Show your "Long C" Craftsman!

[Motochick]

Does this count? I use it about every week, still going strong. This came from my late father-in-laws auto parts store which used to be a garage in the 50's. Don't know anything about it other than it does the job I need it to do!

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[Outlawmws]

It definitely counts!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

So I made an interesting discovery today...

On a recent Precision-Bilt thread, linked here, GJ member notlob recently posted some excerpts from the 1955 Spiegel Christmas catalog, which he got from a site called the Wishbook Web. It’s an archive and resource for collectors of vintage direct-order catalogs such as Sears, Montgomery Ward’s, and Spiegel and the like. I started poking around to see if any of the other catalogs might help fill some holes we have, and sure enough, there is a 1946 Sears Christmas catalog with four (4) pages of tools!

That’s important because the Craftsman catalogs in the public domain in this era are 1942 and 1948 (technically, November 1947), both available for viewing on Tools Archive. I don’t know of a source for anything in between, and that gap, from wartime to the post-war catalogs, a time of transition for Craftsman, including changes in wrench and socket wrench set suppliers, has always been fraught with questions and theories.

I don’t know if the 1946 Sears Christmas catalog answers any of them, and it may actually raise more.

The machinists’ chests and toolboxes shown on page 203, linked here, already have metal “Heritage” badges, not “Long/Geometric C” decals.

The pieces in the socket wrench set (16-pc 1/2-inch drive, Set No. 99 N 04409) shown on page 205, linked here, are all =CRAFTSMAN= =V= (thought to be Moore Drop Forge) in shape and style and markings, not New Britain “Long/Geometric C”. (See Thumbnail for excerpt.)

I did not expect to see that, frankly.

Heck, the 1948 (11/47) Craftsman catalog still includes some New Britain “Long C” BE/(H) type pieces mixed in with the =CRAFSMAN= =V= type pieces. Not until 1949 were they completely dropped.

And, if you do a direct one-for-one comparison, that same 16-pc set (No. 99 PC 04409), shown on page 2 of a Craftsman catalog published a year later (November 1947), is all New Britain tools!

Christmas 1946 is way earlier than I expected to see the MDF introduced, and a longer transition or overlap period of mixed suppliers/styles (over two years, Christmas 1946 to 1948) that I have been previously thinking of as only one year, basically 1948.

 

[Username already in use]

Interesting image there. To my eye, the sockets look like New Britain made sockets, not =V= and not Plomb made (U) sockets. However, the ratchet sure looks like the (U) Plomb sourced ratchet. I'm fairly certain that Plomb was making (U) tools branded Craftsman for only a short time beginning at the end of the war. But for how long, I'm not certain.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

You may be right. I haven't paid much attention to Plomb (U). I was concentrating on the ratchet NOT being New Britain BE/(H), forgetting about Plomb (U). That would bring things back into the norm then... edit: in terms of how early =V= was introduced, but it's still earlier than I thought Heritage badges were introduced. /edit

 

[SPAMNATOR]

Hi guys. Been lurking around and figured I post a few pics. Found these in a tool box I purchased at auction. This guy had a lot of vintage Snap On and Mac also.

 

[paulm12]

anyone need for their set?
.

 

[DD T/A]

I reported seeing this a few weeks back, and got it today for $6. I will never use it but it's a neat tool and appears to work great. The directional selector is a tad too difficult to switch, but that's it.

1/4" drive BE

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...and found with the push-pull drive plug!

 

[Capt. Spaulding]

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[bmwrd0]

So, over the weekend I picked up this:

Looks every bit of the long life it has had but runs smooth as a top. Pulled it apart (mostly) to make sure of the wiring, finding one badly frayed line to the cap. Fixed that, added wires inside to make a reversing switch work and bobs your uncle, the correct motor for my lathe!

 

[paulm12]

recent garage sale find, long C folding rule in great shape.
.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That's a goodie, Paul.

 

[Summersteel]

Just restored this one recently. Works smoooth.

 

[wrenchguy]

Just restored this one recently. Works smoooth.

nice blue

 

[Smokeshow69]

Just restored this one recently. Works smoooth.

That turned out very nice !


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[Outlawmws]

Nice job SS!

 

[Catfishdan]

I picked up a pretty nice set at the flea market today. All circle h pieces in 1/2" and 3/8" drive. Looks like it's only missing the 1/2" 5/8 socket and the speeders. And the leather handle.

