Vintage S-K Tools

[outofbounds]

Yes oob, the extensions fit into it as well

Yes oob, the extensions fit into it as well

Thanks, OTG! I noticed that the ratchets are different from the set I pictured to yours. Is one, or both, "Correct" as a period S-K ratchet?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The one you have maybe a different brand. Hinsdale duro and sk had some similar style ratchets at that time.

 

[four.cycle]

I noticed that the ratchets are different from the set I pictured to yours. Is one, or both, "Correct" as a period S-K ratchet?

Both d42jeep's and Oldtuleguy's S-K sets above contain what appear to be Sherman-Klove (S-K) ratchets.
That round-handled model is almost indistinguishable from the model 657 Indestro, except I have yet to see a 657 Indestro that was not stamped with the part number and manufacturer's name. (see https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...collection-thread.343867/page-18#post-6874580 )
The one in your kit more resembles (to me, anyway) the "Heavy Ratchet" that Indestro included in their 1536 "Master" series sets (for which there was apparently no part number assigned.) (see https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...-duro-chrome-tools.94937/page-38#post-9011971 )

 

[d42jeep]

This nice 1/4” drive ratchet and extension arrived in the mail today. They will fill out some sets.
I found this early postwar carpenter’s box at a Tahoe garage sale today.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

While doing a little cleaning and straightening of the carpenter’s box, I discovered that S-K had protected the interior bottom with a piece of Masonite. I put it back in place and added a few early tools.
-Don

 

[RTM]

Scored most of a SK 1/4" set over the weekend, in a user made box. (IT appears the box was a larger box, cut down and salvaging the corners. Kinda funny. At first I thought the veneer was coming apart) The set looks to be a 4098, from around 1953, because they went to all 6 pt after 1949. Got the following pieces:
40906, 40907, 40908, 40909, 40910, 40912, 40914, 40916, 40961, 40962, 40970, 40990 (3/16 - 7/16), plus and extra 1/2. missing 11/32, and missing all three 8 pt sockets and the flex handle and cross bar., but my notes say I have an 11/32, the 5/16 8pt, and a flex handle.

It also came with a set of 1/4" drive deeps, which I have not found a set for yet. (1/4 - 1/2" 41908 - 41916), and a universal 40990

Except for the 12 pts being wrong, it will pair nicely with my 4503W and convert it to a 4502W. Guess I never posted the 4503W here, will fix that soon.

 

[RTM]

Had a nice score almost a month ago. One of my regular GS guys (cleans up estate sales) was back at it, one of only 3 within a reasonable driving distance. Grabbed a small pile of stuff, and as I was getting ready to say done, wandered around the last part, where some guy had been hogging the view of a bucket the first few times I tried to look. Finally got over there, saw a decent condition green tool box. Went back to the other side, a modernish Coleman stove had been blocking my view of the box. Popped open the top, saw what looked like a decent set of sockets, ID'd a few as an SK, lifted the tray, and saw more tools. Got a quick price, added it to my pile. The total pile went for much less than I would have given for the box alone (<1/3?).

SK box with a 4503W set inside, plus other goodies,


Some detailed shots of the goodies. The SK box was pristine by local standards, maybe 80% original paint, big bow in the front which pushed out with hand pressure, and a bit of bowing of one end tray, caused it to scrape on the box, which a few clamps and blocks fixed. Riveted logo with the Up arrow, metal carry handle. looks similar to the 1949 catalog. Quick spritz with simple Green, and we are good.

The official SK 4503W contents, seems to match the 1949 list (The Cross bar is in the wrong pic, didn't realize until now that the Flex head was so gunked up it didn't fit, now it does)




The bottom of the box had vintage tools of the mechanic's trade, not much that will get use.

See the garage sale thread for details of the other stuff.

 

[d42jeep]

Scored most of a SK 1/4" set over the weekend, in a user made box. (IT appears the box was a larger box, cut down and salvaging the corners. Kinda funny. At first I thought the veneer was coming apart) The set looks to be a 4098, from around 1953, because they went to all 6 pt after 1949. Got the following pieces:
40906, 40907, 40908, 40909, 40910, 40912, 40914, 40916, 40961, 40962, 40970, 40990 (3/16 - 7/16), plus and extra 1/2. missing 11/32, and missing all three 8 pt sockets and the flex handle and cross bar., but my notes say I have an 11/32, the 5/16 8pt, and a flex handle.

