To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

The vintage Blackhawk Thread

To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

thehorse13

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2015
Messages
3,477
Location
Jefferson County, WV
I've been chasing Blackhawk stuff for a long time and I have never ever seen one of these sets. I did get to hold Twertsy's salesman sample museum piece in my own hands though. lol.

Congrats on being the first guy to post one of these sets here.
 

Private Lugnutz

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2012
Messages
30,519
Location
The Authentic Jersey Shore
Trust me, Sonny, Madjik Man was balking at a pawn shop price, and I PM'd him and told him to get himself back there immediately and talk them down! But before that sounds overly, sickeningly, self-congratulatingly selfless, you know, and he will confirm, that I did say if he wasn't interested, that I would buy it! :evil:
 

Madjik Man

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2015
Messages
1,519
I've been chasing Blackhawk stuff for a long time and I have never ever seen one of these sets. I did get to hold Twertsy's salesman sample museum piece in my own hands though. lol.

Congrats on being the first guy to post one of these sets here.

Wow, I had no idea. Thank you for the insight.

Clearly this is just dumb luck on my part. You all are far more knowledgeable and avid about the history of all these tool manufacturers (it's really impressive). I'm just a guy who likes tools, learning about tools, etc. It was last night that I first learned that there was a 7/16" drive made... I squinted at the screen and said, "what in sam tarnation did I just read?"

And as Private Lugnuts pointed out.. had I not taken a photo of it and posted it in the "Garage Sale" thread and said it was cool looking but expensive.... he'd have never PM'd me to tell me to buy it, or else he'd beat me up and then make me buy it for him (or something like that).

He sent me the actual catalog listing for it too. So I also learned that those double square sockets are actually part of the set.

So I'm going to make a list of what I have and what I'm missing. I have a feeling that ratchet is going to be difficult to track down.
 

thehorse13

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2015
Messages
3,477
Location
Jefferson County, WV
Trust me, Sonny, Madjik Man was balking at a pawn shop price, and I PM'd him and told him to get himself back there immediately and talk them down! But before that sounds overly, sickeningly, self-congratulatingly selfless, you know, and he will confirm, that I did say if he wasn't interested, that I would buy it! :evil:
Both of you are lucky that I didn't spot it first. I'd already have it home. :D
 

Madjik Man

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2015
Messages
1,519
I was thinking about building a nice wood box to store this in.

Quoting myself I know…faux pas.

But there’s a guy who makes the Blackhawk decals that came on those torpedo tool box kits.

I’ll buy one of those decals to put on the outside of the wood box I build.
 
Last edited:

Private Lugnutz

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2012
Messages
30,519
Location
The Authentic Jersey Shore
Not to be the party pooper on the wood box, but I'm starting to wonder about your intent.

Do you mean to build a box to contain the set - i.e., the cardboard box and its pieces inside it - almost like a prop or support piece in a museum, that also serves to preserve and protect the original box, which is flimsy and prone to deterioration or damage in handling? Because that would be cool, I think. Maybe a see-through lid, though, is what I was thinking. Because, well, the graphics etc on the carboard box is all the zazz. And if you had to open a wooden box just to see it, it kind of defeats the point, no?

Or do you mean you are going to replace the cardboard box, put it aside, and put the pieces in a wooden box?
 

Madjik Man

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2015
Messages
1,519
Not to be the party pooper on the wood box, but I'm starting to wonder about your intent.

Do you mean to build a box to contain the set - i.e., the cardboard box and its pieces inside it - almost like a prop or support piece in a museum, that also serves to preserve and protect the original box, which is flimsy and prone to deterioration or damage in handling? Because that would be cool, I think. Maybe a see-through lid, though, is what I was thinking. Because, well, the graphics etc on the carboard box is all the zazz. And if you had to open a wooden box just to see it, it kind of defeats the point, no?

Or do you mean you are going to replace the cardboard box, put it aside, and put the pieces in a wooden box?

I was going to tear up the cardboard box and use it as a fire starter for my next gathering around the ol' firepit.

I kid, I kid.

Build a wood box to protect the entire set, cardboard box and all. I do like the idea of inlaying an acrylic window on the top of the wooden box so you can see the actual set.
 

four.cycle

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2015
Messages
28,612
Location
Tacoma, Washington
^ It's a dilemma! I have that "Pexto" set I got from Roy, and a couple "Oxwall" sets that are in cardboard holders. Cardboard gets beat up badly. The graphics fade in UV light. That's one of the reasons I acquired those glass display cases - then I can see them and not have to worry about them getting damaged from handling.
 

Smokeshow69

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Messages
8,366
Location
Pacific Northwest
I was going to tear up the cardboard box and use it as a fire starter for my next gathering around the ol' firepit.

I kid, I kid.

