Spreading the Bonney affliction!

[LesserSon]

Are Bonney tools made in Canada also?


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Gray-Bonney or Bonney-Gray had some kind of partnership, so under that name, at least, yes.
Late in the game, Bonney moved some production of their Bon-e-con line overseas (India).
Under BONNEY USA, though, the catalogs list Allentown PA, Alliance OH, and Orangeburg SC. Bonney did not manufacture every item that had their name on it. So, no doubt some things were made elsewhere.
Today, Bonney Forge has production facilities around the world, but Bonney no longer manufactures (or at least markets) tools.

 

[swshawaii]

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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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).

Just saw these 2016 posts. Another Bonney Outline "X" date code?

 

[Jack84]

Neat, got a Bonney Gray tool. Wasn’t expecting to find one in the Netherlands.


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[LesserSon]

Just saw these 2016 posts. Another Bonney Outline "X" date code?

Looks that way. I think it’s interesting that your DX example and the AX posted by Twertsy are both 6pt broaches.
I don’t know why an Outline wrench manufactured in early 1960 was a surprise in 2016. I know I didn’t know much about them then. I suppose Twertsy was reacting to dogmatic assertions on other sites about when this or that occurred in the Bonney timeline. Physical evidence of Outline before 1963, or date codes after 1959 sort of overthrew the conventional wisdom, which was drawn largely from limited representations in collections and dated catalog illustrations.
It seems reasonable to me that a toolmaker would manufacture a product before advertising it. (I know today advertising often precedes actual products, but I think that used to be perceived as fraud, and sometimes still is.) I have not seen a 1961 or 1962 catalog, so I don’t know what illustrations are in them, but it is certainly true that other Bonney catalogs did continue illustrating older versions of products after newer ones came out. I notice the 1963 catalog does not say “introducing a new design,” or any other hype about the Outline pattern. So it seems to me from those two examples that Bonney did manufacture Outline in 1960, despite not illustrating them in the 1960 catalog.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I picked up these hose clamp pliers at the flea market today. I like the finish. Everything up to the jaw break is satin. The jaw tips are polished. Postwar for sure. Probably late 1950's if I had to guess.

 

[LesserSon]

Interesting wrench on eBay. Looks like late nineteen-teens.
LOOK at the “D” in “MADE” compared to one of mine from the era.

 

[LesserSon]

Damn. Did I just lose the bid on the late-1930s D-set toolbox by mentioning eBay? Dumb move. I even have the stuff that goes inside.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Was not me!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Or me. But I'm confused. Ends in 4 days.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sometimes I think people bid their own stuff up

 

[LesserSon]

You’re right, Lugz. I didn’t really lose yet, just been outbid for the *****. (Or in Britslang, outbid by the *****, LOL.)
It just happened so directly after I posted about the “backwards-D” that, in the moment, it seemed non-coincidental. Just as likely there was no connection at all.

Maybe a shill, OTG. I’ve seen that in real auctions.
Anyways, I‘m back on point after my lapse of serenity.

 

[LesserSon]

