Post up your Thorsen tools!

[d42jeep]

I went through my red box Giller set and replaced the non-Giller placehorders with correct branded ones from the blue box.
-Don

 

[3baygarage]

I saw that same spinner today but it was chewed up. Giller on the handle with Thorsen shank.

 

[Etchase]

Someone added a ratchet and extension. Should have an 80m spinner instead. I’m pretty sure I have one someplace.

 

[Mintgrun]

Is the divider removable on that one? I've never seen that detail before. Very cool.

It's a neat divider design even if it doesn't pull out. Nice box.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Yes. Some Thorsen boxes used a "pull out" divider. Easily bent, after which getting them to fit properly can be a challenge.

 

[d42jeep]

It’s a nut spinner set.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

Thorsen's part numbering system is kind of "self explanatory":

1416 = 1/4 drive, 16 pieces
1411 = 1/4 drive, 11 pieces
3811 = 3/8" drive, 11 pieces
1215 = 1/2" drive, 15 pieces

and so forth

 

[Etchase]

It’s a nut spinner set.
-Don

Now I have to figure out what generation my set is and how the set evolved. I hadn’t seen one with a flex handle. This is a Texas one from the internet.

 

[four.cycle]

^ They didn't include the flex handle in the sets. Neither did Walden.
Flex handle is a 12J -

 

[Etchase]

^ They didn't include the flex handle in the sets. Neither did Walden.
Flex handle is a 12J -

But Don’s citation from the 1963 catalog has the flex handle. Further study for me. Thorsen wasn’t one to change part numbers willy-nilly, but your explanation of the part number just indicating size and number of pieces makes that perfectly understandable.

 

[d42jeep]

Flex handle came in this Emeryville made set. It has the removable divider.
Complete sets.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

I'm not reading the documents correctly, sorry.
The larger 3/8" drive sets did inclue the 12J "flex handle" (breaker bar.)
Almost all the 1/4" drive
The smaller sets did not. Thorsen's basic low-end 1/4" set was just the flex handle and the sockets (same as Indestro, Husky, and a mess of others.)

The catalog description (and in the price list) shows:
"Flex, ratchet, .....etc."

Thorsen at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[d42jeep]

They may have changed to spinners after the move to Dallas which adds to the confusion.
-Don

 

[Etchase]

The Dallas set I posted up thread had a plastic insert

 

[d42jeep]

I went through my red box Giller set and replaced the non-Giller placehorders with correct branded ones from the blue box.
-Don

I received this grey handle Giller spinner from Roy Olson today.
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

I received this grey handle Giller spinner from Roy Olson today.
-Don

Old and gray - like me!

 

[four.cycle]

take another look now that Don's found a gray one:

Century Tool Co., Penndel, PA Giller Tool Co., Dallas, TX

 

[d42jeep]

I put the gray spinner in the red box and will put the blue one into the blue box.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ That's odd... a RED Giller box?

 

[d42jeep]

Sure, why not? Thorsen made plenty of red box sets, I guess they could paint Giller boxes red as well. Obviously they made blue ones too. I’ve gradually been filling these sets with Giller tools since 2017.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ Of all the sets I've had and all the sets I've looked at, I don't believe I've ever seen a red Giller box. Always "Giller blue"

 

[MR.X]

Indian

 

[d42jeep]

I picked up some Giller tools on eBay to fill out my sets.
New tools added to the sets. I removed some Action and Thorsen placeholders.
I ordered a 5/16” 6 point socket missing in the red box set. I’ll put the 12 point placeholder int the blue box when the 6 point arrives



-Don

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

Happy feet moment of the week #2!

A random search of tool displays in the FB Marketplace revealed these sweet display boards from 1961. As luck would have it I was already in Florida and the seller wasn't too far off the return route.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I can probably fill all those holes on the DBE board (first one) and most of the 3/8" and 1/2" boards.

 

[d42jeep]

Me too. That plier board is going to be the most difficult to fill, in my opinion. I may be able to help with the screwdriver board.
-Don

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

^ I can probably fill all those holes on the DBE board (first one) and most of the 3/8" and 1/2" boards.