Build a wood box to protect the entire set, cardboard box and all. I do like the idea of inlaying an acrylic window on the top of the wooden box so you can see the actual set.
Major suckage on this cardboard set! I wouldn’t get too attached to this as these guys are sharks and you will probably be receiving multiple offers to purchase here rather shortly 😂👍
 

thehorse13

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2015
Messages
3,477
Location
Jefferson County, WV
The Blackhawk Gods smiled upon me. I got my hands on this beautiful original complete 14BD 3/4 drive set. It even has the lock-on release key as pictured here in the 1930 catalog. I paid a little less than the original retail price.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4163.jpg
    IMG_4163.jpg
    364.3 KB · Views: 53
  • 1930 No. 14BD Set .png
    1930 No. 14BD Set .png
    907.1 KB · Views: 53
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Private Lugnutz

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2012
Messages
30,519
Location
The Authentic Jersey Shore
Nice snag, Horse! That's a cool set. The smaller sets are much less common than the larger ones, in my experience. And on the subject of that particular release key, I often wonder how many are left behind or overlooked as weird hex keys or offset Allen wrenches etc. The other release, with the forged handle, and the name on it, is more known and harder to miss. :)
 

thehorse13

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2015
Messages
3,477
Location
Jefferson County, WV
Nice snag, Horse! That's a cool set. The smaller sets are much less common than the larger ones, in my experience. And on the subject of that particular release key, I often wonder how many are left behind or overlooked as weird hex keys or offset Allen wrenches etc. The other release, with the forged handle, and the name on it, is more known and harder to miss. :)
Funny you mention the key. At first glance it certainly looks like a worthless hex key but it does have the Blackhawk model number nicely stamped into the handle.

This set has an interesting back story. I bought it from the daughter of the original owner. He worked in a ship yard on the banks of Lake Ontario in upstate NY. I wonder how many ships these tools were used on because the tools look brand new and the ratchet works perfectly.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4164.jpg
    IMG_4164.jpg
    226.9 KB · Views: 45

LNKMK8

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 6, 2013
Messages
1,184
Location
Overland Park, KS
Picked up this old socket set today with most of the pieces there. The label inside the lid says "OK Wrenches" Set No. OK-10. I cant seem to find this series on AA or in the catalogs. Is anyone familiar with the time period that this would have been offered?

OK10Set.jpg
 

Private Lugnutz

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2012
Messages
30,519
Location
The Authentic Jersey Shore
Very nice grab! The only cat I have ever seen the OK sets in was British, with a British dealer (King & Co, Hull and Northgate, Darlington) stamp on the front, full of Whitworth and Metric sizing and references to lorries instead of trucks, from 1938. Cat BA 38. Search this thread for more. Or search IA/ITCL and find the BA 38 catalog. Pages 16-17. Came in 10, 20, 30 and 50 piece sets.

I believe OTG has a set. That's the only other set I have seen. Not common.
 

LNKMK8

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 6, 2013
Messages
1,184
Location
Overland Park, KS
Very nice grab! The only cat I have ever seen the OK sets in was British, with a British dealer (King & Co, Hull and Northgate, Darlington) stamp on the front, full of Whitworth and Metric sizing and references to lorries instead of trucks, from 1938. Cat BA 38. Search this thread for more. Or search IA/ITCL and find the BA 38 catalog. Pages 16-17. Came in 10, 20, 30 and 50 piece sets.

I believe OTG has a set. That's the only other set I have seen. Not common.
Excellent, thank you for the information! I was able to find it in the catalog. It looks like they offered 3 versions of the 10pc set, one in Whitworth, one in Metric (that has to be rare!), and one in US Standard. The set I found appears to be the US Standard set and thankfully is complete :) I happened to find one socket down in the basement on a work bench, the cross bar and a socket in the top of the tool chest I bought, and the rest of the set on a bottom shelf in the garage. Can't believe I managed to come home will all the pieces. I'll post some photos once I have a chance to clean it up.
 

Oldtuleguy

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 4, 2017
Messages
10,457
I think Todd had an empty box, slightly longer than mine

Here's the one I posted back in 2018

20181120_201953.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20181120_201923.jpg
    20181120_201923.jpg
    212.5 KB · Views: 12

Madjik Man

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2015
Messages
1,519
Picked up this old socket set today with most of the pieces there. The label inside the lid says "OK Wrenches" Set No. OK-10. I cant seem to find this series on AA or in the catalogs. Is anyone familiar with the time period that this would have been offered?

OK10Set.jpg

I bet that marketing director's job was short lived.

I'd imagine the other product name proposal was "Underwhelming Hand Tool Set."
 

Oldtuleguy

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 4, 2017
Messages
10,457
That's funny. I had the same comment back in 2018. Ok tools? Just ok! By 1938 blackhawk had the nuggets and lock on feature for 1/2 drive. The ok tools seem to be a throwback to the late 20s style sets, so they were just ok....
 

