Mastercraft by Gray?

[The Rusty Gear]

I remember a while back lbgradwell mentioned that older Mastercraft tools were made by Gray. IIRC the wrenches had "Gray alloy" on them or had "Gray" and a maple leaf on them to designate Gray's budget line.

What about the sockets? Did gray make sockets for Canadian Tire as well? If so, how can you tell they are made by Gray? Were they marked Mastercraft?

I picked up a box of sockets and some of them were pretty old Mastercraft, but had that "quality" feel to them and I was wondering of they may have been made by Gray.

 

[superautobacs]

Good question, as I'd like to know, too. For some reason, I very seldomly come across an old CT socket/wrench at garage sales/pawn shops. Or maybe my eyes just glaze over that name when I do my cursory look through a pile of tools.

 

[Canadian Charlie]

I have a "Canadian Tire" ratchet with the Canadian Tire logo on the head, are these made by Gray too?

 

[The Rusty Gear]

I have a "Canadian Tire" ratchet with the Canadian Tire logo on the head, are these made by Gray too?

You should be able to telll by the shape of the handle. Gray's ratchet handles are very distinct.

Pics shamelessly stolen from Dxdexter

 

[caper]

I personally don't remember them being made by Gray and marked Mastercraft but I remember them selling Gray in the store.Used to sell Husky in there as well.You could bring a Husky in at one time and they would give you a Mastercraft as a warranty replacement.Back when Husky was a good name.

 

[The Rusty Gear]

I personally don't remember them being made by Gray and marked Mastercraft but I remember them selling Gray in the store.Used to sell Husky in there as well.You could bring a Husky in at one time and they would give you a Mastercraft as a warranty replacement.Back when Husky was a good name.

When did Husky stop being a good brand?

I've seen alot of the wrenches Gray used to sell at Canadian Tire, but never a "maple leaf" socket which got me to worndering.

 

[Canadian Charlie]

I personally don't remember them being made by Gray and marked Mastercraft but I remember them selling Gray in the store.Used to sell Husky in there as well.You could bring a Husky in at one time and they would give you a Mastercraft as a warranty replacement.Back when Husky was a good name.

Thats where I got my Gray wrenches and socket sets from.

 

[caper]

When did Husky stop being a good brand?

When they stopped making it in north america and started producing the **** they have now.

 

[Diesel_Crawler]

When they stopped making it in north america and started producing the **** they have now.

Sad but true.

 

[The Rusty Gear]

When they stopped making it in north america and started producing the **** they have now.

So 1960's then?

 

[The Rusty Gear]

Thats where I got my Gray wrenches and socket sets from.

So the sockets were marked "Gray"? Did they have the maple leaf stamped on them as well (like the wrenches)?

 

[caper]

So 1960's then?

From alloy artifacts:
The Husky Brand

In the early 1930s New Britain Machine acquired the Husky brand (and possibly production facilities) from the Husky Corporation of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Husky Corporation had been established in 1924 as the Husky Wrench Company in Milwaukee, and during the 1920s had developed a well-regarded line of socket tools. (See our article on the Husky Wrench Company for more information.) By the late 1920s Husky even had a cooperative sales agreement with the giant J.H. Williams, supplying the first sockets sold by the latter company.

So far we haven't been able to find any details regarding the acquisition of Husky by New Britain, as the Husky name just seems to disappear from the public records around 1931. If any of our readers have information on this, please let us know.

As a division of New Britain Machine, the Husky brand became very well known over the following decades. During the 1930s and 1940s Husky brand tools were sold with the same design and style as the popular Craftsman BE and H-Circle tools of the time. The Husky brand continued in production until at least the 1970s.

 

[ironfist]

Is the maple leaf wrenches a lower line of tools ? They were nickel plated too right ? I've seen some and they look pretty worn out .

 

[ironfist]

How much did a set of Gray wrenches and or sockets cost at CT back in the day ? If Candaian tire sold them wouldn't they be more common in pawn shops or yard sale ?

 

[dxdexter]

So the sockets were marked "Gray"? Did they have the maple leaf stamped on them as well (like the wrenches)?

I have never heard that Gray ever made tools for Canadian Tire under the Mastercraft brand.

The Maple Leaf stamp on a Gray tool has no significance to Canadian Tire. It was used on Gray's hardware store / home owner series for many decades, but is now discontinued. Both the sockets and wrenches had a Maple leaf stamped into the tool. The maple leaf series also had wrenches that were not stamped with the leaf, but are easily distinguished by the part number starting with "0" or "M0" (Metric) and by the poorer finish. They were sold at stores such as Canadian Tire and Woolco and many auto parts stores. Sometimes you could even luck out and find some of the better finished commercial sockets and wrenches mixed in with the Maple Leaf stuff. As I recall for many years CTC would warranty both Gray and Husky.

