Meteor Mini Ratchet and Sockets?

[DWK23]

Picked these up a while back and forgot I had them. I just started setting up my new workshop(garage) and re-found them. Im not sure if this is rare or common but I thought it was kind of cool. I think I paid about $1.00 for the set. I also got the wrench in the box, never heard of either company. Anyone familiar with these tool makers?

 

[Levaughn]

I saw a picture of a Meteor set of Ratchet and Sockets online in a Popular Mechanics. The magazine was dated January 1951.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Meteor was a very popular economy brand in and around the Great Lakes area in the late 1940's and 1950's. They also made a lot of ignition wrench sets in 15* x 60* head angle configurations.

Trimont was an early maker of pipe and monkey wrenches and was a major supplier of the same to the US Army well into the 1940's and 1950's.

EDIT:

Here are some other Meteor and Trimont tools if you want to compare markings etc.

 

[Levaughn]

The picture also shows eight sockets with the ratchet and extension.

 

[DWK23]

So they aren't really rare, but old and cool. I thought the meteor ratchet reverse knob was unusual, I had never seen one like that, instead of clicking back and forth you screw in and out to change the direction. Thanks for the info everyone.

 

[3baygarage]

I see those around quite often. That is a nice complete set. Usually meteor came in a little plastic case.

Just recently I saw a similar ratchet a flea market. Wish I had grabbed it to compare, it had the flip lever like you said, like the Craftsman and other ratchet screwdrivers. Didn't buy it because it was broken. Also "Orchard Park" stamped on it. OP as we call it here is a town a few minutes from Buffalo and home of Xcelite Tools. According to Wikipedia, Xcelite was founded in 1921 as Park Metalware Company, a small metal working shop.

Wish I could think of the name on that tool. It was 1/4" drive with flat blade screwdriver just like that but longer.

I think those meteor tools could have been made by Xcelite

 

[3baygarage]

This is an ad off the web from Popular Mechanics April 1946:

Park Metalware Co., Inc (XCELITE)

 

[Joe B.]

I think I have that little socket set at home that came with some other tools I bought at the Habitat ReStore. The chrome was quite shiny on them. I'll have to see if I can find them when I get home.

 

[asm154]

I've got a complete set in a plastic case. Inherited from my grandfather who may have bought it or inherited in turn from my great uncle. Complete and mint. Works pretty well. Plus several of the sizes are in 32nds (not that I've needed them......yet).

The ratchet appears to have 12 teeth. Guess my 24 tooth Proto is a high tooth ratchet after all

 

[Al Borland]

I have one of the little Meteor ratcheting offset screwdrivers.
Goods tool for some odd jobs.