Show off your DOE's!

[Beerhippie]

Spearpoint Wrenches

progress-is-fine.blogspot.com

"as found"

no no no....

sorry.. it's "across the flats", if I'm not mistaken.

Sounds good. Like I mentioned, I just tried it on several 3/4 and 11/16 bolt heads. Well within tolerance.

I was afraid is might be one of those odd British things....

 

[Farmer J.]

four.cycle was quicker with an answer!

 

[four.cycle]

^ I have nothing here in the way of documentation - only that link to Gerald's site. My guess is that I came across one during an ebay search.
Currently there are about a dozen listings on ebay for "Spearpoint wrench", but none of them offers any clue as to who the manufacturer might have been.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I found and posted one a couple years ago in this thread. That example was marked with Whitworth and British Standard Fine sizes. I'd say, "Search," but I know some of you are search-challenged. Link here.

Edit: Also discussed a little on @Farmer J. 's "Superslim" thread.

 

[MisterEd]

Unbranded DOE marked "W21V" and approximately 11/32 x 7/16. Feather-like markings on 7/16 end by owner?

 

[four.cycle]

^ That logo looks remarkably similar to.....

who knew there were so many "tree" logos?

 

[NoahG]

Picked up this little guy today.

 

[d42jeep]

I’ve found a few DOE wrenches recently. Here is another Billings found yesterday.
Found this early Fulton sold by Sears.
Posted these in the Duro-Indestro thread.Here is a little New Britain wrench.
Found this S-K wrench last weekend.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

With several sets of "S" (or Carriage Makers') wrenches going (Lakeside Forge, Southington, Kraeuter, and J.P. Danielson), and more than a few orphans needing company (Winchester, etc), I'm always turning them over at flea markets. I was surprised to see this one this morning with a very faint Shapleigh "Diamond Edge" logo. Not easy to read the model number, either, which is slightly mis-stamped, but I believe it's a "675B", which matches the opening sizes (3/8" x 7/16"). Jock found a "681B" Shapleigh DE "S" wrench back in 2019, linked here, and a year before that Rags found one in a group of "S" wrenches with the brief merger Norvell-Shapleigh version of the marking on the shank, linked here.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Wrong thread.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Wrong thread.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a wrench I found at a yard sale yesterday. No sizes are indicated.
-Don

 

[Stubby1743]

A few Snail Brand spanners.





The snail TM, togeter with the Footprint one are my favourite ones I think.

 

[Stubby1743]

A no name DOE made in The USA. Anyone got any ideas as to maker?





As can be seen, the lettering is heavily raised. The openings are 1" and 13/16".

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Anyone got any ideas as to maker?

Possibly very early carbon steel Vlchek. They made a lot of third party wrenches in the 20s and 30's, they favored the DROP FORGED marking, and they put esoteric forge numbers on shanks. But nothing is certain. Very commonly seen in old wood toolboxes at flea markets here.

The snail TM, togeter with the Footprint one are my favourite ones I think.

They are certainly cute and unique! Europe, in general, was known for more flamboyant markings on wrenches. I have a few snails that I cherish for the same reason (some day my grandboys will probably get a kick out of them...), and I like the Weyersberg (Germany) bugle, too.

 

[Stubby1743]

I picked up these two this morning at my local car boot sale.





The top spanner is made by T Williams of Superslim fame, in The UK. A quick internet search shows quite a few being offered on UK ebay with them all being described as Ford tractor spanners.

The bottom Nubo spanner is more interesting. Nubo tools have been discussed in various threads on the forum in the past, but it seems that nobody is sure who actually made them. The name Nubo, the part number (1101W) and the Whitworth sizes are stamped. However, the fractional AF sizes 15/32" and 5/16" remain forged into the shank.

I left behind a larger Nubo spanner with one jaw snapped off. A sign of either poor quality or extreme abuse, I/me not sure which.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The top spanner is made by T Williams of Superslim fame, in The UK. A quick internet search shows quite a few being offered on UK ebay with them all being described as Ford tractor spanners.

You might enjoy perusing this thread...

English Ford Spanners

www.garagejournal.com

Nubo tools have been discussed in various threads on the forum in the past, but it seems that nobody is sure who actually made them.

A few years ago I found a DBE wrench with the < NuBo > logo that had all the earmarks of being Bonney. I posted it on the Bonney thread, with some scant NuBo research, humber2 filled in the rest and proceeded to postulate that it was probably Gray-Bonney of Canada, hence the Bonney looks. If you go to page 114 in the Bonney thread, linked here, go to post #2828 and scroll down you can find photos and info. humber also posted this, in case you missed it..

I have the 1939 NUBO Catalog and a few tools.

