Meteor Ignition Wrenches

[Provincial]

I found a couple of Meteor ignition wrenches this weekend. A search on the Internet found a number of wrenches listed, but little information on the maker. I did find one photo of a red tool roll full of them, with the label:

Meteor Bradley Tool & Equipment Co.
5120-091-2302

The two I found seem to be of OK quality.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I've got a few, Jock. Agreed, decent quality. Located in Buffalo. Not sure how long they lasted, but prime seems to have been 50s. 3bay and I have had a few very brief discussions about them that should pop up in a search.

 

[d42jeep]

I have what may be a complete set but I’ve never bothered to check out their history.
-Don

 

[JR 42]

I've got a little one around here somewhere, and found this 9/16" a couple weeks ago.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I found my research....

Meteor Manufacturing Company was located on Main Street in Buffalo, NY, in 1950. They moved to Emporium, PA in 1958. I don't know when they started or what happened after the move.

Here's a complete postwar Ordnance Dept ignition set of Meteor wrenches in a Giller pouch. (Missing mini pliers and driver.) I don't have provenance on the set, so I don't know if they were original to the pouch or not, but it sure looks that way. Maybe Giller (vis-a-vis Thorsen) bought them out. Giller only supplying the pouches doesn't make much sense to me.

 

[Provincial]

Yes, it makes sense that the tool vendors during that period were supplying a specialty market (USA-made tools to the government) that depended on low bidders. Cooperating or consolidating would be practical ways to keep down costs while covering the entire broad spectrum of biddable items.

 

[ssdave]

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=417077

Had a set a while back, I think I threw them in with the scrap eventually. It looked like I would have to give them away on ebay, and pay the postage, to find a home for them.

 

[d42jeep]

I found my research....

Meteor Manufacturing Company was located on Main Street in Buffalo, NY, in 1950. They moved to Emporium, PA in 1958. I don't know when they started or what happened after the move.

Here's a complete postwar Ordnance Dept ignition set of Meteor wrenches in a Giller pouch. (Missing mini pliers and driver.) I don't have provenance on the set, so I don't know if they were original to the pouch or not, but it sure looks that way. Maybe Giller (vis-a-vis Thorsen) bought them out. Giller only supplying the pouches doesn't make much sense to me.

We should have gotten my Giller ignition wrenches together with your Giller roll.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

Meteor / Meteor Mfg. Co., 1441 Main St., Buffalo, NY / moved to Emporium, PA 1958 / see patent D167868 Sep 30 1952 William Selikoff and William B. McBride / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/meteor-ignition-wrenches.461528/ / https://kirschnerskorner.com/2015/12/19/an-interview-with-my-105-year-old-grandfather/

This is 100% pure speculation and conjecture... but Emporium PA is a relatively small town out in the hills of western Pennsylvania, and this causes me to wonder if perhaps there may have been some connection between “Meteor” and....

Emporium / Emporium Forging Co. Inc., 221 E 2nd St Emporium, PA 15834 / incorporated Dec 28 2015 / see American KAL Enterprises Inc., see Pro America Premium Tools / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...terprises-inc-emporium-forging-co-inc.491165/ /

Emporium / Emporium Forging Co. Inc., 4257 Puente Ave., Baldwin Park, CA 91706 / est. 2015 incorporated Nov 13 2015 / see American KAL Enterprises Inc., see Pro America Premium Tools / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...terprises-inc-emporium-forging-co-inc.491165/ /

and

American / American KAL Enterprises Inc., 4265 Puente Ave., Baldwin Park, CA 91706 / est. 1966, incorporated 1990 / military and government contract supplier / parent company of Pro America Premium Tools / see also Pro America Premium Tools / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...terprises-inc-emporium-forging-co-inc.491165/ /

and

Pro America / Pro America Premium Tools, 4265 Puente Ave., Baldwin Park, CA 91706 / Emporium Forging Co. Inc., 221 E 2nd St Emporium, PA 15834 / https://proamericatools.com/ / est. 1954 (?) / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/proamerica-tools.21675/ / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...terprises-inc-emporium-forging-co-inc.491165/

that’s all just a little bit too coincidental for me to believe there wasn’t some connection there.

Emporium, Pennsylvania population as of 2020: 1923 people. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emporium,_Pennsylvania)

There is a very informative narrative posted on a web page about Meteor written by the founder's grandson:

Private Site

 

[four.cycle]

I am going to take the liberty of dropping some images here from previous ebay listings. Note that these examples show different styles of wrenches, but they're all "Meteor". Those familiar with "KAL" branded tools might note the similarities.

The "military" wrench sets (FSN 5120-081-2302) were manufactured by Meteor and sold to Uncle Sam under various brand names. I find these all too often in ebay listings, both in vinyl and canvas roll-ups.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

Interesting that this popped up today....I got a Meteor 5/8" ignition wrench today in a lot of tools I purchased from an estate sale. I had never heard of them previously.

