Tools from the old world

[Monte]

Gedore tire lever

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

Turned up something interesting today, made in Germany Dowidat 3/8” drive 3093RN ratchet. Skinny beam with no knurling etc has me thinking it’s missing a press fit handle. Still decent length at 200mm. Overall I’m impressed, 80 teeth which is a lot more than I was expecting.

 

[Monte]

Blu-Dan file set
www.bludan.com

 

[four.cycle]

small needle-nose cutting pliers marked "Sheffield England" and either "1116" or "1146" - interesting pattern on handle.

 

[target]

Hello guys this is my new purchase... I think it's gonna be my last.

 

[HannibalLecter]

Wow wera made in Germany, I thought everything nowadays is Czech Republic or Taiwan

 

[target]

Wow wera made in Germany, I thought everything nowadays is Czech Republic or Taiwan

This was my thoughts too... I think this will be the last thing made in Germany from Wera

 

[F-22]

Probably outsourced from some company in Germany? I doubt they have any factory there...

 

[Monte]

 

[HannibalLecter]

This was my thoughts too... I think this will be the last thing made in Germany from Wera

At least they didn't sacrifice the quality, or outsourced everything in taiwan

 

[acer66]

Needed another size.

 

[rust in the eye]

Something a bit esoteric for you guys.
Unior #1901 12.7mm (1/2") drive ratchet made, I believe, in Slovenia.
Gifted to me by a family member in Europe. I'm guessing it is from the 1970s.
It has a very nice polished chrome finish and looks stoutly built. A bit short for my tastes at 10" and only a 36t ratchet. A bit slimmer than the 1/4" longer SK 42470 and weighs near identical at 1# 3.25 oz.(SK 1# 4oz.)
First impression is meh, I'm going to put it in service to see how I like it.

 

[four.cycle]

^ nice score.

Unior / Komet in Unior, Kovaska cesta 10, 3214 Zrece, Slovenia / https://uniortools.com/ / est. 1919 / formerly Orodje Zrece /

 

[HannibalLecter]

I really like the bike specific Unior tools. Their hanger alignment tool, their bottom bracket and headset presses, their motorized work stand and the chain wear check tool. Far better than park tool

 

[f121]

I really like the bike specific Unior tools. Their hanger alignment tool, their bottom bracket and headset presses, their motorized work stand and the chain wear check tool. Far better than park tool

I bought a unior brake pad spreader tool in Europe this summer, it works brilliantly:

Disc Brake Piston Spreader - 1750/2DP-US

Spend some time in any bike shop and you'll see the Brake Squeezer. It's a person that, uncontrollably, squeezes the brake lever on every bike they walk by. Even the hydraulic disc brake bikes that don't have a rotor or spacer in the caliper. Sometimes it's not the Brake Squeezer, but an...

uniorusa.com

 

[Monte]

Loctite glue set

 

[f121]

I spotted a couple of these adjustable wrench’s on the wall in a pub in the UK last week. I’ve inherited similar wrench’s, but not seen one with a twisted handle before. This is an old coal mining and iron working town, since about 1750, so these might be local, or they may have come from a pub decoration store on eBay

 

[four.cycle]

^ That's an "ACME adjustable" - patent 273170 - they were originally manufactured by Capitol, and subsequently by at least three other manufacturers

 

[F-22]

Something a bit esoteric for you guys.
Unior #1901 12.7mm (1/2") drive ratchet made, I believe, in Slovenia.
Gifted to me by a family member in Europe. I'm guessing it is from the 1970s.
It has a very nice polished chrome finish and looks stoutly built. A bit short for my tastes at 10" and only a 36t ratchet. A bit slimmer than the 1/4" longer SK 42470 and weighs near identical at 1# 3.25 oz.(SK 1# 4oz.)
First impression is meh, I'm going to put it in service to see how I like it.

I'd expect it is more modern, from the late 80's or 90's, but I'm not sure. Unior makes nice extensions and sockets, and the ratchets "work" but those definitely feel quite crude...

Recently ordered a relatively large set of tools from Unior at work. I'll take some photos when they arrive.

I did not know they made their own version of a plier wrench. They named it the Python. Just where could they take the idea to name them after a snake? Anyway, they are kind of weird in their own way. They don't use the button adjustment as knipex and other clones.




I really dislike their regular 3-component screwdriver handles. However we get 45% off for their tools at work (and no tax) and that's just too good to pass on. I got the single component handle with the bolster, probably their best professional screwdriver. No striking cap.



Also their cles-a-pipe style wrenches



Their combination pliers - single component handle, with no chrome, with the german pattern outward bolstered jaws:



Their actual Cobra clones:



And a 3/8" set:



So, as a Slovene, I feel like I searched through their catalogue and just got the weirdest stuff they offer. We have tons and tons of their tools at the factory but mostly just the most ordinary pliers and screwdrivers and I know all the faults those have. All sockets are 1/2" here and a new set usually quickly disappears. Hopefully the 3/8" will not draw much attention cause noone has them at home (unless they just carry off the whole box!). The cles-a-pipe style wrenches are very uncommon too (guess they sell them to France?).


