Vintage S-K Tools

[bonneyman]

Here's a homemade palm ratchet I made based off of some S-K 1/4" ratchet guts.

 

[d42jeep]

Tools out of the box

Moved into the basement.
-Don

I captured some listing photos from a quite nice (and expensive) 3/8” drive Artisan set listed on eBay. They confirmed that OTG‘s and my sets have the same tools included.



-Don

 

[d42jeep]

This wartime S-K 1/2” drive 1-1/4” 40140 socket arrived yesterday. These are somewhat rare because they weren’t included in any sets. It will be added to the sockets in my wartime toolbox.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Some recent S-K arrivals.
NOS 1/4” drive 40970 ratchet at a price I couldn’t resist.
1/4” drive ratchet repair kit 40970-2 with S-K ratchet lube.
Dirty wartime partial black oxide 1/4” drive set.



Cleaned up
Completed S-K wartime 4098 1/4“ drive socket set
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I found this S-K box at yesterday’s estate sale. Surprisingly, it contained a full set of New Britain sockets plus a breaker bar. The only S-K tool was the ever elusive crossbar. I cleaned it up a little. The interior is presentable but it will need a repaint on the outside. I filled it up from my spares.
-Don
As found
Populated with tools.
It matches the 1953 catalog listing of a 4098 set. All 6 and 8 point sockets and the small diameter crossbar

 

[four.cycle]

@d42jeep - can you give me a best guess estimate on year range on these?

 

[d42jeep]

They are newer than what I concentrate on. Looking through Internet Archives the newest catalog I could find was 1990 and those metric deep 1/4” drive sockets only have two lines unlike yours with the three lines. My best guess would be between the early ‘90s and late 2000s.
-Don

 

[NorthernBorder]

I have been reading through to research a 40970 I stumbled across and I just joined so I could post. I bought it because it was so tiny but it has the diamond logo and only the 1981526 patent number. I can't possibly be as old as the '40s can it? It looks nearly new! Did I miss something along the way and its a newer tool?

 

[RTM]

only the 1981526 patent number. I can't possibly be as old as the '40s or '50s can it?

1934 + 17 years. In theory.

Someone babied it.

 

[Outlawmws]

Someone babied it.

Yep, that's a nice one!

 

[d42jeep]

I have been reading through to research a 40970 I stumbled across and I just joined so I could post. I bought it because it was so tiny but it has the diamond logo and only the 1981526 patent number. I can't possibly be as old as the '40s can it? It looks nearly new! Did I miss something along the way and its a newer tool?

That ratchet was being sold from the end of WW2 until around 1963. They continued stamping that patent number on 1/4” ratchets through the Wayne period as well.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Found a nice 1/2” drive 42470 ratchet at an estate sale today. It should clean up pretty well.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Cleaned up okay but not like new.
I found this #3 Phillips screwdriver at an estate sale on Friday
Cleaned it up today. -Don

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

That must have been the attraction. I haven’t run across an S-K marked 1/4” drive beaver tail although I have S-K marked ones in 3/8” drive and 1/2” drive. I have run across a few Chrome Alloy ones though. I’d like to find some paint that would be a close match to the upper box.
-Don

Man those are nice

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks. I’ve been collecting them for a while.
This 1/2” drive Drag Link bit arrived in the mail today. I was hoping for maybe a wartime finish but it’s just dirt over pretty decent chrome. The S-K part number is 40809.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Due to the discoloration on this diamond logo ratchet, this lot went for quite a reasonable price on eBay. I noticed that it had an updated kit installed which made it into a finer tooth, more modern version. I disassembled it and buffed up the handle which minimized the finish issues and installed a more period correct direction control.
After reassembly it looks better and works really smoothly



-Don

 

[AntiqueBen]

Picked this up at the flea market for $6. Cool to see the original tray & leather handle. I know SK started the Brazil line in the 30's. Could this box date to the 30's? The leather handle has me curious....

 

[bonneyman]

Found a nice 1/2” drive 42470 ratchet at an estate sale today. It should clean up pretty well.
-Don

I had a 1/2" drive -470 once but it was too heavy of a beast so I sold it. For 1/2" drive work I usually pull out an open gear ratchet - they are much lighter and easier to get into small spots.

 

[toolsigots]

I recently acquired this old set, looks pretty rough but appears to be almost complete, could use some clean up I guess

 

[d42jeep]

Picked this up at the flea market for $6. Cool to see the original tray & leather handle. I know SK started the Brazil line in the 30's. Could this box date to the 30's? The leather handle has me curious....

Very rare and probably valuable. Mine was gifted to me by username. I believe that they used the leather handles until 1945.
-Don

 

[Kdaniel8601]

I recently acquired this old set, looks pretty rough but appears to be almost complete, could use some clean up I guess

The S-K Chrome Vanadium Steel sets are very old, this is mine.

 

[Patrick Eubanks]

Picked this up at the flea market for $6. Cool to see the original tray & leather handle. I know SK started the Brazil line in the 30's. Could this box date to the 30's? The leather handle has me curious....

