Older Craftsman Professional Wrenches

[Karl_B]

I had originally bought a set of each SAE and Metric, and I loved them. They were stolen while in a small toolbox and when I went to replace them, I discovered they were no longer as thick and I didn't like the way they felt in my hand. I have since found about half of an SAE set, but I'm sorely lacking on the metric. If anyone has any idea how to differentiate these in internet shopping or knows if there is an offering from S-K with the same thickness of beam, I would appreciate the information. They are stamped with a K, which I believe means S-K made them, but I don't know if S-K sold them to anyone but Sears.

Hmm, I just found this http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29497 link while trying to find a good picture. My phone doesn't do detail well. That wasn't too long after my wrenches went missing and I would've loved a chance at another set.

I'm only missing three SAE wrenches, so it would be nice to complete that set. The metric I would like something similar, but there are number of good wrench sets available if I have to get something else.

 

[SMKS]

I don't think SK ever offered wrenches with the thick polished beam under their own brand. As far as I know they only made those for Sears. There were also SK-made Craftsman Pro wrenches that were basically identical to the SK long-pattern wrenches they still make.

The wrenches you looked at were most likely the current Chinese version or the Apex Tools made version that they offered for years.

You could consider the current long-pattern SK wrenches. If you really like the thick beam, then you might want to check out Williams Supercombos. They have a really thick beam.

 

[Karl_B]

I was thinking it might be a Craftsman only product. I hadn't ever seen a wrench quite like those. Maybe I guess I'll look into newer ones at least for the metric. The K-D set I have now just doesn't feel so great.

Not quite the same topic, but I also I have a set of Snap-On impact sockets that aren't flank drive. Wouldn't that make them fairly old? I've had to dust off a lot of old tools to replace stolen ones...

 

[Karl_B]

I managed stumble onto the answer to my Snap-On question here. These sockets are from 1952.

 

[Super Sport]

I believe those Craftsman were only offered for a very short time, right before they sent production overseas. Not 100% sure on that, but that's what I've been told. I watch Cman Pro stuff on eBay every day, and have yet to see a full set of these come up. They are rare! I have a couple, and they are really nice!

On a side note, I just got a set of SK wrenches, and while they are not as thick as those, they are probably 2x as thick as the Danaher-made Cman Pros and KD full polish.

 

[Karl_B]

As near as I can tell, I'm only missing 13/16", 5/8", and 1/2". I haven't seen a 1" wrench in that style. There might be a 5/16" or other small wrench missing, but even the 3/8" I have doesn't ever need enough force to dig into my hand.

I'll check out the S-K wrenches for my next metric set. Right now, it's just K-D, Gearwrenches, Craftsman 6 point and Husky in that drawer. The Gearwrenches are great, but the head doesn't always fit in tight places and I've never felt comfortable breaking fasteners loose with them.

 

[sselander]

Here is a pic of my older S-K made Craftsman Pro 13 piece full polished long metric wrench set that I purchased new

The sizes go from 7-19, no skips

The part numbers increment from 44897 (7mm) to 44909 (19mm)

There is another older thread that mentions the S-K branded ones:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=636285

of interest in this older thread is a comparison picture of the old vs new Craftsman Pro and Snap-On wrenches