Vintage S-K Tools

[d42jeep]

I picked it up with a best offer. On some of these sets the prices have drastically increased recently.
-Don

 

[j0llycage]

I picked it up with a best offer. On some of these sets the prices have drastically increased recently.
-Don

That's what I've noticed- you definitely got a great deal- especially compared to most of the listings!

 

[d42jeep]

A 12 point universal socket set arrived today from an eBay seller. I paid a little more than I normally would have due to the overall condition of the set. It was made between 1946 and 1952 and looks brand new. The paint on the interior of the box isn’t even scuffed from the sockets rubbing over the years. In order to preserve the condition, l lined the box with cork sheeting. I had another excellent set that I got from Roy in a trade but this one is even more pristine than that one.
-Don

My previous set is on the right in the following picture.
Cork lining

1950 and 1953 catalog listings showing the beginning of the changeover to 6 point sockets.

 

[Harry Oh]

I won this S-K set at an online auction a couple of weeks ago. About as like new as you could get. It has what would seem the original tissue shipping paper intact. The S-K Lectrolite tool catalog that was tucked down under the breaker bar doesn't show this particular set in it. All the socket boxes in it have the S-K metal diamond shaped riveted tags. The catalog was marked MC 361 which I would assume means March 1961.
What time frame was the S-K Lectrolite decal on this set in a Grey box? The 1/4" drivers yellow handle now has a white type mold on it but no odor as far as I can tell. Best way to clean it up?
The 1/2" sockets are 7/16 thru 15/16, (7/16-1/2 and 9/16 are 6 points). The 1/4 drive are 3/16 thru 1/2 with a 1/4 & 5/16 8 point.

 

[StillTooManyHobbies]

I can't answer your questions, but that's a beautiful set.

 

[d42jeep]

Great looking set. I would say that your time frame of 1961 seems about right, shortly before the Wayne purchase of S-K. I have never seen the combination 1/2” drive/1/4” drive set in any catalog either although I have an earlier version of yours. It would be helpful to me to see some pictures showing all of the tools included in the set. Congratulations on a great find. I’m sure that we all would like to see pictures of the entire brochure as well.
-Don
I usually find that the coatings on the spinners comes off with some mild liquid cleaner and a stiff nylon brush.

 

[sixfootfive]

Very nice. A time capsule for sure.

 

[Harry Oh]

Don I'll get some pictures out of the box for you. As for the 1961 brochure what is the best way to photograph it? I could probly scan it but I would be challenged to get it from scanner to this site.

 

[d42jeep]

i would just take pictures of each page with my cellphone and post them.
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

@Harry Oh if you’re using an iPhone, the ‘notes’ app will use the camera to make a PDF. I’m sure android has something similar.

 

[RTM]

GeniusScan for Android will let you take pix and save as a multi page pdf.

 

[JjKk40]

I won this S-K set at an online auction a couple of weeks ago. About as like new as you could get. It has what would seem the original tissue shipping paper intact. The S-K Lectrolite tool catalog that was tucked down under the breaker bar doesn't show this particular set in it. All the socket boxes in it have the S-K metal diamond shaped riveted tags. The catalog was marked MC 361 which I would assume means March 1961.
What time frame was the S-K Lectrolite decal on this set in a Grey box? The 1/4" drivers yellow handle now has a white type mold on it but no odor as far as I can tell. Best way to clean it up?
The 1/2" sockets are 7/16 thru 15/16, (7/16-1/2 and 9/16 are 6 points). The 1/4 drive are 3/16 thru 1/2 with a 1/4 & 5/16 8 point.

Awesome set! I use Mothers Milk VLR with a regular clean rag or lint free paper towel on those plastic and acetate handles. Cleans them up excellent and slightly conditions them. Smells good too. Any auto parts store has it. Its a spray bottle.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

I get very good results wet sanding the amber handle drivers....if that's in as beautiful shape as the rest, probably go straight to 1500 grit and call it done.

 

[MR.X]

A little rough but has a pretty cool look. I like the aged look of the wood and the relatively large ( 7 or 8 inches long) badge.

 

[Username already in use]

@Mr X nice! Is that for 3/4” drive pieces?

