The Ratchet Collection Thread

[misterbill]

Are there any markings on the flip side of the cover plate?

 

[d42jeep]

You think that whoever assembled Macduf’s ratchet backward might have flipped the cover plate? Sounds pretty likely.
-Don
Here is a 1941 Plomb ratchet that was assembled backwards that I received in a care package from PA. It was easy to turn around.

 

[four.cycle]

^ wouldn't be the first time a plomb/proto ratchet got put back together bass-ackwards!

 

[3baygarage]

Nice ones. Macduf's is a mystery. I have two transition rats marked Plomb / Proto around the collar.

 

[Mintgrun]

I just took mine apart and cleaned it. Both sides of the cover plate are unmarked.

 

[shanny19]

I didn't see any Filson's on here yet.
This is a mint Fors pattern Filson 3/8.
Filson (clothing) was/is such a big deal to my logging family, I had to pick it up to make my brothers jealous
(even though there is no connection).

 

[four.cycle]

RE: I didn't see any Filson's on here yet.

search user @PowderKeg - he had at least one Filson, if I'm not mistaken.

NO, no relation at all to the C.C. Filson Company of Seattle, Washington

 

[AntiqueBen]

I have a few Cornwell ratchets. Here is a 3/4" Cornwell gearless ratchet. It has no letter or numbers for a model number so I'm guessing this is an early model. I was surprised when I went over to datamp & looked for Cornwell. There are absolutely no patents on any Cornwell tools. They have 2 patents for like a soldering iron & a coupling or something. Is it me or is this odd? They produced a lot of tools, plus there still in business, but no patents??

 

[four.cycle]

Didn't Woody make up a thread on Cornwell?

Eugene Cornwell thread on GarageJournal.com

I don't show any patents for Cornwell on my list, but that doesn't mean anything... I include them in there when I come across them (as opposed to going hunting for them.)
There are a surprising number of very large, very old tool manufacturers who have fewer patents than you can count on one hand. (Stanley not being among them.)

 

[d42jeep]

I have a few Cornwell ratchets. Here is a 3/4" Cornwell gearless ratchet. It has no letter or numbers for a model number so I'm guessing this is an early model. I was surprised when I went over to datamp & looked for Cornwell. There are absolutely no patents on any Cornwell tools. They have 2 patents for like a soldering iron & a coupling or something. Is it me or is this odd? They produced a lot of tools, plus there still in business, but no patents??

Here is my 1/2” drive version. OTG figured out the logo.
-Don

 

[Macduf]

I just took mine apart and cleaned it. Both sides of the cover plate are unmarked.

Same with mine, and assembled correctly

 

[AntiqueBen]

Came across this beauty today. Craftsman circle K 3/4" ratchet made by SK. Also got a Craftsman circle K extension. I've only ran across these a couple times in the wild & every time they were SK. I was pleasantly surprised to see this Craftsman (SK) version so I couldn't let it go. Not a bad deal either. Paid $45 for both. When looking up patent #2,188,846, oddly enough it says "not known to have been produced." Any ideas why this patent would say this? Below is the patent link:

US Patent: 2,188,846 - Ratchet Device

US patent 2,188,846 Ratchet Device was issued to Theodore O. Rueb of Chicago, Cook County, IL. It was granted on 01/30/1940. Intermediate design between patent nos. {1,981,526} and {2,232,477} -- the two Rueb patents known to have been used for S-K ratchets. {br}The other R

www.datamp.org

 

[four.cycle]

"Not known to have been produced" is the default entry for that field if no other value has been entered.

You'll see a lot of items on datamp.org marked that way. Until empirical evidence is provided to show otherwise.

 

[AntiqueBen]

"Not known to have been produced" is the default entry for that field if no other value has been entered.

You'll see a lot of items on datamp.org marked that way. Until empirical evidence is provided to show otherwise.

Interesting that they would leave that field as a default entry. Every single Craftsman (SK) 3/4" ratchet I've seen, whether it's the BM or circle K version, all have this patent number stamped on them.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I sent a note to Stan on it.

When you run into those "Not known to have been produced" entries at datamp.org, and you have definitive evidence that the item was actually manufactured (catalog page, photo of tool, etc.) click that hyper-link over at lower RIGHT (under the image) that says "Report Errors or Omissions to.... "
Send them an email with the information - attach the photos or document. Do NOT send them the *.pdf file of the patent - they know how to find those.
Just like GarageJournal, datamp.org is 100% volunteers. There are only a handful of guys working on that site. Stan is buried and is months behind right now. (He handles all things "wrench" - the category your ratchet falls into.)

