Milwaukee Tool & Forge Co.

[Oldtuleguy]

Mtf 3/4 ratchet

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Some mtf 9/32 midget stuff

 

[snapmom]

Milwaukee tappet wrenches like these, does anyone have any to trade for.

 

[3baygarage]

No, but I have a brake wrench that‘s in their catalog. It’s an oddball in that it’s a combo wrench.

 

[Steven 33]

Anyone familiar? Is this factory? Hex drive

 

[Fred Knox]

This past weekend, I stumbled upon a couple Milwaukee Tool & Forge Co. (MTF) sockets in a toolbox of Crescent and Vlchek ½” and ¾”-drive socket sets that I picked up (2024 Garage Sale thread):

1 7/16" Socket; 3/4"-drive; 6-point (MS-46 worn off)

1 1/8" Socket; 3/4"-drive; 6-point (stamped MS-36)

Based on Twertsy's download of the MTF 1929/1930 Catalog and the 1928 catalog on ITCL, they are marketed as the "True-Fit Mogul Extra Heavy Duty Sockets". They are definitely thick and heavy duty.

 

[twertsy]

Mtf 3/4 ratchet

Interesting how they use the socket outline just like Blackhawk on the logo....................haven't seen that logo before.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

It's an odd one, looks like a williams ratchet

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Interesting how they use the socket outline just like Blackhawk on the logo....................haven't seen that logo before.

It's on the cover of the 1930 MTF catalog, with the words TRADE and MARK flanking it. I would say that makes Blackhawk's usage - plastered on every page of the 1926 catalog with the words 'When you see a "Hex" think of Blackhawk' inside of it, and plastered all over the 1930 and 1935 catalogs as well - downright incendiary, except there's no record of the MTF TM as far as I know. Blackhawk never put it on a tool, though, I don't think, and I don't think they ever TM'ed it, either.

Almost hard to believe this has not come up before!

It's an odd one, looks like a williams ratchet

Getting even odder still..., we have seen a "hex" logo on Williams ratchets before. Where? DTM!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Williams was a bit late to the socket set game. Husky supplied their early midget stuff, what was the mtf connection. Here is an early williams f50. The "f" designation was very brief, dating it to early 30s. Mtf was lectrolite by 1932, so it would seem likely these ratchets appeared as an mtf product before williams was selling them.

 

[MR.X]

Can someone explain this to me?.......it sure looks like someone, maybe long before the current seller, had a **** hex drive dime-a-dozen socket set and replaced the ratchet with a 1/2 sq drive MTF. Then modified an obviously non MTF hex drive piece (quite possibly the original 1/2 screwdriver drive piece that came with the missing original ratchet) to fit in the female sq drive and is selling it as a Milwaukee Tool & Forge "set". and here it sits, bid up to $200.00. Just the other day I made an offhand comment about a couple guys on here driving up Husky and MTF stuff ( which is fine of course)( probably because of it's Snap On association) in the last few years and then we get this "hold my beer" moment. Of course maybe I'm missing something.....

 

[3baygarage]

Can someone explain this to me?.......it sure looks like someone, maybe long before the current seller, had a **** hex drive dime-a-dozen socket set and replaced the ratchet with a 1/2 sq drive MTF. Then modified an obviously non MTF hex drive piece (quite possibly the original 1/2 screwdriver drive piece that came with the missing original ratchet) to fit in the female sq drive and is selling it as a Milwaukee Tool & Forge "set". and here it sits, bid up to $200.00. Just the other day I made an offhand comment about a couple guys on here driving up Husky and MTF stuff ( which is fine of course)( probably because of it's Snap On association) in the last few years and then we get this "hold my beer" moment. Of course maybe I'm missing something.....

Yup. And all it takes are two bidders who haven't a clue what they're looking at.

 

[RTM]

Can someone explain this to me?.

Someone paying extra for the story? The unknowing getting the “deal of a lifetime”

 

[four.cycle]

^ well... except that the holder doesn't resemble anything I've seen made by Indestro or New Britain... so who made the holder?

 

[MR.X]

^ well... except that the holder doesn't resemble anything I've seen made by Indestro or New Britain... so who made the holder?

I've dispatched agents to Japan to work that angle...

 

[MR.X]

Probably sold 90+% of my MTF stuff but found a bunch of sockets I used to have on a ledge in the basement in a modified Alphabetical order ( not as easy as it sounds, do you go by OEM or what's on the socket?) covering practically every American company making relatively modern style sockets. Here's a few.

 

[MR.X]

Piston ring groove cleaner obviously. The crossed over bit is the original Art Tool Mfg Co. stamp. It was a Cleveland Company that did some automotive specialty tools and who knows what else.

 

[GarageHobbyist]

I don’t think I ever posted this here.
This was my Grandpa’s. I’m honestly not sure what it is even for, but it wasn’t used much.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Looks like a drag link tool

 

[RTM]

I don’t think I ever posted this here.
This was my Grandpa’s. I’m honestly not sure what it is even for, but it wasn’t used much.

Big@$$ right angle screwdriver, or you have tiny fingers.

