Old Walden Worcester

[four.cycle]

Your Walden Worcester model 1113 "Backspin Reversible Ratchet Connector", as it is described in the 1928 Stevens-Walden catalog, shows up in both the 1927 Belknap Hardware Co. and Honeyman Hardware Co. catalogs as part of a larger display assortment:

1927 Belknap Hardware Co. catalog pp 2714 Walden Worcester A-1100 Merchandising Cabinet

1927 Honeyman Hardware Co. catalog pp 445 Walden Worcester 1100 Merchandiser Cabinet

 

[four.cycle]

The Walden Worcester 1113 "Backspin Reversible Ratchet Connector" shows up available as open stock in 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1932 hardware catalogs, as well as the 1928 Stevens-Walden catalog:

Walden 1113 1927 Wyeth Hardware & Mfg. Co. catalog pp 1913

Walden 1113 1928 Marshall Wells Co. catalog pp 3943-1

Walden 1113 1928 Stevens Walden catalog pp 11

Walden 1113 1929 Farwell Ozmun Kirk & Co. catalog pp 3560

Walden 1113 1929 Shapleigh Hardware Co. catalog pp 2292

Walden 1113 1932 Baker Hamilton & Pacific Co. catalog pp 215

I do not find it (in the files I currently have) in anything later than 1932.

 

[four.cycle]

The pay-off for that two-hour trip down that rather obscure rabbit hole was this little gem from the 1920 Seattle Hardware Co. catalog:

1920 Seattle Hardware Co. catalog pp 190 - Walden Worcester interchangeable sockets

I found it rather interesting that Walden obviously saw the handwriting on the wall and phased out the earlier pressed-steel sockets, while Mossberg continued to manufacture them through the 1920s.
Again: When were the Blackhawk and Snap-on interchangeable socket systems introduced?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Snap on walden and blackhawk had those early cog ratchets, blackhawk was started by former walden employees

 

[four.cycle]

^ My point being that the Snap-on claim of being the first to introduce the "interchangeable socket system" is brought into question when evidence to the contrary is brought forth.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Again: When were the Blackhawk and Snap-on interchangeable socket systems introduced?

Blackhawk in 1919, Snap-on in 1920.

the Snap-on claim of being the first to introduce the "interchangeable socket system" is brought into question when evidence to the contrary is brought forth.

Did Snap-on make that claim in their marketing? Or are you thinking of Snap-on collectors' lore?

 

[four.cycle]

^ the latter, of course.

I thought it was Blackhawk who actually came out with it first.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Blackhawk was 1919 I thought, then snapon 1920

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That is correct, for forged and broached construction, i.e., modern socketry. (Charles Miller was the first US mfgr to make an interchangeable socket wrench system, cast of silver metal, in 1906. Camille Contal was first overall, in France, in 1902. I am not counting Railway Appliances, Q.M.S., or Mossberg, which were all making Contal's Auto-Cle knockoffs.)

 

[four.cycle]

"... forged and broached..."

In that context, yes.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The 1133 is listed as an option for the sparkplug set on page 8 of the 28 catalog. Easy to miss as it is not pictured. Here is a partial set I picked on offerup.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Love the ball knob.

 

[four.cycle]

^ funny you'd make that comment.... when I was picking through all those catalog pages I noticed that Walden seemed to be fond of making rim wrenches and speeders with what appear to be monstrously oversize knobs (when compared to other contemporaneous units.)

that's a very cool set there, Oldtuleguy.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That's why the early era is so much fun. Before things got so homogenized.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Could not find this particular set in any of the ads. Not sure if the knob came with it but pretty cool looking.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Not sure if the knob came with it but pretty cool looking.

Oh, it definitely came with it. I have a fixed speed wrench, Model No. 6020 with a 5/8" socket press-fit on the business end, and the same exact ball knob. I guess I should've used the d42jeep-esque line, "That looks familiar." I posted it back in 2019 in this thread, linked here. It accentuates just how early your interchangeable socket set is.

 

[3baygarage]

Snap on walden and blackhawk had those early cog ratchets, blackhawk was started by former walden employees

You left out Mossberg

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sorry forgot mossberg!

