The vintage Blackhawk Thread

[Oldtuleguy]

Cartel

 

[Beerhippie]

Well, I just know that it takes a hundred people a day... A HUNDRED PEOPLE A DAY... walking in... singing a verse of Alice's Restaurant and walking out again... to make a MOVEMENT!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Maybe an oligopoly

 

[Snaparxon]

You have to go a ways down the blackhawk rabbit hole before you start collecting them. 7/16 drive stuff is common by comparison.

Why are they so rare/hard to find?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Blackhawk was not that interested in 3/8 drive, so it's pretty sparse.

 

[Snaparxon]

Blackhawk was not that interested in 3/8 drive, so it's pretty sparse.

Well ****, I won't pass it up anymore when I see it.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Why are they so rare/hard to find?

Blackhawk was not that interested in 3/8 drive, so it's pretty sparse.

Well ****, I won't pass it up anymore when I see it.

To add to and qualify Otg's reply, note that the extension - and the topic of its drive size sparsity, is from the early Quick Disconnect era! These tools are, in general, not as common as later tools to begin with. I don't think Blackhawk (est. 1919) added 3/8-inch drive ("S" for Small) to the Q.D. lineup until 1936, just before they launched Lock-On. So, they were - as Otg alluded to, clearly disinterested in making it.

But that's not the whole story. It should be mentioned, especially for non-Blackhawkers, that they ran into technical trouble. The 3/8-inch drive sockets were too small for Lock-On's release buttons. This put a crimp in their Lock-On plans, essentially forcing them to drop back to an approach to 3/8-inch drive similar to their approach to 1/4-inch drive. They continued making 3/8-inch drive right through the 40's and into the 50's, just not with the same brand-defining features as the 1/2-inch drive, with much less pizzazz, and apparently, much less demand.

Lastly, while they marketed Nuggets (7/16-inch drive) as innovatively economical (covering the larger half of a typical 3/8-drive service opening range and the smaller half of a typical 1/2-drive service opening range), it has been theorized that it allowed them just enough room for the release button, providing them a way to offer a good part of the classic 3/8-drive range with the Lock-on design.

 

[Snaparxon]

To add to and qualify Otg's reply, note that the extension - and the topic of its drive size sparsity, is from the early Quick Disconnect era! These tools are, in general, not as common as later tools to begin with. I don't think Blackhawk (est. 1919) added 3/8-inch drive ("S" for Small) to the Q.D. lineup until 1936, just before they launched Lock-On. So, they were - as Otg alluded to, clearly disinterested in making it.

But that's not the whole story. It should be mentioned, especially for non-Blackhawkers, that they ran into technical trouble. The 3/8-inch drive sockets were too small for Lock-On's release buttons. This put a crimp in their Lock-On plans, essentially forcing them to drop back to an approach to 3/8-inch drive similar to their approach to 1/4-inch drive. They continued making 3/8-inch drive right through the 40's and into the 50's, just not with the same brand-defining features as the 1/2-inch drive, with much less pizzazz, and apparently, much less demand.

Lastly, while they marketed Nuggets (7/16-inch drive) as innovatively economical (covering the larger half of a typical 3/8-drive service opening range and the smaller half of a typical 1/2-drive service opening range), it has been theorized that it allowed them just enough room for the release button, providing them a way to offer a good part of the classic 3/8-drive range with the Lock-on design.

, gives me enough info to study a catalog and familiarize myself what to look for.

 

[Snaparxon]

I do see they didn't offer many tools in 3/8" drive in the 36 catalog and they all have an "s" after the part number. So the 3/8" tools in the 43 catalog with a 5 digit number are more common but appear to not be "Lock-on" and no "S" in the part number.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Right. If you look back, I don't think you'll see them in the earlier 30s cats. (I could be wrong, working off the top of my head here.) And while you will see them in the '43, '48, and '53, with handles (ratchets, extensions, etc) that resemble Lock-On in style, they don't have the patented attach and release socketry that gave Lock-On its name. Just conventional detent, which is functionally fine, by the way. It just futzed with their whole marketing (and tooling) scheme.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

800 series is earliest 3/8 drive from blackhawk. Here are the 4 styles I've seen before new britain takeover.

 

[zanyad]

Not my listing.

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Blackhawk tool boards, $100/ea

 

[MR.X]

800 series is earliest 3/8 drive from blackhawk. Here are the 4 styles I've seen before new britain takeover.

