Post up your Thorsen tools!

[Mgdoug3]

I have a question for the Thorsen experts. I have a 77AL (I think) that's made in Spain. How do the made in Spain models compare to the USA ones?

 

[d42jeep]

I have an adjustable wrench that was made in Spain and it seems okay but, to be honest, I try to only collect Thorsen tools that were made in Emeryville or Dallas. I found quite a few early unplated Thorsen tools at a Napa estate sale this morning with help from Notlob.
-Don

 

[Mgdoug3]

If I remember correctly, the made in Spain Thorsens are from the 80s so I doubt there's any collector value to them. I was just curious if they're as good as the older USA tools.

 

[3baygarage]

Never used one but they don’t seem bad. Some may be more on par with the older Japan round heads I think.

 

[d42jeep]

I found some mostly metric sockets at a local estate sale yesterday. I also gave my recently found plain steel sockets the Evaporust treatment.
-Don

 

[notlob]

Those plain steel sockets cleaned up nicely! Do you think they are wartime?

 

[d42jeep]

Those plain steel sockets cleaned up nicely! Do you think they are wartime?

I suspect that they are but I don't have much evidence to support that. I didn't find any Thorsen on Sunday but I found this item from another local company. The handle needs a wood chisel to go with it.
-Don

 

[notlob]

Love the handle! I have chisels to fit, but it might make a terrific scratch awl...


Sent from my iPad using Garage Journal

 

[d42jeep]

After searching for quite a while, I finally found the Thorsen version of the socket ejecting ratchet in a Thorsen tool lot on eBay. I was lucky enough to win it.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I found a group of Thorsen screwdrivers today at an estate sale.
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

I found a group of Thorsen screwdrivers today at an estate sale.
-Don

Some "Irish Cap" drivers! Love 'em.

 

[d42jeep]

They are certainly easy to spot from a distance. As I posted in the Garage Sale thread, I found two partial sets at two different sales today. Here they are cleaned up.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I did some organizing of the Thorsen today and added tools to the partial sets I found yesterday. While I had them all out, I took pictures of the red box sets and the screwdrivers. I need to thin out the herd on the screwdrivers.

-Don

 

[RubiconJK]

I wound up with a nice little metric set of Thorsen combos that were in a tool box I recently bought.

 

[d42jeep]

Those are nice. I like the shortys. Only Thorsen would make short and long combos with exactly the same part numbers.
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

Rubicon and jeep, I notice both of your sets are lacking the 16mm. My set also lacks the 16mm. Is it just that rare, or did they skip the size?

I found an 18mm, which I thought would be much harder to find.

 

[d42jeep]

They were definitely being offered. I think that the 16mm wrench was just a less popular size and it wasn't included in the starter sets. I checked my V combos and I do have a 16mm one of those.
-Don

 

[RubiconJK]

Bonneyman glad you asked and Don thanks for posting the catalog sheet. Looks like I have most of the 8 piece set minus the 11 and 14. Interesting that none of the other sets on that sheet include the 7.

 

[Provincial]

I stumbled onto some Thorsen at an estate sale Friday. I found a bin of wrenches in the back shed and made an offer on the lot. The Thorsen was a significant part of the group, but only about a quarter. They seem to have been exposed to water at some point.

Combos 15/16, 7/8 (2), 13/16, 3/4 (2), 11/16, 5/8, 9/16 (2), 1/2, 7/16, 3/8 (2).
Metric DOE's: 10x11, 12x13, 14x15, 18x19
Metric Combo: 13mm
Giller Short DBE 2120 S 5/8x3/4

I consider the Giller to be Thorsen.

The Torsen's are called the "V" series?

 

[d42jeep]

I stumbled onto some Thorsen at an estate sale Friday. I found a bin of wrenches in the back shed and made an offer on the lot. The Thorsen was a significant part of the group, but only about a quarter. They seem to have been exposed to water at some point.

Combos 15/16, 7/8 (2), 13/16, 3/4 (2), 11/16, 5/8, 9/16 (2), 1/2, 7/16, 3/8 (2).
Metric DOE's: 10x11, 12x13, 14x15, 18x19
Metric Combo: 13mm
Giller Short DBE 2120 S 5/8x3/4

I consider the Giller to be Thorsen.

The Torsen's are called the "V" series?

They are usually called V or Vee due to the shape of the middle section but Thorsen didn’t really say much about the shape in the catalog.
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

Holy ****! They sold the Freedom Unit sizes up to 2 inches! That's almost a 3# wrench.

