Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

[RagTopTA]

By "LA" RagTop means "Los Angeles", as opposed to "MADE IN U.S.A."

One problem with using that term in Plomb tool dating discussions is that "LOS ANGELES" didn't appear on all early tools (in fact, unless I'm missing it, your elbow calker is a prime example of that). Another problem is that "LOS ANGELES" also appeared on tools with a "v PLVMB v" branding in the mid 30's. Your elbow calker, with the "PLOMB TOOLS" brand (no plumb bob shaped O, no plumb bobs front and back of the name) is older than mid 30's. It's at least 20's to early 30's.

Yes, it seems to me that the tools that have Plomb LA on them have that skinnier font to them. I got a punch last week with the same thin looking font. Just a personal observation though.

 

[Catfishdan]

Check it out. I bought some tools once owned by Zorro himself!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RagTopTA]

Check it out. I bought some tools once owned by Zorro himself!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

wow thats amazing!! Cant deny the OO (Original Owner) on those!! : )

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

That was one of the better ads I've seen in awhile.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I have a few random plomb la swivel sockets, I am guessing mid thirties. They are pretty scarce.

 

[twertsy]

Check it out. I bought some tools once owned by Zorro himself!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's interesting........I have a Cman BE set, all marked with that same mark.

 

[Catfishdan]

That's interesting........I have a Cman BE set, all marked with that same mark.

That is interesting. These came from California but you never know... I actually kind of like seeing owners marks on tools. Adds to the history.

 

[Catfishdan]

I got this partial set in the mail today. I needed the Craftsman box for one set and some of the plomb stuff for another.

The plomb went into this set.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[d42jeep]

I’m glad you got that. I feel much better now about not bidding on it.
Nice 1/4” drive set!
-Don

 

[r_olson_06]

Finally completed my Firestone ratchet search.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[RagTopTA]

so, some more stuff showed up today..... I dont what happened I was at work.....

1/4" Speedster
20" 3/8 extension
P&C 1/4" spinner

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Finally completed my Firestone ratchet search.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

Nice. I have been bitten by firestone bug recently. Nice looking tools.

 

[d42jeep]

That’s funny. I was recently cured from that particular bug. Still got the Plomb one going on though. Recently received some 3/8” drive deep sockets and a short extension for the red box set. Here are the tools and a picture of the set with the additions.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Nice!

 

[r_olson_06]

Nice. I have been bitten by firestone bug recently. Nice looking tools.

Took 3 years to get the 1/4" drive.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[DD T/A]

so, some more stuff showed up today..... I dont what happened I was at work.....

1/4" Speedster
20" 3/8 extension
P&C 1/4" spinner

I have a question for anybody here:

Has it been made clear if P&C versions of Plombs tools were in any way lower quality or inferior versions of Plombs tools? Because from what I've seen they sometimes appear to be almost identical and feel the same....


...but, if P&C was a lower/budget price point tool company, wouldn't that inherently mean the tools were not of the same quality, and that's how they made money?


Do you guys believe they are exactly the same, only rebadged--quality is equal to Plomb?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Took 3 years to get the 1/4" drive.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

Persistence pays off!

 

[Provincial]

P&C started out as high performance, utilitarian (not stylish or fancy) tools for the professional mechanic. By the 1930's, their tools followed the industry for that market.
After the Pendelton acquisition, it appears that forging dies for the superceded Plomb wrenches were transferred to P&C. Later on, P&C seemed to have their own forging dies for many tools.

Having grown up near the P&C factory, the reputation for quality of P&C tools was equal to that of other "quality" brands. One doesn't come across examples of P&C that have failed or worn badly. I believe that Pendelton priced them a little below Plomb, but not much. It was more a regional brand thing, with equal quality.

P&C was never associated with "bling." Their tools were not highly polished or heavily chromed. They were quality tools for hard work, rather than show. Plomb flirted with "show" in the Pebble era, but returned to its utilitarian roots in the Proto era.

 

[RagTopTA]

I have the same Plomb driver, I will get it out and do a side by side tonight. I think its identical for the most part.

 

[Smokeshow69]

They are the same in terms of fit, finish and strength. I have detected no difference at all !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[RubiconJK]

P&C started out as high performance, utilitarian (not stylish or fancy) tools for the professional mechanic. By the 1930's, their tools followed the industry for that market.
After the Pendelton acquisition, it appears that forging dies for the superceded Plomb wrenches were transferred to P&C. Later on, P&C seemed to have their own forging dies for many tools.

Having grown up near the P&C factory, the reputation for quality of P&C tools was equal to that of other "quality" brands. One doesn't come across examples of P&C that have failed or worn badly. I believe that Pendelton priced them a little below Plomb, but not much. It was more a regional brand thing, with equal quality.

P&C was never associated with "bling." Their tools were not highly polished or heavily chromed. They were quality tools for hard work, rather than show. Plomb flirted with "show" in the Pebble era, but returned to its utilitarian roots in the Proto era.

