The Ratchet Collection Thread

[d42jeep]

It’s a push through hex ratchet. Very common in the ‘30s and later. Here is an S-K made version.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

Stillgottimefor1 -

^ what he said. could be Duro-Chrome, Indestro or Walden - all three made very similar models with nothing stamped on them.

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

Stillgottimefor1 -

^ what he said. could be Duro-Chrome, Indestro or Walden - all three made very similar models with nothing stamped on them.

I was hoping that, guess I have to get an ebay store going for all the odd stuff I’ve been finding lately. That was in the junk bin in a pawn shop, paid a dollar for it. Thanks for the replies folks.

 

[four.cycle]

^ or list it in the "Classified" forum here. way less hassle and you don't have to deal with Ebay that way.

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

^ or list it in the "Classified" forum here. way less hassle and you don't have to deal with Ebay that way.

That occurred to me later, and you’re right. Would much rather be dealing with you folks. For some reason I was distrustful of that part of this site, just not seeing it. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[four.cycle]

no no no... it's one of the very cool things about this site. I have had NO issues selling to or buying from other members here.
I just got rid of a bunch of stuff that I needed to unload from an "all or none grab-bag" purchase I made. Went fabulously well.
Only screw-up was when I sent Smokeshow69 the wrong pair of pliers last month.

 

[four.cycle]

One of our own GJ members is unloading an impressive collection of vintage ratchets and drive accessories. Well worth taking a look.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I just picked this up at the flea market this morning.




It's safe to say I have never seen an early non-reversible open gear ratchet quite like it before.

As I was telling 3bay on the GS thread, given its relative crudeness, how strangely wide the handle is (nearly as wide as the head) compared even to early ratchets of its kind, the seemingly excessive number and non-uniformity of the screws holding it together, and those initials, my first thought was homemade.

After I opened it open, I wasn't so sure.

Here it is half disassembled, with the guts (spring and pawl) in place.



A close-up on those parts.



Here it is fully disassembled.



With another close-up.



Who makes a one-off ratchet and gives the pieces part numbers, let alone matching, instructive (i.e., these go together) part numbers?

Twenty (20) teeth - which is not fine, but not exactly coarse, either, and that's a 1/2" square female drive opening.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Before anyone else gets the urge, I just scrolled through 15 pages of patents (585 total!) on DATAMP and did not see anything like it or the simple captive spring and pawl ratcheting mechanism.

All ideas and thoughts welcome.

 

[four.cycle]

^ It appears to be very well made, and I'd be more inclined to say "production shop" than "one-off blacksmith stuff", but that's just my opinion.
When it rains it pours... I came across a rather odd unit yesterday while perusing ebay listings. While not nearly as intriguing as yours, I thought it rather interesting.
The stampings, the slotted-head screws, and the whole "look" scream 19th century. You think it's possible it may have been intended as a wheel nut wrench?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It appears to be very well made

It is.

I came across a rather odd unit yesterday while perusing ebay listings. While not nearly as intriguing as yours, I thought it rather interesting.
The stampings, the slotted-head screws, and the whole "look" scream 19th century. You think it's possible it may have been intended as a wheel nut wrench?

I don't know. It looks like first half of 20th century to me, but that's just me. Too bad the guy didn't show the flip side.

 

[four.cycle]

^ you mean the one on ebay? yeah.. I'm sure 20th century... it looks VERY similar to the Wakefield model. hopefully the guy will accept the offer I threw at him.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Oh, sorry, I misread your post. Yes, mine also screams 19th century to me, or very early 20th century.

 

[four.cycle]

hey, what's the size of the drive hole? 5/8" ? 3/4" ?
looking at it again I can't help but think "wheel nut", but maybe that's because I still have that Walden wire ratchet in my head from a long-winded post yesterday

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It's 1/2".

 

[four.cycle]

that blows that theory to hell then.

 

[Isaiah6113]

Hello All,

Just picked up this Herbrand, 3/8-drive flex-head ratchet model J2SP.

Overall in decent shape, some of the chrome has flaked off, otherwise it's dandy.

I haven't been able to find any reference to this model number.

Any ideas as to age or where this fits in the Herbrand line-up?

