Plomb tool picture thread - show your stuff!

[Smokeshow69]

One Friday afternoon About 5:30, old Alphonse was sitting in back of the shop with his foreman and having already downed a few stiff ones, he says "We need to troll that punk Fayette." So they made this.

Vintage Plomb Los Angeles A branded hand axe | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage Plomb Los Angeles A branded hand axe at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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Anyone got a better story? Is the Plomb drama hyped enough there are counterfeits? Cool piece though.

Not mine, and I didn't bid

It’s real and no I didn’t bid on it. It’s a roofing hatchet, not an axe as described but it’s not real common. I would be pleased as punch to own it.

 

[JohnDeere]

Plomb WF-37 breaker bar. Knurling is a shame, pipe/hammer got it.

 

[83VillageRepair]

I have had multiple requests to post this secret santa gift made by 4fn27. Made on a 3d printer. I cannot seem to get them to rotate.

 

[Smokeshow69]

I have had multiple requests to post this secret santa gift made by 4fn27. Made on a 3d printer. I cannot seem to get them to rotate.

Well they are showing just fine in here. He did an excellent job on that and I think he could make more of these and sell them no problem!

 

[AK4570]

Agreed. That looks great!

 

[Outlawmws]

Awesome!

 

[Smokeshow69]

Picked up this complete set of 3/8 drive chromed craftsman circle u marked sockets for $20. Got them put up on my circle u board.

 

[honza.vosalik]

Picked up this complete set of 3/8 drive chromed craftsman circle u marked sockets for $20. Got them put up on my circle u board.

Oh, did plomb make the circle u sockets? I didn't know that, good to know

 

[Smokeshow69]

Oh, did plomb make the circle u sockets? I didn't know that, good to know

Well they did. 1944-1948 but not pictured in catalogs

 

[mritchie77]

Today I received this Plomb 1370 as a Christmas present from a member here by surprise. I am SHOCKED at the generosity of the Plomb community!!!! Thank you VERY much Richard!!

 

[Smokeshow69]

Today I received this Plomb 1370 as a Christmas present from a member here by surprise. I am SHOCKED at the generosity of the Plomb community!!!! Thank you VERY much Richard!!

Oh that’s a good one! Original handle as well

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It’s a roofing hatchet,

 

[Smokeshow69]

I just noticed the name difference .

 

[RubiconJK]

I just noticed the name difference .

Its all in the details!

 

[Smokeshow69]

Its all in the details!

Morris B, are you listening? Sigh…

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I just noticed the name difference

It's all in the details!

Morris B, are you listening? Sigh…

The most interesting thing about the ad I found and posted, for me, is the date (1952). Between that and the roofing/shingle hatchet listing, there are all kinds of weird things going on with that ad.

Did the Plomb Tool Company (not A. Plomb) ever make and sell a roofing hatchet? Unlikely. If they did, even more highly unlikely it would be advertised using the company name in 1952. In a completely hypothetical world in which the Plomb Tool Co was making shingle hatchets in 1952, they would've been branded Proto.

I think there are two explanations for the "Plomb" in that 1952 lumbermans' trade mag ad...

It is most likely referring to the "A. PLOMB" brand name that the California Tool Company was still using as a reference to its well-known predecessor. The A. Plomb Tool Company was established in 1917 and it became CTC in 1927. As we all know, though, CTC continued to manufacture "A. PLOMB" tools for many years and the tools were often marked with both "CALIF-TOOL" and "A. PLOMB". If they were still continuing that practice in the 1950's, and in the hands of a third party (Barr Lumber Company) selling all kinds of various products (Stanley, Goodell-Pratt, etc), not nearly so circumspect as Plomb Tool Company or CTC, they didn't even get it technically correct, dropping the "A.", creating an interesting spin on the Plumb v. Plomb saga that doesn't get much attention.

I'm thinking the example that @Ole Slewfoot posted is early. Pre-CTC. But the A. Plomb Tool Company was too small for Fayette R. Plumb to worry about, and CTC using A. PLOMB as a brand not much bigger or a bigger worry. The irony is that there was almost certainly much more overlap between the Plumb product line and the A. Plomb or CTC product line using the A. Plomb brand, with shingle hatchets being a prime example.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The only other plausible explanation is that it's just a typo. It's a very good possibility that Barr Lumber Company was selling Plumb hammers and Plumb roofing hatchets (they were certainly making them - see attached!) and the "o" in Plomb was a mistake. There's precedence for it in the ad itself, with them selling "Henry Diston" (should be "Henry Disston") saws.

 

[Smokeshow69]

The most interesting thing about the ad I found and posted, for me, is the date (1952). Between that and the roofing/shingle hatchet listing, there are all kinds of weird things going on with that ad.

Did the Plomb Tool Company (not A. Plomb) ever make and sell a roofing hatchet? Unlikely. If they did, even more highly unlikely it would be advertised using the company name in 1952. In a completely hypothetical world in which the Plomb Tool Co was making shingle hatchets in 1952, they would've been branded Proto.

