Vintage Tool Brands
- Thread starter st@rk
- Start date
Fretters
Well-known member
Of those brands you posted, Snail, King **** and old Britool are all of excellent quality. The finish/feel appeal may not always be the nicest, (Snail tend to be of extremely chunky build, for example. The Williams Super Slims are my favourite for feel and comfort in use), but they're quality. Seem to recall Eagle being good stuff too, but can't offhand place having any in my collection to say with certainty.
Dave455
Well-known member
Of those you mentioned, Britool were at the very top! They made a huge selection of tools and were pretty much unbeaten! Sadly, like many British firms, quality gradually declined from the late 70's, and the factory site is now a housing estate! You'll find the name around, but it is just a name, and the tools are imported.
King **** were always 'middle of the road'! If you needed a particular size of wrench or socket, and popped out to get one, it would more than likely be King **** you'd find! They're still around, and still making similar quality tools, but with so much shite around they're looking better and better! For some reason, a lot of folks seem to buy Taiwanese tools from motor accessory shops when they could get decent King **** for similar money! Weird!
Snail Brand are solid enough but they are what would be termed 'industrial' tools! Fine for doing up a bolt on a building site but not quite what a serious mechanic would need!
I can recall seeing Eagle occasionally, but not much about 'em!
King **** were always 'middle of the road'! If you needed a particular size of wrench or socket, and popped out to get one, it would more than likely be King **** you'd find! They're still around, and still making similar quality tools, but with so much shite around they're looking better and better! For some reason, a lot of folks seem to buy Taiwanese tools from motor accessory shops when they could get decent King **** for similar money! Weird!
Snail Brand are solid enough but they are what would be termed 'industrial' tools! Fine for doing up a bolt on a building site but not quite what a serious mechanic would need!
I can recall seeing Eagle occasionally, but not much about 'em!
D350RDV
Well-known member
I've just sold a set of 1950s Eagle brand combination spanners on Ebay - they were a bit chunkier than the Britool equivalent, but clearly well forged with the raised lettering very crisp.
I've always viewed King **** as on a par with Gordon and Bedford - just not quite Britool feel and quality. Ebay prices would suggest most people feel the same.
I do feel guilty sometimes for not supporting KD as the last English manufacturer left with any history...but it's always the Britool stuff I go reaching for in the toolbox.
Anthony
I've always viewed King **** as on a par with Gordon and Bedford - just not quite Britool feel and quality. Ebay prices would suggest most people feel the same.
I do feel guilty sometimes for not supporting KD as the last English manufacturer left with any history...but it's always the Britool stuff I go reaching for in the toolbox.
Anthony
Your list is in order of low to high quality.
The 1st 2 are carbon steel wrench manufacturers, heavy and the jaws prone to spreading.
Eagle made by
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Vaughan_Brothers
lbgradwell
Well-known member
Speaking of Eagle, can anyone confirm or deny the following wrenches to be the later product of Vaughan Brothers? The was no COO stamped on these tools...