Pre WW2 most NUBO tools were marked FOREIGN denoting German manufacture.

Post WW2 British Made was what was noted on the tools and contemporary Catalogs.

The marketing Company was Gerald Stains Ltd of Underwood St London N1

 

[Ricky Joe]

I picked up these two this morning at my local car boot sale.





The top spanner is made by T Williams of Superslim fame, in The UK. A quick internet search shows quite a few being offered on UK ebay with them all being described as Ford tractor spanners.

The bottom Nubo spanner is more interesting. Nubo tools have been discussed in various threads on the forum in the past, but it seems that nobody is sure who actually made them. The name Nubo, the part number (1101W) and the Whitworth sizes are stamped. However, the fractional AF sizes 15/32" and 5/16" remain forged into the shank.

I left behind a larger Nubo spanner with one jaw snapped off. A sign of either poor quality or extreme abuse, I/me not sure which.

Inability to withstand extreme abuse is synonymous with poor quality.

 

[d42jeep]

With certain exceptions, I normally don’t pick up stamped steel wrenches but this one looked interesting to me. It has the Mossberg logos but I’m not familiar with the other name.
-Don

 

[Mintgrun]

Davis-Bournonville Co.

I've never heard of them. Nothing comes up when searching this forum.
(until now)
Tom

edited to correct spelling.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I’m not familiar with the other name.

Davis-Bournonville Co.

Old, old, old Jersey City company. They made welding gear. Google Books will likely reveal all kinds of references.

Cool find, Don.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

As most of you guys know, I have a dozen or so complete or partial DOE wrench sets. Sone of them are in holders. Vlchek, Barcalo, BHM, and a couple others. A good many of them are not though, especially the sets like Kraeuter, Southington, ETF, Lakeside and so many others that I am building onesy-twosy. They're space hogs, difficult to stack, and problematic to handle and move around loose.

I am experimenting with some ideas.

I kind of like the C clamps. They're mechanically fitting, vintage, fairly prolific and cheap at fleas, and they actually work very well.

On the right is a modern generic no-name holder that is supposed to stand up that I have adapted, turned upside down, and laid flat.

 

[Mintgrun]

I make rubber bands out of bike innertubes and use those to tie bundles of wrenches together. They don't work that well on DBE wrenches but DOE and combination wrenches can be bundled together by looping the band over one jaw and then giving it a twist, like a figure eight, before looping it up over the other jaw. The last photo shows a double bundled stack, with a smaller size band around the shanks.



A friend of mine used to work in a bike store and he gave me a big bag of innertubes. I usually make them at the paper cutter, but scissors would work fine too. It's crazy how much they vary in size and rubber stiffness. They're very durable.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Great idea, Tom. I was using thick conventional rubber bands at one point, but they dry out and snap. I was thinking of something more eye-catching than purely functional, but the cut up innertubes are vintage-y and classically efficiently shop-ish. Thanks.

 

[MR.X]

I picked up these two this morning at my local car boot sale.





The top spanner is made by T Williams of Superslim fame, in The UK. A quick internet search shows quite a few being offered on UK ebay with them all being described as Ford tractor spanners.

The bottom Nubo spanner is more interesting. Nubo tools have been discussed in various threads on the forum in the past, but it seems that nobody is sure who actually made them. The name Nubo, the part number (1101W) and the Whitworth sizes are stamped. However, the fractional AF sizes 15/32" and 5/16" remain forged into the shank.

I left behind a larger Nubo spanner with one jaw snapped off. A sign of either poor quality or extreme abuse, I/me not sure which.

I've always kind of assumed the bottom style were maybe Vlchek, I think the 49 Vlchek catalog had a similar recessed panel toolkit style. NUBO clearly were all over the place jumping from U.S to British made stuff, they even had a thing going with Hazet in the 50's.

 

[PSCo1867]

Pre-emptive apology: I feel like I’ve asked and been answered, here or on some other thread. I’m going through previously-neglected DOEs, and these came to hand. One is a standard 731A, but is only marked (Q/O/0)1191 DB 46. The other two are mirrored twins: 36944.
Recognize these numbers?
Edit - Q1191DB46 is Dodge Brothers kit wrench?

Here's another Q-1191 DOE, this time with the Moore logo. Any more info on these "Q" wrenches?
Edit: after poking around, it looks like just another variation of a DB kit wrench.

 

[cliffitz]

I’m fairly new at collecting vintage tools, maybe a couple of years in. I concentrate on wrenches and sockets mostly, it seems what I find more than others are d.o.e. Here are some of my more unusual d.o.e.’s. Blackhawk Hexite Wedg-head, Arcturus Mfg corp, Buffon Tool co with the ******** logo, DB 34 (Dodge Brothers), Handy Andy and a USMC (United Shoe Machine Co) WRHH 216.

