Mystery Box Wrench

[Provincial]

I found an interesting box end wrench in a group of wrenches I bought this weekend. It has the number "22" forged into one side, and a trademark, an "A", and "1 l 1" on the other. The trademark has the letters R and K inscribed with two concentric circles.

I am not sure if this wrench is foreign. The opening (0.884) is about right for 7/8" (0.875) , and would be very loose on 22mm (0.866), so it looks like it isn't metric. The forging looks vintage, but foreign designs look that way until more recent times.

Take a look at the attached photos and give your thoughts.

 

[dtnel]

Maybe a wrench used for a specialty machine of some sorts?

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[Honda guy]

Looks like a wrench that came in a motorcycle tool kit. Used for removing valve tappet covers. 22mm, but not a real precision fit.

 

[jsaw]

Looks like a 22mm wrench from a japanese motorcycle tool kit

 

[928'er]

I've got a couple of similar looking wrenches that I cut down and ground the end smooth for specific purposes where a short wrench was necessary (or helpful).
James

 

[driz]

Looks like a wrench that came in a motorcycle tool kit. Used for removing valve tappet covers. 22mm, but not a real precision fit.

That’s what I thought. Probably part of a mold machine to adjust something that needed regular attention.


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[bwringer]

Looks like a 22mm wrench from a japanese motorcycle tool kit

This exactly. 22mm is used on a lot of axle nuts on older Japanese bikes. Factory tool kit tools are normally very low quality shite like this.

Most of these kits came with a sheet metal handle widget you could slide over the wrench for extra leverage. Still very sketchy and prone to failure, but better than nothing. If you have to use one of these, most people just put the wrench on the nut and use a foot to break it free.

 

[Provincial]

Thanks for the replys. It looks like I wasn't far off on the Asian connection!

 

[JR 42]

As it happens, I found 17mm and 22mm sbe and a couple doe at a local shop today- marked RK on one side and HM on the other, guessing they're from old Honda motorcycle toolkits.

Here's some info on RK from the Progress is Fine blog:

http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2017/02/below-honda-and-suzuki-wrenches-made-by.html?m=1

 

[Provincial]

Good info! Thanks, JR!

 

[MShaw]

"Factory tool kit tools are normally very low quality shite like this."
As an insight when I worked for New Britain in the 1970s we offered to make tool kits fort one of the Japanese motorcycle companies. We had examined their wrenches and found the open ends to be made from steel not much better than hardware store cold rolled and the heads were very thick to , we thought, get the required strength. We told them that with good, heat treated, steel we could make the wrenches much thinner and save weight and bulk. We were told we did not understand. The nuts and bolts were also junk steel and when the wrench was made with a thick enough head to avoid rounding the fasteners it did not need to be good steel to be strong enough.

 

[BFBOB]

Wow, MShaw--
Makes me even more appreciative of the high quality Heyco and Dowidat-made wrenches and tire irons that came with my BMW motorcycles.
(the screwdrivers were still ****. Go figure)


...and in an unrelated matter, I collect (and use) NB-made Penncraft tools - bought my first set in '70. Were the metrics ever made in 15, 16 and 18mm? I have a 15mm combo, but no sockets or other wrenches in those sizes. Been looking for some years now!

 

[MShaw]

I believe they did. I have husky RP open end, combo and double box wrenches in those sizes and all the RP lines, husky, sparta and penncraft were the same wrenches, just stamped for brand needed as were the sockets.