 

[d42jeep]

My wife and I took a few block side trip on our way home on Tuesday to check out the site of the original Thorsen factory in Emeryville. All that is left is the former factory floor above a mystery tunnel. I have a feeling that there were no Thorsen treasures left at the end of that tunnel. The Emeryville train station is in the background.
-Don

 

[BFBOB]

I stumbled onto some Thorsen at an estate sale Friday.
The Thorsen's are called the "V" series?

I call 'em VeeGees just because I've never quite recovered from the Disco Era.

And, they're found in at least 15 brands. I've tried to get at least one of each, but I haven't laid hands on a Westcraft yet. See my earlier posts for pix.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

All that is left is the former factory floor above a mystery tunnel. I have a feeling that there were no Thorsen treasures left at the end of that tunnel.

What, you didn't have a flashlight?!

 

[MR.X]

Ref. Thorsen location....I'm just throwing this out there for discussion, not trying to correct anybody. That looks like the lot South of 53rd in the 4500 block. I think Thorsen, at 5321 Horton would be just to the North. There's a brick building there, (marked 5301 at one of the doors) that looks similar to the original Thorsen factory and a lot adjacent to the North of that that may also have once held a similar bldg.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a Google map screenshot. Apple maps shows the same location.
-Don

 

[MR.X]

Here is a Google map screenshot. Apple maps shows the same location.
-Don

Hi. yeah, but do you follow my line of thinking? Thorsen was at 5321 Horton st. Going by the actual numbers on the buildings and the corresponding street #'s. 4595 is the building just to the North of your lot and then across 53rd is 5301 then a lot, and then the next building on that same side of the street is 5353.

 

[Provincial]

Google thinks my house is a quarter mile away. I don't trust them without corroboration!

 

[d42jeep]

The addresses on that block jump from the 45xx to the 53xx. It’s going to be pretty hard to find an actual address posted on a building that no longer exists. Until concrete (or brick) evidence is found, I’m going with the GPS location shown by two different mapping services.
-Don

 

[MR.X]

The addresses on that block jump from the 45xx to the 53xx. It’s going to be pretty hard to find an actual address posted on a building that no longer exists. Until concrete (or brick) evidence is found, I’m going with the GPS location shown by two different mapping services.
-Don

The addresses "jump" where the "block" last bisected by 45th is again bisected by 53rd St...........forget it. It doesn't matter.

 

[d42jeep]

I can’t argue with that. Even if I’m wrong about the location of the site, I’ve been wrong before. As old as I am, I should be used to it by now.
-Don

 

[MR.X]

Hi. I was just bouncing around ideas. I wouldn't put money on anything i said. Well,....no serious money.

 

[bonneyman]

I call 'em VeeGees just because I've never quite recovered from the Disco Era.

And, they're found in at least 11 brands. I've tried to get at least one of each, but I haven't laid hands on a Westcraft yet. See my earlier posts for pix.

I could live with that!

 

[BFBOB]

I could live with that!

Stayin' Alive, huh?

And I misspoke - there are 16 brands I know of:

Blue Point*
Westcraft*
Synthes*
HWI
Caterpillar
Troy-Bilt
Thorsen
Snap-On
Dayton
Challenger
Channellock
Blue Grass
Wilde
Action
Powr-Kraft
Kal

* brands I need

Additions to the list welcome!

 

[honza.vosalik]

My new Thorsen board still missing couple pieces...

 

[d42jeep]

My new Thorsen board still missing couple pieces...

Honza,
My Thorsen tools are still in the Bay Area but I have quite a few extras and it’s likely that I could help fill in some of your missing slots. If you want to text me a list I’ll check next time I go down there.
-Don

 

[BFBOB]

And another one makes an appearance!
An evilBat search found this Blue-Point in really remarkable condition. I'm not fond of DBE's but for the sake of enlarging the VeeGee collection I had to have it.
One thing I noticed that's different from the others is the center panel - the nameplate - is not raised. Still, the pattern is close enough I felt compelled to add it to the collection.

 

[BFBOB]

One more province heard from - Big Bluevania!

Another fleaBag treasure - This 11/32 x 7/16 IBM example of Thorsen V-ness is hardly longer than the raised panel portion of the 15/16 x 1 Blue-Point posted previously.



Still looking for a Westcraft!


Action
Blue Grass
Blue Point
Caterpillar
Challenger
Channellock
Dayton
HWI
IBM
Kal
Powr-Kraft
Snap-On
Synthes*
Thorsen
Troy-Bilt
Westcraft*
Wilde

* brands I need

 

[Private Lugnutz]

One more province heard from - Big Bluevania!

Snerk. Clever.

 

[d42jeep]

Here are a couple of Snap-on Vee flare nut wrenches and a Thorsen Vee combo. I found the sockets today at a couple of thrift stores.
-Don