I know for certain that Canadian Tire sold USA made Husky tools at least until the early 80's because I have some that I purchased.

 

[dxdexter]

How much did a set of Gray wrenches and or sockets cost at CT back in the day ? If Candaian tire sold them wouldn't they be more common in pawn shops or yard sale ?

Back in the early 80's a set of Gray Maple Leaf wrenches from 3/8" to 1 1/4" cost roughly $130. A fair amount of money back then.

 

[The Rusty Gear]

I have never heard that Gray ever made tools for Canadian Tire under the Mastercraft brand.

The Maple Leaf stamp on a Gray tool has no significance to Canadian Tire. It was used on Gray's hardware store / home owner series for many decades, but is now discontinued. Both the sockets and wrenches had a Maple leaf stamped into the tool. The maple leaf series also had wrenches that were not stamped with the leaf, but are easily distinguished by the part number starting with "0" or "M0" (Metric) and by the poorer finish. They were sold at stores such as Canadian Tire and Woolco and many auto parts stores. Sometimes you could even luck out and find some of the better finished commercial sockets and wrenches mixed in with the Maple Leaf stuff. As I recall for many years CTC would warranty both Gray and Husky.

I know for certain that Canadian Tire sold USA made Husky tools at least until the early 80's because I have some that I purchased.

OK gotcha. Gray never made Mastercraft, but sold it's maple leaf lower end line in places like Woolco and Canadian Tire.

Odd then that I have seen many "maple leaf" wrenches, but no sockets!

 

[dxdexter]

OK gotcha. Gray never made Mastercraft, but sold it's maple leaf lower end line in places like Woolco and Canadian Tire.

Odd then that I have seen many "maple leaf" wrenches, but no sockets!

Now you can never say that again. The maple leaf logo changed at some point, to a slanted half leaf.

 

[lbgradwell]

I have never heard that Gray ever made tools for Canadian Tire under the Mastercraft brand.

OK gotcha. Gray never made Mastercraft...

No, boys; I'm sticking to my story!

I'd long suspected Gray was the OEM for some of the old Mastercraft mechanics tools. About a year ago, I was speaking to an old tool dealer and the topic came up. He was of the same opinion.

Here's why...

The Gray wrench featured is from their lowest-end line - the Maple Leaf "0"-Series - from the 1970s or early 1980s (according to Dex). The finish on the Mastercraft wrench is actually a bit superior with the Open End polished and the edges slightly cleaner. The Gray is remarkably rough!

Both are nickel-plated, the dimensions are exactly the same for the two examples I have of both makes (the 13/16ths pictured and 3/4s not pictured), and the square cut of the open end match. Even the font of the word "ALLOY" matches.

I think it's beyond dispute!

 

[lbgradwell]

My local store just stopped warrantying Gray stuff about 2 years ago. They would take a broken Gray tool and give you the Mastercraft "equivilent"

This amazes me. I haven't seen Gray at a CT for 2 decades!

Where are you located?

 

[lbgradwell]

I know for certain that Canadian Tire sold USA made Husky tools at least until the early 80's because I have some that I purchased.

That's odd; I don't ever recall seeing Husky at CT... But some of my friends had Husky tools growing up, so maybe that's where they got them!

Back in the early 80's a set of Gray Maple Leaf wrenches from 3/8" to 1 1/4" cost roughly $130. A fair amount of money back then.

I'll say! Explains why I wouldn't have considered them in my teens...

 

[lbgradwell]

I have a "Canadian Tire" ratchet with the Canadian Tire logo on the head, are these made by Gray too?

It's doubtful. Can you post a photo or two?

 

[caper]

Seeing those pics reminds me I have a few of that style Mastercraft wrench that I forgot about.I think they're around an inch,inch and a eighth.I think I may have the Gray in those sizes as well.I think it's comparison time!

 

[caper]

Anybody have any Mastercraft ratchets older than 1988?I can't remember what style they were in the early eighties.They've all been pretty much the same since then.The round heads have different kits but they interchange for the most part.There have been a couple other styles but it's been round heads for the most part for the last twenty years.

 

[caper]

I'm in southern N.B., the CT stores around here haven't sold Gray for a long time either but they would warranty them, actually Gray was sold in a lot of small hardware stores years ago, I bought a new Gray wrench at a local store about 6 months ago after they cleaned out there attic

That sounds like a bad trade to me,give up a Gray to get a Mastercraft.Better off taking the Gray to an industrial supply and getting a new Gray.