MrsLS and I slipped the bonds of the Lehigh Valley Friday night (as has been our wont these past weeks), but instead of the Sullivan-y hinterlands of Lycoming Co, we penetrated deep into the heart of Pennsyltucky, yea, even unto the fastness of Westmoreland Co.
I may have to return one day to better acquaint myself with Ft Ligonier and the Conpass Inn Museum, which I merely glimpsed from the road.
The WEIRDEST thing occurred at a full-service rest stop (WITH restrooms - that’s important), where I was awakened (partially) by MrsLS informing me that a guy was ******* on the passenger door of our car. This roused me somewhat, and when my movement drew his attention he stepped back and explained that he hadn’t seen me. Ummm...that’s irrelevant, right?
Well, since you have read this here, instead of in the national headlines, you know that I really have regained my serenity. (Dear God, please do not test me like that again!)
Latrobe is deservedly famous for bringing into the world the first all-pro football season, Rolling Rock beer, and Fred McFeely Rogers. Also, despite the ineptitude of Apple Maps, we discovered a Sheetz with a car wash. So that’s four things to soften the heart of even the most strident anti-Alleghenian, which I certainly am not.
But the attraction that Latrobe really held for ME was a 24”x32” sheet of 3/4” plywood, painted red, and bristling with steel pegs, an eBay purchase that offered only local pickup. We met the seller (a gracious fellow) at 200 Main Street, where a life-size bronze statue of Mister Rogers presides over a small shaded park reminding all, “You are special.” Why not “I like you”? IDK
Was it worth a 4hr drive (each way) through lands just beginning to glow with the first yellows and reds of autumn foliage? Was it worth the requisite detour to the Flight 93 Memorial, through thick fog and darting deer? Was it worth backtracking 17 miles because MrsLS had meant to stop at the Red Rabbit drive-in in Duncannon?
Yes. Yes, it was.
But...now I am faced with a dilemma. Some of the chisels I have been slooowly accumulating predate this board (I think from the logo it’s early Kelsey-Hayes era or maybe just prior: early 1960s. I think the tin logo would be earlier and the red/black two-tone logo would be later. The correct chisels would be finished with blue enamel; mine were black with orange band at the ****.), and were made from heavier hex-stock than the holes in the rack were bored for.
Do I dare enlarge the holes?!!!
And what to do with chisels for which there are no slots on this board?
Thoughts?

 

[LesserSon]

PS, here’s a “Conastoga” covered wagon in a covered bridge. Made me think of Lugz’ pandemic-delayed visit to the Berks Co heritage park.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sounds like an interesting trip. I would not worry about enlarging a few of the holes slightly. That board will be great for your chisel collection.

 

[Old Radar]

PS, here’s a “Conastoga” covered wagon in a covered bridge. Made me think of Lugz’ pandemic-delayed visit to the Berks Co heritage park.

LS--I assume you put quotations around "Conastoga" because you know that that is not a Conastoga.

https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_842999

 

[RTM]

No, you don’t enlarge the holes. That thing is only new once. You keep looking

A for chisels that fit
B for a board that fits your older chisels.

Geez, and he is legendary on GJ, why do we have to explain this tool collecting thing to him?



But seriously, it’s yours, do what you want, just match the paint afterward.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I thought that might be a bit controversial!

 

[LesserSon]

OR - Thanks for making that clear.
OTG & RTM - I’m pondering my options.
The first thing is to figure a way of mounting it on my wall (masonry). The original holes are few and oddly placed. I’m thinking I can a screw a bracket onto the back and hang it from that, so as to avoid putting more holes through the front.

Today, I picked up (at Jake’s flea market), a Lehigh No1008 2” table vise. This one has Allentown, the embedded-shield logo, and Pat Mar 21, 1916 stamped on the anvil, and the Princeton shield (with small B), Made in USA, and Lehigh Vise cast on the sides. Aside from the missing handle and cut-off table screw, it’s in good shape.
The 1007 (1-3/4”) I have has Bonney spelled out instead of the shield on the side, and the anvil doesn’t have anything readable on it.

 

[leg17]

No, you don’t enlarge the holes. That thing is only new once. You keep looking:
A for chisels that fit
B for a board that fits your older chisels. .....

or: C. build an auxillary holder for your other chisels that matches up.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

You can always make a new block and put whatever holes you want in it, then store away the original.

 

[LesserSon]

Both good ideas!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I consider myself fairly conservative when it comes to curation, and I am with OTG on the holes. You may never find the right chisels for that board, or vice versa. I put negligible modifications like that in the category of 'good intent.' You are not cheating to deceive, you are stretching the timeline, enhancing the overall effect of a living history display. But adding a different block will have the same result while preserving the original piece. So, machts nichts.

 

[LesserSon]

Oh, rats. I botched it, distracted by other matters when that black socket box was ending. I meant to up my bid in the last minute, and missed the chance. Someone got it For $10+$12shipping. More than I wanted to pay, but less than I was willing to.
Now I’m sorry if my earlier tantrum caused anyone on the thread to hold back on my account.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Not me.

 

[RTM]

or: C. build an auxillary holder for your other chisels that matches up.

You can always make a new block and put whatever holes you want in it, then store away the original.

Dang, out of the box thinking here.