Private Lugnutz

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2012
Messages
30,519
Location
The Authentic Jersey Shore
I believe my line was, "They're not great. They're not bad, either." :)

The truth, though, if anyone cares, is that the original definition of "O.K." was not a synonym for merely sufficient on a spectrum between terrible and superlative. In 1839 it was a sarcastic inside joke among some of the copy editors at the Boston Morning Post who would jot down "Oll Korrect" (instead of "All Correct") in the margins of a text they were proofreading. It got shortened to "O.K." and spread to other papers and circles from there.
 

Oldtuleguy

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 4, 2017
Messages
10,457
We can always count on you for an exact definition! That's awesome. I wonder if they knew that when coming up with the brand "ok" or just phoned that one in...
 

Private Lugnutz

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2012
Messages
30,519
Location
The Authentic Jersey Shore
I wonder if they knew that when coming up with the brand "ok" or just phoned that one in...
By the time the 1930's rolled around "OK" was a very common and popular American catch phrase for expressing satisfaction and positivity. Someone or something being alright (and "all right" is not that far removed form "all correct"). I think the use of "OK" or "okay" to indicate some kind of middling, moderate quality (not bad, not good) is relatively modern. In other words, it was funny the first time it came up here, and it was funny again this time, but at the time these sets were made, I don't think it would've seemed funny at all. Remember, it was a very American term, for an American set of tools explicitly being sold in England.
 

Oldtuleguy

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 4, 2017
Messages
10,457
It's possible they were sold here as well, but blackhawk was not pushing them. They were pretty focused on their lock on line.
 

Madjik Man

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2015
Messages
1,519
I believe my line was, "They're not great. They're not bad, either." :)

The truth, though, if anyone cares, is that the original definition of "O.K." was not a synonym for merely sufficient on a spectrum between terrible and superlative. In 1839 it was a sarcastic inside joke among some of the copy editors at the Boston Morning Post who would jot down "Oll Korrect" (instead of "All Correct") in the margins of a text they were proofreading. It got shortened to "O.K." and spread to other papers and circles from there.

Private Lugnutz overhearing a conversation...

"well it's a little known fact that the truth, though, ...."

maxresdefault.jpg
 

Oldtuleguy

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 4, 2017
Messages
10,457
Here's a link to Todd's box

 

thehorse13

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2015
Messages
3,477
Location
Jefferson County, WV
Lugz is correct once again. A comparative note here is that General Motors used, "OK" as their brand face for used vehicles. This was from the same time frame as the OK brand that Blackhawk was selling. Things sure were different 100 years ago.

1664529848905.png
 

Private Lugnutz

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2012
Messages
30,519
Location
The Authentic Jersey Shore
It's possible they were sold here as well, but blackhawk was not pushing them.
It's possible, although I don't ever recall seeing it in a stateside catalog or period ads.
They were pretty focused on their lock on line.
The contrast you make here got my attention. The BA 38 catalog clearly makes it seem as if the "OK" line moniker was all about the finish. They call it "satin", and they say it's "buffed and polished". So I am assuming it's not chromed. That was a very common practice across the industry, to create an entire lower price line version of the same tools by simply using a finish other than chrome-plating. Cadmium. Or enameled. Not to put too fine a point on this in prelude, but the BA 38 catalog page headers for the "OK" section literally read, 'Blackhawk "OK" Finish Wrenches in Sets'.

So your statement made me go back and look at the catalog, and then at your tools, and I just realized that they're not non-chromed "Lock-On." They're the last stage of the Quick Disconnect style. Blackhawk was doing that stateside, too, in the mid-30's, offering "Lock-On" in the front of the cats but still making and selling the older and price line "Black Satin" QD tools in the back. I think that finally ended in 1937. So it seems like their strategy in England in 1938 was "Lock-On" in the front and the older QD line with a satin finish marketed as "OK" in the back. Which does, somewhat counterintuitively to my etymological point, imply something less than the highest quality.
 

Private Lugnutz

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2012
Messages
30,519
Location
The Authentic Jersey Shore
Okay (pun definitely intended), I double-checked myself. It's possible I am missing them, but I could not find any instance of Blackhawk branding a whole line of tools as "OK" in any catalog or ads in the US.

However, I did find a strong propensity for their front office to use the term in their marketing!

Check out this ad from 1922...

1922 Blackhawk Motor Age ad OK.jpg

They were not branding the sets, but they were clearly enamored with the term. And they were still enamored with using the term in the same way in... wait for it... 1937, as this snippet-only view shows.

1937 Blackhawk Motor ad OK.jpg

It's easy to see how using "OK" as branding device for exporting the last vestiges of their QD line, in a price line finish, naturally evolved from this. And maybe they were doing it stateside, too, and the ads are just defying googlebooks-fu.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom