d42jeep
Well-known member
Thanks, guys. Sometimes trying to figure out Craftsman sets gives me a headache. It’s like “well we have these boxes, let’s throw some tools in them and get them out the door”.
-Don
-Don

That is a "transitional" heritage logo....introducted right after the war, these boxes were generally a mismash of tool brands as sears was ending it's involvement with New Britian and was going with Miller Drop Forge for its drive tools...The tools in the box are most likey correct for that era and are probalby original to the set. Post a few pictures when you have a moment. To explicitly answer your question- the catalogs are not detailed enough to show exact tools in certain sets... and sears did sell sets with multiple vendor made tools in the same carry box. So basically it is anyones guess as to the exact tools that came in that box aside from generic hand drawn pictures that are notoriously vague.Carried this (what I presume to be) Heritage badged 1/2" Socket set box with leather handle from an estate sale today at lunch. I haven't pulled out all the tools inside, but 90% of them are random BE. Would this be a period correct case at any point for those tools? If not, what may have populated it originally?![]()
I'll try and get those posted soon. Thanks for your Xpertise, SS!That is a "transitional" heritage logo....introducted right after the war, these boxes were generally a mismash of tool brands as sears was ending it's involvement with New Britian and was going with Miller Drop Forge for its drive tools...The tools in the box are most likey correct for that era and are probalby original to the set. Post a few pictures when you have a moment. To explicitly answer your question- the catalogs are not detailed enough to show exact tools in certain sets... and sears did sell sets with multiple vendor made tools in the same carry box. So basically it is anyones guess as to the exact tools that came in that box aside from generic hand drawn pictures that are notoriously vague.


Much better described than my dive into this logo. JoCo is much more educated on this subject than myself. Basically I was trying to say that this badge is somewhat mysterious and this can be difficult to reseach given the catalogs and the artistic license the illustrators took in themI respectfully think it's a bit presumptive to call the predominately blue Heritage badge a "transitional" badge. The earliest post-war top and bottom chests have predominately red badges on them. I can't speak intelligently about the blue badge 1/2d clamshells (I don't have one) but I have done some experimenting with a blue badge 3/8d clamshell. You can't fit the largest socket or the universal adapter from NB or Circle U sets in the box. They just don't fit. I've cross-talked with another collector who discovered that early MDF components fit OK. The blue badges are a bit of a mystery. One possibility that I've thought of is if they were to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Craftsman name in 1947. Possible? Yes. Likely? Who knows. We have the "Power Bronze paint was to commemorate the 30th anniversary" myth, why not blue badges for the 20th? Another Craftsman mystery we'll never solve.
Yeah, I certainly did even though it was a bit more expensive than the original stack.You stole that. Badass box. Great find Brad.
ok, you really ****! So hard to find. $25 for that is an amazing deal! Nicely done.Yes, a rotary mill vise. Has both top jaws, and everything moves freely. Just needs a quick disassemble and cleaning, and it is ready to go again!
Found in the '52 catalog for 49.98, and this was $25. Listed for only 20min on Craigslist before I reached out, and guy was happy it was going to someone who would appreciate it.
Sidenote: Why did the decal guy not manage to put these on straight? It seems like every one I have seen is pretty crooked.
A while back, I picked up a fairly trashed crowntop machinist chest (it really does have all its drawers, though missing the front tray and some knobs) for $5, with the idea of straightening it up and repainting it earthy green. As I picked at layers of black and red paint, though, broken spotwelds started making themselves known, and there are symmetrical tears in the front, right at the bottom of the toptray. The whole had a sort of twist, leading me to suspect it had literally fallen off a truck. I suppose a good welder could stitch the tears together and tack the broken spotwelds, but I am not such a one, and had sort of let the project go dormant.
So now it’s ready for a repaint..or not? Except for the silver residue and some scrapes, it has most of its original color, though the bottom is missing a lot (beyond the borders of this picture).

Smoke, These are the BE tools that I found inside, after weeding out all the **** in there with. My guess is this box was designed to hold 1/2 Drive and 3/8 Drive. I found a 1/2 drive BE ratchet hidden elsewhere in the garage on a return visit, and when I explained that the ratchet went with the box I bought the day before, they gave it to me for $5.00That is a "transitional" heritage logo....introducted right after the war, these boxes were generally a mismash of tool brands as sears was ending it's involvement with New Britian and was going with Miller Drop Forge for its drive tools...The tools in the box are most likey correct for that era and are probalby original to the set. Post a few pictures when you have a moment. To explicitly answer your question- the catalogs are not detailed enough to show exact tools in certain sets... and sears did sell sets with multiple vendor made tools in the same carry box. So basically it is anyones guess as to the exact tools that came in that box aside from generic hand drawn pictures that are notoriously vague.


Looks like a 1/2" box to me. Would not have mixed 1/2 and 3/8 in this type of box.View attachment 1521724View attachment 1521725Smoke, These are the BE tools that I found inside, after weeding out all the **** in there with. My guess is this box was designed to hold 1/2 Drive and 3/8 Drive. I found a 1/2 drive BE ratchet hidden elsewhere in the garage on a return visit, and when I explained that the ratchet went with the box I bought the day before, they gave it to me for $5.00
Great looking set, Ed! Thanks for the input. I thought maybe it would because of the fact I found both sizes in the box, and the narrower front socket channel.Looks like a 1/2" box to me. Would not have mixed 1/2 and 3/8 in this type of box.View attachment 1521725
Smallest socket in 1/2" set would be a 7/16" I guess, check fit with that, might tell you something.Great looking set, Ed! Thanks for the input. I thought maybe it would because of the fact I found both sizes in the box, and the narrower front socket channel.





Today I picked this up at Habitat for $80.This box just showed up this morning on FB marketplace this morning so since I had an extra top box, I quickly snagged it. Sadly, I don’t have the floor space to keep it so I will be letting the stack go once I have a chance to clean it up a bit and put some paraffin on the friction slides. The last photo shows my two heritage stacks side by side.
Brad
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That’s a repaint. The inside of that cover is the original gray color
Thanks. For $65.00 I'll pass on that https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...eed_ranking_signature":"3342557366104096768"}That’s a repaint. The inside of that cover is the original gray color
No way