Old Sockets... Info?

[682bear]

I just picked these up at a junk store for fifty cents...





I have the 7/16, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, and 3/4"... and a 15/16 that doesn't match the others. They are all hex drive sockets, with no markings except for the sizes.

Any guesses as to who made these? I'm guessing they are pretty old...

-Bear

 

[rust in the eye]

My guess is Japan made from the fifties to early sixties. I had a similar set once that I was told was what you got when ordering (for something like $3.99) a "mechanic's tool set" from the back pages ads in car magazines of the day.

 

[four.cycle]

The ratchet and the cross-hatch knurled units are Indestro.
The one with the single-knurl band is......... I dunno....

 

[rust in the eye]

Wouldn't Indestro be stamped USA?
The broaching was awful on the ones I had, can't see these.

 

[four.cycle]

Nope- not stamped with USA or brand name, just the size.
Early sockets had a trapezoid shape on each side of the size stamping.
Other early sockets have a 5-pointed star on each side of the size stamping.
They didn't mark any of those hex drive sockets with "U.S.A" that I know of - that's pretty much exclusive to Dunlap, Walden and G.M. Mfg. Co. on those hex drives, if my memory is serving me correctly.

Don?

an oldie with stars below:

 

[rust in the eye]

^ I learn something here every time I visit.

 

[Nutria]

I did a lot of basic automotive stuff with set like that as a teenager. That plus a set of screw-hole-in-the middle Indestro combo wrenches. Not really pleasant to use, but they turned bolts and got me going.