It also came with a set of 1/4" drive deeps, which I have not found a set for yet. (1/4 - 1/2" 41908 - 41916), and a universal 40990

Except for the 12 pts being wrong, it will pair nicely with my 4503W and convert it to a 4502W. Guess I never posted the 4503W here, will fix that soon.

The tools in the picture were made post Wayne era. All of the short 1/4” drive sockets made in the ‘50s would have been knurled. I suspect that your tools pictured would have come from a set like this.
-Don
PS. Nice grab on the carry box set!

 

[consti2tion]

Man those are some great finds RTM! I wish I could just run across some early SK sets/boxes like that.

d42 that set looks mint, did you pick it up on ebay?

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks. I honestly don’t remember when I got it but the set is much more modern than the ones I look for on eBay. I probably found it at a sale in the wild.
-Don

 

[RTM]

The tools in the picture were made post Wayne era. All of the short 1/4” drive sockets made in the ‘50s would have been knurled. I suspect that your tools pictured would have come from a set like this.

Thanks for the guidance Don, this set 4921 makes much more sense, then only the spinner is missing, and I don’t have extra pieces. Now I gotta look for a longer skinnier box for it all.

S-K Lectrolite Tools : Catalog No. 361 : Sherman-Klove Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

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

archive.org

 

[d42jeep]

My set is probably close to this one in the ‘77 catalog. I probably have an extra green and white spinner for you back in Albany if you can wait a couple months.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I think that these sets were made between ‘58 and ‘63 if the catalog images are to be trusted. The ‘58 catalog show some sets with the up arrow in the logo and some without.
-Don

 

[bmwrd0]

RTM, I know I have the spinner you are looking for and might have the box also. I at least have a Kreuter one that size.

 

[WinMod21]

A few S-K wrenches for only .50¢ & $1.00 on CL; probably being sold by an old farmer, approx 12 miles west of Grand Rapids, MI
Too vintage for me. Though perhaps he has more?

Assorted Hand Tools - tools - by owner - sale

Hand tools $.50 and up. Any questions on price call or text .

grandrapids.craigslist.org

 

[consti2tion]

A few S-K wrenches for only .50¢ & $1.00 on CL; probably being sold by an old farmer, approx 12 miles west of Grand Rapids, MI
Too vintage for me. Though perhaps he has more?

Assorted Hand Tools - tools - by owner - sale

Hand tools $.50 and up. Any questions on price call or text .

grandrapids.craigslist.org

I've not seen one of these type SK wrenches, I really like that. If anyone has any they want to sell shoot me a PM, I'd like to add these to my boxes.

 

[oak_park]

I've not seen one of these type SK wrenches, I really like that. If anyone has any they want to sell shoot me a PM, I'd like to add these to my boxes.

If your looking at that bottom rusty wrench, it looks like a broken Saltus/Flex head wrench like this...

 

[consti2tion]

If your looking at that bottom rusty wrench, it looks like a broken Saltus/Flex head wrench like this...

For some reason my eyes deceived me, it looked as if it was like the craftsman cross force style wrench. I always wondered what that type on wrench would be useful for until I needed one when working on the AC system on my old international school bus.

 

[d42jeep]

I received this wartime S-K 1/4” drive set from an eBay seller (and GJ member) from Healdsburg, CA. It’s a nice almost complete dark finish set only missing the crossbar.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

If your looking at that bottom rusty wrench, it looks like a broken Saltus/Flex head wrench like this...

I’ve only run across one of those S-K Saltus wrenches. It’s at the left side of this picture.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I received a couple of Tiger marked tools from bmwrd0 recently and cleaned them up a little.
-Don

 

[Harry Oh]

I picked up this socket set at auction last week. Thought might be Hinsdale or S-K. After a bit of research on AA I still don't know. Someone was nice enough to spray the box over the decal if there was one there. All the sockets are marked with size and the dot on each side. 20 double hex sockets 5/16 thru 1 1/4 minus 1 1/8 but with a 1 3/16 just like the AA Early S-K 1/2-drive set. The breaker bar is marked chrome x quality.