They also have screw pliers which I may order next time, really interesting they make this!

 

[Monte]

 

[acer66]

Reminds me of an old Proxxon socket if I remember correctly set I left at my parents place.

They used to make all kinds of cool model making stuff like mini table saws and such.

Do you know if they still make stuff in Germany?

 

[four.cycle]

Proxxon / Proxxon GmbH, Dieselstrasse 3-7, 54343 Fohren, Germany / https://www.proxxon.com/ / est. 1977 /

I believe they make a good amount of product in Germany.
Some of their product line is outsourced. You'd have to look at their catalog. Not really sure what the current situation is with their sockets and drive tools.
Their hand-held power tools like that one above have a fairly stellar reputation, from what I've gathered.
They do hold a German design patent on a Facom-ish looking ratchet, but I haven't been able to suss out the patent number on it.

My Proxxon set has a transplanted "Wurth" ratchet and odd extentions in it - the originals were replaced at some point by a previous owner.

They did make some interesting looking ratchets - a few photos from the web:

 

[nezzman]

beta 951 hexagon t handle looks greate



Nice Monte, i have same set and its very good for small trees






Very nice, Precivilizatio

New stuff in garage:
Stahlwille 3/8" socket set 456/14/5 I





Osborn wire brush and Ruko mill pin for die grinder

How much did you pickup the Stahlwille 3/8 set for? What do you think of it? I am being offered it, brand new for £115!

 

[vf1000g24]

New additions to my collection of 3/8 ratchets and ratchet sets. As I've said elsewhere, I like having the tools of my youth alongside my modern tools so when I had to go from 1/2 to 3/8 due to a broken scaphoid in my right hand , I looked for tools from the 60s to 90s. .

Here are two ex Bundeswehr sets, the first is an Elora set:



the second is a mismatched set with an Elora breaker, a Saltus ratchet and Rahsol, Gedore, Matador and Dowidat accessories



I also completed my Elora 3/8 AF civilian set whose breaker is just a killer :



Some Belzer to come soon...

 

[vf1000g24]

I forgot to say that the military sets are partly in metric, partly in AF and that the only Dowidat double wrench has both markings: 14 on one side and 9/16 on the other... It's the army, what the hell does a gap of 0.275 mm mean!

 

[Kaffeetanne]

Proxxon / Proxxon GmbH, Dieselstrasse 3-7, 54343 Fohren, Germany / https://www.proxxon.com/ / est. 1977 /

I believe they make a good amount of product in Germany.

Unfortunately I have to disappoint you. Proxxon does not manufacture any hand tools in Germany. I'm not even sure if they produced some by them self ever.
Their power tools are made in Europe tho. As far as i'm aware of, only their lathes are produced in Germany.

 

[Monte]

Reminds me of an old Proxxon socket if I remember correctly set I left at my parents place.

They used to make all kinds of cool model making stuff like mini table saws and such.

Do you know if they still make stuff in Germany?

The handheld power tools are made in Luxemburg and the milling machines and lathes in Germany:

PROXXON - Company

 

[honcho]

A couple of recent gifts from my son for my upcoming birthday

A pair of Knipex XS Cobra pliers and Swiss made Kunststoffwerk AG Buchs folding meter measuring rule

The little folding rule is cool.
.

 

[F-22]

Got new Unior tools I ordered for some factory workers at the workplace. Quite disappointed overall.



The fake Cobra pliers. The adjustment knob is nice, seems better than the Knipex one but time will tell. I like how it is more "streamlined". However the jaws are a disappointment. They seem thinner towards the front. But the main issue I see is that the serrations are extremely shallow - chrome coating practically made them flat. Sad.



The combination pliers are great. This is their most standard tool and I guess they're really good at making them. Not chromed and the jaw serrations are nice and sharp. German pattern cutters bulge outwards.



Fake knipex "Python" plier wrench. Huge disappointment. Extremely wobbly. Very bad for adjustment. No idea what it is meant to do - it is bad at grabbing any standard nuts (on the photos grabbing an M5, M6, M8, M10). The adjustments are bad for any of them. The next size up adjustment does not grip the nut, and the "correct" adjustment has the handles waay too far apart. Kind of works for M6 (10mm) and nothing else.

 

[F-22]

Poor fitment too. Does the opposite gap of what the Knipex does (not what you want).



Seems to be made with very poor thought. Just to add something to their lineup. I wonder if ANYONE who bought this is happy with it.

Also got a set of 3/8" sockets. The box is very nice, metal and easy to open.











Sockets are well made, nicely finished, and have clear markings.
The ratchet is underwhelming and very stiff. I do not like the mechanism. Tried lubing it and it wasn't much better. It's fine but crude. I do not like the soft handles at all, but they do not offer a metal handle. The extensions are quite nice.