800 series is earliest 3/8 drive from blackhawk. Here are the 4 styles I've seen before new britain takeover.

So these are all a little bit different from each other. Left to Right, an 814, a no tool # but in a 78XX style pat. pend. , a 7822S Pat Pend. A 7818S Made in U.S.A., and a 7816S but in the style of a 30XXX. socket.

 

[don long]

As long as we are talking rare Blackhawk tools, a friend that sold Blackhawk tools dropped these 3 different style vise grip pliers off for my collection




These are proto type that never went into production

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

As long as we are talking rare Blackhawk tools, a friend that sold Blackhawk tools dropped these 3 different style vise grip pliers off for my collection




These are proto type that never went into production

How would they have been used Don?

 

[Snaparxon]

As long as we are talking rare Blackhawk tools, a friend that sold Blackhawk tools dropped these 3 different style vise grip pliers off for my collection




These are proto type that never went into production

Very cool! Look to be for tack welding purposes.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I'm guessing those would've been from the other strain/branch of Blackhawk? Not the Blackhawk that got bought by NB, then Litton, then Stanley. Not sure.

 

[thehorse13]

Since we got on the topic of short tools, have any of you tripped over the short 7/16ths nugget hinged offset? Below you have the one most of us see, the 39985 standard hinged off set, and its much seldom seen brother, the 39984 short hinged offset.

 

[don long]

I have one

 

[NYBODYMAN]

@don long those vise grips are amazing. Nice score.

 

[thehorse13]

I have one

You are certainly one of the handful of people in this thread that I expected to have one. lol.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Got one in this set

 

[don long]

Hey guys
When I was restoring my wall mount porto power case I had a couple of extra decals made for it so if one of you guys need one for your box let me know

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Put me down for a set!

 

[z28lsc]

Blackhawk 8832 1" deep socket.

 

[bmwrd0]

Picked up this guy yesterday at the Restore.

The head is stiff with old grease/oil, I am guessing, but it is otherwise in excellent condition, and was only $1.

 

[thehorse13]

Picked up this guy yesterday at the Restore.

The head is stiff with old grease/oil, I am guessing, but it is otherwise in excellent condition, and was only $1.

A short bath in some ATF and it should work good as new.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Just pulled this one out of the atf. Was stuck works good now.

 

[z28lsc]

I finally found a bald head ratchet and it's the extendable.

 

[thehorse13]

I finally found a bald head ratchet and it's the extendable.

That's a beautiful find. It even has the red recess stripes still in place. Be very careful with your selection of cleaner as those stripes can vanish if the cleaner is too harsh. Well done!

 

[z28lsc]

That's a beautiful find. It even has the red recess stripes still in place. Be very careful with your selection of cleaner as those stripes can vanish if the cleaner is too harsh. Well done!

Thanks. It is in really good condition if anything I will just wipe it and put some paste wax just to prevent any moisture or rust.

 

[don long]

I finally found the last piece for my 87WD tool set today
The elusive release key





Also a big THANKS goes out to oldtuleguy for his contribution the other day A few 3/8's S sockets

 

[thehorse13]

I finally found the last piece for my 87WD tool set today
The elusive release key





Also a big THANKS goes out to oldtuleguy for his contribution the other day A few 3/8's S sockets

Congrats, Don. Finding that 9004 release tool was one of the longest searches I've ever had. That's a nice Nuggies set ya have there off to the right.

 

[don long]

Congrats, Don. Finding that 9004 release tool was one of the longest searches I've ever had. That's a nice Nuggies set ya have there off to the right.

It started back in 2021 for me. I picked up the nuggie set from Twertsy a while back

 

[Blackhawkfan]

I finally found the last piece for my 87WD tool set today
The elusive release key





Also a big THANKS goes out to oldtuleguy for his contribution the other day A few 3/8's S sockets

Congrats to the find. I found one last year in similar condition. How are you going to clean it - blasting?

 

[don long]

Congrats to the find. I found one last year in similar condition. How are you going to clean it - blasting?

not planning on doing anything with it

 

[genog]

Spotted this DBE at a Sale
I'm tempted to run back to get it....

 

[Oldtuleguy]

An old caterpillar service set

 

[2001ZR2]

Found that at an estate sale for $0.50 think the screwdriver was free but the custom paint was 50 cents.

 

[930dreamer]

Blackhawk? Estate sale today.