Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

[Oldtuleguy]

Thanks outlaw it was one of the boxes I have been on the lookout for

 

[Smokeshow69]

A little craigslist surfing produced this old chest

Very nice! Looks straight

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Other than some faded paint it's pretty good

 

[Smokeshow69]

Other than some faded paint it's pretty good

That may be nice enough to leave alone without a repaint?

 

[Mintgrun]

I'll bet that paint would drink up some Meguiar's #7 and look quite good. (test in an inconspicuous place, of course)
That might make it too shiny though. I don't know. I think it has oils in it that feed old 'dry' paint. It makes the single-stage paint on my old car look a lot better.

Very cool box and nice that you finally found one within reach!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Nice to find one that doesn't need a resto. I don't mind some patina...

 

[edselehr]

Hi, new to the group. Found this A.Plomb wrench in my dads toolbox as I was cleaning it out. I've been told it could be from about the time Alphonse Plomb left Plomb to start his own tool business (1917). Stamp font on numbers makes this look pretty old.

 

[nailheadmatt]

hey olde tule guy, are you fixin to sell that? if not, please keep me in mind in the future

A little craigslist surfing produced this old chest

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Not currently. It's something I have been looking for to add to my plomb collection.

 

[nailheadmatt]

Not currently. It's something I have been looking for to add to my plomb collect

 

[nailheadmatt]

All that's left is clear coat and cut and buff. The stencil turned out great. We took a image off a 9990 and blew it up, for the stencil. (Facebook friend Jim did it for me) I have no idea what lettering would have been on the wheel about jr, but this seemed the most appropriate. Size of the stencil is pretty consistent with the size of the stampings and lettering on the tool mobile variations of the era. Digging out the adhesive stencil inside the lettering with tweezer…
See more

 

[four.cycle]

^ you tryin' to one-up Don Long there, Matt?

 

[RubiconJK]

A little craigslist surfing produced this old chest

Very nice OTG! Congrats.

 

[mritchie77]

I haven't had time to properly go through this and catalog, but for being in central Texas I felt good about this score. Somehow, a farm auction came across my nose and $70 and 160 miles (round trip) later I ended up with this.

Plomb 9980 box, 1/2 pebble breaker, 3/4 drive pebble breaker, 3/4 pebble ratchet, 1/2 pebble period sockets, 3/4 pebble period sockets, some pebble wrenches, some other brand wrenches, Snap-On 3/4 sliding tee. I originally bought to resale...but the Plomb is growing on me. Almost never find this stuff out here, much less 3/4 drive.

 

[Smokeshow69]

^ you tryin' to one-up Don Long there, Matt?

He may not know who Don long is. Don is king in the Blackhawk world but I don’t believe he has much plomb? I personally think Matt’s roll-a-bout is cooler but then again I am biased

 

[four.cycle]

^ The comment was in reference to his workmanship, not the brand. I wish I could have done such fine work when I was in the sign-painting business - I might have stayed in it!

 

[Smokeshow69]

^ The comment was in reference to his workmanship, not the brand. I wish I could have done such fine work when I was in the sign-painting business - I might have stayed in it!

No I know what you meant. Both members do excellent work and we enjoy watching their progress

 

[nailheadmatt]

Check out the nut driver on this super duper late pebble set. That handle design on the screw drivers came out for 47 and only made for a year under the plomb name. (i own a 1947 magazine ad, which came out of a '47 magazine stating they were a brand new design) That nut driver is the only one under the plomb name I've ever seen. Likely only made for a few months. Very late 47 or maybe January of 48.

 

[nailheadmatt]

i have no idea who don long is btw. i very much appreciate the compliments

 

[four.cycle]

Matt - Mr. Long is a gentleman in southern California who has what most of us would consider a fairly impressive assortment of automobiles and a truly impressive garage. You might want to take a look.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I believe he just posted some impressive pics in the blackhawk thread

 

[Smokeshow69]

Check out the nut driver on this super duper late pebble set. That handle design on the screw drivers came out for 47 and only made for a year under the plomb name. (i own a 1947 magazine ad, which came out of a '47 magazine stating they were a brand new design) That nut driver is the only one under the plomb name I've ever seen. Likely only made for a few months. Very late 47 or maybe January of 48.

Like I said in our personal messages I haven’t seen this style of handle in plomb, only Proto la. Maybe I haven’t been paying very good attention but I don’t think many of these were made. I think you got a really cool piece there!

Anyone else seen this style before?

 

[four.cycle]

^ that particular style of yellow-handled "PLOMB" branded spinner? not that I can recall.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here's one

 

[d42jeep]

Here's one

Rare spinner next to a rare flex handle! I’m impressed.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I'm sure you've got a few!