I have a large Thorsen military issue box that I was keeping my loose sockets and such in. That helped fill the spaces as pictured. I've got existing Thorsen sets that could fill more spaces (ratchets/ sockets) but don't wanna disrupt those sets. As soon as my dust settles (still have tools out on a tarp from the flood to go through) I'll hit ya up for anything you may want to part with! I'm pretty sure I never had any of those DBEs.

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

Me too. That plier board is going to be the most difficult to fill, in my opinion. I may be able to help with the screwdriver board.
-Don

Excellent! Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've never seen any Thorsen pliers or the screwdrivers in the wild. If ya have some ya wanna part with just hit me up on the PM. Thorsen sockets and ratchets are fairly plentiful between TN, NC and FL but everything else is gonna be challenging to fill. I've got some Thorsen Allied items but want to build these boards with original USA stock only.

 

[d42jeep]

I won’t be where the Thorsen spares are until I return to the Bay Area in mid October but I will be happy to check then.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

current listings. looks like I have a lot of wrenches.
no pliers or screwdrivers - just wrenches, sockets, and drive tools.

 

[GemState10ER]

My best guess would be Thorsen themselves, possibly in Dallas. Some earlier wrenches aren’t marked with a COO.
-Don

I just picked up a 77j ratchet with no COO, but I am under the impression they stoped producing them before they shipped manufacturing overseas….hope someone can clarify for both of us.

 

[four.cycle]

^ a 77J would be an open-head design ratchet, and those were all U.S. made, as was the later closed-head 77JC.

 

[Farmer Phill]

So I had emergency Gall Bladder removal surgery a week ago. So while I was layed up, but still mobile, my Brother-In-Law offered to take me to a salvge shop I discovered earlier this summer. The shop was once a local mail order hardware store. Prices seem high on the tools but everything there seems negotiable if asked. (I only asked about 2 items since most things I got were great deals). I found a little supply of NOS Thorson wrenches of this era. Not sure if there are enough of any one type to make a full set. That wasn't the mission at the time. This is just a little example of what I found.Sorry for the picture quality. I thought it was better until I got home.

 

[Farmer Phill]

Also I discovered these at my Boss's auxiliary shop. They at least look very similar to Thorson manufactured wrenches. Anyone have any insight on this?

 

[d42jeep]

Thorsen copied Snap-on‘s design but waited several years to do it. It’s cool that you found those NOS Thorsen “Vee” wrenches. I had a similar experience at a going out of business hardware store in Oakland after being alerted by a GJ member. Note the wrenches with price tags.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

@Farmer Phill - that 19mm was produced during something of a "transitional" period for Thorsen during the early 1980s when they were changing their part numbering system from a 4-digit to a 5-digit system.
The Thorsen "V-groove" models are somewhat desirable among collectors - go figure.

 

[82355]

What is the biggest Thorsen combo wrench anyone has on here? Was there ever a Vee wrench over 1-1/4"?

Martin

 

[four.cycle]

Thorsen's last two catalogs (presumably 1983 and 1988) show that "V-groove" combo going up to 2"

Whether or not those actually went into production and actually exist is another question.

There is/was a member on here who was trying to amass a collection of every brand of those Thorsen-made "V-groove" wrenches.
(Bob?) You might try searching the thread and see if he ever posted anything about them.

 

[d42jeep]

Thorsen's last two catalogs (presumably 1983 and 1988) show that "V-groove" combo going up to 2"

Whether or not those actually went into production and actually exist is another question.

There is/was a member on here who was trying to amass a collection of every brand of those Thorsen-made "V-groove" wrenches.
(Bob?) You might try searching the thread and see if he ever posted anything about them.

I have been collecting those for a while and the largest one I’ve found has been 1-1/4”.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ To be honest, I was surprised when I opened up that *.pdf file and saw those listed up to 2" - I would have assumed they'd have only gone up to 1-1/4" on those.

I have not seen any larger than 1-1/4". Who was the guy collecting them? @BFBOB ? (Yes, it was @BFBOB, but I don't know if he ever told/showed us exactly what he had)

I have to wonder if this is another case - as is the case with many items which appear in Indestro's last two catalogs (#60 and #60A) - where the manufacturer published a catalog with items in it that were never actually produced.