Thanks!

Matthew

 

[Lesserstore]

Looks similar, but not exactly, to Blackhawk ratchets from the late 80s and 90s.

 

[Ricky Joe]

Bonney also used that sliding selector that Herbrand used. Also, Herbrand selectors could move side to side or up and down, not on the same ratchet, of course.

 

[Rkcubed]

A few of my older 1/2 ratchets. A mix of brands. Craftsman, SK, Williams, and Indestro.

 

[3baygarage]

Hello All,

Just picked up this Herbrand, 3/8-drive flex-head ratchet model J2SP.

Overall in decent shape, some of the chrome has flaked off, otherwise it's dandy.

I haven't been able to find any reference to this model number.

Any ideas as to age or where this fits in the Herbrand line-up?

Thanks!

Matthew

I’m pretty sure that was made in Japan.

 

[3baygarage]

A few of my older 1/2 ratchets. A mix of brands. Craftsman, SK, Williams,

nice 6471 female ratchet

 

[Ricky Joe]

I was hoping that, guess I have to get an ebay store going for all the odd stuff I’ve been finding lately. That was in the junk bin in a pawn shop, paid a dollar for it. Thanks for the replies folks.

Funny, I was in a pawn shop once where they had a set without the ratchet. I brought the guy a ratchet and gave it to him so he could have a good set.

 

[Isaiah6113]

Looks similar, but not exactly, to Blackhawk ratchets from the late 80s and 90s.

I’m pretty sure that was made in Japan.

Thank you both for your remarks. I thought perhaps it might have been offshore; having no "USA". I don't have any Herbrand, it was simply in a ratchet set I bought. Made is Japan is dandy with me, I have some old Fuller (KTC) and Allenite (Daido) that I have been very pleased with.

Thanks for the feedback,

Matthew

 

[humber2]

I’m sure that is a spark plug ratchet for OHV V8’s.

Someone more knowledgeable might have compiled a history of these?

 

[four.cycle]

"...I thought perhaps it might have been offshore; having no "USA". I don't have any Herbrand,..."

I don't suppose that ratchet has a little triangle stamped on it somewhere?

It's difficult to determine exactly where late production Herbrand came from. GJ member twertsy (ToolArchives.com) and I went back and forth about Herbrand several times - he insisted that a good portion of their latter-day production was produced in Asia.
Lacking eyewitness accounts, it's rather difficult to say with any certainty.
They apparently were producing product in Canada well into the 21st century, depending upon whose anecdotal account you choose to believe.
The jury's still out on this one.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I have a late model Canadian 1/4 herbrand spinner at work somewhere

 

[four.cycle]

^ I have full sets of 1/4" drive Herbrand metric sockets (deep and shallow) that were made in Canada and they're top-shelf stuff. I also have some earlier 1/4" drive Herbrand triangle stuff that is comparable to early Wilmar (now "Performance Tool".)

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Interesting. I wonder how long herbrand lingered in canada.

 

[four.cycle]

^ That is a tough one. Several years back, in the middle of the night (of course), I was way down into a "Herbrand" rabbit hole and found something in which the author claimed to have lived in Toronto in close proximity to a manufacturing facility that was producing Herbrand, and said something to the effect that "they were in business until about 2002 or 2004."
(Is that ambiguous enough for you?)
I didn't bookmark it. I didn't copy and paste it. It was just another anecdotal snippet that got committed to memory, but not given a lot of credence. (Because all the anecdotes in the galaxy do not make for empirical evidence.)
Having said that, I will myself dismiss it out of hand, because there's nothing to support it. Take it for what it's worth. BK

 

[3baygarage]

Much of later Herbrand was imported. Japan and perhaps other, idk. Some was produced in Canada as mentioned.

 

[Lesserstore]

I found this at the USPTO database. It looks like a Canadian company bought the rights to the name, and then canceled it. And in 2012 a company in Chicago tried to use the brand but it didn't last long.

 

[Rkcubed]

nice 6471 female ratchet

It’s a shame Indestro is no longer in business. I always liked their tools. If I remember correctly you could buy them at Kmart in the 60s also at my local mom and pop hardware store. Sadly they are gone as well. Times have changed

 

[Isaiah6113]

I’m sure that is a spark plug ratchet for OHV V8’s.

