Vintage Wright - Share it Here

[MR.X]

No markings on the plug. I'd be curious to see your examples. I know what you mean though. Sometimes it's hard to tell, sometimes sellers try and pull one over, and sometimes you get a nice Plomb plug.

Here's that captured plug N20X next to a standard N20. Gear access plate is different too.

 

[3baygarage]

Neat to see these two very different examples. I‘ve seen that plug with the cutout corner like that. I might have one in a different ratchet which could be incorrect.

 

[d42jeep]

I don’t often find Wright tools but I found these this morning. They will soon be heading to Mr Wright.
-Don

 

[misterbill]

This 1951 dated MN70 3/8" drive ratchet is a recent addition. By 1955 there were styling changes as evidenced in the third photo.






Bill

 

[PSCo1867]

Here's a set of concave-shank Wright combos. I think around a half of these are original to the pouch, with replacements having different orientation for size/brand stamping. There are "L" and "M" codes on them, and the 7/16" wrench is missing

 

[misterbill]

Here's a couple of early-ish 3/8" drive Wright pieces. The 1/2" socket is an MS-82 with an 8+ (1938) date code. The B18 extension is 4" OAL and dated 41+.




Bill

 

[outofbounds]

Here's a set of concave-shank Wright combos. I think around a half of these are original to the pouch, with replacements having different orientation for size/brand stamping. There are "L" and "M" codes on them, and the 7/16" wrench is missing

I believe it not terribly unusual for Wright to have back-filled sets with the "varying orientation" of markings on these sets. I've seen several show out the same way.

 

[3baygarage]

Here's a couple of early-ish 3/8" drive Wright pieces. The 1/2" socket is an MS-82 with an 8+ (1938) date code. The B18 extension is 4" OAL and dated 41+.




Bill

Excellent find. I've never seen one of those.

 

[PSCo1867]

I believe it not terribly unusual for Wright to have back-filled sets with the "varying orientation" of markings on these sets. I've seen several show out the same way.

Your comments regarding the Wright 714 roll-pouch combo-set made me take another look. Now I believe you that all are most likely original to the set. It's a mix of L and M codes, which I believe are '71 & '72 dates. There's less shank-info on the size range 3/4" and smaller (than the larger sizes). I believe this is simply because there's less available shank-area to put characters. This is why the two size ranges look different.

Now, for the missing 7/16" wrench: I took a stab at Ebay to find this one wrench to complete the set, and there it was! Could it actually be the exact one from the original set? It's coming from Lebanon PA, and I recently got the set from an Allentown estate (about an hour from Lebanon). I mean, from what I can tell, these concave-shank Wrights from that era aren't super common, so finding the correct hen's-tooth replacement close by is a pretty big coincidence. Anyhow, my GF is quick to remind me that this wrench story is not nearly as super-cool as I think it is (sigh). Photo is of the prodigal wrench that's on its way to complete the set (swish!). You can believe it will be DNA-swabbed upon arrival.

 

[ecotec]

Excellent find. I've never seen one of those.

Me neither… but now I want to…

 

[d42jeep]

I spotted this Wright mini combo set at an estate sale this morning. They were too nice to leave behind.
-Don

 

[ecotec]

I spotted this Wright mini combo set at an estate sale this morning. They were too nice to leave behind.
-Don

I agree. That is a lovely set.

I need to watch estate sales for combination and DOE ignition wrench sets. It is one of the things that I need to upgrade.

I have some forged ignition wrench sets, and some stamped ones… and the stamped ones look so sad compared to the forged ones.

 

[3baygarage]

I spotted this Wright mini combo set at an estate sale this morning. They were too nice to leave behind.
-Don

They look like they just might be a twin to Craftsman.

 

[d42jeep]

The wrenches do look very similar although my Craftsman set is in a bag rather the the nice roll that the Wright wrenches came in. The Wright wrenches have two sizes per wrench, unlike the Craftsman
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I've never seen one of those.

