My Small But Growing 1/4" drive Socket Set Collection

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A thread dedicated to the awesomeness of the vintage (and not so vintage) 1/4" drive socket set. Of course, your 9/32" drive set would be perfectly appropriate here as well.

We've got threads for double-end box wrenches and open-end wrenches. We've got threads for ratchets and screwdrivers. We've got threads for Bonney, Plomb, Proto, Craftsman, and S-K. I just noticed somebody recently even started a thread for Wizard!

After some serious in-depth consultations with other more knowledgeable members and careful thought, I feel it's only appropriate that there should be a thread dedicated to the small and oft-underrated 1/4" drive socket set.

This being the "Vintage" forum, I feel it only appropriate to try to start at the beginning:

Sedgley 8-pc 1/4" hex drive "Hexall" SAE socket set

Reginald F. Sedgley pretty much led the pack. His 1918 patent (patent 1289558) was used later by New Britain and others under license. Later Sedgley got out of the tool business and started doing custom work on firearms, for which he's much better known.

 

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New Britain "None Better" model 177 8-pc 1/4" hex drive SAE socket set with stamped steel holder.

The "ell" handle is stamped "Made in U.S.A." on one side. The other side is stamped "Pat. Dec 31, 1918" - the patent referred to on the "ell" handle is Reginald F. Sedgley's patent 1289558 (see post #1 above for an example of Sedgley's "Hexall" hex-drive set.)
The holder is stamped "Patented Dec. 12, 1922" - this refers to patent 1438900 issued to one H.H. Chase, and was used by New Britain Machine Company on a variety of different socket holders for a number of decades.

(* As I was not able to get clear images of all the details described above, I have posted a few of the photos from the Ebay listing from which this set was purchased as well. *)







(* There is a detailed description of this particular model at Alloy-Artifacts.org HERE: http://alloy-artifacts.org/newbritain-nonebetter.html *)

 

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Indestro 350 "Vest Pocket" 8-pc 1/4" hex drive SAE socket set with holder (Patent 2065340)

The top one is the earliest version - the "ell" handle is stamped "Pat Pend"
The lower one is a later version - the "ell" handle has the patent number stamped on it.
Versions made later had both the part number and patent number, as well as Indestro's name, stamped on the bottom of the stamped steel holder. (see post #5 below)
(* Note that the earlier (upper) set does not contain the correct assortment of sockets *)
(* Note that the 1948 catalog snip shows a different patent number - 2065341 - which was essentially the same design but with the retaining tabs reversed. I have yet to be able to find a copy with that patent number. Oddly, the 1948 catalog illustration shows a holder identical to both those shown here. *)

 

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Indestro 350 "Vest Pocket" 8-pc 1/4" hex drive SAE socket set with holder (patent 2065340)

The top one is the earliest version - the "ell" handle is stamped "Pat Pend"
The lower one is a later version - the "ell" handle has the patent number stamped on it.

(* for some reason all the photos would not upload to the same post *)



(* catalog snips from the 1937, 1948, and 1959 catalogs *)

 

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Indestro 350 "Vest Pocket" 8-pc 1/4" hex drive SAE socket set with holder (patent 2065340)

This is the third (and last) iteration of the Indestro 350 "Vest Pocket" set, having no markings on the "ell" handle, but both the Indestro name and patent number stamped on the bottom of the holder.

 

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Keystone model 250 8-pc 1/4" hex drive set

Keystone Manufacturing, 41-63 Chandler St., Buffalo, N.Y. / http://toolarchives.com/node/572 / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers-p2.html#keystone / patent 1696444

(not to be confused with Keystone Drop Forge Co.)

 

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An early Oxwall 12-pc 1/4" square drive SAE socket set with a Plomb ratchet





By all appearances, the box is original. The Plomb ratchet obviously is not.

 

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A pristine and apparently never used Stevens Walden 15-pc 1/4" drive SAE "Midget" set

 

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An earlier Stevens Walden (Walden Worcester) 1/4" drive SAE socket set

 

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Another Stevens Walden (Walden Worcester) 1/4" drive SAE socket set

 

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And another Stevens Walden (Walden Worcester) 1/4" drive SAE socket set

This one obviously has a few more miles on it that the examples above.







(* Note that the 1944 "Migit" set later became the "Midget" set in the later catalog snippet. *)

 

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Montgomery Ward's "Powr Kraft" 1/4" drive SAE socket set made by Wright Tool

 

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Craftsman "circle H" (New Britain made) 1/4" drive SAE socket set

 

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Craftsman =V= (Moore Drop Forge made) 1/4" drive SAE socket set

(* this incomplete state is how I received the set from my late step-father. I have since gathered the pieces missing - they just haven't been reunited with the set. *)

 

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Easco 1/4" drive SAE socket set

(* this set came in a brown plastic "blow mold" box which is not pictured *)

 

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G.M. Manufacturing Company 1/4" square drive SAE socket set in plastic box

G.M Mfg. Co., 1308 43rd Ave., Long Island City, N.Y. / http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2014/02/vanished-tool-makers-gm-co.html

This set (and the sets in the Ebay photos just below) should answer the question of who made the strange 1/4" drive "Frankenstein" ratchet. Note that there was also an Asian-made knock-off very similar to the U.S. made model by G.M. Mfg. Co., but every example I have seen is a two-piece design in which the shank unscrews just below the drive head.