 

[username2]

I'll have to keep an eye out for interesting ones. I was going through a big ol' pile of these and just couldn't feel the love for a buck each.

Maybe the thing to do is to look for name brands or interesting logos. As a hobby, it's certainly cheap.

Are there any existing threads for 'good vs bad' vintage brands or the like? My current tendency, for example, is to throw any Thorsen into the weird no-name Asian pile. Still haven't found Pittsburgh, China on a map yet.

 

[d42jeep]

You might want to relocate the Thorsen. If they were good enough for military purchases they must not have been equal to no name Asian tools.
Some other Thorsen tools.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

My current tendency, for example, is to throw any Thorsen into the weird no-name Asian pile.

Thorsen are not "No name Asian" - actually pretty good tools generally. mostly right up with Proto/Plvmb empire.

Maybe the thing to do is to look for name brands or interesting logos. As a hobby, it's certainly cheap.

This is me. If I like it and its reasonable, I'll buy it. Some are destined for a "oddfellows" display, some are unique enough to earn a place in the main roller box, some land in specialized brand/era collections or other specialized/dedicated tool sets

 

[username2]

Thorsen are not "No name Asian" - actually pretty good tools generally. mostly right up with Proto/Plvmb empire.

Looking at Alloy Artifacts (I always read that as Articats), the Thorsen story looks to be a typically complicated one with both good and bad. I certainly haven't found any sets, just the occasional orphan socket. If I see a nice set, I'll sweep it up into one of my Plomb chests.

There ain't gonna be any Hecho in India Gedore, that's fer sure.
(lol. I really have to hope that that One Guy who collects Gedore India isn't reading this.)

As usual, now that I'm starting all over, the Plompire always needs feeding. But it has to be cheap and local, it's too easy to build a collection from eBay (although I can see the point of completing a set or getting something rare).

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Arcturus Mfg corp,

Very late (1945) WWII production. Almost assuredly has a Federal Stock Number in an inset panel on the flip side, either with or without a 'DROP FORGED' marking. Judging by the size of it, looks like a "41-W-1008-10" (ISN 28-S) or a "41-W-1012-5" (ISN 731-A). They also made a "41-W-1005-5" (ISN 27-C) and a "41-W-1003" (ISN 25). All trucks (except Dodge) from 1/4 T to 2.5 included a set of DOE's with those sizes and a 41-W-991 (ISN 723) wrench in their onboard kit, but nobody has ever seen an Arcturus 723. So, it was an odd contract.

Besides that, they are notable for having large weird-shaped heads with shallow throats.

A pic of mine below.

And a little more info from a post earlier in this thread, with a link to even more info if you're interested here...

The name comes from the Arcturus Zone, which was the name given to the rich Quaternary oil deposits of the alluvial planes in LA County (Le Brea, Santa Monica, etc), and started in a tin shed on the property of the Arcturus Oil Company, in 1945, explicitly to take advantage of the nascent postwar military-industrial complex. More info in post #21 and #38 of this thread, and Unaiu's NOS box can be seen in posts #41 and #45 on the same thread.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Buffon Tool co with the ******** logo, DB 34 (Dodge Brothers), Handy Andy and a USMC (United Shoe Machine Co) WRHH 216.

It's Buffum. Those are all neat finds, but the Buffum is very rare. All I have managed in the wild is an all-steel extra heavy duty machinists' screwdriver. We have a U.S.M.C. thread, by the way, if you're interested in seeing more tools. That wrench (I have one) is not in either of the catalogs in the public domain, unfortunately.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have a few “Controlled Steel” and “Drop Forged” open end wrenches. They are nearly identical in design. According to Alloy Artifacts Controlled Steel was a JP Danielson brand and Drop Forged was a Vlchek brand. Since both of these companies eventually became part of Plomb (according to Alloy Artifacts) would these two brands have been produced at the same plant? Thoughts?

I am moving your post from here to here to answer it, since it pertains to DOE wrenches.

Two of the things you're going to discover if you stick around is that all threads get buried on page 2 through 5xx very quickly, and one-off threads, such as the one you started just to post this question, almost never return from the dead, and they're impossible to find later. It's the primary motivation for long-time members preferring to keep discussions organized by topic (either brand or type), to reduce the proliferation of short threads, especially posts on topics that already have a thread. The handiest way to get a feel for what topics already have a thread is the A-Z index in the READ B4 POSTING Sticky at the top of the forum. You'll find links for this (DOEs) thread as well as to threads dedicated to J.P. Danielson, Vlchek, and Plomb.

