Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

[Lucky 13]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

I found this last year at a local yard sale. The lady having the sale was selling her husbands tools, he had recently passed away. I got a lot of things that morning, but I wish I had looked around more. This Proto puller has got to be a early Proto piece but it is in really good condition. The quality of the plating is very good, there isn't any pitting at all.

 

[softailgarage]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Jiminy Christmas, no wonder I can never find Plomb, you guys have it all. This guy I just came across on CL, if only I could afford it.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/search/tla?query=plomb

 

[rickhigginshtbr]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

That guy in Torrence is on these forums...

 

[woody 73]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

The Web you got to love it and at the same time hate it...We show & tell what we love (plomb) giving buyers a look at how they can gouge us on the asking price; but yet at the same time tell us what is collectable and gives us a history lesson on the tools themselves.

 

[macgee]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Jiminy Christmas, no wonder I can never find Plomb, you guys have it all. This guy I just came across on CL, if only I could afford it.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/search/tla?query=plomb

Please don't use him as a gauge in the current prices of well used Plumb tools. He is notoriously one of the most expensive weekly sellers on Craigslist in Los Angeles. He always posting, I think it's a business for him and not just plomb (Hazet, Snap-on, Bonney, Blackhawk.....etc.), he's always attempting to sell tools at retail prices.

keep hunting and keep asking around for Plomb and don't worry, there's a lot of good plomb still out there at reasonable prices you can afford.

 

[twertsy]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Jiminy Christmas, no wonder I can never find Plomb, you guys have it all. This guy I just came across on CL, if only I could afford it.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/search/tla?query=plomb

Wahoo...........I'd be quite rich if I could get those prices Adjusting equities in my retirement fund now!

 

[macgee]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Wahoo...........I'd be quite rich if I could get those prices Adjusting equities in my retirement fund now!

Don't adjust those equities quite yet or get too excited, it seems he's been trying to sell the same tools for over the last year or two.

Must be a tough way to make a buck having to keep re-listing the same tool week after week for over the last year or two. You should see his Snap-On prices.

It's great for everyone else who wants to sell vintage tools in LA, he makes you look like a smoking deal compared to this guy and they come immediately to ****** it up. So I guess we should be thanking him.

Just keep looking and search for Plomb or Proto on craigslist, don't worry you will score. So Cal. has a massive history in aerospace manufacturing with many retired mechanics and engineers. Because of this, they're countless shops and garages full with troves and troves of vintage aerospace quality tools just sitting there waiting for their next owner.

 

[twertsy]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Has anyone ever seen or heard of a Plomb advertising sign? Even searching google images only produces a single example, and that was on the factory. Did they advertise via signage / posters, etc.? Does anyone here have one? Can you post a pic?

 

[Sanny81]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

I'll get pictures posted later when I'm home but going through my mixed wrench bag I found an old Plomb 15/16"-1" wrench that belonged to my grandfather. Pretty sure my dad has the others. For some reason my grandfather used a grinder on the wrench openings to make them wider. No idea why and he passed away in 1998, long before I had interest in old tools to ask him.

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Searching "Plumb" is oft worthwhile when hunting online...I learned this when I used to use Ebay. Quit that because it was turning me into a lunatic...
Many people out there can't spell or even copy a word off of a tool accurately, some are confused by Plomb's odd lettering choices, and more people recognize Plumb as a tool name than Plomb...hence, there is a fair amount of Plomb advertised as Plumb.
Best way can be searching "Plumb" and wrench or socket, since Plumb was not active in those categories and most Plomb fits those words. As long as half* the human race is incompetent, it is useful to explore common issues of incompetence...

*estimate lowered to avoid utter despair

 

[Sanny81]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Here are a couple pics of the wrench I found mixed in my bag today. You can see my grandfather's "modifications" in the second pic.

 

[zeet]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Local mom n pop hardware closed a couple of years ago.
There was a surprising amount of Los Angeles era Proto stuff and even a couple of Plomb still there. Some on the pegboard and some in the basement. They let me dig around down there during the final days. So I got a few socket boxes that were empty or almost so. Saw whole boxes of larger size sockets and wrenches. Some chisels too. All LA era Proto.
Very depressing.

What a find, Ganymede! I'm glad you got your hands on some of it, at least... But I confess I wish I'd gotten there the day before you did!

 

[twertsy]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

I found this last year at a local yard sale. The lady having the sale was selling her husbands tools, he had recently passed away. I got a lot of things that morning, but I wish I had looked around more. This Proto puller has got to be a early Proto piece but it is in really good condition. The quality of the plating is very good, there isn't any pitting at all.

I just picked up one of thes last weekend at an auction.