 

[four.cycle]

Earliest showing I have for a Walden-Worcester socket set in a box similar to yours, Oldtuleguy, is in the 1925 Automobile Trade Journal on page 214:

in successive catalogs, the options vary:

1927 Belknap Hardware Co. catalog pp 2713 Walden Worcester




1927 Honeyman Hardware Co. catalog pp 443 Walden Worcester

1927 Honeyman Hardware Co. catalog pp 444 Walden Worcester

1927 Motor Magazine pp 179 Walden Worcester

1927 Wyeth Hardware & Mfg. catalog pp 1916 Walden Worcester

 

[four.cycle]

1928 Marshall Wells Co. catalog pp 3943 Walden Worcester

1928 Van Camp Hardware Co. catalog pp 2287 Walden Worcester

1929 Shapleigh Hardware Co. catalog pp 2292 Walden Worcester

1932 Baker Hamilton Pacific Co. catalog pp 213 Walden Worcester

I have a good amount of material for Walden covering 1932-1935, but that 1932 catalog page is the latest one where I'm finding it.

None of those are exactly like yours - they all appear to have padded leather handles, and yours has an all-steel handle.

 

[four.cycle]

forgot this one, which appears (from the above) to have possibly been one of the more popular sets:

1928 Stevens-Walden catalog pp 5 Walden 25R SAE socket set

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Thanks maybe the no. 27 set is close. This one has the speeder on the door and a full depth shelf. Also a metal handle...

 

[four.cycle]

^ those are all that I have showing anything resembling that set of yours. older catalogs are really hit-and-miss - hard to find stuff.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Found a couple drag link bits today, both Walden, both the same size (No. 1131, 1-3/16" blade), both black ox, but one a little older (machined base) than the other. I have a complete wartime set (see page 6, post #214), but the older style example, despite its chipped-tooth appearance, is a keeper - it actually has "US ORD" written on it with an electric pencil!

 

[d42jeep]

There is probably a good reason that it had the ORD marking. I have one like that in the Plomb based GMTK.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Oh, for sure, Don. (It was #3 in my Top 3 finds from this morning, only behind the Mack Truck S-spanner and the Kon-Tiki book! )

 

[JjKk40]

Found this little 3150 at the flea this morning. I think I need it. And I may leave the 'heterochromatic' nuts.

Lugz did you end up selling or keeping this ratchet in post #110?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Lugz did you end up selling or keeping this ratchet in post #110?

Sold. Sorry. I put it in a motley set I had been cobbling together, which caused a minor bidding war. They don't normally include one.

 

[four.cycle]

^ That looks like a mixed bag there. Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or are there a couple plated sockets in that set?
I notice the unicorn black-finish 6-inch extension is absent, as well as the original screws from the ratchet. Your "bidding war" comment impels me to ask what you got for that set.

 

[d42jeep]

My working theory is that the wartime finish Walden ratchets were only available maybe late 1944 and 1945, which accounts for their rarity. In the March 1, 1944 Walden catalog, the only 1/4” drive ratchets shown were the refrigeration style.
-Don


The only reason that I have some is that I immediately buy every one that comes up on eBay or if I ever run across one in the wild. Same with the wartime extensions. A real unicorn is the short extension shown in the Catalog but not included in the sets.

 

[JjKk40]

Sold. Sorry. I put it in a motley set I had been cobbling together, which caused a minor bidding war. They don't normally include one.

Hahaa! I ended up with that ratchet! I swapped out the plate with another with the correct Walden screws bit i still have the big and small nuts! Lol! Got it from someone on ebay.

 

[JjKk40]

My working theory is that the wartime finish Walden ratchets were only available in 1945, which accounts for their rarity. In the 1944 Walden catalog, the only 1/4” drive ratchets shown were the refrigeration style.
-Don


The only reason that I have some is that I immediately buy every one that comes up on eBay or if I ever run across one in the wild. Same with the wartime extensions. A real unicorn is the short extension shown in the Catalog but not included in the sets.

I constantly search online for the wartime ratchets. I only have one, which is the ratchet Lugz had and its seen better days, but I have 6 wartime sets that some need ratchets. Never see them come up for sale.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

My working theory is that the wartime finish Walden ratchets were only available in 1945, which accounts for their rarity.

The odd thing about that, though, is that the 1945 41-W-2615 did not specify a ratchet. Just a spinner and a hinge handle.

That looks like a mixed bag there.

I said motley, right? But in a good way!

Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or are there a couple plated sockets in that set?

There are, and advertised as such.

