Spreading the Bonney affliction!
- Thread starter bonneyman
- Start date
twertsy
Well-known member
Are they Zenel or plain? Quite sure I have spares of both.I've got a handful of wartime Bonney pieces.
Here's an ignition wrench set. I'm missing the #E18 if anyone can help me out, I would sure appreciate it! [emoji481]
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Had some bonney good fortune at a frozen flea market this morning...
The five (5) electrical wrenches, all -ZENEL-, are Bonney Miniature Wrench Set No. 20.
H10 - 3/16 x 7/32
H12 - 1/4 x 9/32
H14 - 5/16 x 11/32
H16 - 3/8 x 7/16
H18 - 15/32 x 13/32
All with an ET or FT (May/June 1942) date code. All some kind of brushed chemical finish, with polished faces.
The only thing I need now is the pouch!
Page with Miniature Wrench Set No. 20 from 1943 Bonney catalog
The five (5) electrical wrenches, all -ZENEL-, are Bonney Miniature Wrench Set No. 20.
H10 - 3/16 x 7/32
H12 - 1/4 x 9/32
H14 - 5/16 x 11/32
H16 - 3/8 x 7/16
H18 - 15/32 x 13/32
All with an ET or FT (May/June 1942) date code. All some kind of brushed chemical finish, with polished faces.
The only thing I need now is the pouch!
Page with Miniature Wrench Set No. 20 from 1943 Bonney catalog
twertsy
Well-known member
Nice snag! "43 Bonney Catalog?"Had some bonney good fortune at a frozen flea market this morning...
The five (5) electrical wrenches, all -ZENEL-, are Bonney Miniature Wrench Set No. 20.
H10 - 3/16 x 7/32
H12 - 1/4 x 9/32
H14 - 5/16 x 11/32
H16 - 3/8 x 7/16
H18 - 15/32 x 13/32
All with an ET or FT (May/June 1942) date code
The only thing I need now is the pouch!
Page with Miniature Wrench Set No. 20 from 1943 Bonney catalog
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Here ya go, twerts. From a WWII collectors oriented board...
http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1521900#p1521900
http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1521900#p1521900
twertsy
Well-known member
Interesting. He never answered what the number was on the cat. C-1 is 42, and I have C2, 3, and 4, as well as D-1. None appear to be '43? I'd like to see the cover.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
There was no cover. If you go to page 2 of the linked thread, he posted a photo of the index page, where the owner scrawled "#43 / 1943" in pen, which seems to match the information in the Alloy Artifacts catalogs table.
http://alloy-artifacts.org/bonney-forge-tool.html#cats
Got a 1/4" driver handle in today's mail as a gift, and it's a bit different from the one I already had. I think the gifted one is an older series.
Anyway, here's some pics. The new-to-me driver is the top one.
Anyway, here's some pics. The new-to-me driver is the top one.
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Sam'sAutoParts
Well-known member
Did anyone see this on eBay?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281874741278?item=281874741278&viewitem=&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281874741278?item=281874741278&viewitem=&vxp=mtr
twertsy
Well-known member
$999??????? WTF are they thinking?
Sam'sAutoParts
Well-known member
Maybe there is $900 in cash hidden inside?!?!? Lol
twertsy
Well-known member
Or $950......
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
list the account as no returns or refunds..
go trolling for a pissed off soon to be ex girlfriend who has access to her soon to be ex boyfriend's eBay account... That same dude who has been rumored to have a hot thing going for some "Bonney"
four.cycle
Well-known member
maybe they misplaced a decimal point? 
Steinmetz
Well-known member
They were a wholly-owned subsidiary of a conglomerate (Triangle Industries). As such, they were simply put in the grave and buried.
There was a great deal of consolidation in the tool industry, starting in the 1960's. It was very competitive. Bonney simply couldn't compete.
Steinmetz
Well-known member
I have to be honest here - and this may come as a shock to Bonney fans, but - I never really liked Bonney ratchets! Too big a head, too wobbly and clunky feeling for my taste. I have a set simply because, well, my name. But I much prefer S-K ratchets.
My sockets sets cover from 1/4" thru 3/8" to 1/2" drive. SAE and/or metric, shallow and/or deeps.
No 3/4" or 1" drive.
Me either. I had a new one (1/2 in. ratchet) start "skipping" while in use. Junked it because it was not safe to use.
I prefer the S-K ratchets as well. To the exclusion of all others.
bob15
Well-known member
It was Copper Tools that bought Triangle tool and shut them down in the 1990's. They had no issues in the 1960's, By the late 1970's they were supplying John Deere and Allis-Chalmers with their tools and supplying Macto with wrenches, probably using their old Bon-E-Con tooling.
Steinmetz
Well-known member
I simply made the general statement about consolidation of the tool industry starting in the 1960's. During this time, and forward, all of the independents were being bought out. Symington-Wayne (the gas pump people) bought S-K, then sold to Dresser (another oil tool supplier), Utica was bought by Kelsey-Hayes, Proto by Stanley, etc. etc.