 

[ganymede]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

What a find, Ganymede! I'm glad you got your hands on some of it, at least... But I confess I wish I'd gotten there the day before you did!

Thanks.
There was plenty after I left too . I hope it didn't get dumpstered .

 

[ganymede]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Here's a few adjustables ( 4" and 6" ) from yard sales n such..

 

[Lucky 13]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

I bought a tool box full of Craftsman tools a few years ago and this ratchet was in there. It's a 1/2" drive. It looks identical to the Proto ratchets but it is not marked anywhere. I even took the faceplate off and looked on the other side. What do I have?

 

[Lucky 13]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Definitlely appears to be an unmarked Proto. The selector lever is a dead ringer for ca. 1950-1956 production. Could have been a contract production piece for another company or a faceplate that missed the marking phase of production. All identification markings at this time would have been only on the faceplate.

Thanks for the info Copilot.

 

[d42jeep]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

I have some Plomb tools in my WWII military tool sets. Here Is a 1/2" drive extension from 1938 with a retaining ball in the crossbar hole.
-Don

 

[Sunset_Z28]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Here are my pebbles.

 

[d42jeep]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Here is my pipe wrench set

 

[jwitt]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

My 4",6", & 8" Proto/Plomb adjustables





Jim

 

[d42jeep]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Jim, that's a nice set of adjustables. Here are my early (round O) carbon scrapers.
-Don

 

[vintage nut]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

you can never have too many tools

 

[GRX]

Wow. Good stuff the last couple pages.

Just noticed that Photo Bucket blocked my early images in this thread due to bandwidth restrictions.

 

[vintage nut]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Here's my two pebbled plvmb wrenches
I'm starting on collecting a full set of these

you can never have too many tools

 

[macgee]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Here's my two pebbled plvmb wrenches
I'm starting on collecting a full set of these

you can never have too many tools

Those are nice.

 

[vintage nut]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Those are nice.

Thanks! Found them in the bottom of a box of new Britain craftsman I bought. Must have been a backup tool kit or something because its all in really nice shape!

you can never have too many tools

 

[Exeter]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Here's my two pebbled plvmb wrenches
I'm starting on collecting a full set of these

you can never have too many tools

Sweet! Can you share a pic of the other side of the wrenches to?

 

[vintage nut]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Here ya go

I still can't believe how clean these are. I didn't even know I bought them until I dug through the tool box when I got it home!

you can never have too many tools

 

[Exeter]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Here ya go
I still can't believe how clean these are. I didn't even know I bought them until I dug through the tool box when I got it home!

Pretty amazing considering they are at least 65 years old. Thanks for the pic.

 

[vintage nut]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Pretty amazing considering they are at least 65 years old. Thanks for the pic.

Hey no problem! The rest of that tool box is in the new Britain thread. Someone really took amazing care of their tools!

you can never have too many tools

 

[nickelTwin]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

I picked this up today at a sale for fifty cents.

 

[vintage nut]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

I picked this up today at a sale for fifty cents.

Score!
No, wait....
That appears to have been contaminated with radioactive debris, and I suggest you send it to me for proper disposal ;-)

you can never have too many tools

 

[d42jeep]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Here is a pair of wartime double box end wrenches. The top one is like new!
-Don

 

[vintage nut]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Here is a pair of wartime double box end wrenches. The top one is like new!
-Don

Nice!
I guess the one combination wrench I have is a wartime one then

you can never have too many tools

 

[d42jeep]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Here are two 10" pipe wrenches. One is a Plomb the other is a Barcalo Buffalo.
My question is did Plomb make the Barcalo or did Barcalo make the Plomb?

 

[GRX]

Here are two 10" pipe wrenches. One is a Plomb the other is a Barcalo Buffalo.
My question is did Plomb make the Barcalo or did Barcalo make the Plomb?

Good question. Maybe someone here can shed some light. Barcalo Buffalo. That is a name I have not heard in a while.

 

[d42jeep]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

I have quite a few Barcalo items but I think I better stick to Plomb or Proto in this thread. Speaking of Proto, I have accumulated quite a few vintage chisels and punches with a P&C and a Plomb thrown in.
-Don

 

[Ratchet.]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

I don't own many Plomb tools as they were never officially sold over here to my knowledge, but i did just get this pair posted to me from America

Very impressed how nicely made they are, and how tight and smooth the knuckle/swivel works on them, even after 50+ years they are still better then 99% of modern breaker bars

Haven't got a picture but i also have a wright field stamped 3/8 drive 5/8ths UJ socket (circa 1938 iirc) which i got along with a nice old Durochrome socket from a similar year on ebay

Definitely need to get some more Plomb stuff, would love some Firestone branded ones too.

 

[d42jeep]

Re: ~ Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

Those are much nicer looking than my pair!