I didn't even know they made one like that. Bill called it an "extension", and I'm sure there is a female drive opening in the end, but based on the knurling and the way the diameter of the handle tapers and then drops off to the male drive stud, it looks like it works as a spinner, too. Only a few other mfgrs did that. So, very cool.

@misterbill

If you need this 1942 Air Corps 11/16" socket from my last flea haul, holler. Otherwise, it's going in my orphans drawer.

 

[misterbill]

I didn't even know they made one like that. Bill called it an "extension", and I'm sure there is a female drive opening in the end, but based on the knurling and the way the diameter of the handle tapers and then drops off to the male drive stud, it looks like it works as a spinner, too. Only a few other mfgrs did that. So, very cool.

@misterbill

If you need this 1942 Air Corps 11/16" socket from my last flea haul, holler. Otherwise, it's going in my orphans drawer.

Give the curator from New Jersey a cigar - correct as usual @Private Lugnutz ! There is indeed a female end. Very similar to the Williams 1/2" one that I have.

I am so looking forward to the Wright catalogs @tin medic sent to the ITCL dropping eventually. I suspect Wright had a much richer offering prior to WWII.

And, yes, you know I never turn away a stray.

Bill

 

[d42jeep]

I did some more comparisons with the new Wright small combo wrenches and more Craftsman wrenches that I had on hand. I found some Craftsman wrenches with the same two size layout as the Wright wrenches. I’m not certain who made both brands but I would say that it was the same manufacturer.
Don
Wright and Craftsman Crown wrenches withe two sizes on each wrench.
Lots of little wrenches
Craftsman spares. -v- on the right.

 

[misterbill]

I remember reading somewhere that Apex made some tiny wrenches for Wright. Maybe a connection there.

 

[d42jeep]

Interestingly, the wrenches in the Wright roll have no Wright markings so them being made by another manufacturer makes sense.
-Don

 

[3baygarage]

I remember reading somewhere that Apex made some tiny wrenches for Wright. Maybe a connection there.

I think they might have all been made by Easco who had their own branded wrench as well.

 

[3baygarage]

I figured the 1/2 x 5/8 Combination “L“ Handle was unique to Cornwell, but it has an Ohio cousin.

Wright (top). Marked N 4 K. The Cornwell is well documented in catalogs, but I haven’t seen the older Wright catalogs.


Much too different to be twins.

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

Is there consensus for the best lubrication for old school Wright single pawl round head ratchets? Just got one and it is bone dry. I know the newer ones say "oil only" but it doesn't say that on this one

 

[misterbill]

Is there consensus for the best lubrication for old school Wright single pawl round head ratchets? Just got one and it is bone dry. I know the newer ones say "oil only" but it doesn't say that on this one

I have an old jelly jar filled with 3-IN-ONE oil that I just plop them in and let sit for a few days. If I don't plan on actually using the ratchet I will disassemble it and lubricate it with some SuperLube.

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

Sweet, that’s good to hear! Don’t have any of that but have tri flow which I think is similar viscosity. Just good to know that oil is still the way to go

 

[outofbounds]

Neat little box in original condition. My guess is early 50s, and I have a handful of old Wright drive tools that should tuck into this nicely. Only issue is that the P.O. drove a bolt through the top of the hasp to "reinforce" it..... groan.

 

[RTM]

Neat little box in original condition. My guess is early 50s,

looks very "coffin top", unique from the hip roof style

 

[outofbounds]

looks very "coffin top", unique from the hip roof style

Turned up in the 56 catalog to support a couple of different set offerings. The catalog doesn't show the trays very well. I'll assume they are subtly different, and mine suggests the "Mechanic's Choice" 52pcs set over the K4S22 set (all 1/2" drive) as the tray has a secondary channel for presumably smaller sockets.

 

[misterbill]

Found a 1964 dated 13/16" combination wrench like @JR 42 in post 185. Hard to find a decent sample size of Wright wrenches, but this style seems to be from the early to mid 1960s.