I didn't state that this was literally applicable to Bonney.
rickhigginshtbr
Well-known member
you guys are forgetting that the Bonney name may be dead, but not buried. Snap On does own the rights to the name... whether they do anything with it is another question.
Though, the company in Allentown is still in existence, making plumbing supplies, not tools.
Though, the company in Allentown is still in existence, making plumbing supplies, not tools.
twertsy
Well-known member
Ok, I just scanned in my '46 Jobber Catalog. In the back is the price list. The price list applies to Catalog No. 43, dated February 1946. So that is actually a '46 catalog.
Sam'sAutoParts
Well-known member
OK, so on a whim I bid and won these on eBay. Seller thought they may be Bonney (it was scrawled on the boxes that these were kept in). I don't happen to have any Bonney adjustables, so now I'm stuck, would like to confirm they are Bonney.
Just for size reference the largest appear to be for a 10"
Just for size reference the largest appear to be for a 10"
Attachments
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twertsy
Well-known member
Sam'sAutoParts
Well-known member
Thanks Twertsy! yep, looks to me like they are Bonney jaws.
I've been looking for a Bonney 1/2" breaker bar for years. They made two lengths - 12" (A-720) and 18" (A-724).
From the look of the photo you've got an 18"er. You ****.
twertsy
Well-known member
Sam'sAutoParts
Well-known member
That is very cool, even cooler is that someone thought to save it for all these years.
egnorant
Well-known member
Another Bonney box appears!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mechanics...124459?hash=item3d0d6b0cab:g:6c0AAOSwHQ9WUKdk
Seems a bit pricy to me. In Ohio.
Bruce
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mechanics...124459?hash=item3d0d6b0cab:g:6c0AAOSwHQ9WUKdk
Seems a bit pricy to me. In Ohio.
Bruce
twertsy
Well-known member
Huh, just like mine. Little steep though.....
egnorant
Well-known member
Just found my 3rd Bonney wrench in my hoard! But I am a bit confused by it.
1725B double open end wrench. 1/2 and 9/16th by measure, yet marked with the 1/4 U.S.S, 5/16th CAP and 3/8th S.A.E/ 516th CAP markings. BON(shield)NEY with made in U.S.A...CHROME-VANADIUM and the circle CV logo. All that stuff I understand!
The date code is A2R with a dot over the A! I don't know what it means. Most of the stuff points to the 1920s. Just a little confused and thought someone might clear this up.
Thanks
Bruce
P.S. O.K. 1926...I just found that. Consider this post to be me just saying "YIPPEE I found another Bonney wrench!"
1725B double open end wrench. 1/2 and 9/16th by measure, yet marked with the 1/4 U.S.S, 5/16th CAP and 3/8th S.A.E/ 516th CAP markings. BON(shield)NEY with made in U.S.A...CHROME-VANADIUM and the circle CV logo. All that stuff I understand!
The date code is A2R with a dot over the A! I don't know what it means. Most of the stuff points to the 1920s. Just a little confused and thought someone might clear this up.
Thanks
Bruce
P.S. O.K. 1926...I just found that. Consider this post to be me just saying "YIPPEE I found another Bonney wrench!"
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I'm not the expert on those older wrenches, but I believe yours are the old nomenclature style, which described the bolt diameter rather than the opening. So, it could say 3/8" but actually measure 9/16".
The standard changed to what we now use in the late 20's.
twertsy
Well-known member
Ok fellow Bonneyites, stumbled across this wrench today. Streamline outline style, which first appears in the 1963 catalog. Supposedly, date codes end at -W indicating 1959 (W). This wrench has an AX code, which indicates January (A), 1960 (X). While it's possible codes extend into the '60s to Z-1962, I've never seen any and further, the outlines aren't supposed to appear until 63.
Opinions requested! Perhaps an early prototype?
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Opinions requested! Perhaps an early prototype?
Sent from my SM-P905V using Tapatalk
rickhigginshtbr
Well-known member
I thought the raised Streamline logo was '49-ish til '55-ish when they switch to the outline style?
That's pretty cool, thanks for posting.
You know, I'd probably be interested in that, but the shipping is always too high. You end up with a delivered price of $200+
twertsy
Well-known member
You are correct on the "depressed panel/raised Bonney logo" streamline design, they started around '49. But the outline style doesn't show up in catalogs (I have each cat from '47-1970) until 1963. AA also says '63 is the first year for the outline style. It's always possible that they simply used old catalog pics in the '60-'62 cats but the first pictures of these streamline wrenches is '63.
As far as I know the wrench above is the only one known that has a date code of 1960 (X).
rickhigginshtbr
Well-known member
I completely missed where the date codes were posted, mind sharing the link?