 

[MR.X]

@Mr X nice! Is that for 3/4” drive pieces?

Hi. Yeah, 3/4" drive stuff.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Harry, Wow! That's one really nice S-K set! Great find!

 

[Harry Oh]

i would just take pictures of each page with my cellphone and post them.
-Don

SGtime, you need to think how it was "back in the day" - It was common to infuse an alloy name into the tool names then. Were all "elegant"? No, but they did try to differentiate between what they sold vs. the older tools that galled and wore out pretty fast.

i would just take pictures of each page with my cellphone and post them.
-Don

Don, here goes, we'll see if I can get these pictures of my S-K Lectrolite hand tool catalog no. MC361. I've got a shot of the socket set looking down also.

 

[Harry Oh]

 

[Harry Oh]

Don that didn't go quite as planned
I might have a couple of duplicates but so be it. I had trouble taking the pictures as the catalog had been wrapped around the breaker bar for perhaps the better part of 50 years and wouldn't lay flat to take a picture so I put it under a piece of glass so got some reflection from the lights. The socket set does have a 40119 19/32 in it, 40160 and 40161 extensions, 40253 breaker bar,42470 ratchet & 4826 13/16 spark plug socket.
The auction where I got this was an online only and this was listed as a Chicago socket set. Thank goodness for pictures.

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks, those pictures are very helpful. I was interested to see what was included in your set since it doesn’t appear in any catalog that I’ve seen. I’ll add a spark plug socket to mine tomorrow. I’m surprised that the spinner is the only tool included to drive the 1/4” drive sockets.
-Don

 

[j0llycage]

Great looking set. I would say that your time frame of 1961 seems about right, shortly before the Wayne purchase of S-K. I have never seen the combination 1/2” drive/1/4” drive set in any catalog either although I have an earlier version of yours. It would be helpful to me to see some pictures showing all of the tools included in the set. Congratulations on a great find. I’m sure that we all would like to see pictures of the entire brochure as well.
-Don
I usually find that the coatings on the spinners comes off with some mild liquid cleaner and a stiff nylon brush.

With really nasty looking acetate handles, I've had great luck using that headlight defogger stuff they sell in the automotive department. Unfortunately the yellowing in the Craftsman Philips driver's is too deep set to get out, but it's worked wonders on pretty much anything other than crystal clear; I've brought some Stanley's (the yellow and red as well as the black and red Handyman series) back to a near new finish. Just be gentle around the painted text- scrub too hard and it'll take it out FAST!

 

[RTM]

Here is my GS SK score for the day, an SK Dresser 1610 Miniature set, in the plastic tool roll. We'd commonly call them ignition wrenches, and SK did internally I'd guess, as all the wrenches start with an I in the catalog and in the real world

S-K Tools : Catalog A90101-7 : S-K Tools Division : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

44 p., illus., 27.9 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Little bit of scratching on the wrenches, and obviously the 7405 5" ignition plier is missing. If someone has one to trade, I have 2 craftsman, a Channellock, and Proto and Utica I think, as well as other goodies.

As Found, tho I did rotate and rearrange them to be in catalog order, all facing the same way.



Out of the pouch.


Leaving a space here for the cleaned up tool roll.

TBA in a few hours

 

[Raineman]

Nice find

 

[d42jeep]

These arrived in the mail today. A nice upgrade for my 1/2” drive Chrome Alloy (Brazil) set. The seller initially offered them for a buy it now price close to $100.00 but nobody bit. He relisted them as an auction and I was lucky enough to get them at a very reasonable price.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I received one small and two large sockets from an eBay seller recently and added the large ones to my 1/2” drive postwar set. They just barely squeezed into the socket channel.
-Don

 

[Harry Oh]

I've got a question on a 1/4 inch set I just uncovered as I was doing a bit of sorting. I do remember getting it several years ago but would have been hard pressed to have found it if I was looking for it.
It is part S-K and Plomb. I guess my question is what box is it. I would think it is a SK with the green krinkle finish. The unmarked 6 in. extension and 6 S-K sockets appear to be war finish. The plomb 1/4 driver and t- handle and 3/16 and 7/32 are chrome. Is it a S-K box?

