Socket maker ID?

[mrb1]

Duro, Indestro? And when did metric tools become readily available?

 

[Lesserstore]

My guess would be GM, Oxwall, or one of the other budget tool brands of the 50s and 60s.

 

[3baygarage]

Sears Roebuck metrics look similar as well.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Dunlap?

 

[bonneyman]

Duro, Indestro? And when did metric tools become readily available?

The major Asian influx of products didn't appear until the late 60's/early 70's as I recall. (Though post WW2 Japan rebuilt their war-ravaged economy by building and selling their products in the USA market). Up to that point most all quality tools were American made. But then corporations and Joe public discovered the relative inexpensive foreign products and the inflow became a flood. With foreign products being made with metric fasteners a whole new area of tool needs popped up, so, metric tools began appearing on American shores. (As I've read here on the Journal, metric fasteners before this were handled by the 64ths increment sockets and tools). At first the metallurgy was pretty lousy, though I had a set of Sears combo wrenches in the early 80's that were Japanese made and very solid.
I'm still surprised SAE fasteners and tools are still so prevalent - I figured the cheapness of foreign stuff would have killed it years ago. I guess we Americans are stubborn! JMHO.

 

[d42jeep]

I saw Dunlap hex drive ones listed in the 1960 catalog. I have some in the garage somewhere. I’ll try to dig them out for a comparison.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Some US mfgrs (notably Bridgeport and Snap-on) were making metric tools as early as the 30s, but they were all special order, back of the catalog, or special catalog, for export markets.

Bonneyman is correct on the metric conversion in tools, the timing of it, and the reasons for it. It's remarkable that between that and the massive federal campaign that followed in the 70s, we still cling to imperial.

Unaiu has a really cool, historically significant Thorsen socket set made at that time (70s) that has red, white and blue themed packaging and a metric conversion propaganda pitch on the label under the lid.

I have no good opinion on the socket in question, but I find myself agreeing with all the conjecture.

 

[four.cycle]

Looks like Dunlap or possibly G.M. Mfg. Co. - compare to a known example.

 

[d42jeep]

I am currently the proud owner of the Thorsen set that Lugz mentioned above. Here is a shot of that liner,
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I found an old picture of mine. They are a very close match to the Dunlap hex sockets in the 1960 Sears catalog although they may be slightly newer. They didn’t come with the original packaging.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ That Thorsen pitch on that insert is hilarious.

I think your examples above make the case for Dunlap being the OP's brand.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Dunlap whitworth set. Looks similar

 

[bonneyman]

Very nice set, Don. Me likey!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I am currently the proud owner of the Thorsen set that Lugz mentioned above.

I forgot that! I also forgot that it was called The Yankee Doodle Special! Too funny. But I got everything else right. It was twice as funny reading it the second time around. That second section gives new meaning to the old Traffic LP and song, John Barleycorn Must Die.

 

[four.cycle]

"...Looks similar..."

But with a very subtle difference in the knurling pattern. Don's SAE set is a dead-on match.
Was that a difference in vintage? Or were the SAE, Metric, and Whitworth versions of those Dunlap sets all sporting different knurling patterns?
(As near as I've been able to determine, only Dunlap (Sears), G.M. Mfg. Co., and Walden (Tomahawk) stamped their low-end sockets "Made in U.S.A." - can anyone else confirm that?)

 

[Oldtuleguy]

My socketeers (pendleton) are stamped usa

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Tomahawk, gm

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I would say dunlap is the likely culprit.... small knurling differences aside.

 

[four.cycle]

GAH! The "Socketeer" was a low-end line from..... Penens? Plomb? Proto?
(I seem to recall seeing a set of those listed on Ebay and blew right by it.)
So that's four brands of those low-end sockets stamped "U.S.A." - clearly however the "Socketeer" has a completely different knurling pattern than the other three, or so it would appear.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Knurling is easy to change. Could be all made in same factory! Here is socketeer in 55 challenger catalog. I have it posted on plombpire thread as well.

 

[four.cycle]

thank you!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Anytime!

 

[d42jeep]

It wouldn’t be the first time that Sears sourced tools from the Plombpire.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ I am now real curious as to what that "Socketeer" set and an equivalent "Dunlap" set would look like side-by-side. The ratchet looks almost identical.

 

[burnin53]

Here's my Socketeers.
Definitely the same as the Sears and Dunlap branded stuff.