I snagged this off eBay a couple weeks ago. It came out of eastern PA and was cheap. I'd like to think it sat on someone's desk at Bonney long ago. However, I'm more inclined to think the seller "faked it" due to the inside logo appearing to have simply been printed. Note the black around the edge......
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The V-gullet wrenches are still much better then many other brands. I understand that the idea that the v-gullet is supposedly weaker then regular OE's but having used them professionally in automotive and aviation related fields since the early 1980's until I retired last year and not being easy on them I never had a issue with the open end. In fact I would say they are probably no worse or better then any of the other professional grade wrenches from other companies.
All of their early open end wrenches (engineers, tappet, obstruction, etc) had hex nut shaped throats as far as I know. Whenever I see a hex throated wrench in a pile of wrenches, it's always, without fail, a Cornwell, Mac, or Wright, and never, without fail, any other maker. Herbrand and Vlchek apparently bucked the Ohio-based characteristic. It's supremely ironic to see it on a Bonney wrench, because they were clearly converted in the move to Ohio. None of the early Philly or Allentown era wrenches had it.
There was a thread up here on the General Discussion board awhile ago that I had a hard time keeping myself from commenting on. It was a battle of diagrams there for awhile, each purportedly showing the irrefutable physics involved in hex throats being either weaker, or stronger, take yer pick. I'm with you guys. Machts nichts unless you're trying to do something you shouldn't be doing (excessive force, cheater bar, etc), in which case it's hard to fault the wrench. The hex throats have a much better bite on a hex nut, obviously.bonneyman said:
Yeah I saw that thread and chose to not participate in it as I knew it would go nowhere. All I know is that I never had a Bonney wrench break, yes a few sockets and a Bonney labeled screwdriver but never a wrench.
That’s a sharp looking little set, Mike.
Cool. Post pics when you can.But hope to have a set of five wrenches (spanners to us over here) arrive in the mail in a couple of days to confirm it.
It’s a neon tube in the handle for testing spark plugs. That’s a cool shank on there, too. Sort of carryover from the red wood-handled screwdrivers.
It is a very early (c. 1914-1921) machinery wrench, made of malleable iron. They came in sets of six (6). Is that a defect or a forged-in letter on the shank near the one head? The three (3) largest wrenches in the set were No. I: 3/4" x 13/16", No. J: 7/8" x 1", and No. K: 1-1/8" x 1-1/4". If the forged-in letter is not legible, measure the openings. Based on the size, it has to be one of those, and, based on the openings on the tappent wrench next to it, I am guessing that it might be the largest (No. K). See page 33 and 34 in the 1914 catalog on Tools Archive for more.
)I just remembered you were having registration issues. Here ya go, just in case those have not been resolved... Note that if you bought the whole crate you got a Bonney shop cap and "Jackrabbit" wrench for free. (I'll tell you what, if I ever find a 'Bonney Vises and Tools' shop cap, I would retire from tool collecting and die a happy man!
