





Wow! Nice. And blacker than the inside of a coal mine.Knew I had a wrench set around here,
Maybe he found them inside an old coal mine!Wow! Nice. And blacker than the inside of a coal mine.

Trying to use your table - no luck. Just picked up 8” JPD and it has “M-8-3”I am attempting to reinvigorate this thread, hoping it will become the repository of discussion of the JP Danielson company, tools, etc, during the time before it was absorbed into the Proto Empire.
Here's my first contribution: a table showing six phases (by color) of the adjustable wrench, from the early 1930s to the early 1960s. The design changes (hard borders) of four features narrow the production date down to approximate decades. Once done, the three-digit date code, Letter-Number-Number (LNN) can be used to determine specific year of production. The rightmost number is the last digit of the year. The central number is believed to represent the month, because it apparently runs from 1 to 12. The letter probably represents the day of production. All known examples run from A to Y, so 25 characters. I have some ideas about this, which I will share in a separate post.
As you can see, sometimes using a single design feature - like the broached hole on these two wrenches - the single digit year can be understood; in the first case, 1940. However, you have to see that the letter form of the second one is sans serif (plain) to distinguish it as 1944, from 1934, which would have a slab serif (typewriter) letterform. The third one is...
That’s right, 1952, because the round hole has no reinforcement.
The fourth case shows the reinforced hole, so...1964.
Thank you very much.Maybe 43? I think at that time no alloys allowed, so just "forged steel"
It's the length of the wrench, believe it or not. The letters change though, so some kind of die/forge code with the OAL embedded.Date code doesn’t make sense?
Uh huh, but yours are prettier.just like MisterEd’s.
Very nice. How long have you been doing tool collecting?Uh huh, but yours are prettier.
Since I met a woman, now my Significant Other, who appreciates old, rusty things. That might be my appeal to her, too?? How long . . . 'bout 4 years.Very nice. How long have you been doing tool collecting?
About her??m Yep.4 years, and you know all this detail…
I think I’ll pass on asking what the heck a “Private’s Sticky” is…About her??m Yep.
About tools? I post something, say something dumb or ill informed and the Private or D42 or Wrench correct, inform or redirect me. Then, of course, there's the Private's Sticky in the heading of Vintage Tools.
Maybe 43? I think at that time no alloys allowed, so just "forged steel"
Oops! I meant B*11*5Thanks. On the ‘43 I noticed an “A” near the adjustment screw. I cannot tell if it is a forge mark or private stamp.
I also got another JPD 8” wrench - with B*11*5 on it. Is it a 1944? Better condition than the 1943. Also has “C Mellinger” ID
Please advise what the L—N-N codes mean?
Oops! I meant B*11*5
Thanks for reply. I knew there was some question about the letter. I guessed correctly that first number was the month. I think I knew second number was year.The A looks like an owners mark. Not sure about LNN. Do you have a pic?
Not sure why you keep identifying this as a 1944 wrench. It was made in November of 1945....the 1944 (B*11*5)