Bill

 

[misterbill]

In what may be a clue to another mystery... @Username already in use shared an 31118 9/16" combination wrench back in post #88. He speculated on the "*2" as being some sort of date code. He may right. This 3/4" 31124 combo is dual-marked with "93 J". I'm wondering if UNAIU's wrench is actually from 1992. The model number indicates an industrial finish wrench. Anyone have a more pristine example of these wrenches that doesn't have all the "industrial" worn off? This one was caked in grease but I don't think it came from Barberton that way!





Bill

 

[misterbill]

I feel like I should know this, but when did Wright first introduce WrightGrip 1.0? I feel like it was around 2010-2011. I know that WrightGrip 2.0 was late 2017 or early 2018. As we move further into the 21st century (and the recent past becomes "vintage") it's probably a good idea to record the timeline of branding and date code changes for those that come after.

Bill

 

[misterbill]

I feel like I should know this, but when did Wright first introduce WrightGrip 1.0? I feel like it was around 2010-2011. I know that WrightGrip 2.0 was late 2017 or early 2018. As we move further into the 21st century (and the recent past becomes "vintage") it's probably a good idea to record the timeline of branding and date code changes for those that come after.

Bill

Answering my own question here... I did some digging. WrightGrip 1.0 was released most likely around 2003. The patent, 6907805, was filed 7/24/2002 and granted on 6/21/2005. I found this 2004 (04J) 1118 9/16" combination wrench on eBay with "PATENT PENDING" stamped on it.


I found a PDF of Wright catalog #7000 that is from 2005 (preface on page 2 states "Wright Tool has had only three presidents in 77 years. Few companies can match the 77 years or the three presidents and even fewer the long continuity of management." and it mentions their current ISO 9001 certificate date as June 12, 2005 on page 376, copyright 2005 and catalog #7000 on rear cover) that mentions the patent number on the bottom of page 13.

Catalog #82, from 2009, is still listing that patent and showing the WrightGrip 1.0 wrench on page 55.

Catalog #92 - unsure of the date of publication - shows a WrightGrip 2.0 on page 82. Based on post 206 in Wright Tool WRIGHTGrip 2.0 on the way it looks like WrightGrip 2.0 started hitting the shelves in late 2017.

Bill

 

[Oldtuleguy]

This 3/8 extension with a 43 date code popped up in an old tool lot

 

[misterbill]

Recently I've been trying to organize (for those who know me you'd be laughing at my use of the word) Wright's use of date codes. Based on the evidence, we know that they:

• Utilized some sort of alphabetic code between 1927 and ~1936 - as yet undeciphered.
• From ~1937 to ~1939 they used a single digit indicating the year with an optional -/+ prefix/suffix (meaning unknown).
• From ~1940 until ~1960 they conveniently used a two digit code with an optional -/+ prefix/suffix (meaning unknown).
• From 1961 to 1980 they went back to using the alphabet again: A (1961) - Y (1980) and did not use I,O,Q,V,X,Z.
• In 1981 they began using digits again - sometimes with an alphabetic prefix or suffix. For instance, the metric combination wrenches in my 758 set are marked "K20". I have a 4490 ratchet stamped "81K". A 3/4" breaker bar is "J10". A 3480 stamped "92". A 41-36 socket "L2F". It seems that anything I have from 1981 to the early 2000s is either 2 digits (the year) or two digits with a letter suffix (no idea what it means). After that, it becomes muddled. I could get behind a scheme where "K20" is the 11th week of 2020 but I'm not sure what to make of a WrightGrip 2.0 11-27 combo stamped "L2F".

Anybody else have some insight into Wright's bingo-oriented dating system?

Bill

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I think you have the current situation covered. I've tried to decipher the earlier alphabetical date codes with no luck. I think the + - is likely first or second half of the year.