 

[d42jeep]

Yes, that is likely a wartime S-K partial 4097 smaller 1/4” drive set. It would have come with a breaker and crossbar plus the sockets.
-Don

 

[Ricky Joe]

I received one small and two large sockets from an eBay seller recently and added the large ones to my 1/2” drive postwar set. They just barely squeezed into the socket channel.
-Don

Nice looking set. I don’t think it originally came with the 1-3/16” socket, but nice to have.

 

[d42jeep]

Probably not, since it was a tight fit in the channel but they did fill out the set nicely.
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

Some SK from the flea this past weekend. Not too many, but the Saltus wrench was a nice find for my wrench board and the Metric wrenches are always a pleasant surprise.

 

[j0llycage]

Does anyone happen to know what these markings represent? I've noticed them on a number of box-end wenches, and this is the first time I've seen it on a ratchet. I'm pretty sure it's always been 4 dots in a row. Initially I thought maybe they were owner marks and the wrenches somehow made it to different pawnshops in the same area, but I've seen a handful on eBay, too...

 

[mritchie77]

Does anyone happen to know what these markings represent? I've noticed them on a number of box-end wenches, and this is the first time I've seen it on a ratchet. I'm pretty sure it's always been 4 dots in a row. Initially I thought maybe they were owner marks and the wrenches somehow made it to different pawnshops in the same area, but I've seen a handful on eBay, too...

I believe that would be markings used in a shop to identify which technicians tool it was. Four notches could be bay four, or tech #4 or something along the latter. Each tech or bay would have different markings for quick identification as opposed to owner's marks since it was probably owned by the business.

 

[four.cycle]

"four" is the magic number - turn the ratchet around four times while saying "There's no place like home, there's no place like home..." and the Fairy Godmother will whisk you off to Narnia!

 

[j0llycage]

I believe that would be markings used in a shop to identify which technicians tool it was. Four notches could be bay four, or tech #4 or something along the latter. Each tech or bay would have different markings for quick identification as opposed to owner's marks since it was probably owned by the business.

That was my next guess (well, at least the shop part). I figured it was unlikely to be from S-K considering it always appears to be done post-chroming.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Owners marks

 

[d42jeep]

I second the owners marks.
I received these 6 point universal sockets today from an eBay seller. They allowed me to complete this set which was probably offered from around ‘57 to ‘63. The switch from 12 point sockets to 6 point sockets was gradual with the ’56 catalog showing half and half.
-Don

 

[Isaiah6113]

Hello Everyone,

S-K are not common around me, but I have a pristine S-K box that I’ve posted on here before, and an S-K spinner. So, I keep vigilant . . . then something wonderful happened.

First was the little 13-socket strip, S-K Wayne, 7mm-19mm. These are all in great shape, although some are a bit worn from being jostled about for the last 60-odd years. There are two tabs on the back so you can hang them on the inside of a box. These still need to be cleaned. I’m assuming these are in the 60s decade?

Then within days came the other metric set (just above the strip). This has a heavy plastic liner and it is basically new. I bought it from the original owner who bought it new in the late 70s. He cleaned it after every use and wrapped it in a towel; you bet I kept the towel. There isn’t a mark anywhere, I didn’t even have to clean it. I think this is set #1824.

Then again within days came the Imperial set. It had two missing pieces: the ratchet and something else. I don’t know what the something else is, a universal perhaps? I’ve cleaned this up and most of the sockets have never been used. It has a thin, form-fitted plastic liner. Given the different logo don’t know where this fits in the Dresser lineup (I assume it’s Dresser)?

Then . . . again within days, I saw an ad for a 45170 ratchet; I bought it immediately, it has some chrome rubbing on the sides of the head, and some chrome is chipped near the top. It was taken apart cleaned and lubed. It is now in its rightful place within the Imperial box.

Once you start looking . . .

Thanks,

Matthew

 

[d42jeep]

Nice S-K collection. The S-K Wayne marked metric socket rack probably dates from 1964 to 1968.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I added that same breaker bar and a spark plug socket to my 1/4”-1/2” drive set. It looks like i still need to make a few more changes to match Harry’s set. The sliding Tee, universal joint and long extension need to go and I need to add the short 1/2” drive extension. I think a set as much older as mine is would still have come with a crossbar.