Owners names on tools ?

[skyking]

I had to chuckle today .I was organizing my tools into a new (used box) and noticed that over the last 40 years I have purchased all my tools second hand.Name brand mind you ....but all different brands.
The funny thing is that they all have someone elses name on them. Bob, dan,dave, rocky, etc. Not one has my name on them.

 

[Inkncraig]

That's funny. I have a couple of second hands tools line that.
I usually make a "mark" on it in a specific spot. I use that instead of a my name

 

[egnorant]

My first real socket set was a gift from a mechanic in his 60s in 1971. A set of 3/8th SK sockets, ratchet and an extension in the original box marked "Odie".

Got them from a drag racer that needed my skills and tools to repair a flat on one of his tires.

Bruce

 

[crazytrain]

I have alot of tools that belonged to my grand father. He used to put his name and SS # on all his tools. He worked in the heating and air conditioning field and had some pretty shady co workers. I thought it was funny at first but like my dad said back when he did, it was before internet and was harder to steal someones identity.

 

[uniballer]

As long as you can use them!

 

[wrench409]

I had to chuckle today .I was organizing my tools into a new (used box) and noticed that over the last 40 years I have purchased all my tools second hand.Name brand mind you ....but all different brands.
The funny thing is that they all have someone elses name on them. Bob, dan,dave, rocky, etc. Not one has my name on them.

Those are mine. I left them out. Please return them.

Thanks.

 

[spotco2]

My boxes are similar. Most of the tools have someone elses name on them.

Some of my favorites though have my fathers name and the ones with an old friends name. I think of them every time I pick up one of their tools.

 

[Anglia Guy]

As long as they don't say, "stolen from..........." on them.

 

[bgarrett]

I have been collecting old wrenches for 44 years. These wrenches were made in the teens, 20s, 30s 40s and 50s. Lots of them are marked and initialed. Lots of them appear to be new and I have stories to go with some of them.
When the Model T sat on my front porch, a stranger appeared and asked if I wanted an engine. We went upstairs in his fathers repair shop (27 mechanics) and got the Model T engine wrapped in 1958 newspapers and a box of T wrenches patented in 1917. The engine had been his uncles spare.
I have been using these old wrenches when I work on my cars from the 20s, 30s and 50s. Seems appropriate

 

[Farmall 1066]

Bought a lot of mine from neighbors and family members farm sales, so lots of good memories when I see HDM, or JEM (uncles) or RW, or EK (neighbors). Buy a lot of used tools, so lots that mean nothing, too.
Among my favorites though, is a Taiwanese flex ratchet someone hand stamped "****-On" into the handle! Bought it in a box-o-stuff at an auction too.

 

[Higgins]

Have a few! Either friends or relatives that have passed on! Wouldn't look at selling them. Now my kids............. Who knows!!!!

AL

 

[NUTTSGT]

I've picked up a few used things here and there. I don't think anything has a name or initials on it.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

If you come across any with BDT or Doc T on them,,, I would like to get them back

 

[porschedude996TT]

I have a set that I got from my Dad after his passing. He got them when he started working on aircraft at North American in the Los Angeles area. They are WW2 eara Halibrand and have the original owners name on each piece. "Bud"...

 

[jeffmoss26]

Most of the company-owned tools here get laser engraved with our logo and the department the tools belong in.

 

[firecracker]

I had to chuckle today .I was organizing my tools into a new (used box) and noticed that over the last 40 years I have purchased all my tools second hand.Name brand mind you ....but all different brands.
The funny thing is that they all have someone elses name on them. Bob, dan,dave, rocky, etc. Not one has my name on them.

Yeah but who's goin to put Skyking on tools ready for you to own.

 

[zkling]

I have quite a few tools that are engraved with someone else's name on them. As long as the tool still works like it should it doesn't bother me. I am a user not a collector.

 

[James Aiello]

just got a impact wrench from a friends father... his name is etched on every part of the wrench with some part number... now I wonder if its his SS #
I thought it may have been the wrenches part number or he had some inventory system..

 

[Itsahobby]

My Dad marked all his tools with his Navy Number. When I was a kid, he made me memorize it in case I got lost. I'm surprised I didn't get it tattooed same place.

 

[Gary S]

Mine are the same way. They all have Craftsman's name on them. He seems to be a popular guy.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

My first real socket set was a gift from a mechanic in his 60s in 1971. A set of 3/8th SK sockets, ratchet and an extension in the original box marked "Odie".

Was the mechanic a big fat cat named, "Garfield?" That *******, I knew he stole (and sold) Odie's tools....

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I'm torn on the idea of marking tools. If you mark them, they lose some resale value, but then again, I don't know that I'd ever resell them either.

I have a few from my father. These tools are more dear to me than anything I could buy today. True, they may not be as good, but they are far more 'real' to me. When I hold a wrench in my hand, it's like he's there holding it with me- father and son.

The creepy part is that he's still alive and lives just three miles from my house!

But seriously, even those tools I've bought used that have names on them have real history to them, and actually *add* value to me. I've never marked my name on any of my tools, but you know what? Maybe it's time I did. Not for the security, but to help start a little history of my own.

Let's do it.

 

[skyking]

When I was in the Navy in the early 70's they made us paint each crews tools with a different color .# months later they said it was a fire hazzard and sold all of them for scrap.
I always loved to find tools that the last tech left under the hood.I once went after a droped socket with a magnet in a fender well and got 4 sockets.
Many of my ols S-O tools are losing their chrome.....I wish that was warrantied .

 

[gearhead9056]

Many of my ols S-O tools are losing their chrome.....I wish that was warrantied .