I think there are two explanations for the "Plomb" in that 1952 lumbermans' trade mag ad...

It is most likely referring to the "A. PLOMB" brand name that the California Tool Company was still using as a reference to its well-known predecessor. The A. Plomb Tool Company was established in 1917 and it became CTC in 1927. As we all know, though, CTC continued to manufacture "A. PLOMB" tools for many years and the tools were often marked with both "CALIF-TOOL" and "A. PLOMB". If they were still continuing that practice in the 1950's, and in the hands of a third party (Barr Lumber Company) selling all kinds of various products (Stanley, Goodell-Pratt, etc), not nearly so circumspect as Plomb Tool Company or CTC, they didn't even get it technically correct, dropping the "A.", creating an interesting spin on the Plumb v. Plomb saga that doesn't get much attention.

I'm thinking the example that @Ole Slewfoot posted is early. Pre-CTC. But the A. Plomb Tool Company was too small for Fayette R. Plumb to worry about, and CTC using A. PLOMB as a brand not much bigger or a bigger worry. The irony is that there was almost certainly much more overlap between the Plumb product line and the A. Plomb or CTC product line using the A. Plomb brand, with shingle hatchets being a prime example.

I missed the date on that add. Yeah no way would it have been marketed in 1952 with that name on it. That’s well into the Proto LA era. Unless PTC was still selling old stock with the old name on it? Or maybe the hardware store purchased from a 3rd party that still had this? I’m just brainstorming here and am not tied to any particular theory. It’s probably plumb as you stated?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Unless PTC was still selling old stock with the old name on it? Or maybe the hardware store purchased from a 3rd party that still had this?

If by "PTC" you mean Plomb Tool Co, that would imply they were making shingle hatchets. I've never seen anything to suggest that's true.

If it's not a typo intended to be Plumb, it has to be referring to A. Plomb, no?

I guess the key question is, was CTC still making shingle hatchets like the one Ole Slewfoot posted (again, I am assuming that one is very early, as in pre-CTC early) in 1952 and branding them "A. Plomb"? In which case Barr Lumber may just still think of them as and call them "Plomb," for short, referring to Alphonse and his line of tools, not Morris B. Pendleton and his company.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Well this ad certainly throws some new sprinkles on the donut.

None of my CTC tools have said 'los Angeles', seems that would be inappropriate with the indentured servitude of Thorsen Up in Oakland.
My feeling is the hatchet is an earlier piece

 

[d42jeep]

A couple of sockets came in the mail today, both 1/2” drive 1/2” deep. I was missing the Plomb one and I’m always trying to add to my mysterious SR collection.
-Don
The Plomb socket will be added to these.
The other will go in with these random tools.

 

[four.cycle]

@Private Lugnutz
RE:
California / California Tool Co., 1929 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers.html#calif-tool /

In the first batch of material I sent to ITCL was a California Tool Company catalog. As I recall, it used "CT" in the graphics on the cover.
The product mix was an assortment of outsourced product from various vendors. Mark never got to scanning it because it so big: it's a little over half an inch thick.
From what you've posted above, I have to wonder if that catalog might answer some questions. I vaguely remember something like this coming up in the past, which is why I pulled the trigger on the purchase of the catalog.

Screenshots from the original ebay listing. I don't know enough about Plomb (or Plumb) to be able to determine whether this might have any value in that context.

 

[RagTopTA]

Gather round it's Plomb Story time! A few weeks ago during Christmas vacation it was in the teens and not a lot to do. So, being on my home computer I did some Plomb deep diving on the old internet. I found some interesting articles. One such article tells about Plombs acquisition on Paschall Tool Co. Volume: May, 1926- Page 232 of Western Machine World. (so Paschall was acquired and moved before May 1926 according to this?) Said article states that Plomb had acquired Paschall and already moved their machinery to their factory to continue making the few things Paschall Tool co already made at the time. Two different Lathe tools and a Can opener... A what ? A Paschall Can opener called Sur-Enuf. Interesting.. wait.. so if I can find one of those bad boys Id basically have a Plomb Can Opener!!! Ebay search and there are not one but two! I send an offer for both. Very cheap items! Both accept! I'm excited! A day before NYE a package comes and it has my Sur-Enuf Can opener inside! what a cool tool! I posted it on the last of the Garage Sale 2022 thread! Cool find! Today... the second package shows up. I excitedly open it so I now have Twin Paschall can openers!! wait.... what is this?? Something is different here.....