 

[Provincial]

I noticed a couple of Ebay listings that linked Meteor to Sylvania electronics. Perhaps just because the small wrenches would work on the tiny fasteners, rather than being linked in ownership.

 

[four.cycle]

Meteor 5/8" ignition wrench

5/8" ??

Meteor to Sylvania

gee... what a coincidence:

Sylvania / Sylvania Electronic Products Inc., Emporium, PA / low-end socket set and wrench set manufactured by Meteor Mfg. Co. /

Looks like they were private labeled for Sylvania by Meteor (see attached below) The "Sylvania" ebay listings for the little cheapie 8-piece (stamped) ignition wrench sets have Meteor branded wrenches in them.
I do not know at the moment where my "Meteor" wrench set and socket set are. The images below are from ebay listings for comparison purposes. Note that the wrench set came from Emporium, but the socket set was made in Buffalo. (Now I'm going to have to go find mine so I can see where they were made.)

 

[Outlawmws]

Adding My set of offset Meteor wrenches - Same size both ends, and to my eye they seem to be CAD plated? Not sure about the quality, t=one end of the 11/32 is sprung They do look adn feel nice:

ps: Lugs I didn't see this thread in the "List"

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sylvania definately was selling meteor stuff

 

[bbbarracuda]

Picked up this Meteor ignition set yesterday. The canvas roll is unmarked.
It has a Bonney 5525 screw starter and an unmarked pair of pliers. I don't know if they are original or if someone just filled the places?

 

[four.cycle]

METEOR 10 piece SAE Ignition/Magneto Miniature Wrench Set w/Pouch

manufactured by Meteor Manufacturing Co., Buffalo, New York U.S.A.

this set includes:

15/64" x 13/64"
13/64" x 15/64"
7/32" x 1/4"
1/4" x 7/32"
9/32" x 5/16"
5/16" x 9/32"
11/32" x 3/8"
3/8" x 11/32"
7/16" x 1/2"

5 inch Ignition Pliers (Igarashi, Japan)

* The wrenches were all forged in U.S.A.
* The pliers were manufactured by Igarashi Pliers Co. Ltd., Mitsuke City, Japan

 

[four.cycle]

METEOR 15 piece SAE Ignition/Magneto Miniature Wrench Set

manufactured by Meteor Manufacturing Co., Buffalo, New York U.S.A.

this set includes:

3/16" x 3/16"
3/16" x 3/16"
13/64" x 13/64"
7/32" x 7/32"
15/64" x 15/64"
15/64" x 15/64"
1/4" x 1/4"
1/4" x 1/4"
5/16" x 5/16"
5/16" x 5/16"
11/32" x 11/32"
3/8" x 3/8"
7/16" x 7/16"
7/16" x 7/16"
1/2" x 1/2"

 

[four.cycle]

METEOR 8 piece SAE Ignition/Magneto Miniature Wrench Set

manufactured by Meteor Mfg. Co., Buffalo, New York U.S.A.

this set includes:

7/32" x 15/64" open-end stamped steel wrench
13/64" x 7/32" "
15/64" x 1/4" "
1/4" x 9/32" "
9/32" x 5/16" "
5/16" x 11/32" "
11/32" x 3/8" "
3/8" x 7/16" "

plastic box

 

[four.cycle]

METEOR 8 piece SAE Ignition/Magneto Miniature Wrench Set

manufactured by Meteor Mfg. Co., Buffalo, New York U.S.A.

this set includes:

7/32" x 15/64" open-end stamped steel wrench
13/64" x 7/32" "
15/64" x 1/4" "
1/4" x 9/32" "
9/32" x 5/16" "
5/16" x 11/32" "
11/32" x 3/8" "
3/8" x 7/16" "

plastic box

* this version employs a metal pin in the hinge *

 

[four.cycle]

METEOR 10 piece 1/4" drive SAE Socket Wrench Set w/Original Box

manufactured by Meteor Mfg. Co., Buffalo, New York U.S.A.

this set includes:

3/16" 6 pt shallow socket
7/32" 6 pt shallow socket
1/4" 6 pt shallow socket
9/32 6 pt shallow socket
5/16 12 pt shallow socket
11/32" 12 pt shallow socket
3/8" 12 pt shallow socket
7/16" 12 pt shallow socket

4 inch Extension
4 inch Reversible Ratchet

Plastic Box

 

[Outlawmws]

METEOR 10 piece 1/4" drive SAE Socket Wrench Set w/Original Box

If tools can be cute, that is the cutest little set!

 

[Leviton]

I am so close. Only one socket away from completing four.cycle's set above.

It is interesting how the part numbers (S1 - S8) are in inverse order of the size of the sockets.

 

[d42jeep]

I used to have these but gave them away.
-Don