"This sale is for a 13-piece Stevens-Walden 1/4-inch drive socket set of mixed vintage. The case with the “41-W-2615” Federal Stock Number stamped on it, all the handles, and a few of the sockets are wartime. Some of the sockets are pre-war (chromed, full Walden-Worcester logo) and some are postwar. Consult the photos and you’ll see what I mean. Includes 3-8 (12 pt), 11-32 (12 pt), 9-32 (6 pt), 1-4 (6-pt) and 3-16 (6-pt), all black ox, single groove, no Walden or model marking. Also includes W-W logo style 3111 11/32” (12-pt) and 3112 3/8” (12-pt), both chrome plated and never been used mint. Also includes cadmium 3112 3/8” (12-pt) and black ox 3110 5/16” (6-pt) and 3111 11/32” (12-pt). Cadmium plated 3116 sliding Tee, black ox 3118 Spintite, and 3117 hinge handle, and natural steel 3150 ratchet. Note the replacement brass nut on the rat."

Your "bidding war" comment impels me to ask what you got for that set...

I said "minor bidding war" and I don't recall the final price. Nothing crazy. Good manner would probably prevent me from saying it anyway. Apparently, you should ask JjKk! No, seriously, it was a good deal considering it had the uncommon ratchet and it worked out great for me - he outbid a friend of mine who would've been buying back a box that I got from him in trade a long time ago! Seriously! I was happy to see him drop out.

I notice the unicorn black-finish 6-inch extension is absent,.

Depends on what reference you're using. The late war 41-W-2615 set in the GMTK did not specify one. I've always liked that set. No frills. A whopping eleven (11) sockets, all 6-pointers except the 8's and just a hinge handle and a spinner. No fancy ratchet that is just going to break, freeze up or otherwise fail anyway.

Hahaa! I ended up with that ratchet! I swapped out the plate with another with the correct Walden screws bit i still have the big and small nuts! Lol! Got it from someone on ebay.

I'm glad it went to a good home!

 

[JjKk40]

If this was from Lugz in Sept of '21 then it was around $50.00.

 

[3baygarage]

Is it just me or has anyone else seen the drive stud of those black tools twisted like a pretzel before?

 

[d42jeep]

Just you. Here are some GMTK correct sets for 4/45 through the end of the war.


I suppose they could have started the black ratchets mid ‘44 on since Tin Medic’s catalog is early ‘44. I’ll bet the 4/45 GMTK specification change took Walden by surprise. They probably came out okay since they sold a ton of that ratchet design postwar.
-Don

-Don

 

[four.cycle]

thanks, both JjKk and Private Lugnutz.

 

[Ricky Joe]

Is it just me or has anyone else seen the drive stud of those black tools twisted like a pretzel before?

As a young mechanic starting out immediately after my military service, not knowing much about tools or quality, I was impressed by the Walden-Worcester name. I can’t now tell you what vintage they were, but in the 1970s I bent or broke enough Walden-Worcester tools to become afraid of them. They just wouldn’t hold up. S-K was another brand frequently broken. The sockets would split down the sides. I never broke a Snap-On or Proto. I take that back; I had a Snap-On impact socket break in two complete pieces in half, sending one half bouncing through the shop. I never did find that half, but had it warrantied on the half I found.

 

[d42jeep]

In all of the early (wartime or immediate postwar) Walden 1/4” drive tools I’ve collected, and I have a rather large sample size, I’ve never seen a cracked socket or broken ratchet. I can’t speak to the durability of the larger drive sizes or the tools made into the ‘60s. It seemed like the quality of many US made tools decreased as time went on, probably accounting for Ricky Joe’s experience. I have seen the occasional cracked early S-K socket as well, particularly the 12 pointers. There are some collectors, myself among them, that stay away from the S-K Wayne era tools and if I recall correctly, more recently S-K would not warranty Wayne tools.
-Don

 

[Ricky Joe]

In all of the early (wartime or immediate postwar) Walden 1/4” drive tools I’ve collected, and I have a rather large sample size, I’ve never seen a cracked socket or broken ratchet. I can’t speak to the durability of the larger drive sizes or the tools made into the ‘60s. It seemed like the quality of many US made tools decreased as time went on, probably accounting for Ricky Joe’s experience. I have seen the occasional cracked early S-K socket as well, particularly the 12 pointers. There are some collectors, myself among them, that stay away from the S-K Wayne era tools and if I recall correctly, more recently S-K would not warranty Wayne tools.
-Don

That’s because you throw the broken ones away! I found New Britain, Indestro, Herbrand, all to be good. I have split Bonney, Vlchek, S-K, Craftsman, and the Walden-Worcester. And no, I don’t use an impact on chrome.