What a great box. If you ever tire of it I would love it

 

[AntiqueBen]

What a great box. If you ever tire of it I would love it

I almost passed it up. But it checked all the boxes. Cool original condition, original tray, original logo, no rust & the right price. I didn't realize Brazil toolboxes were scarce?

 

[d42jeep]

They are quite scarce and the selling prices on the few that come up on eBay reflect that rarity.
I found these three sockets at a garage sale yesterday. They weren’t in great condition but I got them looking a little better.
-Don

 

[AntiqueBen]

They are quite scarce and the selling prices on the few that come up on eBay reflect that rarity.
-Don

I'm not seeing any that have sold recently on eBay. Out of curiosity, what were they selling for?

 

[four.cycle]

^ Ebay dumps everything off their site in about 90 days or so... gone is gone. There's no permanent record.

 

[AntiqueBen]

^ Ebay dumps everything off their site in about 90 days or so... gone is gone. There's no permanent record.

I know, that's why I was wandering if Don or anyone remembers what they were selling for? I'm not selling right now. I'm just curious

 

[d42jeep]

I saved some listing pictures but don’t recall the prices. I do remember that I wasn’t tempted to buy them due to the expense involved.
-Don

 

[Kdaniel8601]

Just recieved this set that I won in auction on eBay last week.

 

[d42jeep]

That is a particularly nice set probably made a short time before the WW2 metal restrictions went into effect. Here is the set shown in your 1943 Wartime catalog.
-Don

 

[RTM]

Just recieved this set that I won in auction on eBay last week.

That is a particularly nice set probably made a short time before the WW2 metal restrictions went into effect. Here is the set shown in your 1943 Wartime catalog.
-Don

Clues on the size of the box? I have a box 6.75 x 2-1/16 x 1.5" that I am trying to determine its original intention. Was guessing 1/4", but this confounds my train of thought. Left in front of the dustpan here

2023 Garage Sale Thread

Thanks! Lately I've been finding many items that are actually going to be useful in everyday chores. The collectors items are also turning up, and I'm needing to move a lot along to make room! Smokeshow gets a **** for the haul with the Snap On mid boxes! **Thanks! I see you are looking to...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Kdaniel8601]

Clues on the size of the box? I have a box 6.75 x 2-1/16 x 1.5" that I am trying to determine its original intention. Was guessing 1/4", but this confounds my train of thought. Left in front of the dustpan here

2023 Garage Sale Thread

Thanks! Lately I've been finding many items that are actually going to be useful in everyday chores. The collectors items are also turning up, and I'm needing to move a lot along to make room! Smokeshow gets a **** for the haul with the Snap On mid boxes! **Thanks! I see you are looking to...

www.garagejournal.com

This one is 8 1/4"x2 3/16"x1 1/16", This is a picture of the top of the box and a close up.

 

[RTM]

This one is 8 1/4"x2 3/16"x1 1/16", This is a picture of the top of the box and a close up.

So much bigger than mine, but still the small cross section. Maybe mine is 1/4” drive.

 

[d42jeep]

It is a postwar 1/4” drive box. They used those for a few different 1/4” drive sets. The spinners are extras
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Here are some 1/2” drive S-K sockets that arrived yesterday. I thought that they would all be wartime with worn black oxide finishes but one was chrome plated and merely very dirty. When cleaning, I tried to maintain as much of the worn original finish as possible except for the chrome socket.
Other current S-K projects
Small black oxide wartime set.

1958 1/4” drive set project

-Don

 

[firstyearchevelle]

I found these screwdrivers today at a garage sale. Screwdrivers are something I haven’t typically looked at until recently. I grabbed these SK drivers because I can’t recall ever seeing clear handed ones before. To me they look very similar to Craftsman drivers.

 

[Old Radar]

Screwdrivers are something I haven’t typically looked at until recently.

That's what happens when you hang around GJ. Today it's screwdrivers, next week it may be monkey wrenches, pin vises, tiny little wood planes or old drill presses...

 

[Shelbylex]

... I just realized that I never posted my new addition to the Vintage SK Tool thread...

I created a separate thread for it https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/s-k-red-tool-wagon.533862/

 

[d42jeep]

Wow! What an incredibly rare box. Thanks for sharing it with other S-K aficionados.
Here is a recent pickup on eBay. When completed it will be a 4910 set.
-Don

 

[Old Radar]

Looking for some opinions on this set I picked up the other day. I believe it is a 4921, but for the life of me, EVERY depiction I've seen of a 4921 set in S-K catalogs from Sherman Klove, Lectrolite, Wayne, Tools, to the newer stuff, plus ALL the actual pictures of sets on GJ and ebay have the standard socket tray on the right and the deeps on the left. I've looked through the 1/4" pages in most of the catalogs and have not seen this "reversed" layout anywhere. One detail I've noticed on the metal trays--as opposed to the plastic inserts--is mine does not have a short "keeper" wall extending down from the end of the std socket tray to keep the deeps in place.
Second point is the black & white graphics of the catalogs show a monochrome spinner. I believe Wayne used a clear green handle for their sets after the S-K amber and before the green and white of S-K Tools, and that should be what was included with this set.

Any insight would be appreciated!

Edit: I should have mentioned that this box has the exact dimensions given in the catalog.