 

[GarageHobbyist]

Big@$$ right angle screwdriver, or you have tiny fingers.

That was my first thought (the screwdriver, not the fingers ). I just wasn't sure if it had a specific purpose at the time it was made.

 

[RTM]

That was my first thought (the screwdriver, not the fingers ). I just wasn't sure if it had a specific purpose at the time it was made.

Could find it in a catalog, but didn't look very hard.

 

[MR.X]

Early 20's cat on the left, 31 on the right.

 

[GarageHobbyist]

Early 20's cat on the left, 31 on the right.

Thanks! I should have looked a little harder for it in the catalogs.

 

[Steven 33]

Yup. And all it takes are two bidders who haven't a clue what they're looking at.

That was totally me ha. I bid like exactly 200 to just secure it and forget about it. Which I totally did like completely and then the repost only sold for like 65$ luckily I found another for 5$ though. But I would pay that if need be for a

Can someone explain this to me?.......it sure looks like someone, maybe long before the current seller, had a **** hex drive dime-a-dozen socket set and replaced the ratchet with a 1/2 sq drive MTF. Then modified an obviously non MTF hex drive piece (quite possibly the original 1/2 screwdriver drive piece that came with the missing original ratchet) to fit in the female sq drive and is selling it as a Milwaukee Tool & Forge "set". and here it sits, bid up to $200.00. Just the other day I made an offhand comment about a couple guys on here driving up Husky and MTF stuff ( which is fine of course)( probably because of it's Snap On association) in the last few years and then we get this "hold my beer" moment. Of course maybe I'm missing something.....

I am in a unique position to explain this to you because let's just say that I have learned a one and done "sure thing bid" doesn't always pan out.
I'm pretty sure I won it with that bid but not certain since I broke my phone and forgot my login, but I can tell you 2 things. One is that I thought it might go 120$ max but expected to be up against maybe 2 competing bids although just as likely that no one else would.
And the other thing is that had I not been locked out of my account I would have been okay spending that much on it since It would have been a couple days before I ended up paying 5$ for a nicer example that I picked up elsewhere. Mainly because I am trying to get every different version and I am lacking in patience ha.
As for the other guy or people who bid it up that high I really don't know but I almost suspect some foul play because that's like a record high for one of those Ratchets.
So I guess the moral of the story is that it's okay to make questionable decisions as long as your too forgetful to remember them!

 

[Steven 33]

Anyone seen one of these? Is there a nut spinner set?

 

[Steven 33]

It's an odd one, looks like a williams ratchet

Is that 1/2 drive ratchet marked on both sides? The lettering placement looks like the ones that usually are only marked on one side. I'm trying to figure out how many versions there are here's a couple different ones one side is a little different

 

[Steven 33]

I love MTF tools and hunt them rabidly. Method to the madness: I'm trying to show physical evidence of all the connections between the Milwaukee companies of the day (Snap-On, MTF, Husky, etc.)

I'd also be interested to see if anyone else has an example of MTF, Snappy or Husky handles forged by Harris-Thomas, another Milwaukee player from whom I have a Husky ratchet handle bearing their forge mark.

As always Woody, good thread!

Ricky Joe.............we should get together and do some horse-trading!!

How's your mission going on getting physical examples for them? It's a daunting task but I have made decent progress. I'd love to see the Harris-Thomas marking on a husky ratchet. That would be very surprising since as far as I know they only made the ratchet handles for Cornwell out of Ohio. Also my research has led me to believe that Snap-on likely only subcontracted that job out because they weren't set up for it yet and both Husky and mtf were already making Ratchets so they had to do something to get in the game. None of my husky or mtf Ratchets have any type of forge mark on them but one of my mtf Ratchets does have a peculiar "R" marking that doesn't look like an owners mark. Probably a factory error or something

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Yes marked one side. The r on yours is probably just for right.

 

[Steven 33]

Yes marked one side. The r on yours is probably just for right.

Yea your probably right with the "R" thing. That was an oversight. Had my 3/4 set put away when trying to figure it out. It's a little more stylized than the other one but it is on the correct side

 

[Steven 33]

Mtf nut spinner almost identical to williams

 

[MR.X]

Cool page from a 1929 Chilton directory. MTF, Blackhawk and recently moved Husky ...replace Vlchek with Snap On and you'd have one hell of a Milwaukee centric tool Ad.

 

[Steven 33]

Few different midget sets. One I haven't received yet but will update when I get it in and all cleaned up.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Thats a nice midget set steven. Here's some 1/2" and 3/4" stuff.

 

[d42jeep]

This came with a Bog set I found at an estate sale yesterday.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Cobbled together a tool board of sorts for some of my mtf stuff

 

[r_olson_06]

Cobbled together a tool board of sorts for some of my mtf stuff

I always love a good tool board project. Nice work!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Thanks Roy I figured the chances of finding an actual mtf board were slim. I may make another for wrenches and stuff.

 

[r_olson_06]

Thanks Roy I figured the chances of finding an actual mtf board were slim. I may make another for wrenches and stuff.

Nice. Upload some pictures of you do.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I have a bunch of mtf screwdrivers,wrenches and chisels, they might justify another board.