Show your "Long C" Craftsman!

[four.cycle]

Just wanted to make sure you guys saw this one since I don't know if any of you follow the "Ebay hot deal" thread.
This wasn't even up for an hour before it sold- maybe 20 or 30 minutes.
I have to wonder if it was a GJ member who snagged it.

Craftsman 3/8" drive chromed pear-head ratchet (New Britain)
listed as used. new NOS
"circle H"
$70.00 + $8.00 shipping now. 0 bids now. ends Fri. 01/12
OR $91.00 + $8.00 shipping "buy now"
https://www.ebay.com/itm/CRAFTMAN-VINTAGE-RATCHET-3-8-DRIVE-LOOK-LIKE-A-SAMPLE-DISPLAY/183005876620
SOLD $91.00 + shipping 01/07 22:00 PST







Salesman's sample? A one-off they made up for a trade show? Paperweight for the CEO's desk?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Salesman's sample? A one-off they made up for a trade show? Paperweight for the CEO's desk?

Not following you on this. New Britain was still making ratchets for Craftsman with a Long C logo and the (H) mark after the war, after chrome-plating restrictions were lifted, and before Sears & Roebuck moved to the =CRAFTSMAN= =V= styles and markings (c. 1947). Or are you commenting on the unused condition?

 

[four.cycle]

fully chromed and polished like that?

news to me!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I could be wrong, BK. All chrome looks the same to me. (Garishly ugly!)

 

[d42jeep]

With the finish defects, it may have been chrome plated long after it left the factory. I like that is assembled backwards as well!
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

I can't recall ever seeing one chromed...

 

[Outlawmws]

With the finish defects, it may have been chrome plated long after it left the factory. I like that is assembled backwards as well!
-Don

Most of the 3/8" I see, (even in the catalogs) are "backwards"

 

[3baygarage]

With the finish defects, it may have been chrome plated long after it left the factory. I like that is assembled backwards as well!
-Don

Could be, they did make tools in chrome though guys. The amber tools come to mind.

 

[d42jeep]

My 1/4" drive with the removable plug may have started out chrome but I don't think it ever looked like that one.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

Could be, they did make tools in chrome though guys. The amber tools come to mind.

Are you sure? Nothing in the ads about any plating?


Backpage in "color"

Page six:

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I was so astonished that so many of you guys thought that Craftsman tools would not be chrome-plated, that I checked the catalogs...

1941:
"All pieces are finished in highly polished industrial type chromium." (page 8)
"Bright chromium finish." (page 9)
"Chromium-plated finish." (page 10)
"Durable chromium-plating." (page 12)

1948: "Chrome-plated and highly polished for finer appearance." (page 1)

The only catalog that doesn't mention chrome, not surprisingly, is the 1942.

 

[3baygarage]

Outlaw - there’s an example at AA described as chrome plated.

http://alloy-artifacts.org/craftsman-be-hcircle-p3.html

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Are you sure? Nothing in the ads about any plating?

We x-posted, Outlaw. Your images are from the 1942 catalog. It was printed after chromium (and all the other precious metals) were restricted. All the descriptions that mention a chromium plated finish in the 1941 catalog have been removed from the 1942 catalog, which also includes references to "special alloy steel" (so-called "New Emergency" triple alloys invented by the AISI/industry/govt consortium).

 

[Outlawmws]

Well I looked at my long C tool box, and sure enough, maybe 10% (or less) were plated. Had to look close for some of them. NONE of the ratchets or extensions were, maybe 4 sockets, two breakers. Higher percentage in wrenches.

That full/overfull set in the box from the late 40's? un-plated.

I still think that ratchet was plated after the fact. Just IMO.

 

[Outlawmws]

Outlaw - there’s an example at AA described as chrome plated.

http://alloy-artifacts.org/craftsman-be-hcircle-p3.html

AA's ratio is about like mine. mostly no plated

We x-posted, Outlaw. Your images are from the 1942 catalog. It was printed after chromium (and all the other precious metals) were restricted. All the descriptions that mention a chromium plated finish in the 1941 catalog have been removed from the 1942 catalog, which also includes references to "special alloy steel" (so-called "New Emergency" triple alloys invented by the AISI/industry/govt consortium).

I saw that. I don't have the other hand tool catalogs...

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Did you see post #332? I included excerpts from the 1941 and the 1948. But you can page through them on the Tools Archive. That's what I do.

Speaking of the ratchet that four.cycle posted, it may very well have been made in the late 1930's, 1940, or 1941. The markings did not change. Not sure why we're thinking it's post-war. It certainly fits the catalog description of chrome-plated and highly polished.