A good s-o dealer actually will get them warrantied for you, or at least I know mine will

 

[Hephaestus29]

just got a impact wrench from a friends father... his name is etched on every part of the wrench with some part number... now I wonder if its his SS #
I thought it may have been the wrenches part number or he had some inventory system..

years ago my dad had some tools that he engraved with his S.S. # & they were later stolen. At the time he wasn't thinking about the future and the possibility of identity theft, but now he does.

"just to let you know i am in no way implying you or anyone in your family stole them i'm just telling the story" no way i would ever do that these days!!

 

[Farmall 1066]

The tools I have that have special ties to people I remember, wether
Marked or not, hold a very special place in my heart. Uncles and old neighbors, former co workers, all recall times and places in my mind. Good times, not so good times, or some really memorable repairs. Sometimes, I feel like when I am using them, they are watching over me, bringing skill and confidence along to help.
That is damned hard, maybe impossible, to explain to someone who sees these things as just tools, but I know those here will understand what I mean.

 

[marty_p]

The tools I have that have special ties to people I remember, wether
Marked or not, hold a very special place in my heart. Uncles and old neighbors, former co workers, all recall times and places in my mind. Good times, not so good times, or some really memorable repairs. Sometimes, I feel like when I am using them, they are watching over me, bringing skill and confidence along to help.
That is damned hard, maybe impossible, to explain to someone who sees these things as just tools, but I know those here will understand what I mean.

ABSOLUTELY, and proud of that fact. None With any names, however.

The term 'early relative' probably describes at least 1/3 of my tools!

 

[Conductor562]

That's just character I 've had several items engraved with random things. Seeing that I mostly buy Proto, some of them have some numbers followed by USN or USMC. I like to use a pattern of dots. It serves the identity purpose without warding off any future buyers should I decide to part with it.

 

[VWingman]

My 4 year old just picked up his first hammer, a ball pein with the name Gabriel on it. So, if he is out in the garage with me, I'll say, "hey can you go grab Gabe for me?" He loves it.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Was crusing the isles at Home Depot this week and slowed near the corded drills. I've been eyeing the Dewalt DW511.

Well, they had just set a "returned item" DW511 on the shelf.. $25.. Asked the check out girl, if this thing is destroyed can I return it? Yep.

Got it home, pulled it out of the box and boom. Thought of this thread.. Someone has gone full initial all over it, before they decided to return it. LOL

 

[fufu83]

A lot of my tools must be at least third hand, Have got a lot ,from Will Dicker. Some belonged to Mac, Craftman, or some girl Bon ? just cant remember her name

 

[fufu83]

Marking tool has been around a long time. My grandfather told me lot of the guys on job couldnot wright their name, so they used diffrent paint markings. My Dad did this till mid 70' s Handles were Red with gray stripe, My grand father used blue & green. They also had branding irons to mark their work. Do a good job and put your name to it. I still do this today , A lot of times put name and date on wall studs ect.

 

[Jamiep]

A few years ago my brother and I went to an estate sale that was listed as having tools. Come to find out the son was selling everything in his dads old place since his passing and his dad probably wasn't a professional wrencher but had a garage full of tools from the 60's and 70's. We bought a truck load literally (Chevy avalanche bed full) everything from Crafstman top box from the 70's loaded with -V- socket sets and wrench sets, hammers, saws, drills, clamps, moving dollies, even the vise (wilton clone) off the work bench. Everything he owned has his marking on it KK or King or Ken. Whenever we are using them we often refer to the tools as "Uncle King's" just like he was part of the family and passed down some great vintage USA made tools to us.

 

[mercman86]

All of my tools are engraved with my initials. I can tell how old/far into my career as a mechanic just by how I engraved them. A.R.C. was how I first started when I was still in high school. I even put the year after my initials too. As I got older and more rushed a quick "ac" in lower case letters was it. When I pick up a tool, that's how I can tell when I bought it.

 

[GRX]

Ever get any where they etched their SS# on the tool? Seems it used to be more common than today. Seeing how the SS# is essentially an ID# for banks and such these days, probably not a good idea.

 

[zcar751]

I always engraved the shop tools at the shops I ran but it didn't seem to bother some of the mechanics They were usually the same ones that screamed if they thought some one even used one of there tools.
I have several tools with my dad's name on them and I always smile when i use them, but I laugh when he ask for them back. He's not dead yet.

 

[VAhunter]

I have a set that I got from my Dad after his passing. He got them when he started working on aircraft at North American in the Los Angeles area. They are WW2 eara Halibrand and have the original owners name on each piece. "Bud"...

My grandfather was an engineer on the U.S.S Wickes (Pacific fleet) during WWII. He went by "Bud"

 

[Moose97]

A few years ago my brother and I went to an estate sale that was listed as having tools. Come to find out the son was selling everything in his dads old place since his passing and his dad probably wasn't a professional wrencher but had a garage full of tools from the 60's and 70's. We bought a truck load literally (Chevy avalanche bed full) everything from Crafstman top box from the 70's loaded with -V- socket sets and wrench sets, hammers, saws, drills, clamps, moving dollies, even the vise (wilton clone) off the work bench. Everything he owned has his marking on it KK or King or Ken. Whenever we are using them we often refer to the tools as "Uncle King's" just like he was part of the family and passed down some great vintage USA made tools to us.

Man I hope my son keeps my tools when I'm gone. He sure drools over them now!

 

[Duct Tape Man]

Most of the tools I have I bought used. Some had the owners initials or names on them. I ignore them to be honest....

 

[Snoopy1]

I have the same issue, but then again I get a good deal from an angry ex once in a while too.not the best way to acquire tools but if he left them they weren't valuable to him. Also have friends who buy storage auctions,nothing really good has come from those yet.i find that a good lock on the garage and a concealed/ open carry permit keep tools from wandering off.