Old Craftsman ratcheting box end wrench

[Joe Huld]

I found this old Craftsman 13/16 x 7/8 ratcheting box wrench in a box of machinists and mechanics tools I bought. Any ideas on the approximate vintage???

 

[1982fxr]

Never seen one quite like that, made by kastar I wonder?

 

[rsanter]

My dad has those same ones. I belive he bought those mid 60s

 

[mikegt4]

Here are mine, like rsanter, my Dad bought them in the 1960's. Except for the bottom one which he probably bought to replace one that my brothers or I lost.

 

[four.cycle]

^ the "D I" marking on mikegt4's examples above (the top four) makes it easy:
Those were made by Duro / Indestro (the "D I" is "Duro Indestro".) They might have a patent number stamped on them somewhere.

The OP's sample is a Duro / Indestro made unit as well.

Search Ebay for Indestro 0701 0702 7003 0704 0705 0708 and you'll see all kinds of them. They stamped all kinds of different names on them, not just "Craftsman".



As to "vintage":
They do not appear in what is believed to be the 1959 Indestro catalog (No. 22)
They do appear in the 1972 Indestro catalog (No. 55)
I've never checked the later catalogs...
Indestro went out of business in 1990.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Those were made by Duro / Indestro (the "D I" is "Duro Indestro".) They might have a patent number stamped on them somewhere.

Do you know the patent number and year? And have you run these down as a class of tools, or just the DI angle?

I am working on a 1950's K-D set - because I have a K-D affliction, and a wartime Snap-On set - because I found a No. 75 with an "E" date code (1944) and was shocked to discover that ratcheting box wrenches were not only that old, but older - at least as old as 1932, when Snap-On introduced its first one.

 

[Richard Cranium]

craftsman put one kind of like that out again in the last 10 years for using with their damaged bolt removal set, It had cup shaped socket ends to hold the bolt remover.
It's cat. number was 009-52164. Not sure when or how long it was out. Rich

 

[four.cycle]

Do you know the patent number and year? And have you run these down as a class of tools, or just the DI angle?

No, and I am not seeing any listed on Ebay that show a patent number, and there's nothing on AA and the DATAMP site isn't any help either.

I know they made them for a number of other companies, because I see them listed on Ebay frequently. Another item I've just ignored and passed by.

 

[bluebolt]

They are in my 1960 and 1969 Craftsman catalogs, in 1973 they had changed to the layered steel and plastic ones with the Crown logo.

 

[bluebolt]

Checked in some old catalogs online, NOT in the 1948 catalog, they are in the 1949, 1954 and 1957 catalogs.

 

[four.cycle]

^ you're sure you aren't getting them confused with the Kastar-Lang made laminated type wrenches?
both Indestro and Kastar supplied Craftsman with ratcheting double-end box wrenches - they're completely different designs.

 

[bgarrett]

I dunno. Bluebolt has a reputation for getting things right. But there was a nasty rumor that he made a mistake on Sept 24 1967 at 10:19A.M.

 

[four.cycle]

hey, I never make any misteaks myself!

 

[exmaxima1]

They are in my 1960 and 1969 Craftsman catalogs, in 1973 they had changed to the layered steel and plastic ones with the Crown logo.

I don't see the Crown logo on my steel/plastic ones.

My stamped metal ones must be early, as they have no indication for "On" vs "Off"