It may well be the case that the patent number is marked "Not known to have been produced" because that steward did not have hard, tangible evidence that the item was in fact manufactured. When you consider the infinite number of tool manufacturers, and all of the different widgets that we collectively call "tool", it's not difficult to understand how and why that would happen.

 

[PowderKeg]

I didn't see any Filson's on here yet.
This is a mint Fors pattern Filson 3/8.
Filson (clothing) was/is such a big deal to my logging family, I had to pick it up to make my brothers jealous
(even though there is no connection).

RE: I didn't see any Filson's on here yet.

search user @PowderKeg - he had at least one Filson, if I'm not mistaken.

NO, no relation at all to the C.C. Filson Company of Seattle, Washington

Beetlejui...., er, PowderKeg checking in a little late, my Filson Triple Play, also in this past post on Filson tools - https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...s-mystery-now-solved-at-least-in-part.385635/

 

[shanny19]

^^Very cool! There's a 1/2" on the auction site now, but it's in rufffff shape.

 

[four.cycle]

An earlier inquiry made me curious...

Indestro 6072 1/4" drive 24-tooth pear-head ratchet

Indestro 6072 1/4" drive 24-tooth pear-head ratchet

.... after cleaning and lubricating that one, my curiosity got the better of me so I picked up that screwdriver again....


PAR-X UR7 1/4" drive 20-tooth pear-head ratchet

PAR-X UR7 1/4" drive 20-tooth pear-head ratchet

.... and performed exactly the same procedure as on the Indestro unit, and although it's got a lower tooth count, after twirling both of them about by hand, that PAR-X unit seems to have a somewhat smoother action. It's also got a plastic pawl - not metal.

 

[AntiqueBen]

I found this Craftsman "Long Lever" beauty. It's in great shape. I heard these were 40 tooth, but mine is 32 tooth? I didn't realize these were before the Flying V ratchets. They had a really short run only being available in 1957-58, then the Flying V came out in '59. I guess the really tall selector was a bad design & they could get broke quite easily. The later models like the quick release had recessed selectors. I guess Craftsman learned the hard way on this one.

 

[PowderKeg]

Unexpected score at a farm auction today - a like-new 1/2" Crafty RHFT flex head ratchet for $47.50. The like-new KD long RHFT didn't take half that much to come home either. Both have plenty of sticker remnants left on the backsides and no markings or paint, unlike a boatload of other Crafty hand/mech tools of every conceivable description.

 

[AntiqueBen]

I found this oldie online for $8. The seller didn't know what it was. As soon as I saw the selector on the bottom of the handle, I immediately thought it's probably Lowell. It also has the two screw design on the outer edges of the head which is also characteristic of Lowell. This one will be fun to clean up. Hopefully it still has all its stampings under all the grime. Do you guys think this looks like Lowell Wrench & Mfg Co??

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have two (2) Lowell ratchets, a No. 1 (1886 PAT) and a No. 3-1/2 (1917, 1935 PATs). It certainly has the same shape, profile, and features. More pics and info on the Lowell thread.

 

[AntiqueBen]

My Lowell ratchet showed up today. Because it was so dirty, it was a mystery what model Lowell it was, but I knew it was Lowell by the design. After a cleaning, sure enough it is a Lowell no. 0. It has the pawl selector on the bottom of the handle like my Lowell no. 1 patented in 1886. I lightly lubricated the mechanism & it works great. At least it's a 1/2" opening, so I can put in a stud & use sockets. Although it will probably just sit in the "Lowell" drawer in my toolbox with all the others. I hadn't seen a Lowell no. 0 yet with the selector on the bottom of the handle. The other no. 0's I've seen didn't have this feature? Below are some before & after pics.

 

[calimander]

Here is my 1/2” drive version. OTG figured out the logo.
-Don

Heres my 3/8” version

 

[d42jeep]

My supply of ratchet plugs has been getting low so I made an order to replenish the inventory.
-Don

 

[AntiqueBen]

I ran across an odd SK no. 42470 ratchet. When I saw it I didn't hesitate because I've been looking for one of these. Any other one I've ever seen like this ratchet was stamped "Artisan" but this one is stamped SK 42470. Not to be confused with the SK 4270. AA gives an interesting story on how these should have never been made like this. They are guessing that during WWII SK may have ran out of the round knurled handles & made some of the 42470's like this. The flat handle like this was reserved for Brazil Tools contract work, I guess like the Artisan variant. I would like to learn more about this particular variant of the 42470. Anyone heard of this story or know if this type of 42470 is a rarity?

