Vintage S-K Tools

[bonneyman]

We also ran across a 1/2” drive ratchet.
-Don

I just found a 3/8" ratchet with this logo design over the weekend. Selector knob looks machined rather than forged like this one. Will get it cleaned and serviced and pics posted soon!

 

[JeffreyG]

An almost complete set I excavated in my basement, looks like what has been described as a later set, WM on the ratchet. When is “later”?

 

[d42jeep]

Probably in the neighborhood of 1986.
-Don

 

[Upstater57]

Here is a pristine, brand new, all Wayne 1/2 inch 1/4 inch combo set I have on hand. Does anyone know what years SK did the blue sets?

 

[d42jeep]

I can’t see from your pictures if the sockets are knurled or not. Earlier Wayne sockets (1964) are knurled, later on they discontinued the knurling and went to the two groove sockets.
According to AA, S-K Wayne marked tool were made from ‘64 to ‘69.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I've heard the blue sets were holiday specials

 

[Outlawmws]

I've heard the blue sets were holiday specials

Seems like an "internet rumor/theory" to me...

 

[Upstater57]

Don,

I appreciate the follow up. In this set, the 1/2 inch drive sockets are knurled and the 1/4 sockets have the two grooves. All the components including the 13/16 spark plug socket have the SK Wayne nomenclature on them. It is interesting that this set has both. The other mystery is when they used the blue box. I have been trying to find a catalog showing the blue box sets but have not found one thus far.

Ed

 

[Outlawmws]

I don't think Symington-Wayne was selling boxes of tools prior to the SK acquisition? but were there other product/corp colors blue?

 

[d42jeep]

Your questions have caused me to look into the Wayne era more than I have in the past. I am of the belief that most all of the sets in blue boxes that have been found were made during Wayne ownership. It gets a little confusing because Wayne continued to sell S-K marked tools from ‘62 to ‘63, finally adding Wayne to the markings in ‘64. The 1962 S-K/Lectrolite catalog states that those two companies are subsidiaries of Wayne.
That accounts for my blue S-K Lectrolite boxes.

It probably accounts for the blue S-K boxes likely made in 1963. Since most of the photography in the Wayne catalogs is black and white, it’s difficult to determine the colors of the boxes but they show your two styles of sockets together in 1966. My best guess is that would be the timeframe when your set was made.



-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

But the color covers are blue... were not the earlier SK cover colors green?

 

[d42jeep]

Most all S-K sets made before the Wayne buyout in 1962 were green. Blue is a common color for S-K Wayne sets. Here are some current eBay listings for Wayne sets.
-Don

 

[Upstater57]

Most all S-K sets made before the Wayne buyout in 1962 were green. Blue is a common color for S-K Wayne sets. Here are some current eBay listings for Wayne sets.
-Don

Don,

I appreciate all your work on this. I have some SK Wayne nameplates on green boxes. They probably started the blue as they used up the green box inventory.

Unrelated, and as an FYI, I will be posting some pictures of a couple of 3D printed SK tray inserts by the end of next week. I had a couple of NOS ones scanned. I will post the pics side by side so we can see if reproduction trays can pass muster.

Ed

 

[Upstater57]

I was reading that the Kraeuter tool company became part of SK Wayne somewhere around 1964. Kraeuter was a plier company and blue was a color they used for some of the grips on their pliers much like Utica Tool used black of their plier handles. I have some NOS Utica Pliers with black handles. SK Wayne did make blue boxed Kraeuter socket sets in the 1960s. Kraeuter made a lineman plier called the dreadnaught. It had decorative handles and originally used nickel steel in the early 1900's. Who knows if Kraeuter tool influence led to the SK Wayne blue box.

 

[d42jeep]

I have a decent selection of Kraeuter sets and my experience is that most of them were made after the Wayne era. I think the blue on my Kraeuter metal boxes is a slightly different color then the S-K boxes.
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

I'm blinded by all the eye-candy, guys! Please stop! lol

 

[Outlawmws]

I'm blinded by all the eye-candy, guys! Please stop! lol

All those things you never knew existed and now desperately need...

 

[bonneyman]

All those things you never knew existed and now desperately need...

I feel my wallet vibrating already!

 

[bonneyman]

I just found a 3/8" ratchet with this logo design over the weekend. Selector knob looks machined rather than forged like this one. Will get it cleaned and serviced and pics posted soon!

