Vintage S-K Tools

[d42jeep]

Thanks, BK! The GJ hasn’t been the same without you! I’m glad you’re back.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ I've only picked out and listed eleven (11) sets so far, and I've already got a box with several oddball pieces in it that were "extras" out of those sets.
I may be going about this bass-ackwards, but I figured that either way I go, I'm going to ultimately end up with a pile of oddball onesie-twosies. May as well just start putting the stuff up and cross my fingers and hope for the best.
It is mind-bogglingly time consuming going through that "listing" process. Hopefully as time goes on it will go faster.

I don't think I had a lot of S-K out there - I sent a mess of it to a guy here at Christmas, and sent you an oddball set I ran across. I know there are a LOT of empty "S-K" boxes out there - the long skinny one that held the big, full-blown 1/4" drive sets - and at least half a dozen of those tiny S-K 1/4" drive boxes with the hinge pivot at the end of the box (as opposed to along the back.) Not sure where they are buried.

 

[Old Radar]

It is mind-bogglingly time consuming going through that "listing" process. Hopefully as time goes on it will go faster.

I haven't found that it goes much faster over time, but then I feel the need to actually describe the item in full, including it's flaws. Damn OCD...

 

[Etchase]

^ I've only picked out and listed eleven (11) sets so far, and I've already got a box with several oddball pieces in it that were "extras" out of those sets.
I may be going about this bass-ackwards, but I figured that either way I go, I'm going to ultimately end up with a pile of oddball onesie-twosies. May as well just start putting the stuff up and cross my fingers and hope for the best.
It is mind-bogglingly time consuming going through that "listing" process. Hopefully as time goes on it will go faster.

I don't think I had a lot of S-K out there - I sent a mess of it to a guy here at Christmas, and sent you an oddball set I ran across. I know there are a LOT of empty "S-K" boxes out there - the long skinny one that held the big, full-blown 1/4" drive sets - and at least half a dozen of those tiny S-K 1/4" drive boxes with the hinge pivot at the end of the box (as opposed to along the back.) Not sure where they are buried.

Wait. I can’t find them. What’s your eBay name? Don’s link isn’t working for me. Thanks!

 

[d42jeep]

Try this.

Pardon Our Interruption...

-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I made a minimum bid on this likely pre or early war partial S-K 1/4” drive set. I was surprised that there were no other bids. Unfortunately, the original paint and decal are missing so it will require a wrinkle finish repaint.

I added the missing 3/8” socket and moved the tools into this box with a decal. As usual, I need to add the elusive crossbar.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

"...I feel the need to actually describe the item in full..."

My raging OCD compels me to describe each piece in detail - the "full disclosure" thing and all that.
I'm also posting them here as well with that same information, as it includes the content list of the sets - something which will most likely be of use to someone in the future.

@Etchase - Don posted a link above to my stuff. I'm in the middle of a painting gig right now so the posting will be slow for a couple days.
I have half a dozen more sets on the kitchen table now and two days ago I found a box with a mess of other sets in it. Looks like I have a hell of a lot of Walden sets.

 

[Old Radar]

Don posted a link above to my stuff.

4.c--Your ebay avatar would definitely give me pause if I just ran across your listings without knowing it was you.

(even now...)

 

[Outlawmws]

4.c--Your ebay avatar would definitely give me pause if I just ran across your listings without knowing it was you.

Haha! Same!

 

[Etchase]

Early SK knurled unbranded 1/2 inch sockets.

 

[d42jeep]

I found three early unmarked sockets on Saturday at a yard sale. I’m pretty sure the the 25/32” is an S-K with the punch marks on either side of the size markings but I have no guesses about the other two.
-Don

 

[Etchase]

I found three early unmarked sockets on Saturday at a yard sale. I’m pretty sure the the 25/32” is an S-K with the punch marks on either side of the size markings but I have no guesses about the other two.
-Don

The 13/16 looks just like this one with a dot off to one side.



Dimensionally they are as close to the same as modern sockets.