 

[d42jeep]

My slightly earlier set is very conventional. No rare unicorns. The paint on the lid isn’t too bad either.
-Don
These pieces arrived today to upgrade some sets.

 

[four.cycle]

^ that's what mine looks like...
so... IF I happen to notice one... I'll shoot you a heads up on it or grab it.

I guess maybe I haven't been paying close enough attention!

 

[Smokeshow69]

Rare spinner next to a rare flex handle! I’m impressed.
-Don

Yeah he *****

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I think I have seen that style in p&c and proto as well

 

[Smokeshow69]

I think I have seen that style in p&c and proto as well

Correct , I have it in Proto la and I have seen the p&c. But not the plomb since those were such a short run before the name change to Proto la.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I never really thought about it, just came in the set

 

[nailheadmatt]

Here's the 3 plomb nut driver handles for comparison. On the left is the 30s handle. Take note "plomb" is stamped on the handle. Middle is common 40s handle. Take note, handle is less "hexagonal" and the plomb label has been moved to the shank. To the right is the '47 super late handle that's consistent with proto handles that were used for decades after

 

[Outlawmws]

I have one like the middle "40's" one, and somewhere I have my dads - 90% sure its Plvmb, May be 30's

 

[MR.X]

Here's a couple I pulled out of an ignition tool kit.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Those are oldies!

 

[Smokeshow69]

Here's a couple I pulled out of an ignition tool kit.

That TT is about the same as as the rest of those beauties

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice to find one that doesn't need a resto. I don't mind some patina...

Amen. And especially because the inside is always better.

I've been told it could be from about the time Alphonse Plomb left Plomb to start his own tool business (1917). Stamp font on numbers makes this look pretty old.

Love the size markings. 'We don't need no stinkin' backslash, everyone knows they're imperial fractions.'

 

[Private Lugnutz]

On the scarce 4769 spinner handles with the shape we tend to associate primarily with "Proto" brand era production with "PLVMB" markings...

I've always wondered why we don't see more. The design patent (D146,898) was granted June 10, 1947, it was advertised in major trade mags as early as July 1947, it shows up in Catalog No. 4820 (very low pub number, and found with March 15, 1948 PL), replacing the old style handles shown in the postwar FIRST through FOURTH Catalog No. 19-R printings, and the public record about the Plumb v. Plomb dispute clearly shows that Plomb Tool Company did not stop making tools marked "PLVMB" until January 1949, when they re-tooled for the desperate, last gasp dual "PRVTV-PLVMB" markings, discontinued with finality for just "PROTO" in March 1950.

One possible explanation could be the abysmally low production numbers, in general, in 1948, after the first Plumb lawsuit. That apparently had such a severe impact on sales in 1948 (net profit $620,171 compared to $1,156,074 in 1947) that the value of their shares fell from $3.71 to $1.99.

I'm also a little skeptical of how committed they actually were to the new design at that early juncture. Despite advertising new plastic-handled 96xx series screwdrivers with the same style handle in Catalog No. 4820, they did not abandon the wood-handled design, making them both in parallel in 1948. Screwdrivers with the new shape (96xx) marked "PLVMB" are also scarce. I think Roy, Don, and mustangSR70 have examples. But I can't think of many others.

Another possible explanation is the material. Whether they were making them in-house, or buying them, those dies may have been far easier and less costly to change on plastic than all the hot-forged steel tools.

 

[Mintgrun]

Screwdrivers with the new shape (96xx) marked "PLVMB" are also scarce. I think Roy, Don, and mustangSR70 have examples. But I can't think of many others.

WBM owned one. and I have one other long-blade example that's slightly melted at one end. This one is in nice shape, aside from the scribbled initials. Especially for a Phillips tip.



The following photos were shared back in post # 12,690, but I'll share them again, since this is the "Plomb tool picture thread"

Here's the 3 plomb nut driver handles for comparison. On the left is the 30s handle. Take note "plomb" is stamped on the handle. Middle is common 40s handle. Take note, handle is less "hexagonal" and the plomb label has been moved to the shank. To the right is the '47 super late handle that's consistent with proto handles that were used for decades after

The one on the left looks eight sided from here. It's the first of that style I've seen. I think the one on the left in this photo would fit between #1 and #2 above, with the four 'sided' handle and a square drive plug insert. It also has Plomb stamped in the handle, as opposed to the shank.



It'd be cool if someone would do a Plomb/Proto handle timeline with photos/examples, like the Stanley/Craftsman threads that we have. I'm not qualified, or ambitious enough though.