(* The two photos below are from other Ebay listings and are only to show examples of the "Frankenstein" ratchet *)

 

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KAL (US) 501 1/4" drive SAE socket set

 

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Another KAL 501 1/4" drive SAE socket set in a blow-mold box

 

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And another KAL 501 1/4" drive SAE socket set in a different style of blow-mold box

 

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RTEC - Randolph Tool Equipment Company 1/4" drive SAE socket set




(* Shown below are two photos of the RTEC sockets lined up next to their contemporary era New Britain counterparts. Although the knurling appears quite similar, the broaching is obviously quite different. *)

 

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Late Thorsen "TTC" (Thorsen Tool Company) 1/4" drive SAE set in plastic blow-mold box

(* presumably from Thorsen's later period after their move to Dallas, Texas *)

 

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Another Thorsen 1/4" drive SAE socket set in a KAL blow-mold box

 

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New Britain made Penncraft 1/4" drive SAE socket set

One set is complete. The other is only a few sockets and the box.

 

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S-K 1/4" drive SAE socket set

(* set is not quite complete and has duplicates of a couple sizes of the sockets. the box is original but in rough condition. )

 

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S-K 1/4" drive Metric socket set (sockets only)

 

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Giller 1/4" drive SAE socket set with original steel box

(* note design of box with hinge at end similar to Stevens Walden's design *)

 

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Proamerica 1/4" drive SAE socket set in KAL box

(* This is the first Proamerica set I acquired. Proamerica is KAL's new name for consumer products. The KAL branded product that is still produced is strictly military/government contract stuff. This one has a couple KAL pieces in it (as well as having come in a KAL box.)
No idea why the plating oxidized so badly on the spinners in this set - none of the pieces look like they've ever been used. This was a contract-produced set for the military - the NSN number says it's a "small arms repair kit". *)

 

[four.cycle]

Duro Chrome / Indestro "D I" 1/4" drive SAE socket set in New Britain / None Better box

(* This is, as near as I can tell, kind of a mish-mash of old Duro Chrome and Indestro - all "D I" period stuff - inexplicably in a "None Better" box that's in really great condition. *)

 

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Duro Chrome "D I" 1/4" drive SAE socket set

 

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Fleet 1/4" drive SAE socket set in plastic box

(* missing a few pieces *)

 

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JS Technology 1/4" drive SAE socket set

(* JS Technology Inc., Alpharetta, Georgia - contract supplier for military/government. As with the KAL/Proamerica sets above, the NSN number calls this a "small arms repair kit". I do not believe that JS Technology actually manufactured any of these pieces, but I've never been able to figure out who the OE supplier was.
Some say S-K, but that Kilness-type clip ring on the drive side of the head certainly doesn't look like any S-K ratchets that I own.
Fit and finish on these is fabulous. I think I have three of these sets - all appear to be unused. Really nice action on the ratchet - similar feel to the 2426 Wright. *)

 

[four.cycle]

Mustang 1/4" drive SAE socket set in slide-top steel box

(* Made by New Britain Machine as a "price point" line. Cadmium plated. Note the wonky slide-top box. I did find a Mustang ratchet in a 1/4" drive, but the box is too small for the ratchet to fit in there. I'm guessing this was the low-end 1/4" drive set in their product line-up. *)

 

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New Britain 1/4" drive set with wooden-handled spinner

 

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Stanley 88-900 U.S. made 1/4" drive SAE socket set in steel box

(* appears to have never been used *)

 

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Truecraft U.S. made 1/4" hex and square drive SAE socket and bit set with reversible ratcheting driver handle in blow-mold box

(* The sockets are all 1/4" square drive. The bits are all 1/4" hex drive. The reversible ratcheting driver handle (with a storage compartment in the handle) and all the sockets are marked "U.S.A.". The bits have no markings other than their sizes. *)

 

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Crescent "Give Wings to Work" 1/4" drive SAE set in the original box.

(* Appears to be complete. The re-branded 2400 Wright ratchet is not original to the set - it was an add-on.

 

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Firestone 1/4" drive SAE socket set in original box

(* The box is a little rough on outside but sockets and drive tools are in fabulous condition. Everything is stamped "Firestone". *)

 

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An early New Britain Machine Co. 1/4" drive SAE socket set in the original box.

(* These are "C" series and stamped "Chrome Vanadium" with the "NB" logo inside a circle.

 

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A Penens Corp. 1/4" drive SAE socket set in the original box.

The larger sockets are stamped "Challenger" as well as "Penens". I think it would be reasonable to assume that the smaller sockets were not stamped with both names simply due to space limitations.

 

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A Spiegel "Precision Bilt" 1/4" drive SAE socket set with original box.

(* It appears from a similar set posted by Private Lugnutz on Garagejournal.com (HERE: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=363163 ) that this set is missing the ratchet.