Vintage S-K Tools

[Old Radar]

So I take it that's a "No" on the visit.

 

[d42jeep]

So I take it that's a "No" on the visit.

That is correct. If you want to visit Tahoe I would be happy to work on it with you.
Here are a couple of prewar or wartime boxes, one of which arrived yesterday. I started adding some tools to them.
-Don

 

[consti2tion]

@d42jeep one good thing about these 100+ temp days here in Texas is we don't even have to bake any painted items in the oven. Fortunately, we have one outside coming down from the atmosphere!

I picked up this I'm guessing War time jobber for a whopping .25 cents awhile back, let's see how much it cost me to fill it eventually.

 

[saukit]

Found a nice set of SK-Lectrolite DBEs the other day (plus the SK Tools one up top), also a diamond logo hinge.

 

[d42jeep]

Nice. Although I have S-K DBE wrenches and Lectrolite DBE wrenches, I don’t have many S-K Lectrolite examples.
Here are a couple of S-K sets that I was working on yesterday. The first set is likely from late ‘41 or ‘42.

As received



Cleaned up with the correct pieces

Here is a set from around 1958

 

[Old Radar]

Nice save on the decal! Was that writing on the inside lid or just a disjointed red paint stripe?

 

[d42jeep]

It was a red stripe inside and out and pretty difficult to remove. I ended up repainting the exterior with the Midwest Military green.
-Don

 

[Old Radar]

Some people are so selfish. They give no thought whatsoever to how their silly marking techniques will affect the people who will own their stuff 50-70 years after them. Idiots.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The nerve

 

[d42jeep]

I agree!
-Don

 

[int3414]

I added the Chrome Alloy tool spares to the new partial set. I am missing the 11/32” socket, as I thought, and I borrowed the 5/16” crossbar to complete the smaller Brazil set.
-Don

picked this up today 3/8 drive,is it brazil?

 

[d42jeep]

picked this up today 3/8 drive,is it brazil?

It certainly looks like it. The sockets are marked correctly and the color of the box looks good.
-Don
Here are some of my likely Brazil 3/8” drive tools.

 

[Username already in use]

picked this up today 3/8 drive,is it brazil?

Looks like it to me as well. I think I can see a ghost image of the triangle logo under the lid.
Nice find. I don't think I've seen a 3/8" drive Brazil Tools box before.

 

[wahoowad]

I don't turn a lot of wrenches anymore so was downsizing redundant tools and came across this S-K diamond logo model 45170 wrench, patent 2232477. It probably was my father's who did a lot of work on cars. I should see if it glows as he also did a lot of work in nuclear power plants. Anyway, curious if any of you can estimate how old it is and if has any collector value. I also have a few extra Craftsman and KAL wrenches so wondering which to keep.

 

[Outlawmws]

That SK of you dad's may be a replacement as any metal tools get checked with a geiger counter before workmen leave, a friend used to work at the Valacietos Nuke facility, a fair bit, and got his tools replaced routinely, so he got in the habit of taking worn out junk tools...

 

[int3414]

Looks like it to me as well. I think I can see a ghost image of the triangle logo under the lid.
Nice find. I don't think I've seen a 3/8" drive Brazil Tools box before.

happens to one little reddish speck where the logo was...found in nasty basement of nasty house,THOUGH it was a rusty box,,plan clear coating,already orderd the two decals for like 13 and change

 

[d42jeep]

I was happy to hear that Brazil decals are available but when I saw the ones on eBay supplied by Jimenginedecals it looks as if they are 4” across which may not be an appropriate size for the 3/8” drive box that you found. Just a word of warning.
-Don

 

[int3414]

two for the money.they are 3.5",,,like i say,,,as good as it gets...i was happy 5 bucks at the estate sale,the brazil box,a Belgian razor hone and a nice 49977 blackhawk ratchet,,,look up the stone,if you-all never seen one...thanks for your help...RICH

 

[d42jeep]

I grabbed a couple of extensions off of eBay to complete this set likely made between ‘46 and ‘52. As is usual with S-K back then, the catalog image doesn’t match the box but the contents list is accurate. In ‘53 they did away with the 12 point sockets and downsized the crossbar.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I’ve been looking for pieces for this wartime 3/8” drive universal set for quite a while. I recently found this 9/16” example to go with my 7/16” and 11/16” sockets. Only three to go! They will probably and up in this box badly in need of refinishing..
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

Since I just shared this pic with you, I’ll put it here as well. Some wartime SK universal sockets. The one on the left is branded, the other two only have the part number and size marked. Part numbers are SK.
Kind of like how SK didn’t brand their flex handles or extensions during the war.

 

[int3414]

picked this up today 3/8 drive,is it brazil?

cleaned up brazil...how the heck they come up with brazil?

 

[d42jeep]

Alloy Artifacts has a pretty decent write up of Brazil tools here.

Sherman-Klove and S-K Tools

An article on the Sherman-Klove Company and S-K Tools from the 1930s through 1960s.

alloy-artifacts.org

Here are some of mine.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Alloy Artifacts has a pretty decent write up of Brazil tools here.

I have filled in a few of their blanks in this post here.

how the heck they come up with brazil?

I'm pretty sure the name comes from Brazil, Indiana, the original location of the Brazil Stamping & Manufacturing Company. Brazil Stamping was a subsidiary of S-K before they started using it as a sub-brand, and well before they moved it from the Clearing district of Chicago to their main plant area.