Someone more knowledgeable might have compiled a history of these?

I'm assuming you are talking about my Herbrand ratchet humber? If so, that's interesting, thanks for the observation.

I don't suppose that ratchet has a little triangle stamped on it somewhere?

It's difficult to determine exactly where late production Herbrand came from. GJ member twertsy (ToolArchives.com) and I went back and forth about Herbrand several times - he insisted that a good portion of their latter-day production was produced in Asia.
Lacking eyewitness accounts, it's rather difficult to say with any certainty.
They apparently were producing product in Canada well into the 21st century, depending upon whose anecdotal account you choose to believe.
The jury's still out on this one.

Alas, no little triangle.

^ That is a tough one. Several years back, in the middle of the night (of course), I was way down into a "Herbrand" rabbit hole and found something in which the author claimed to have lived in Toronto in close proximity to a manufacturing facility that was producing Herbrand, and said something to the effect that "they were in business until about 2002 or 2004."
(Is that ambiguous enough for you?)
I didn't bookmark it. I didn't copy and paste it. It was just another anecdotal snippet that got committed to memory, but not given a lot of credence. (Because all the anecdotes in the galaxy do not make for empirical evidence.)
Having said that, I will myself dismiss it out of hand, because there's nothing to support it. Take it for what it's worth. BK

I bought it from the original owner, who bought it in Toronto and lives in Toronto. He couldn't remember when he bought it, but said over 30 years ago.

I found this at the USPTO database. It looks like a Canadian company bought the rights to the name, and then canceled it. And in 2012 a company in Chicago tried to use the brand but it didn't last long.

This is interesting. The rights ended in 2004, which aligns with the 2002-2004 date mentioned by four.cycle above.

I'm not a lawyer, but I find the dates in the documents above interesting, i.e. first usage in the 80s, but first commercial usage in the 90s. It took 10 years to get this to market? Seems odd.

Given all your remarks above (thank you), I am going go with this being a Toronto-made Herbrand. As to when, with the dates from the documents, and the previous owners' remarks about over 30 rather than say over 20, I'm going to assume from sometime in the early 90s.

This was fun, thanks!

Matthew

 

[3baygarage]

Sorry but I have to disagree. The date has nothing to do with where it was made because ownership was importing tools and not placing a coo on them, I'm assuming for a reason. Well known American brand name, now with offshore suppliers. I like to think if that was made in Canada, it would have been stamped Canada.
The ratchet head says Asian import to me. I have proof in another form of ratchet. I'll dig out what I have.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here's my Canadian spinner

 

[Isaiah6113]

Sorry but I have to disagree. The date has nothing to do with where it was made because ownership was importing tools and not placing a coo on them, I'm assuming for a reason. Well known American brand name, now with offshore suppliers. I like to think if that was made in Canada, it would have been stamped Canada.
The ratchet head says Asian import to me. I have proof in another form of ratchet. I'll dig out what I have.

Okay, I get that, thank you for digging out your comparative. Being Canadian I too like to think that we would stamp our stuff as being made here, and to your point we do! I certainly I have enough examples of that, as does OTG and his spinner above attest!

Thanks,

Matthew

 

[3baygarage]

Here’s what I have. A little 1/4” Herbrand and some eerily similar Chrome Van-rebrands of Japan origin. I’ve seen the same type ratchet on the British market under a different name too.
Now when I bought this little guy, I was all excited, also thinking it had to be made in Canada. I believe I
Van-boozled myself.

 

[Ricky Joe]

Interesting recent find. Is “Van Chrome” the same as “Vitalloy”, or is there something else going on. I thought Billings used a different alloy.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It looks to me like Herbrand made that ratchet for Billings. Herbrand's use of the VAN-CHROME brand, alluding to a chrome vanadium composition precedes Billings' use of Vitalloy (1939, IIRC), composition unknown, but I have always suspected (as I similarly suspect of -ZENEL-) an early undisclosed and pre-New Emergency steel triple alloy, by a good number of years.