 

[Smokeshow69]

Gather round it's Plomb Story time! A few weeks ago during Christmas vacation it was in the teens and not a lot to do. So, being on my home computer I did some Plomb deep diving on the old internet. I found some interesting articles. One such article tells about Plombs acquisition on Paschall Tool Co. Volume: May, 1926- Page 232 of Western Machine World. (so Paschall was acquired and moved before May 1926 according to this?) Said article states that Plomb had acquired Paschall and already moved their machinery to their factory to continue making the few things Paschall Tool co already made at the time. Two different Lathe tools and a Can opener... A what ? A Paschall Can opener called Sur-Enuf. Interesting.. wait.. so if I can find one of those bad boys Id basically have a Plomb Can Opener!!! Ebay search and there are not one but two! I send an offer for both. Very cheap items! Both accept! I'm excited! A day before NYE a package comes and it has my Sur-Enuf Can opener inside! what a cool tool! I posted it on the last of the Garage Sale 2022 thread! Cool find! Today... the second package shows up. I excitedly open it so I now have Twin Paschall can openers!! wait.... what is this?? Something is different here.....

Dang it,
Seriously ? Now I have to look for can opener’s as well? Way rad! That’s a you **** in my book!

 

[c1504]

Wow that’s cool!

 

[Ricky Joe]

There is a Plomb puller on eBay at $306, four more days to go.

 

[d42jeep]

Made me look, too. Just grabbed this one on eBay. Buy it now.
-Don
This 3/8” drive deep 13/16” socket arrived today. It turned out to be chrome plated so it will be heading for the red box set.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

There is a Plomb puller on eBay at $306, four more days to go.

Too many early bids, I think they may have a schill

 

[RagTopTA]

Made me look, too. Just grabbed this one one eBay. Buy it now.
-Don
This 3/8” drive deep 13/16” socket arrived today. It turned out to be chrome plated so it will be heading for the red box set.

I wonder how many were made with the Transition Paschall/Plomb stamping! A Plomb Can opener... who'd a thunk....

 

[Ricky Joe]

Too many early bids, I think they may have a schill

Maybe, but I stopped at $200. If a shill, there is still one more interested person who really wants it. The same seller has a small series puller at $45.

 

[Smokeshow69]

I wonder how many were made with the Transition Paschall/Plomb stamping! A Plomb Can opener... who'd a thunk....

I want to get one just so I can use it in the kitchen and have my wife roll her eyes at me when I explain the connection

 

[four.cycle]

Hey, just like ice picks, there's a whole world of can opener collectors out there!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...a Plomb Can Opener... [ ] ...Something is different here...

That's awesome! FOAK and OOAK, so far!

(so Paschall was acquired and moved before May 1926 according to this?)

That's one of the articles I had posted in the lawsuit thread, linked here, but at that time it was only available in snippet-only form, and I did not ask for it to be un-locked, so I had not seen that bit about the "Sur-Enuf" can openers. Good on you for finding it, and finding it now un-locked, apparently! As for the purchase date, it was apparently late 1925. In that same thread I posted an article from the January 10, 1926 edition of the L.A. Times, here, that indicates Plomb already owned Paschall.

 

[RagTopTA]

That's awesome! FOAK and OOAK, so far!

That's one of the articles I had posted in the lawsuit thread, linked here, but at that time it was only available in snippet-only form, and I did not ask for it to be un-locked, so I had not seen that bit about the "Sur-Enuf" can openers. Good on you for finding it, and finding it now un-locked, apparently! As for the purchase date, it was apparently late 1925. In that same thread I posted an article from the January 10, 1926 edition of the L.A. Times, here, that indicates Plomb already owned Paschall.

You might say this is a Transition Can Opener!! ; )

 

[mritchie77]

Made me look, too. Just grabbed this one on eBay. Buy it now.
-Don

Beat me to it. I had an offer out and it sold before he accepted. LOL

 

[RagTopTA]

Could this be the No 120 Fender hammer referenced here ?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Sure seems like it to me!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Transition Can Opener!!

Or even "Dual-Marked", just not the "dual" most people would think when they saw that term.

 

[Smokeshow69]

You might say this is a Transition Can Opener!! ; )

Maybe the lawsuit was prompted by can opener’s.

-plumb getting irritated because people keep making can opener jokes to them. They keep having to defend their name and say, it’s not our company who is making can openers, it’s those other upstarts. We make hammers and striking tools, they make whatever they feel like . Till finally they had enough and decided to “open a can” through legal proceedings .

But seriously this item is super cool and I want one. This is even more odd than the weeding tool. No one sees this coming. Not only am I irritating picking partners with my incessant file hilt viewing to see if it’s a plomb file but now I have to also go through the kitchen to view can openers?

 

[RagTopTA]

Maybe the lawsuit was prompted by can opener’s.

-plumb getting irritated because people keep making can opener jokes to them. They keep having to defend their name and say, it’s not our company who is making can openers, it’s those other upstarts. We make hammers and striking tools, they make whatever they feel like . Till finally they had enough and decided to “open a can” through legal proceedings .

But seriously this item is super cool and I want one. This is even more odd than the weeding tool. No one sees this coming. Not only am I irritating picking partners with my incessant file hilt viewing to see if it’s a plomb file but now I have to also go through the kitchen to view can openers?

Not just any Paschall can opener, its gotta be the Dual Marker Trans Can Opener : ) heck who am I kiddin... Get both!