 

[Outlawmws]

I did see the post Lugz. It's what got me out of my chair and looking closer at the tools I have. It's so rare for me to find them plated, I simply didn't remember.

Now I'm wondering if pre war (still fighting out of the depression) and post War (Lots of surplus and "liberated" tools) is what made the plated tools so rare? They just didn't sell that many?

 

[four.cycle]

wow.... didn't mean to stir things up with that!

my excitement stumbling upon that was probably caused by my skewed view from looking at old beat-up stuff in Ebay listings. maybe I just wasn't paying close enough attention - I usually ignore Craftsman listings.
and here I thought I'd come across some kind of Holy Grail!

thanks for straightening it out, Lugnutz.

if they were indeed plated at the factory, it makes it that much crazier that somebody paid a hundred bucks for it!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It was a good kind of stir, and I'm not sure it's entirely straight yet. I have seen chrome-plated Long C socket wrench pieces at fleas, which I typically push aside and leave behind as pre-war or post-war. I wouldn't say I have seen plenty of it, so maybe it's not so common, as Outlaw alluded to, or maybe it was the flawlessly pristine NOS quality of that particular ratchet that drove the price up.

 

[d42jeep]

I did a quick look through the available Craftsman catalogs for my larger 1/4” BE ratchet and couldn’t find it. One that looked just like it was in the New Britain catalog, not too surprisingly. I also noticed that the Craftsman catalogs did in fact show the 3/8” BE ratchets assembled backwards but they were assembled correctly in the New Britain catalog.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

"...maybe it was the flawlessly pristine NOS quality of that particular ratchet that drove the price up..."

It was listed at $70 minimum bid with a "buy now" price of $91 - it was sold less than an hour after it was listed at the "buy now" price. (more like 20 or 30 minutes, because I was cooking rice, which only takes 20.)
somebody saw it and said "MINE!"

 

[Private Lugnutz]

(more like 20 or 30 minutes, because I was cooking rice, which only takes 20.)

You better have a poached or 3-minute egg next time!

 

[Toolguybak]

Same Era lathe, most likely 1937, my favorite badge of them all, the blue one

This lathe appears to have the Craftsman ball bearing decal on the headstock.
If so, that would date it to around 1941 through WWII.
The 1939/40 10x36 flat way lathes were built with SKF ball bearings.
The earlier version (1937/38) of this lathe had semi-circular ways.

Nice lathe! (I have a 1939.)
Brian

 

[BuffettFan]

View media item 79965
Here are few DOE's that I am not even sure where they came from.

 

[BuffettFan]

View media item 79969
After 30 hours in some vinegar, a coat of BLO and a brief stoning on the faces.
Thinking of making a wood plaque to mount them on and hang them on the shop wall.
Anybody have a guess as to the age?
Thanks!

 

[BuffettFan]

View media item 79970

The back side.

 

[notlob]

My guess is wartime production because they are not chromed and are not stamped "vanadium."

 

[BuffettFan]

notlob,
From the tiny bit of info I've gathered, I was thinking early 40's, so that is in line with your thought as well.
My assumption is that they came from one of my grandfathers, who would have been in their 30's at that point and both working as machinists at Caterpillar.
Thanks for the input!

 

[MShaw]

Here's my total stock. If someone needs it to complete a set it can be had VERY reasonably.

 

[Farleyfan]

d42jeep, I have never seen that ratchet before, Awesome !
Late 40's ?
Thanks for posting

 

[ryan20021982]

Found this in an old Craftsman toolbox after removing the bottom drawer

View media item 79963View media item 79964

 

[BuffettFan]

That's pretty cool!
Would look great framed and hanging in your shop.

 

[Bryan Burns]

These are mine. The saw gets some use, the others none. The saw is a favorite.

 

[Outlawmws]

That's cool Ryan! I actually have a couple of the drill indexes from the OEM (General), and based in the badges, from two different eras, and likely one at least is from the 30's 40's.

 

[XJSuperman]

Don't have too many yet, but I keep my eye out for em.

 

[RubiconJK]

Found this one yesterday at the flea market.

 

[RubiconJK]

Found this one yesterday at the flea market.

BTW, this wrench also carries the "AF" mark. Lauver's list shows Hinsdale did the Vanadium line, but also that AF was from Billings & Spencer and mostly for flat wrenches. ??

 

[Outlawmws]

I'm pretty sure Billings also did Vanadium steel.

 

[Macduf]

Don't remember if I posted my long c collection.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Did you repaint that box? It's in pristine condition.