So I just got this old ratchet. I know nothing about it. Apparently the direction lever is damaged/broke and someone tried to rig it so it will kinda work. I have to push the lever sideways for it to spin in one direction. If I don’t press lever it’s totally locked. Is there anyplace to get parts? Anybody have an identical one to post a picture of so I know what the lever is supposed to look like? Any idea on the year it was made? ANY info would be highly appreciated.
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old Craftsman BE series ratchet
- Thread starter Stevenn1
- Start date
JulianMorrow
Banned
That is a beauty. I did a cursory Google search on that ratchet, found the following article (excerpt below):
Anyone with an interest in early Craftsman tools has probably encountered examples of the Craftsman "BE" and H-Circle ("H" inside a circle) series sockets. These distinctive well-made sockets have a finely knurled (cross-hatched) band around the base, a style that was popular in the 1930s and '40s. I too had seen these sockets, as well as other drive tools in the same style, and was curious about which company had produced them for Sears. But as this style of socket had been made and sold by a number of different manufacturers -- Indestro, S-K, and New Britain, to name a few -- it wasn't clear how the maker could be determined.
The breakthrough came when I spotted an unusual-looking ratchet, featuring a distinctive deeply forged shaft, knurled handle, and an unusual extended shift lever. The ratchet was marked with the Craftsman logo and "BE" code, but looked very much like an old New Britain ratchet I had acquired a while back. After purchasing the Craftsman ratchet and comparing it carefully with the New Britain model, the two pieces appeared to be virtually identical.
http://alloy-artifacts.org/craftsman-be-hcircle.html
Anyone with an interest in early Craftsman tools has probably encountered examples of the Craftsman "BE" and H-Circle ("H" inside a circle) series sockets. These distinctive well-made sockets have a finely knurled (cross-hatched) band around the base, a style that was popular in the 1930s and '40s. I too had seen these sockets, as well as other drive tools in the same style, and was curious about which company had produced them for Sears. But as this style of socket had been made and sold by a number of different manufacturers -- Indestro, S-K, and New Britain, to name a few -- it wasn't clear how the maker could be determined.
The breakthrough came when I spotted an unusual-looking ratchet, featuring a distinctive deeply forged shaft, knurled handle, and an unusual extended shift lever. The ratchet was marked with the Craftsman logo and "BE" code, but looked very much like an old New Britain ratchet I had acquired a while back. After purchasing the Craftsman ratchet and comparing it carefully with the New Britain model, the two pieces appeared to be virtually identical.
http://alloy-artifacts.org/craftsman-be-hcircle.html
JulianMorrow
Banned
Steve: you might repost this thread on the "Vintage Tool Discusssion" board. You may get more info about your ratchet over there.