The wrenches are good, nothing to fault them with.

 

[acer66]

Most things look nice and I wonder if the Python is a lemon.

 

[HannibalLecter]

Unior is decent, but certainly not top of the line. Its neither Knipex nor stahlwille. However, the bike tools I have ysed were great

 

[F-22]

To add here - I am still happy with the purchase, it was dirt cheap. If you're buying pliers (other than the standard combination pliers), buy them elsewhere.

The company paid 210€ for 6 long pattern wrenches, a complete 3/8'' socket tools set, and those three pliers - plus 7 screwdrivers and 3 cles-a-pipe wrenches which have not yet come. I think I will not be as disappointed with those things (pipe wrenches are just forgings which is what Unior is good at doing, and the single-component handle screwdrivers with the bolster are made by Oplast anyway, the supplier for Hazet and Gedore).

For that kind of money I do not believe any other brand comes close in quality, even Toptul. But being in Slovenia and as a business buyer, we do not pay the 22% VAT and even get a hefty 45% discount straight from the factory reseller.

The cobra plier clones seem neat, just the serrations are very shallow. Wish they used that fine adjustment type on the plier wrench, that would make it way more usable.

 

[Steve_P]

Poor fitment too. Does the opposite gap of what the Knipex does (not what you want).



Seems to be made with very poor thought. Just to add something to their lineup. I wonder if ANYONE who bought this is happy with it.

I understand your point, but you can't buy a plier with 7 adjustment possibilities, and a fixed jaw design, and expect it to grip every sized nut in parallel; it's just not possible as you only have 7 evenly spaced chances to have the jaws parallel. The Plier Wrench addresses this with a much finer adjustment, and the parallel jaw reaction feature. It's like buying a Knipex Alligator plier and expecting it to perform like the Plier Wrench, or even the Cobra; it can't, by design. This is a copy of an outdated design, and it should only be expected to perform like it.

 

[F-22]

I understand your point, but you can't buy a plier with 7 adjustment possibilities, and a fixed jaw design, and expect it to grip every sized nut in parallel; it's just not possible as you only have 7 evenly spaced chances to have the jaws parallel. The Plier Wrench addresses this with a much finer adjustment, and the parallel jaw reaction feature. It's like buying a Knipex Alligator plier and expecting it to perform like the Plier Wrench, or even the Cobra; it can't, by design. This is a copy of an outdated design, and it should only be expected to perform like it.

That is not a cobra/alligator design. The jaws have sliding ways and do grip parallel. They just lack the fine adjustments.

 

[f121]

Poor fitment too. Does the opposite gap of what the Knipex does (not what you want).



Seems to be made with very poor thought. Just to add something to their lineup. I wonder if ANYONE who bought this is happy with it.

Also got a set of 3/8" sockets. The box is very nice, metal and easy to open.











Sockets are well made, nicely finished, and have clear markings.
The ratchet is underwhelming and very stiff. I do not like the mechanism. Tried lubing it and it wasn't much better. It's fine but crude. I do not like the soft handles at all, but they do not offer a metal handle. The extensions are quite nice.




The wrenches are good, nothing to fault them with.

I like the look of the 3/8 set, looks like it will give good service for a long time. See how the ratchet feels in a decade?

 

[four.cycle]

^ I'm actually a bit surprised on your assessment of that ratchet, viewing the internals. What sort of lubricant did you try in it?

 

[F-22]

I first tried some heavier grease but it made it too sticky. So I cleaned it off and tried with some oil which did make it a little nicer.

We have plenty of 1/2'' ratchets at work that have the exact same design. They are functional but not very nice to use. We also have a lot of Garant ratchets, which are probably made by Stahlwille. They have less teeth but they are much much smoother to use.

I have a 1/4'' Unior ratchet at home for over a decade. It's fine but I'd say the mechanism is not as nice as other top end stuff on the market. Sometimes it kind of jams or does not work very smoothly and it has more backdrag than some of my others (that said, the little Nepros is I think probably a high bar to compare to...).

 

[four.cycle]

I use MMO and a tiny dab of white lithium grease, but very few of my ratchets are the newer "fine tooth" design - I think only the Tektons.
Maybe try some of that "super lube" stuff some of the guys here rave about?

 

[F-22]

I use MMO and a tiny dab of white lithium grease, but very few of my ratchets are the newer "fine tooth" design - I think only the Tektons.
Maybe try some of that "super lube" stuff some of the guys here rave about?

The ratchets I have at home all seem to work fine with the heavier lube (Proto, old coarse Unior, Snap On Dual 80, Nepros, Gedore, Toptul). The new unior ratchets are the only ones I ever saw to be sticky in this way.

But ultimately it is for the factory workers. Bet they'll steal or destroy it in a month anyway. I think the breaker bar and the sliding T handle will last much longer )