A few oddities- The box doesn't have a place for 3/8" sockets. Someone maybe added the 3/8" set to the 1/2" set? While all the pieces are circle h, some have the long c logo and some have the =Craftsman= logo. It does include the 19/32" socket.

Anyone have a catalog that shows a similar set? I can only find back to 1949 on the net.








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[3baygarage]

Nice find. That looks well preserved.

 

[Catfishdan]

Here's an interesting discovery. I took apart the 3/8 ratchet to clean and lube, and look what's on the other side of the faceplate...


No doubt who made this ratchet for Craftsman.


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[B17E1943]

Looks to me like someone put early pieces in a later box.

Great find!

 

[Catfishdan]

Looks to me like someone put early pieces in a later box.

Great find!

That was my first thought as well, but the 1947 catalog shows the new Britain style tools with heritage logo boxes. I guess they overlapped for a few years.

 

[3baygarage]

Well that’s a fun discovery!

 

[BFBOB]

Does this count?
The C is so long it goes all the way around??

 

[Outlawmws]

That is inset and not part of the C, and I'm pretty sure that vise, was not in existence when the Long C markings stopped?

 

[Outlawmws]

Here's an interesting discovery. I took apart the 3/8 ratchet to clean and lube, and look what's on the other side of the faceplate...


No doubt who made this ratchet for Craftsman.


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I can hear it now:

"Wadaya mean we don't enough have ratchets to make the Sears order? Quick! take those face plates off, stamp them Craftsman, and get them into those boxes!"

 

[BFBOB]

That is inset and not part of the C, and I'm pretty sure that vise, was not in existence when the Long C markings stopped?

It's a joke ... or so intended

 

[Outlawmws]

Emoticons are your friends for dry humor!

 

[LesserSon]

Here's an interesting discovery. I took apart the 3/8 ratchet to clean and lube, and look what's on the other side of the faceplate...
No doubt who made this ratchet for Craftsman.

If the Alloy Artifacts guy would have done that, he would have saved himself a lot of painstaking side-by-side comparison to come to the same conclusion. But it does throw an interesting twist on the H-circle deriving from the Husky plant in Kenosha. Maybe true early-on, but when BE finally phased out, started using H-circle whatever plants were cranking them out.

 

[Outlawmws]

Recent additions to the Long C collection: All came from the same garage sale; all "belonged to gramps!"

"CI" DOEs and DBEs

The boxes are for 3/8 and 1/2 inch socket sets. The top 3/8 had some of the sockets, the breaker and Tommy bar, and the sliding Tee. the 1/2 was full of Allen wrenches, which I left...

Markings are both early and very late for he boxes, and this give me the large oval boxes for both 3/8 and a 1/2 set for the full drive sets, as I several years ago picked up the 1/2 set with a lot of 3/8's mixed in.

I also have the smaller 3/8 socket set box similar to this "new" 1/2 box. so I should be able to populate all the sets? close to it if not complete.

 

[Outlawmws]

LS, not sure very many had dual makings like that.

 

[LesserSon]

Here’s something - I didn’t ask for a price. The saw itself is dead to me, and I don’t really want the medallion or nuts for any other saw. I think they are nickel-plated brass, but I didn’t have a magnet to be certain. The nickel on the capscrews on the other side is much worse.
Edit - No, Outlaw, the blade was deeply rusted/pitted on both sides, like it spent decades in bad conditions. The handle is indicative of the overall condition. Only the nuts are of any potential value.

 

[Outlawmws]

Hmmm, I might have picked that up just to get the medallion, if cheap enough. or possibly swap a handle if the blade was good...

 

[danandmelrod]

Picked this bad boy at a recent estate sale for $65. Looks all complete. It has been rattle canned red. I’m thinking 1942??

 

[Outlawmws]

Dan, do the drawers have slides? if so later (like 42ish) if not probably earlier.

 

[DWise]

Could not find the thread on blow torches so I thought it might go here.
Date on directions is February 1952.

 

[AngryBeaver]

1/45 date stamped reed made 5185 craftsman vise

 

[Jaydb07]

Well I got this today


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[Jaydb07]

Well I got this today


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Well and these too



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[Outlawmws]

Careful! you just hit s slipper slope!