Proto wrench mistake???

[Smokes5891]

Hey guys new to the forum here. I run a pawn shop so of course I see tons of tools and such but I found one today that has me puzzled. Going through an old tool box I found a Proto wrench that is marked wrong and I have never seen that before. I am assuming it is marked wrong anyway. It has 7/16 BS-3/8 W marked on it followed by 1214-BS. The wrench is neither a 7/16 or a 3/8. By my measuring its a 3/4 or something really close to that. Any help here on what it might be and possibly a value?? I know tons of people like the Proto tools so I figured I may find some insight here lol. Thanks in advance!

 

[Provincial]

Whitworth (W) wrench, which is also compatible with British Standard (BS). The sizes are the diameter of the threads, and not a measure of the opening.

 

[Smokes5891]

Whitworth (W) wrench, which is also compatible with British Standard (BS). The sizes are the diameter of the threads, and not a measure of the opening.

The diameter of what threads?

 

[rusty65]

The diameter of what threads?

The bolt threads. Usually wrenches are marked with the size of the fastener head this wrench is marked with the size of thread connected to the bolt head.


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[Provincial]

The threads of the fastener that the wrench fits. The threaded part of the 7/16 BS bolt is 7/16 of an inch in diameter. The flats on the bolt head are .710 inches across.

Here is a link to a chart:

https://www.samstagsales.com/images/Whitworth_7_Size_Chart.jpg

 

[Smokes5891]

So instead of putting the wrench size they put the size of the bolt it generally attaches to? This is confusing lol. So what exactly were Whitworth wrenches for?

 

[Smokes5891]

So instead of putting the wrench size they put the size of the bolt it generally attaches to? This is confusing lol. So what exactly were Whitworth wrenches for?

I did some google work on the whitworth wrench system. Wow. Never knew there was such a thing. Thank you guys for the help on this because just googling the model of the wrench wasnt pulling up anything!

 

[Ralf11]

Whitworth wrenches were made for cars that won't run, just smoke their Prince of Darkness electrical systems.

 

[RTM]

Or machines that filled Sankey beer kegs, at least back in 1980s

 

[Plombob]

That wrench is pretty rare this side of the Atlantic, but it isn't all that valuable. I have a lot of Proto, but if I found that wrench at a pawn shop, I'd leave it behind.

 

[The Cobbler]

it would have value to an older English car collector

 

[Walkers]

Its a good conversation starter. Next time someone asks to borrow a 7/16 or 3/8” wrench thats the one I would give them.

There was a set of Snappy Whitworths on eBay a few weeks ago. I stopped bidding on them at $75, they sold for well over a hundred.

 

[Shiftless]

it would have value to an older English car collector

I gave a few (Craftsman) that I found to a guy who had British motorcycles. Triumph if I remember correctly.

 

[Smokes5891]

Thanks again for all of the answers folks! It definitely had me all confused lol. Also glad I found this forum in case I ever run into anything like this again! And yes I am going to be using it as a conversation piece with some folks here at the shop lolol