 

[d42jeep]

This morning I decided to see how close I could come to being able to complete three 1/2” drive sets shown in catalog 649. It seems that I was missing the flex handle and crossbar in the carry box set.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

A seldom seen beavertail 1/4" ratchet. Has newer pat number. Seems like the regular 1/4" ratchets mostly have the older patent

 

[d42jeep]

Nice! That is the first S-K branded 1/4” drive beaver tail ratchet I’ve seen. I’ve never understood the patent numbers on the beaver tails. All of the conventional diamond pattern S-K 1/4” drive ratchets have the early patent number (1981526) whereas all of the beaver tail 1/4” drive ratchets I’ve run across have the newer patent (2232477). When it comes to the 3/8” drive beaver tails, both my S-K and Chrome Alloy examples have the early patent number. Conventional diamond pattern 3/8” drive S-K ratchets can have either early or late patent numbers based, I assume, on when they were made. I don’t have enough 1/2” drive beaver tail examples to speak about patent numbers. My Artisan marked ratchet has the late patent number.
-Don
1/4” drive beaver tail examples
3/8” drive beaver tail ratchets
My 1/2” drive Artisan marked ratchet has the newer patent number but my Chrome Alloy example has the earlier patent. My 1/2” drive sample size is unfortunately pretty small.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I have had the same experience. Threw it in set. The artisan and sk versions are identical but for the nameplates and branding on the ratchets.

 

[Old Radar]

A seldom seen beavertail 1/4" ratchet. Has newer pat number. Seems like the regular 1/4" ratchets mostly have the older patent

Nice! That is the first S-K branded 1/4” drive beaver tail ratchet I’ve seen.

That's what Don says about all the cute 1/4" S-K branded beavertails!!

This exchange is from the 2019 GS thread.

Large S-K group. The 1/4" ratchet in front (40970) is shaped like an early '40s version but it does not have the S-K diamond logo--only S-K. Did they do a retro edition?

I haven’t seen many beaver tails marked S-K and your 1/4” drive one is the first I’ve seen in that size.
-Don

On the other hand, Don, I can't often remember what I did yesterday!

 

[d42jeep]

I musta missed it. I check the S-K thread pretty closely but sometimes miss items on the garage sale thread.
-Don

 

[Old Radar]

Cross posting yesterday's find from the GS thread:

This is a #4123, 1/2" drive set, missing only the largest socket--a 1-1/4". Dating the set took a little time looking back and forth at the catalogs available on archive.org. The 1956 cat does not offer 6pt sockets in 1/2" drive. The 1958 cat changed the smallest three 1/2" drive sockets to 6pt, which mine has. That puts the NET date to 1957. The 1961 cat dropped the 25/32" socket from the set, changed out the cross bar for a 2" extension and changed the set number to #4122--dropping the #4123--so that puts the NLT date to 1960. So, without the intervening catalogs to narrow the range, '57-'60 is as close as I can get.

The #4511 3/8" set is complete and is a long-time resident of the #4123's tote tray. There is a perfect rectangle worn through paint in the tray the size of #4511 box. Although the #4511 appeared in the 1953 catalog in the same configuration, I assume, for no particular reason, both sets were purchased at roughly the same time.

After cleanup, #1502 Heavy Duty Tool Box 19x7x8-3/4. No way am I messing with this paint job!

Extra sockets: Williams, 2x CM, Blackhawk and S-K. Interestingly, glare off the ridges of the wrinkle paint causes a whitish hue in the pic.

3/8" Set #4511 complete including Tommy Bar! The 1/2" set has one, too!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sweet sets! Your 3/8 set has the later badge with no arrows at the top, so maybe a bit later

 

[d42jeep]

The 1958 catalog shows the emblem with no up arrow and both of your new sets were probably made around between then and the early ‘60s.
These 1/4” drive tools were in my PO Box today to fill out some sets.
-Don

Here is the 3/8” drive set in the ‘58 catalog.

 

[Old Radar]

Sweet sets! Your 3/8 set has the later badge with no arrows at the top, so maybe a bit later

The 1958 catalog shows the emblem with no up arrow and both of your new sets were probably made around between then and the early ‘60s.
-Don

I think you're right about the 3/8 set. The 1/2 set wasn't offered in the '61 catalog, so it must be prior to that.

 

[Raineman]

Looking for some help to complete this set. Pretty sure I might have all of it, but as you can see the parts list has some wear. I also can’t make out the complete set number. It looks like 422_9. Indy TV Special.

 

[d42jeep]

Looks pretty close to set 4224 in the ‘69 catalog. Possibly the 9 at the end of the part number indicates that it’s a promotional set.
-Don

 

[Raineman]

I think thats it. I had a feeling you'd be the one setting me straight.

Thanks!!

 

[d42jeep]

A couple of 1/4” drive S-K tools arrived in the mail yesterday. I like the Tuff 1 ratchets and usually need the short diamond logo extensions to fill out sets missing them.
-Don

 

[consti2tion]

@d42jeep How many Tuff1 1/4" sets you filling up? I do like the 1/4" Tuff1 rats better than the 3/8 and 1/2 variants.

 

[Raineman]

Don, I have the Tuff1 (never knew what they were called) style ratchets that you pictured above in 1/4" & 3/8", but they are marked "JS USA". I had always assumed they were SK made.