 

[dxdexter]

No, boys; I'm sticking to my story!

I'd long suspected Gray was the OEM for some of the old Mastercraft mechanics tools. About a year ago, I was speaking to an old tool dealer and the topic came up. He was of the same opinion.

Here's why...

The Gray wrench featured is from their lowest-end line - the Maple Leaf "0"-Series - from the 1970s or early 1980s (according to Dex). The finish on the Mastercraft wrench is actually a bit superior with the Open End polished and the edges slightly cleaner. The Gray is remarkably rough!

Both are nickel-plated, the dimensions are exactly the same for the two examples I have of both makes (the 13/16ths pictured and 3/4s not pictured), and the square cut of the open end match. Even the font of the word "ALLOY" matches.

I think it's beyond dispute!

By golly I think your right. It sure looks like a Gray.

 

[lbgradwell]

By golly I think your right. It sure looks like a Gray.

Yup, no question about it.

Now, as I mentioned, the Gray pictured is from the roughest of the Gray "consumer" lines - the Maple Leaf "0"-Series.

The finish of the Mastercraft is actually superior as it seems there was no attempt to remove the so-called "rim lines" (that result from the drop forge) from the Gray, while the Mastercraft has no rim lines. This is true for both the heads and the shank... Also, as mentioned, the Mastercraft's OE head is polished, and the finish, in general, is just finer (though still rough).

I'm wondering if the next grade up in the Gray line - the Maple Leaf "1"-Series - shares the same finish as the Mastercraft? Do you have any in your collection, Dex?

 

[The Rusty Gear]

Very interesting lettering on the "Mastercraft" made by Gray wrench. Should make spotting hidden Gray gems easier. I wonder if they did the same things with sockets ie move from selling a Maple Leaf to a slightly better Masterceraft branded version.

 

[Canadian Charlie]

Just came up from the garage after checking my Gray tools.

My combo wrenches all have the full Maple Leaf
Line wrenches don't have any Maple Leaf

Sockets have the full Maple Leaf, half the Maple Leaf and some have no Maple Leaf



Strange, I bought mine from the mid eighties to the very early 90's

 

[dxdexter]

Just came up from the garage after checking my Gray tools.

My combo wrenches all have the full Maple Leaf
Line wrenches don't have any Maple Leaf

Sockets have the full Maple Leaf, half the Maple Leaf and some have no Maple Leaf



Strange, I bought mine from the mid eighties to the very early 90's

I don't believe Gray ever made flare nut wrenches in the "Maple Leaf Series". At least none of my catalogs show them as having done so. If the P/N start with FL then they are Gray Canada's higher end commercial line. The sockets without the leaf are possibly Gray Canada as well. What are the numbers?

 

[dxdexter]

Yup, no question about it.

Now, as I mentioned, the Gray pictured is from the roughest of the Gray "consumer" lines - the Maple Leaf "0"-Series.

The finish of the Mastercraft is actually superior as it seems there was no attempt to remove the so-called "rim lines" (that result from the drop forge) from the Gray, while the Mastercraft has no rim lines. This is true for both the heads and the shank... Also, as mentioned, the Mastercraft's OE head is polished, and the finish, in general, is just finer (though still rough).

I'm wondering if the next grade up in the Gray line - the Maple Leaf "1"-Series - shares the same finish as the Mastercraft? Do you have any in your collection, Dex?

I'm not a big fan of any of the Maple Leaf stuff because of the poor quality of the finish. I do however have a couple odd wrenches in the "1" Series (with the leaf stamp) and they have a polished head with the bulk of the "flash" removed, but still look god awful compared to the Pro tools.

 

[lbgradwell]

I'm not a big fan of any of the Maple Leaf stuff because of the poor quality of the finish. I do however have a couple odd wrenches in the "1" Series (with the leaf stamp) and they have a polished head with the bulk of the "flash" removed, but still look god awful compared to the Pro tools.

Then it sounds like the Mastercraft wrenches were re-branded "1"-series tools.

And, yes, they are not the pinnacle of the toolmaker's art!

 

[Canadian Charlie]

I don't believe Gray ever made flare nut wrenches in the "Maple Leaf Series". At least none of my catalogs show them as having done so. If the P/N start with FL then they are Gray Canada's higher end commercial line. The sockets without the leaf are possibly Gray Canada as well. What are the numbers?

They don't have the Maple Leaf on it but it does say Gray on them, I'll get numbers latter on