Unusual Diamond Calk 18" Adjustable

[Farmall 1066]

Been accumulating Diamond Tools for about 20 years now, and never seen an 18" until a few weeks back.
See quite a few off the 15" style with plated finish and tapered handle.
Got all this for $40.

Anybody else ever seen one like it?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I must be missing your point, Farmall, because I don't see anything unusual about it. It's early. Pre-war. I am guessing if you've only collected newer Diamond adjustables that would look unusual to you.

 

[d42jeep]

I think that an 18” Diamond adjustable of any vintage is not particularly common. Nice collection.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Aha. The length. Got it. For some reason, I seem to have a lot of 8" and 12"!

 

[RubiconJK]

Never seen one in person that I recall but may have not been paying attention since I don't typically go for the larger sizes. A quick search on EBAY shows a few, so I'm not sure about super rarity even though the sellers are quite proud of the ones posted.

 

[davethorik]

(Larger than 12") Diamond adjustables do seem to be less common than smaller sizes, regardless of age as Lugz said. The same could probably be said of most vintage adjustable brands. Whether they weren't made in large #s due to lack of demand, or because they were more likely to be abused/broken due to their large size, are my guesses.

I don't know if I've seen an 18" Diamond in the wild. I've seen a few 15" all pretty beat up, and exactly one 24" which I now own. My next largest is a 12".

Op, the green grip versions appear to be very late production, when Cooper basically just put the Diamond name on Crescent wrenches. Are they unused?

 

[Farmall 1066]

ive probably got close to 50 various Diamonds from 4-24" with 3-4 of the 15" and 2 24" ones, but never seen an 18" till now.
The green handled ones in the pic appear to be unused.

 

[jblnut]

That 18" is in the first series of adjustables they made. I've assembled an entire set from 4"-18" where they are stamped " Diamond Calk Horse Shoe Co" with a space between horse and shoe and "Duluth Minn U.S.A". All later models have the "U.S.A." removed. I think if I counted them I have 8 18" and at least 8-10 15" Diamond adjustables. The earliest I can find a 24" is from the series right before their name change to Diamond Tool and Horseshoe. The 24's fetch stupid money on fleabay.

$40 was a solid deal for what you've got there. That early 18" is worth that to the right guy. The green handle adjustables bring silly money sometimes, especially in that condition. Not sure how much that vintage green handle is worth but they sure do look nice !!

 

[Farmall 1066]

That 18" is in the first series of adjustables they made. I've assembled an entire set from 4"-18" where they are stamped " Diamond Calk Horse Shoe Co" with a space between horse and shoe and "Duluth Minn U.S.A". All later models have the "U.S.A." removed. I think if I counted them I have 8 18" and at least 8-10 15" Diamond adjustables. The earliest I can find a 24" is from the series right before their name change to Diamond Tool and Horseshoe. The 24's fetch stupid money on fleabay.

$40 was a solid deal for what you've got there. That early 18" is worth that to the right guy. The green handle adjustables bring silly money sometimes, especially in that condition. Not sure how much that vintage green handle is worth but they sure do look nice !!

Looks like you're in the right area to be a Diamond fan!
Is that an Artsway grinder mixer in your signature photo?

 

[jblnut]

Looks like you're in the right area to be a Diamond fan!
Is that an Artsway grinder mixer in your signature photo?

It's an OLD Artsway ear corn special. No powered loading chute and the discharge auger sticks straight out the back. It has been retired and gets used as a spare now that I have a Gehl Mixall 170.

I think I might be a Diamond Fan. I've ran out of space to hang them all but my favorites are up there. Minus the 24" on the left all the wrenches are from the same vintage as the 18" you posted a pic of. On the right is a complete set of the last set of wrenches produced in Duluth. In the back is a set of the black oxide finish I'm working on. I'm only missing the 24" in that set. I know it was made I just haven't been able to locate one other in a picture.

I stumbled on all four of these at a local farm auction and couldn't pass them up. The bottom doubles are labeled "Diamond Tool & Horseshoe" but the letters are all stamped in and not raised like the rest of the Diamond tools I have ...

The KHT adjustables are early Diamond Calk wrenches and are pretty neat I think.

All the doubles and the oddballs.

I have a couple pails of doubles and other misc Diamond tools ... pliers, screwdrivers, tape measures and other types of wrenches that haven't been sorted out or displayed yet because I have no where to show them

 

[3baygarage]

Wow.

I must say the older ones like those and the 18 have a nice look to them.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Gives new meaning to the term "Old Hickory"!

 

[Stuart in MN]

I have quite a few Diamond Calk wrenches and pliers, but nothing like jblnut's collection.

 

[woody 73]

They made the double sided and they got scooped up in droves by collectors and now they go for big dollars; jblnut you have a very nice collection there!