the tv went unheeded.

haha!

 

[RubiconJK]

I recall watching the Am Pickers walking right past one of those in an episode......my yells at the TV went unheeded.

Lol! My dream job is a combination of Am Pickers and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

 

[3baygarage]

I recall watching the Am Pickers walking right past one of those in an episode......my yells at the TV went unheeded.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I sure must have missed that. Recently I noticed Mike sporting a Channellock jacket in an episode.

Lol! My dream job is a combination of Am Pickers and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

My long lost twin!

 

[leg17]

I recall watching the Am Pickers walking right past one of those in an episode......my yells at the TV went unheeded.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I saw the same episode and responded the same way!!

 

[r_olson_06]

I recall watching the Am Pickers walking right past one of those in an episode......my yells at the TV went unheeded.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Remember where they were at? Might need to make a phone call.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrenches 3061, 3070,

 

[twertsy]

Remember where they were at? Might need to make a phone call.

Looking for the following Plomb Pebbles Wrenches 3061, 3070,

I don't recall.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[bonneyman]

I recall watching the Am Pickers walking right past one of those in an episode......my yells at the TV went unheeded.

Yeah, I have that problem with Auction Kings!

 

[tym]

OK, finally got my banged up Williams board into more presentabe shape--see before and after pics below. How old do folks think this board is?

 

[wrenchguy]

Update,
I've determined that the board i bought displays wrenches in this way. The only illustrations i found for this 90" board date 1918,1921 and 1923.
Does anyone have this illustration 1924 or later showing the the "Underline Scroll" logo?





This is a ad from 1927 showing a different wrench display layout. These wrenches will have the NEAT post 1924 "Underline Scroll" logo. Note underline logo in the ad!


Both ads are touting the Superior line. thanks 4 any help.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

OK, finally got my banged up Williams board into more presentabe shape--see before and after pics below. How old do folks think this board is?

Nice job on the fix up. I think that oval logo is post war up into 60s. Beautiful board!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Update,
I've determined that the board i bought displays wrenches in this way. The only illustrations i found for this 90" board date 1918,1921 and 1923.
Does anyone have this illustration 1924 or later showing the the "Underline Scroll" logo?







This is a ad from 1927 showing a different wrench display layout. These wrenches will have the NEAT post 1924 "Underline Scroll" logo. Note underline logo in the ad!


Both ads are touting the Superior line. thanks 4 any help.

That display would look awesome with some wrenches. You have a job there!

 

[tym]

Nice job on the fix up. I think that oval logo is post war up into 60s. Beautiful board!

Thanks! I was really worried the thing was ruined when I pulled it out of the box, but it fixed up okay. Some of the black rubber tips for the pegs were lost; I have some screw protectors that should fit the bill on order.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I think you recovered well there. Shipping damage can be a nightmare.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Both ads are touting the Superior line. thanks 4 any help.

The only help I can offer is to confirm that your logic is squared away on this, wrenchguy. Your 1927 ad proves that they were using the 'Silent Salesman' big wrench board at least as late as 1927, three years after they introduced the underline script logo. So, despite the fact that the board itself has the earlier logo at the top, you can hang wrenches bearing the underline script logo on it if you choose to. (I would be tempted to tack a print-out of the 1927 ad on the back of the board and hang just one wrench with the older logo, just to round out the explanation....). And yes they would be Superiors, not Superrenches.

EDIT: Also, I, too, would be glad to help you fill it. Post your 'needs list' as soon as you can.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

These boards were restocked with wrenches as they were sold as well, so not incorrect to have more than one style.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I got the impression wrenchguy was happy to find an ad with the underline logo so he could justify those wrenches, but yes, a mix of old logo old stock and new logo new stock would've been most prevalent in 1925, and would definitely look cool, too.

 

[wrenchguy]

Wrenchguy, I have a box of Williams wrenches of the style that go on that board. If you want, post up what you're missing and I'll go through and check what I have. I'm in the mode of cutting back and getting rid of extras, so the Williams are going to go. I'm in need of Proto LA stuff to fill out a set if you have any trading stock.....

*thanks, (just learned multiquote!)

The only help I can offer is to confirm that your logic is squared away on this, wrenchguy. Your 1927 ad proves that they were using the 'Silent Salesman' big wrench board at least as late as 1927, three years after they introduced the underline script logo. So, despite the fact that the board itself has the earlier logo at the top, you can hang wrenches bearing the underline script logo on it if you choose to. (I would be tempted to tack a print-out of the 1927 ad on the back of the board and hang just one wrench with the older logo, just to round out the explanation....). And yes they would be Superiors, not Superrenches!

EDIT: Also, I, too, would be glad to help you fill it. Post your 'needs list' as soon as you can.

*thanks. just trying to gain as much information i can for a "displayed explanation" of the "Superior Line". I've always included displayed signage information about projects i refurbish. thanks 4 the offer.

These boards were restocked with wrenches as they were sold as well, so not incorrect to have more than one style.

* Right, I've already made the decision to use all the differnt stamped superiors. I'll be easier this way too.

I got the impression wrenchguy was happy to find an ad with the underline logo so he could justify those wrenches, but yes, a mix of old logo old stock and new logo new stock would've been most prevalent in 1925, and would definitely look cool, too.

* right! i like the scroll underline best, seems easier to find in better conditions too.
* i've found illustrated ads for the 2 smaller wrench shaped display boards in 1935 publications..... i wonder if the "superrenches" ever got marketed on these "silent salesmans" ????