First off, "nearly identical" is a stretch. They both have inset panels, but even those aren't the same, the markings aren't the same, and they were not made in the same plant or even at the same time. The JPD wrench is very early (1930s) in the CONTROLLED STEEL production line. The Vlchek wrench is late 40s or 50s. Both were made before Plomb Tool Co bought JPD (10/1946) or Vlchek (1959).

 

[cliffitz]

Thanks for your answer, I am new to collecting and also this group. I have much to learn. I find the history of American tool makers very interesting. I see many similarities to the automobile manufacturing from it’s beginning to the eventual consolidation or closure of most of the companies.

 

[cliffitz]

It's Buffum. Those are all neat finds, but the Buffum is very rare. All I have managed in the wild is an all-steel extra heavy duty machinists' screwdriver. We have a U.S.M.C. thread, by the way, if you're interested in seeing more tools. That wrench (I have one) is not in either of the catalogs in the public domain, unfortunately.

Thank you again, I actually knew it was Buffum but spell check got me and I didn’t proof read before posting. Buffum tool co was apparently based out of Louisiana MO which is about 30 miles from where I live.

 

[username2]

The handiest way to get a feel for what topics already have a thread is the A-Z index in the READ B4 POSTING Sticky at the top of the forum. You'll find links for this (DOEs) thread as well as to threads dedicated to J.P. Danielson, Vlchek, and Plomb.

I've been grinding through parts of that and really have to thank the people who put it together, it's a bunch of work.

The little Tidiness Demon that lives in my head is screaming to put together some sort of canonical old tool website. Somebody really needs to do a good job of history/pics/catalogs and put it in order. Sorry if I'm goring anyone's ox, but that Alloy Artifacts site really isn't good enough. Plus, given the inevitable death of the Internet Archive from the Copyright Police, all of those scanned catalogs need to be hosted elsewhere, as a backup if nothing else. No doubt people have their own copies, but a well-done archive is a beautiful thing.

Of course, there's a lot of topics that need to be really hammered on by someone with OCD. Home audio. Musical instruments. Military regalia. 1969 Chevrolet products. Pinball machines. Online databases could always be bigger and better put together and probably need to be hosted outside of the US.

 

[leg17]

I've been grinding through parts of that and really have to thank the people who put it together, it's a bunch of work.

The little Tidiness Demon that lives in my head is screaming to put together some sort of canonical old tool website. Somebody really needs to do a good job of history/pics/catalogs and put it in order. Sorry if I'm goring anyone's ox, but that Alloy Artifacts site really isn't good enough. Plus, given the inevitable death of the Internet Archive from the Copyright Police, all of those scanned catalogs need to be hosted elsewhere, as a backup if nothing else. No doubt people have their own copies, but a well-done archive is a beautiful thing.
.....

Sounds like you have outlined your life's work.
Good luck.
We'll be watching for it.

 

[username2]

Sounds like you have outlined your life's work.
Good luck.
We'll be watching for it.

lol. Maybe start with the Bog universe.

I have every intention of pulling down every catalog I can find on the Internet Archive though. That is a sketchier place to count on than you might think. A lawyer could shut it down in a New York Minute.

A funny thing about canonicity (is that a word?) is that most research on the internet comes from, well, researching on the internet. It all becomes a giant game of Telephone rather than people digging into original documents, interviewing survivors, etc. The genealogy world is particularly prone to this, although one of my shirttail relatives managed to link me back a couple of thousand years, which is to be believed absolutely of course.

My own expertise would lead me to construct the Wiki1969Camaro website (which needs doing too, along with a multitude of other things) but that will probably go on the to-do list along with writing an open source video editor.

 

[four.cycle]

I have every intention of pulling down every catalog I can find on the Internet Archive though. That is a sketchier place to count on than you might think. A lawyer could shut it down in a New York Minute.

Section 107 of the United States Copyright Protection laws allows for "fair use" for academic purposes. Nobody here or at archive.org is making any money on this - it's all fair use.
Mr. Stansbury takes great pains to assure the material he is uploading to the site is not subject to current copyright laws, which is why you will see a lot of material not available at ITCL that can be found elsewhere online.

A funny thing about canonicity (is that a word?) is that most research on the internet comes from, well, researching on the internet. It all becomes a giant game of Telephone rather than people digging into original documents, interviewing survivors, etc.

"Original documents" become increasingly more rare with each passing day. More to the point, most of those surviving "original documents" are hardware wholesale catalogs or manufacturers' catalogs that may already be abundant.
The internet by default becomes the primary source. It's not a bad source - it's just that the information is scattered all over creation with no sense of order.