Montgomery Ward speed master

[Larr991]

One of the wrenches I have

 

[Username already in use]

Found this 1/2" drive WARD MASTER (TRUTH made) set at the flea yesterday. Sockets from 7/16" up to 1-1/4". Only the larger sockets are marked WARD MASTER. The Ratchet and sliding T are only marked with part numbers - R6 (ratchet) and R11A (sliding T).
Oddly enough, the exterior of the box is in better shape than the interior.

 

[bmwrd0]

You just need to find a speeder to fit that box.

Nice pickup!

 

[wrenchguy]

Using recently acquired Powr Kraft Dual Purpose Sockets for the first time on a 1915 Novo/Beach contractors saw rig. Powered by gas engine and towed by mules to job site.

 

[d42jeep]

Nice Wright supplied Powr-Kraft set. Those would be a nice addition to the Powr-Kraft thread shown in the sticky.
-Don
Here is another gas powered early saw restored by an old friend.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Those saws are about as rare as, um, er, amphibious CJ jeeps!

 

[wrenchguy]

"Nice Wright supplied Powr-Kraft set. Those would be a nice addition to the Powr-Kraft thread shown in the sticky.
-Don"

I thought I had. Not a very good navigator.
thx.
Wrongway C.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Speedmaster box and sockets/tools I found on CL.

 

[Smokeshow69]

Speedmaster box and sockets/tools I found on CL.

That’s a really nice grab! Not many of those out there

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I only seem to find speedmaster stuff when I am not looking for it!

 

[Smokeshow69]

I only seem to find speedmaster stuff when I am not looking for it!

I think that’s a universal tool collecting law. You can look for years and not find one. Or you can buy the spendy one off eBay and then the next day you find 2 posted locally for cheap.

 

[PowderKeg]

SWEET!!!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Loaded it up with some liners and a full set of speedmaster stuff

 

[d42jeep]

I found these Lakeside pliers at a Thursday estate sale. I assume that these were sold by Wards but I’m not certain. They came out of the evaporust today.
-Don

 

[driftpin]

Here's a Powr-Kraft 3/8" drive metric set I got new 55 years ago. I also picked-up from another GJ member a Powr-Kraft 1/2" SAE socket set. First is the metric set, the SAE set is sans-toolbox. The metric set has been used on every metric fastener vehicle since then, including at least a couple dozen motorcycles.

Love those Tootsie Roll handles!

 

[four.cycle]

@d42jeep - "Lakeside" was Montgomery Ward's private-label brand prior to the others (Wardmaster, etc.)
I found a 1931 catalog and posted all the "tool" pages here somewhere..... it might be a long time before Mark gets it scanned - it was about 900 pages:


Montgomery Ward "Lakeside" combination pliers - 1931 Montgomery Ward catalog pp 615

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks, BK!
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ pretty cool find, Don.

they look like they might have been made by Diamond??

 

[d42jeep]

I’m not sure if they were sourced from Diamond or someone else. I did a comparison with several Diamond pliers and the two cross grooves at the top of the handle knurling only appear on the Lakeside pliers. They are on the bottom of the following picture.
-Don

 

[LNKMK8]

Came across this very clean 1/2" ratchet a few weeks ago. It's a shame that is has an owners mark on the handle.. it's pretty light, so some time with some silver paint and it could be blended away.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

That's not too bad, probably clean up

 

[PowderKeg]

Recently fished some misc Wardmast'r & Speedmaster outa the 'bay. Not only did I get a couple of ratchet variations I didn't have, the Wardmast'r sockets filled out a smaller sized set of Wright-sourced Billings already in the boxes. Really like the heft of Wright sockets, would be thrilled to find a clean larger boxed set like others have posted (of any of the Wright-sourced brands). Also pretty interesting and unique how Wright engraved the brand and socket info upside down (my Billings are that way as well).

 

[alinc100]

Picked up these SpeedMaster items at a sale earlier this week. The loose sockets in the back right are Cornwell,Wizard and Wright.

 

[Smokeshow69]

Most of what you have pictured there is the good pennens made stuff! I don’t collect the wright made tools but will pick up the pennens made tools due to the plomb connection

 

[Smokeshow69]

I picked up a few nice 3/8 drive pieces recently. No owner marks or hard use showing either. As you can see I have a bunch of 3/8 drive accessories but no sockets. I need to find some

 

[MisterEd]

Ward’s Master Quality 19/32 x 11/16 Double Open End Wrench 1930s by Bridgeport Hardware

 

[MR.X]

Funky hex handle breaker.