Here's the 3/8" incher I found. Thoroughly cleaned and lubed with RLL - works great.
Some teeth wear, finish and knurling 90%+ intact, some chrome darkening. Gonna put it into the rotation.

 

[d42jeep]

With the early patent number that ratchet is possibly prewar or with the darker finish remaining likely from WW2.
Going through the S-K storage boxes today, I took some pictures of pliers and screwdrivers.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ As noted by Don, ALL of S-K's catalogs show black and white photograph images of the boxes, so it's rather difficult to make any sort of timeline on color. I just scrolled through the folder, and the first color image I have is a 1969 S-K magazine ad which shows the green boxes most of us are familiar with.
Everything during the S-K-Lectrolite-Wayne period is all black-and-white.

 

[Outlawmws]

As noted by Don, ALL of S-K's catalogs show black and white photograph images of the boxes

What about cover color? That generally shows corporate colors? Borders or title text?

My experience with corp marketing has always been they are pretty tight about a lot of things meeting "the corporate specs". VISA had possibly the tightest directives for color coordination I ever saw, and day one I was handed a "template power point" outlining every aspect that had to be followed religiously.

Ford has their "Ford Blue" oval, Channellock has trademarked CL blue. many, if not most companies are tight about such.

One company I contracted at was having a new sign put up at their HQ. The CEO drives up and sees the sign on a truck waiting for a crane. She stopped, introduced herself and told them to take the sign back and make it the correct color shade as it was off. Then damn near fired them on the spot when the foreman tried to convince her to accept it "as is" - It went back and a week later the new sign with the exact color shade was installed...

Even the last company I retired from, effectively a start up, had tight standards for what was acceptable for colors, fonts and anything that represented them. Colors changed at least 4 times in the 6 years I was there.

I would expect SK & Symington/Wayne to be equally tight.

 

[Upstater57]

What about cover color? That generally shows corporate colors? Borders or title text?

My experience with corp marketing has always been they are pretty tight about a lot of things meeting "the corporate specs". VISA had possibly the tightest directives for color coordination I ever saw, and day one I was handed a "template power point" outlining every aspect that had to be followed religiously.

Ford has their "Ford Blue" oval, Channellock has trademarked CL blue. many, if not most companies are tight about such.

One company I contracted at was having a new sign put up at their HQ. The CEO drives up and sees the sign on a truck waiting for a crane. She stopped, introduced herself and told them to take the sign back and make it the correct color shade as it was off. Then damn near fired them on the spot when the foreman tried to convince her to accept it "as is" - It went back and a week later the new sign with the exact color shade was installed...

Even the last company I retired from, effectively a start up, had tight standards for what was acceptable for colors, fonts and anything that represented them. Colors changed at least 4 times in the 6 years I was there.

I would expect SK & Symington/Wayne to be equally tight.

Brand management is directly tied to colors. In my 45 years of corporate management experience i found this to be 100% true.

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1950s advertising brochures

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1950s advertising brochure
1951 wholesale hardware catalog advertisements

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1957 S-K Lectrolite advertising brochure

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1958 S-K Lectrolite catalog

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1960s S-K Wayne advertisement
1961 S-K Lectrolite advertisement
1961 S-K Lectrolite catalog

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1961 S-K Lectrolite catalog details

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1962 1963 S-K Lectrolite advertisements

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1965 S-K Wayne Lectrolite advertisements price list

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1966 S-K Wayne advertisements

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1966 S-K Wayne catalog

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1967 S-K Tool advertisement
1968 S-K Wayne catalog

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1968 S-K Wayne catalog
undated S-K Wayne advertisement(form 665)

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1969 S-K Wayne advertisement (see post #5301)
1969 S-K Dresser catalog

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1969 S-K Tool catalog 91109

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1969 S-K Tool catalog 91109

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[four.cycle]

S-K Tools
1971 S-K Tool advertisement
1973 S-K Dresser catalog
1975 S-K Tool advertisement
1976 S-K Tool advertisement
1978 S-K Tool advertisement
1979 S-K Tool advertisement
1981 S-K Tool advertisement

S-K at International Tool Catalog Library

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks for doing all of that work. Not much indication of toolbox colors on those covers. I did the same thing although I was much less thorough.
-Don