2 dot/ 1 dot
Diameter 1.193/1.191
Height. 1.183/1.184

My 2 dot 1-1/16 is 1.500 dia x 1.370 ht.

I’ve seen other similar sockets with dots off to the side, dots low and no dots. I don’t know the manufacturing process or if it was consistent over the years. I’m amazed at the similarity of the two single dot 13/16.

 

[Mintgrun]

I posted this set of stubby S-K sockets in this thread after I found them (two years ago), ranging from 5/16" - 11/16", but missing the 9/16" socket.



A couple weeks ago, I brought home a 9/16" socket and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was the one that was missing (I'm forgetful sometimes). I also found a 25/32" stubby socket on another outing, but the top wasn't rounded over and it was missing the two dots. A minute on the lathe and a center punch solved both those problems! It still doesn't quite match the rest of them, but it was fun to add those punch marks. (I also put a little shim under it after this photo was taken, so it sits as high as the one on its left). (O.C.D.?) There's just enough room for them in my 1/2" S-K box.

I have a completed 1/4 wayne set with the exception on 1/2!

I think I only have one WAYNE socket and look which one it is! (Send me a PM if you still need one).



Tom

 

[d42jeep]

The 13/16 looks just like this one with a dot off to one side.



Dimensionally they are as close to the same as modern sockets.




2 dot/ 1 dot
Diameter 1.193/1.191
Height. 1.183/1.184

My 2 dot 1-1/16 is 2.500 dia x 1.370 ht.

I’ve seen other similar sockets with dots off to the side, dots low and no dots. I don’t know the manufacturing process or if it was consistent over the years. I’m amazed at the similarity of the two single dot 13/16.

It seems like S-K was very inconsistent in marking their early square drive sockets. I should probably go through my early sets and make sure that similar sockets from other manufacturers aren’t hiding inside.
-Don

 

[Mintgrun]

Have your center punch handy, just in case!

 

[d42jeep]

Apparently the guy responsible for punching these 13/16” sockets forgot his hammer or center punch




I went through this early set and confirmed that the sockets were all S-K. I added my new 25/32” socket since there was room for it.
-Don

 

[Old Radar]

A minute on the lathe and a center punch solved both those problems! It still doesn't quite match the rest of them, but it was fun to add those punch marks.

Hey now!! Wait a minute! That's just not right and could very easily lead to:

 

[d42jeep]

This set with a couple of extras arrived yesterday. It looks like the 1/2” 6 point socket wasn’t added and the 3/8” 8 point socket removed until around 1958. Based on the box logo I’m thinking from ‘53 to ‘56.
-Don

 

[Old Radar]

Great set, Don! And you always find the ones with the tommy bar!

 

[ATate028]

About a week ago I finally got some time to go through some of the tools I got when my grandpa passed away, and I found some SK stuff and started cleaning some other stuff. Coincidentally I found this thread that same day, and I thank everyone here for opening this rabbit hole, lol. It's taken me about a week to read from post #1 to here and it's been a lot of good and helpful information, so thank you everyone.

One of the things I got was a rusty toolbox with some mismatched 3/8 drive in it.


Going through the posts I've only seen two other boxes just like it with the hip roof lid and the ****-cleft latch, posts #2029 & #3686, and the 1956 catalog page that was shared. Based on the very helpful catalog posts, I think it's a No 4218 set box, a 1/2 square drive set. I think I have a good portion of what is supposed to be in the set, but nothing was kept together. I don't really know what year(s) it's from. He was in Korea at 18 so probably 50's or 60's.

I have a nice complement of ratchets and flex head wrenches (breaker bars), and I even have a couple of speed wrenches, no cross bars or sliders unfortunately.


There's a small 1/4 set, and I'm pretty sure that some of it is not there.

Even a set of 3/8 universal sockets.


The big box is the only actual SK box that anything was in, no idea where the other boxes have vanished to in the last nearly 70 years.

Anyway, now I'm down this rabbit hole with you guys of wanting to complete the sets.