 

[misterbill]

Some speculation on the early date codes... I have never seen a numeric code on a Wright tool earlier than "7" (i.e., 1937). I have only seen the following alphabetic codes on early tools - F,K,L,N,O,S,T,U,V,W. If we assign "F" to 1927, that leaves "W" to 1936. Has anyone ever seen an alphabetic code other than those listed or a single digit date earlier than a 7?

Bill

 

[misterbill]

Got this set off of FBM. Bottom to top: P8N (15/16 x 1-1/16), P7L (13/16 x 31/32), P6J/P6U (7/8 x 3/4 - hard to tell date code), P5L (11/16 x 19/32), P3N (1/2 x 7/16), P1N (7/16 x 3/8).



Bill

 

[misterbill]

It's interesting to note that the P3O on Alloy Artifacts is 1/2 x 9/16.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It's interesting to note that the P3O on Alloy Artifacts is 1/2 x 9/16.

Todd has one, too. See post #8 and then post #17, where he shows it with similar, crudely hand-forged wrenches with the more familiar and more common "CORNWELL-A", "CORNWELL-B", etc markings system, where AA and Todd, at that time, anyway, were assigning the -A to 1927, the -B to 1928, and so forth.

Which is a good segue.

Other than AA's and Todd's P30 (1/2 x 9/16) wrenches, I had never seen an example with any other model number in that LNL format..., until your coolass lot.

Bottom to top: P8N (15/16 x 1-1/16), P7L (13/16 x 31/32), P6J/P6U (7/8 x 3/4 - hard to tell date code), P5L (11/16 x 19/32), P3N (1/2 x 7/16), P1N (7/16 x 3/8).

How are you deciphering these LNL markings? What does the first Letter represent? What does the Number represent? And what does the second Letter represent?

I have only seen the following alphabetic codes on early tools - F,K,L,N,O,S,T,U,V,W. If we assign "F" to 1927, that leaves "W" to 1936. Has anyone ever seen an alphabetic code other than those listed or a single digit date earlier than a 7?

Please show or link examples of early Cornwell wrenches with these letters, Bill. I'm not sure what you're referring to.

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

Todd has one, too. See post #8 and then post #17, where he shows it with similar, crudely hand-forged wrenches with the more familiar and more common "CORNWELL-A", "CORNWELL-B", etc markings system, where AA and Todd, at that time, anyway, were assigning the -A to 1927, the -B to 1928, and so forth.

Which is a good segue.

Other than AA's and Todd's P30 (1/2 x 9/16) wrenches, I had never seen an example with any other model number in that LNL format..., until your coolass lot.

How are you deciphering these LNL markings? What does the first Letter represent? What does the Number represent? And what does the second Letter represent?

Please show or link examples of early Cornwell wrenches with these letters, Bill. I'm not sure what you're referring to.

Was there any relationship with the Cornwell company?

 

[misterbill]

@Private Lugnutz Regarding the LetterNumberLetter (LNL)... the "P" I am speculating is a designation for their DOEs at that time. The number I am speculating is simply a number representing the relative sizes (but not their size ordinally - e.g., there is a 41+ dated P22 DOE in post #28 ) of one DOE to another. The final letter I am speculating is the actual date code. When I wrote I have only seen the following alphabetic codes on early tools - F,K,L,N,O,S,T,U,V,W. If we assign "F" to 1927, that leaves "W" to 1936 I was referring only to Wright tools. Since Wright started manufacturing in 1927 and those were the only (what I am speculating are) date codes that I have seen to date, I thought it dovetailed interestingly. That, coupled with the tools I have seen with a single digit date code no earlier than the "-7" found on the ell in post #38. At this point I'm not even thinking of Cornwell!

How about some more speculation? We know that Wright focused production on sockets and drive tools beginning (presumably) with the onset of WWII. Based on your research in Vanadium USA Angle Wrench mfr. ???? do you think it is possible VTC took up what had been Wright's wrench production?

FWIW, here's a P2N currently on eBay.



Bill