 

[four.cycle]

^ I thought that flat "paddle" handle was strictly Artisan and Brazil.

Interesting find for sure.

@d42jeep - you already ran out of 1/4" plugs?

I don't know where I put the rest of them!

 

[AntiqueBen]

^ I thought that flat "paddle" handle was strictly Artisan and Brazil.

Interesting find for sure.

@d42jeep - you already ran out of 1/4" plugs?

I don't know where I put the rest of them!

So, are we to guess that sometime right before WWII ended SK ran out of round handle stock & made the flat handle version until the war was over & they could resume with regular round handles? If so, wander how many made it out of the factory like this? Also, did Britain make this & put the SK logo & model number on it? I'm full of questions since I've never seen this variant before

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sk made them, up into the 50s. Chrome alloy, Mac, artisan and sk variants have been observed

 

[AntiqueBen]

Sk made them, up into the 50s. Chrome alloy, Mac, artisan and sk variants have been observed

AA says this particular one is plain steel with a polished panel. I guess the plain steel construction would have only been during war time since chromium was a war metal? I just bought this today so I'll be able to look at it closer once it shows up.

 

[d42jeep]

I like those ratchets and have some. My 1/4” drive versions are mostly Chrome Alloy (Brazil). Most of the 1/2” drive I’ve seen have been Artisan marked. I have a couple of S-K marked ones.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

^ I thought that flat "paddle" handle was strictly Artisan and Brazil.

Interesting find for sure.

@d42jeep - you already ran out of 1/4" plugs?

I don't know where I put the rest of them!

I didn’t want to use the D-I plugs on Walden ratchets so I got some generic ones for those.
-Don

 

[AntiqueBen]

I like those ratchets and have some. My 1/4” drive versions are mostly Chrome Alloy (Brazil). Most of the 1/2” drive I’ve seen have been Artisan marked. I have a couple of S-K marked ones.
-Don

Nice collection Don. I noticed from your pics how the bottom of the handle on the 4570 is shaped different from the 45470. Is the flat handle 45470 flat handle SK a common find? I'm guessing less of this type was manufactured that way. I usually see them marked Artisan.

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

Having trouble identifying this one guys. It looks like a pre 1900 design. Interesting with the square fastener option in the handle. Unfortunately no markings. Any ideas? Looks early to me.

I have the same rachet and have been searching like crazy. It looks to me like Chicago MFG. Co. But the handle and selector is throwing me

 

[AntiqueBen]

I have the same rachet and have been searching like crazy. It looks to me like Chicago MFG. Co. But the handle and selector is throwing me

I agree. Definitely looks like Chicago Mfg. They had cut outs in their handles.

 

[AntiqueBen]

I posted this one on another thread but haven't figured out anything yet. Wow...what a weird selector mech. Any ideas on what the heck this thing is??

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

I posted this one on another thread but haven't figured out anything yet. Wow...what a weird selector mech. Any ideas on what the heck this thing is??

Take some more pics of the selector. How is it attached? Looks like Lowell but the selector is a new one on me. Lowell also marked their rachets well

 

[AntiqueBen]

I haven't received this one yet. Yes, Lowell always marked their tools well. The catch on the side that engages the teeth remind me of Packer, but the selector is the weirdest I've ever seen. It doesn't look homemade. It looks like it was manufactured that way. I'm anxious to get my hands on this one.

 

[d42jeep]

Nice collection Don. I noticed from your pics how the bottom of the handle on the 4570 is shaped different from the 45470. Is the flat handle 45470 flat handle SK a common find? I'm guessing less of this type was manufactured that way. I usually see them marked Artisan.

Thanks! I wouldn’t classify any of the beaver tail ratchets as being common to find. I guess I’m not seeing the difference you are referring to. In these comparison pictures the main difference I see is the plating on one vs the plain finish on the other.
-Don

 

[AntiqueBen]

Thanks! I wouldn’t classify any of the beaver tail ratchets as being common to find. I guess I’m not seeing the difference you are referring to. In these comparison pictures the main difference I see is the plating on one vs the plain finish on the other.
-Don

Here's the difference I saw in your pic between your 4570 & the 45470 handle.