-Allen

 

[MR.X]

Sat. Morning flea. Pretty nice shape for this vintage.

 

[La2vegas]

Saw an ad that looked promising. Unfortunately it was for an empty tool kit box. At least it comes with a list of everything that's missing.

 

[RTM]

Saw an ad that looked promising. Unfortunately it was for an empty tool kit box. At least it comes with a list of everything that's missing.

Look, it's long lost brother is here.

Vintage S-K Tools

After a discussion with Steve (gpw-42) about his new 1/4“ drive set, I noted the differences between the immediate postwar sets and the slightly more recent sets. Around 1953 they eliminated the 12 point sockets and downsized the crossbar from 5/16” to 1/4”. The box and logo remained the same. -Don

www.garagejournal.com

 

[d42jeep]

Here is mine, previously posted upthread.
-Don

 

[SamAdams]

Could someone guesstimate the date range of this ratchet? I can't seem to find anything about LC on SK ratchets. I'm guessing Lectrolite, because I've seen that on wrenches. Got it for $40 at a county fair. Thanks to any and all who reply.

 

[d42jeep]

My best guess is that it isn’t all that old. Twertsy tried to ascertain the significance of the letter codes in the recesses but while S-K admitted that they were date codes they wouldn’t provide any more information about them. I received a very similar looking ratchet as part of a warranty claim in 2019. Since they were temporarily out of rebuild kits, they sent the entire ratchet
-Don

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

I wish they would tell us how to decode them, I have some wrenches with this code, is it the same deal?

 

[d42jeep]

Wrenches with LC usually mean that they were made by Lectrolite Corp. Here are some Dunlap examples.
-Don

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

I’m pretty sure I have some Wayne era wrenches with a code like the ratchets.

 

[SamAdams]

My best guess is that it isn’t all that old. Twertsy tried to ascertain the significance of the letter codes in the recesses but while S-K admitted that they were date codes they wouldn’t provide any more information about them. I received a very similar looking ratchet as part of a warranty claim in 2019. Since they were temporarily out of rebuild kits, they sent the entire ratchet
-Don

Yeah, it is basically "new." The anvil is un-marred and the chrome only has a few marks on it from transport and storage. It still had a few dabs of what looked like original greenish grease in the very clean head and mechanism. I was surprised to find it among the myriad old beat up stuff it was mixed in with. The LC had me thinking it might be a really well preserved NOS from whenever Lectrolite partnered with SK.

 

[d42jeep]

The Lectrolite partnership period ratchets would have had the Diamond markings on the ratchets.
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

Aww, that box just needs a little (pun) love!

 

[SamAdams]

The Lectrolite partnership period ratchets would have had the Diamond markings on the ratchets.
-Don

Got it, thanks for the info.

 

[SamAdams]

Do you guys consider 1985 worthy of this thread? This double box end ratcheting wrench was contract made by A&E for SK, according to Alloy Artifacts.

From Alloy Artifacts: As a side note, as the producer of ratcheting box wrenches for Snap-on, A&E has regularly included Snap-on style date codes on all of their production for several decades, thereby providing a date code for brands that normally don't mark the manufacturing date.

 

[ATate028]

Aww, that box just needs a little (pun) love!

Just a little bit, lol. I think it's mostly surface rust so a little cleaning and some paint and it should be good. It has the tray inside still, so that's a plus.

 

[bonneyman]

Just a little bit, lol. I think it's mostly surface rust so a little cleaning and some paint and it should be good. It has the tray inside still, so that's a plus.

Well, any effort you put into it won't try and screw you out of half your assets if you get rid of it!

I vote for lite blue or crinkle brown.

 

[RTM]

I vote for lite blue

Anyone ever suggestion for a good light blue rattle can or Rust-Oleum type that I can spray?

 

[La2vegas]

Saw this at a sale. Unfortunately I only have one Proto adjustable wrench.

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

That’s very cool, but wrong thread.
My brother would have no problem filling that up.

 

[JohnDeere]

I can’t say I would…more added since this pic.