Vintage S-K Tools

[esben57]

Please stop forking me, I'm done.
Then there was a set by Indestro and a larger though incomplete Gray Bonney.
Also what turned out to be a Barcalo Jeep toolkit spanner.
I think these may have got into UK as part of U.S. forces issue.

 

[d42jeep]

...and thanks for the sympathy.

I think that if I had found that unique set I would try to keep it as found. It’s such an interesting mix of tools with the slight remains of the S-K decal. Just keep your eyes open for another Chrome Alloy 1/4” drive beaver tail ratchet. They are rare but not unicorn rare.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I united all of my chrome finish smooth S-K wrenches yesterday. I’m still on the lookout for a 7/8” in good condition at a fairly reasonable price. I’m sure that one will turn up eventually.
-Don

 

[Raineman]

Its always fun trying to fill that last spot, however sometimes it can be expensive. Keeping an eye out for your 7/8, plus 1 1/4 and up, ha ha.

 

[esben57]

First two, ratchet spanners I bought 1980ish. Might be the first I'd seen, popular sizes I was using.
3rd 3/8" dr short extension 20p - twenty English pence - car boot sale.
4th. An old chap had an architectural salvage shop (junk shop) in an old Victorian bank building, you would literally clamber over stuff in attics and cellars. This was in a bag of 3/4" dr S.K. sockets 7/8" upwards AF sizes. Some Snap on and Britool in there. £40 the lot.
5 and 6. Another antique shop find, set of these metric spanners 8 to 24mm as new. £25.
Lastly 15mm deep 3/8" drive bought 84/5 to do some valve adjusting on a car I had. Used once and from the same toolshop as the ratcheters.

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Got some S-K stuff from the flea, I saw the top of the S-K bag and I got excited, but once I pulled it out and found it empty, oh well still bought it for a dollar. Also got a handful of wrenches, even a hard to find metric one: 9mm.

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Got all this stuff today from fleabay, is the 1/2 socket warfinish or does it just look funny?

 

[ForrestT]

Got all this stuff today from fleabay, is the 1/2 socket warfinish or does it just look funny?

Looks like it to me, but I’m interested in confirmation from Don.

 

[d42jeep]

It looks wartime to me but sometimes if the chrome is discolored it’s a little hard to tell. This one I got on Saturday will come out of the evaporust today but I’m pretty sure it’s postwar. If the drive end has detents for the retaining ball it’s definitely postwar.
-Don

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

It has the detent notches. Btw the 3/4 drive sockets are sweet!

 

[d42jeep]

Mine is Chrome plated but no detent notch so prewar or early postwar.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I united all of my chrome finish smooth S-K wrenches yesterday. I’m still on the lookout for a 7/8” in good condition at a fairly reasonable price. I’m sure that one will turn up eventually.
-Don

The missing 7/8” combination wrench arrived today from an eBay seller and was a good match for the others.
Here they are in the drawer of my user toolbox
The entire drawer
-Don

 

[ecotec]

I don’t know how old this set is, but going by the cardboard box (which I should have kept), I am guessing Facom era.

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

I don’t know how old this set is, but going by the cardboard box (which I should have kept), I am guessing Facom era.

So. when is Facom era?

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

What era would this be? Thanks.

 

[ecotec]

So. when is Facom era?

1985-2005.

 

[ecotec]

What era would this be? Thanks.

I would guess Dresser, or maybe before Wayne? It seems like Wayne put their name on everything.

We need people who know better than me. My Facom era 45170’s do not have the patent number on them.

I can only say, some time between 1941 and Facom.

Did Wayne put Wayne on their ratchets like they did on their sockets? If they didn’t, early SK, SK Lectrolite, Wayne, or Dresser.

 

[d42jeep]

What era would this be? Thanks.

I would say post Wayne. Wayne did put S-K Wayne on their ratchets.
-Don

 

[ForrestT]

I don’t know how old this set is, but going by the cardboard box (which I should have kept), I am guessing Facom era.

My guess is later than facom As in newer. I’m guessing that is an early to mid 2000’s set. Ideal made.

 

[Etchase]

Ideal bought SK in 2010.

 

[Etchase]

Somebody needs to write a comprehensive book, and I need to take notes. I get so many dates and mergers and suppliers jumbled.

 

[ecotec]

Ideal bought SK in 2010.

Yes. The US management bought SK from Facom in 2005.

They were instantly over their heads… they never stood a chance in hell. I believe that they moved the factory to “cut costs” (not really why…). I never really cared for the company after that move. They deserved to fail for that move.

As I have said in many posts, though… I am not their market. The only tools that I have ever bought, at retail, from SK are 3 sockets. I have a **** ton of SK… but it was bought NOS from a local store that bought tonnage of SK from Facom.

Ideal bought SK, out of bankruptcy, from the US management in 2010.

GreatStar Industries, under the authority of the chinese communist party, bought SK in 2021.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sk has always suffered from a flawed business model. Unlike snapon! The money is in financing and personal relationships! Sk just missed the boat on marketing. That being said they did outlast most us tool manufacturers and have always had a great product.

 

[SKJay]

Don if you see this I finally got my first Artisan from your side of the country but I can’t find any literature on these complete sets to know what is a complete one this is 3/8 Dr if you got one or can direct me to a catalog as you previously did it would be much appreciated

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here's one

 

[d42jeep]

OTG is much more qualified to answer questions about Artisan sets. I would assume that the Artisan set would be the same as the similar S-K sets with the exception of the Artisan marked ratchet and box. I understand from OTG that the rest of the tools in the set have conventional S-K markings.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Only the ratchet is marked artisan

 

[SKJay]

I noticed that the ratchet was the only thing labeled artisan yet my 3/8 breaker bar wasn’t stamped with SK or any markings not sure if that’s like that with all sets but it’s clearly a SK design

 

[d42jeep]

S-K breaker bars, speeders and extensions in all drive sizes made before and during WW2 were unmarked. After WW2 they resumed chrome plating and began stamping the breaker bars, speeders and extensions with the diamond markings. Your set may have tools from both time periods.
-Don
misterbill’s rare WW2 3/8” drive wartime set.
Postwar 3/8” drive set
Postwar S-K tool markings (pre-Wayne).

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Some prewar and wartime stuff

 

[d42jeep]

Nice! Here is a postwar set above a wartime set.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I ordered this 1/4” drive S-K ratchet from an eBay seller at a reasonable price recently. Here are pictures from the eBay listing.
Unfortunately for me, this is the ratchet that arrived. I suppose that it may be reasonable trade material.
I also bought this early patent 3/8” drive ratchet in okay condition.
-Don

 

[Old Radar]

Contact the seller and ask him to make it right. eBay frowns on bait & switch, so they will take up the issue if he doesn't fix it to your satisfaction.

 

[bmwrd0]

Yeah, OR is right. eBay is good about either getting you a refund or the seller getting you what you asked for .

 

[Outlawmws]

^^^

 

[d42jeep]

Contact the seller and ask him to make it right. eBay frowns on bait & switch, so they will take up the issue if he doesn't fix it to your satisfaction.

The seller offered me a full refund but I figured I would get what little I paid for it back in a trade. It was an accidental mixup by a senior seller. I could relate!
-Don

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

I traded my brother a pair of bell system linesmen pliers for another 8” S-K Wayne, I now have 2 of these bad boys. He also picked me up it S-K Tools box.

 

[Raineman]

Now ya gotta fill it

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

What’s supposed to be in it?

 

[Outlawmws]

What’s supposed to be in it?

Tools!