 

[d42jeep]

The set is almost certainly made by S-K. Check for punch marks on either side of the size markings on each socket which is an S-K tell. If any socket is missing the punch marks it’s probably not S-K.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

He already checked, Don...

All the sockets are marked with size and the dot on each side.

The breaker bar is marked chrome x quality.

A Western Auto stowaway.

 

[d42jeep]

I tripped over this (1930s?) set advertised locally in the Detroit area. Curious if there is any collectible value as is, and also, there is a fitting shown on the far right of the picture that looks like the body of a sliding tee handle. Would such a piece have existed in such a set? and would it have required the drive plug to be pressed into it, just like a ratchet would?

Yes oob, the extensions fit into it as well

Outofbounds and OTG posted the same sets upthread, both with S-K markings.
-Don

 

[saukit]

Here’s a set I picked up the other day, all of the same pieces as the 4921 set in Don’s late 70’s catalog. The box seems earlier than that though, I’ll have to do a little research on how to date the sockets and other pieces…

 

[saukit]

Got to digging around and found a 4913 set (also according to Don’s catalog), the box on this one seems to be of the right vintage but doesn’t match up that well with the catalog image…

 

[d42jeep]

It’s probably a 4915 missing just the 8 point sockets.
-Don

 

[saukit]

You are totally right Don, I actually have the 8 point sockets and took them out of the set because I was trying to make a 4913! I'll put them back

 

[d42jeep]

Here’s a set I picked up the other day, all of the same pieces as the 4921 set in Don’s late 70’s catalog. The box seems earlier than that though, I’ll have to do a little research on how to date the sockets and other pieces…

Here is that set in the 1961 catalog although I suspect that the spinner would have had an amber handle, which are kind of hard to find.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I found these 3/8” drive deep sockets at a S Lake Tahoe moving sale this morning
-Don

 

[Ricky Joe]

I bought this years ago because it was so nice. I’ve never used it. I date it to 1958-1962 due to the six point small sockets and I am sure it is before Wayne era.

 

[four.cycle]

excellent.
most likely worth a bit more than $22.50 today.

 

[d42jeep]

Beautiful set and I think your date range is correct. Not only did the earlier sets have all 12 point sockets, they had crossbars rather than extensions. Here are a couple of early postwar sets followed by a wartime version.
-Don

 

[txlonghorn1989]

I picked up two empty S-K boxes today. I have assumed they are socket boxes but hoping someone will confirm or not. If they are socket boxes I'd like to figure out what pieces they would have contained. Also, the 1/4" drive set appears to be missing the ratchet as it actually has a Power-Kraft ratchet. Based on the metal badge can someone let me know? Fyi, the two empty boxes have the same S-K badge as the 1/4" box. The 1/4" S-K box has the spinner, 2" & 6" extension, plus the following 6-pt sockets: 1/2, 7/16, 3/8, 5/16, 9/32, 1/4, 7/32 & 3/16 and the following 8-pt sockets: 5/16 & 1/4. Sound right?

The larger S-K box measures 17-1/4" x 3-5/8" x 1-7/8". The smaller box of the two empties measures 15" x 3" x 1-5/8".

Thanks!

 

[bmwrd0]

I would bet that the boxes had a plastic insert to hold the sockets and such, and the owner threw those away as they often do. They should match up in size to earlier models, and you can find those in catalogs online at the Internation tool catalog liberary.

 

[d42jeep]

I have seen those boxes with and without the plastic liners, mostly with.

 

[Raineman]

A fellow tool junkie here suggested I post my current SK inventory. Lots of SK Wayne stuff too. Some sets, sets in progress, stuff looking for sets, stuff in my everyday inventory, some heading to the auction block (most or all of the 1/2” drive stuff), some for trade, and a few things not pictured that are in my desk/company truck bags or drawers. So here goes.

 

[Raineman]

More
Including my JS USA set which I believe is SK made, and the nicest of what I have.

 

[Raineman]

And sets in different stages of completion. A very special THANK YOU to Old Radar for his generous contribution to complete my 1/4” tin set. Thank you very much.