 

[Smokeshow69]

What is this hexagonal sorcery you speak of?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The handles were, at least on the 1/2 and 3/8. Here is the 3/8 version

 

[Smokeshow69]

The handles were, at least on the 1/2 and 3/8. Here is the 3/8 version

Hinge handles yes but the ratchets also had it to some degree as well.... Not as pronounced but still pretty cool. Definitely a unique piece

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Yes less pronounced on ratchets. The breakers were not part of the sets but were offered separately, thus a bit rare

 

[3baygarage]

I ran into one of those 3/8 breaker bars a month ago. The handle was what caught my attention. Seller wanted too much for its condition.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Well, I guess that just leaves the 1/4" breaker to be found, if it exists.....

 

[Smokeshow69]

Well, I guess that just leaves the 1/4" breaker to be found, if it exists.....

I have a suspicion that they don’t exist simply because the details would probably be more costly than MW would have wanted given it’s small but I have learned in this hobby to never say never

 

[four.cycle]

^ All kinds of stuff was not made in all three drive sizes by all kinds of different manufacturers.

Off the top of my head: Indestro never made a 1/4" drive "sliding T handle" that I know of. (only one I can pull off the top of my head without digging.)

Setting up tooling to produce a weird handle on a low-dollar-amount item just doesn't make sense. I'm questioning whether it made (economic) sense on 3/8" and 1/2" drive. Those examples above are the first time I've seen that, and I've looked at a LOT of ratchets on ebay and here. My guess is that they weren't real hot sellers or we'd be seeing more of them.

 

[d42jeep]

^ All kinds of stuff was not made in all three drive sizes by all kinds of different manufacturers.

Off the top of my head: Indestro never made a 1/4" drive "sliding T handle" that I know of. (only one I can pull off the top of my head without digging.)

Setting up tooling to produce a weird handle on a low-dollar-amount item just doesn't make sense. I'm questioning whether it made (economic) sense on 3/8" and 1/2" drive. Those examples above are the first time I've seen that, and I've looked at a LOT of ratchets on ebay and here. My guess is that they weren't real hot sellers or we'd be seeing more of them.

It seems odd that there aren’t any Indestro marked 1/4” drive sliding T’s because Duro ones aren’t particularly rare.
-Don
Here is my only Speed Master ratchet. Sourced from the Plombpire

 

[four.cycle]

It seems odd that there aren’t any Indestro marked 1/4” drive sliding T’s because Duro ones aren’t particularly rare.

Exactly. Duro-Chrome offered a 1/4" drive "sliding T handle", but you will not find one in any Indestro catalog.
Very odd, considering their product was produced in the same building - not like they didn't have the dies already available.

I've seen the same thing in other brands - one division will make widget XYZ, but the other division doesn't offer it. Or they make it in 3/8" and 1/2" drive, but not 1/4" drive. Or the other way around. Poke around in enough catalogs and you find all kinds of anomalies.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

^ All kinds of stuff was not made in all three drive sizes by all kinds of different manufacturers.

Agreed, but not only for economic reasons. Practicality played a part. You won't see a lot of 1/4-drive speeders, for example. Conversely, you'll see some 3/8-drive spinners, but not many 1/2-drive (fit in hand and physics of turning that size fastener with lots of wrist), or 1-inch drive ratchets or speeders, either, where heavy duty truck sets favored L-handles. If you graphed out diversity in handles left to right by drive size (1/4 - 3/8 - 1/2 - 3/4 - 1), it would peak in the middle and taper off left and right. Most types of handles were useful at 3/8- and 1/2-drive. Left and right of that, several types get iffy. Timeframe matters, too. I'm talking mainly vintage above, say, oh, 1939. Lots of mfgrs didn't even make a midget drive ratchet with their first offerings of midget drive sockets, just spinners. Not to digress or encourage further digression. Perhaps a subject for a more appropriate thread.

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

Stevens Walden, I believe
-Don

Jeep, I just finished cleaning up a large selection of 1/2" and 1/4" drive sockets and such. Good quality build on every piece. Majority is unbranded but all looks the same and all came from an older 60s toolbox. There are two sockets marked STW, one from both drive sets. What leads you to say STW is a SW production? Just curious as AA got me nowhere. There's also a funky 1/2" to hex adapter in there too.

 

[four.cycle]

SW = Stevens Walden
STW = Stevens Walden
Walden Worcester and Stevens Walden and Stevens Walden Worcester had a whole range of different markings on their sockets and drive tools.
As in ... they couldn't make up their minds ... or maybe they were trying to see how many different ways they could express the company name with just a few letters .... or ....

.... in any event: Stevens Walden

(Good luck getting all the sockets in any given set to all match.)