I also think they are equal in quality and I will pick up P&C when I find a piece I like. Here is a pair of nice side cutters I found at a sale today.

 

[RubiconJK]

That’s funny. I was recently cured from that particular bug. Still got the Plomb one going on though. Recently received some 3/8” drive deep sockets and a short extension for the red box set. Here are the tools and a picture of the set with the additions.
-Don

Don, you are doing good with that set! Here is a picture of the current status of my non-WF 3/8" set after the addition of a round handle flex bar today. It has a date code of 8C & includes a marking for Pat. No. 1380643. I would have to double check, but believe this is the first "common" Plomb tool I've acquired that includes a patent number.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Without any comment on quality, it's helpful to keep in mind that P&C was bought just before the war and retained its own identity (in terms of unique dies) with some if not many tools throughout the war. By 1948, that had changed. Most of the tools (incl screwdrivers, hammers, pullers, adjustable wrenches, DOE wrenches, and the boxes and toolmobile) in the 1948 catalog are Plomb designs, although P&C was still making their famously round-shanked DBE wrenches. In 1953, those were gone. If you look at the 1939, 1948 and 1953 P&C catalogs, that evolution is visualized right before your eyes.

The one area I'm not sure of is the drive tools. Did Plomb ever make open-gear style ratchets? In 1939, ALL P&C ratchets in ALL drive sizes were open-gear style. (They also made a really cool one-hand speeder - unique as far as I know, without a full swing. The shank had a slight wiggle in it, just enough to get some cranking action going with some pressure from one hand. I think Rileysan may have one.) In 1948, that unusual speeder was gone and the 1/4- and 1-inch ratchets were clearly Plomb ratchets. But, surprisingly, the 3/8-, 1/2- and 3/4-inch ratchets were still all P&C open-gear head. Same situation in 1953. I'm under the impression that Plomb ratchets weren't, so that is also some independence, and it may extend to other drive tools I have not bothered to scrutinize in as much detail. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about that.

As for quality, I don't think P&C was ever advertised as an economy line Plomb brand. In 1939, when they were still their own entity, they used the slogan, "The Best Tools That Money Can Buy!". In 1948, that was still their slogan, and the only reference to Plomb was a parenthetical qualifier under their address: "(A Subsidiary of Plomb Tool Company)".

 

[stormking]

Since I got my last wrench, I celebrated by putting the wrenches in their final resting place. Many years ago I lucked into a pile of NOS and near unused Plomb boards from a closed up car dealership. The place closed about 1950.

DSCN2705 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/119819727@N06/, on Flickr

DSCN2704 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/119819727@N06/, on Flickr

DSCN2703 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/119819727@N06/, on Flickr

 

[notlob]

Now you're just being mean.

 

[Catfishdan]

That's a helluva display there. Very nice!

 

[RagTopTA]

man those full boards are awesome!

 

[Smokeshow69]

man those full boards are awesome!

X2 !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[montanafordman]

Dang Stormking!! Those are amazing. I have the same layout combination and DOE boards but I think there might be a slight variation in logos but very close. Why do I feel like I could have been bidding against you on a couple large DOE wrenches? I"m still looking for a good example of the largest DOE wrench on that board (3055 I think?). Well done.

 

[DD T/A]

Well consider me corrected, P&C is not a budget brand.

Found this a long while ago and found it to be interesting in quite a few ways. The crome is nice, seems to be a nice socket.

 

[d42jeep]

It’s probably marked No Guar because it’s a thin wall spark plug socket. Here are some wartime Navy sockets that are the same size. One is plain steel and the other two are cad plated.
-Don

 

[Craftsman C-series]

Couple, three ratchets. Now i’ve got to start working on sockets and wrenches.

 

[Smokeshow69]

Couple, three ratchets. Now i’ve got to start working on sockets and wrenches.

Apparently you have been holding out on us. Not only do you have a nice plomb box, you also have a socket rail and a ton of early ratchets. More pictures please if they have not been posted before [emoji51]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Catfishdan]

I picked up a tiny bit of pebble recently. A minty 1210.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Snaparxon]

Found this 5451 1/2" drive ratchet today. Really smooth action. The knurling has a "nice" feel.

 

[RagTopTA]

Todays Plomb finds, 6" Plombaaloy adjustable, 8" pipe wrench, Proto LA feeler Gauge set.

 

[stormking]

Nice 1210 catfish dan! Montanafordman, not me I've had most of these a long time. I'll see what I have for an extra 3055. I've picked up some extras wrenches over the years.

 

[r_olson_06]

That's a nice ratchet. I still don't have any Plomb LA ratchets.

Found this 5451 1/2" drive ratchet today. Really smooth action. The knurling has a "nice" feel.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The la stuff in general is hard to find

 

[MR.X]

realize this is a Plomb thread but since there was some discussion about P&C on the previous page I thought I'd add this pic showing a range of their 20's and 30's work. Pretty easy to see how they'd get on Plomb's radar.