While in the real world those may be fantastic ideas, this is GJ, where collecting is the goal, is it not? Neither of those solutions, as good as they are, encourage getting more tools.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Rtm I don't think any of us need more encouragement! Ls sorry you missed that d box. Here is a k set I have been collecting. Still missing the 7/16 female square socket.

 

[LesserSon]

Gorgeous!

 

[LesserSon]

Here’s something I won’t be bidding on unless they re-list it at a significant discount: a No60 DOE wrench board.
Looks like a match to the 1919 catalog, rather than the 1923 catalog. They’ve got some 1940s-looking CV wrenches wired to it. Really ought to be B-shield carbon steel.
Nice, but too rich for me.
From the peek I had of Lugz’s larger board, I’d say it’s a plank of American chestnut. Lugz’s had a lithographed tin face, but this looks to be directly on the wood.

Edit/update - couple black&white paper ads from eBay showing same illustration of display. Sellers say 1920 & 1921.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Good call, LS. Definitely older than mine. They apparently switched from the Meyercord Company in Chicago to the Art Supply Company in Coshocton, Ohio between 1919 and 1923, and in the process, from painted plank to framed lithograph on metal. Not surprising. That area in Ohio was a hotbed for lithograph on metal. If you have or if you ever see a classic metal serving tray with lithographed advertising on it, chances are it came from Coshocton or Lima. Billings, Plomb, and many other OEM's got their lithographed boards from the same companies in the same area in that era.

I think Todd may have a painted era board, but I could be misremembering.

I could save myself the shipping if he came down in price. Edgewater is just south of APG.

For context, here is my No. 65, which I moved into some better light for better photos.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

That is pricey

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here is an ad from the 20s showing the 4093 ratchet ls picked up.

 

[LesserSon]

Very cool, OTG. Is that your ad? Do you know what the specific date is (possibly on the other side)? Obviously after Aug1925...

 

[Oldtuleguy]

This was from 1927

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Here is an ad from the 20s showing the 4093 ratchet LS picked up.

This was from 1927

Thanks for posting this, LS. I've always said that Bonney's entry into the drive tool market was between 1926 and 1932, but that certainly helps pinpoint it. What's interesting about that is that Bonney was still making the same basic ratchets for BMPCo in 1927. Several of us have "S" code BSPCo ratchets, and a few (Todd, LS) have Bonney 4093 "S" code ratchets.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The top of the ad only says automobile trade journal. Seller said he clipped it from a 1927 issue, but no month listed.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Picked up this bad boy this morning at the flea market.

Let's go through the markings one by one.

"Bonney Made in U.S.A." branding on the largest jaw face, a convention during WWII that departed from and followed their normal CV branding convention before the war. So far so good.

Wartime "N.A.F. 38018-16" marking on the shank. Still good.

"JW" (October 1945) date code. Still tracking. "1031S" ISN. Weird, but makes sense...

...because the Navy just always has to be frriggin' weird, they didn't want a 1031 (25/32" x 7/8") or better yet, couldn't use a 1033C with a 1" end and a 1030 with a 11/16" end, no they had to have a 1" opening...

... and an 11/16" opening...

...on the same wrench. Hence, 1031 Special ("S").

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The fun starts on the flip side shank!

I have seen these anomalies before. October 1945 is way too late for Bonney to be using old stock restricted steel that the WPB let mfgrs use until obsolete by October 1942. After that, it was turned in for smelting.

There are only two explanations. It was a mistake, such as an old die they used inadvertently, misrepresenting the composition, which was a triple alloy. Or, Bonney started briefly re-using CV steel and CV markings after the WPB alloy restrictions were lifted in late 1945. And before they fully transitioned to BONALOY for open end wrenches, which was only used on DBE's during the war.

 

[LesserSon]

One hand for yourself, and one for the ship...don’t try to use two wrenches?
What bit of adjustment needed those two sizes in proximity, but not simultaneity?

 

[LesserSon]

Or, Bonney started briefly re-using CV steel and CV markings after the WPB alloy restrictions were lifted in late 1945. And before they fully transitioned to BONALOY for open end wrenches.

I like that better.

As has been observed, the Durhams were very attuned to govt developments, were probably prepared for changes well before they went into effect.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I like that better.

Me too.