Walden brand tools?

[Uncle Buck]

Does anyone know anything about this brand of tools, other than they are old and no longer sold?

 

[kartracer55]

Dont know details but they are OLD!!!!! Do you have any? Never seen one in person

 

[Uncle Buck]

I have several old Walden wrenches, and a socket or two, but the most unusual tool I own is a Walden 1/2" drive extension. The extension is about 24" long, smack in the middle is an additional sleeve that the extension spins in. The way you would use it is put your right hand on your ratchet and take your left hand and wrap it around the sleeve that spins freely on the extension, the sleeve is held captive at about the center point of the extension. As far as I can tell, the sole purpose of the sleeve is to give the mechanic better control of the extension while it is in use. At any rate, I have never seen an extension of any brand with this design, and I have looked at alot of tools in my time.

 

[kartracer55]

Pretty cool, never seen an extension like that, but I have seen a speed handle. I believe it was an older bonney. It makes sense with the lenght if ya think about it, no?

Jim

 

[Uncle Buck]

Your comparison to a speed handle is dead on!

 

[Tool Pants]

Not much mention of Walden on this message board. When I searched I thought this was the best thread, even if it is over 3 years old. The "just Walden" 3/8" round head ratchet I bought last week at a flea market for $8 is nothing special.

Older Walden history is here, and the various names used.

http://alloy-artifacts.com/walden-worcester.html

My round head is too new to be on AA. I have seen old Walden stuff at the flea market over the past 9 months. But I only bought 2 old Walden-Worchester sockets. The old Walden ratchets I saw at the flea market are nothing like this.

Then last Sunday I see a modern day round head with just Walden on it. A few rows down I see another that is in great shape. I buy it for $8. Then a few rows down I seen another. Never saw a modern Walden before, let alone a round head, and I see 3 in the same day.

The one I bought was the best of the 3. Guy said it was popular with the Navy, and he sounded like he was in the Navy.

Per AA Walden apparently went out of business in the 1990s.

It comes apart like any other round head I have taken apart. I like that it has 2 pawls, and they are large. The pawls do not pivot when you change direction, but slide back and forth. Sort of like the Craftsman qick-apart ratchet. 40 teeth.

 

[Diesel-Mech]

The only Walden tool I knowingly own is a chrome 3/8" hand impact driver, it works pretty well though and has not seen much use since the head is not mushroomed at all.

 

[cruiser808]

I have some Walden ratchets, 3/8", 1/2", and 3/4". They are strong but the finish on them is so so. I don't think they were ever considered a high end tool.

 

[old salvage]

It comes apart like any other round head I have taken apart. I like that it has 2 pawls, and they are large. The pawls do not pivot when you change direction, but slide back and forth. Sort of like the Craftsman qick-apart ratchet. 40 teeth.

Bonney also had roundhead ratchets with a similar arrangement.

 

[jwitt]

I've got this little 1/4" Walden #3150 that I picked up a week or so ago for 50 cents. It's rusty and frozen up. I just haven't gotten around to doing anything with it yet.

Jim

 

[fatfillup]

In my one year of buying tools like a madman, I've seen a fair amount of Walden. Here's 2 1/2" ratchets, a 3/8" and a 1/4" set. It is labled SW for Stephens Walden and the sockets are labled STW, but the ratchet, extension, breaker and slider are all Walden. Perhaps these are from a transition period.





Also have a ignition wrench set labled SW but the wrenches say Walden.



The Ratchets seem to clean up and work smooth.

 

[superautobacs]

Walden is a pretty dang important name in the hand tool industry for sure. IIRC, they were the originators for the interchangeble socket concept.

I have a vintage Walden-Worchester fixed, double socket wrench.

 

[ryan_289]

I have 2 or 3 Walden Worchester 3/4" sockets mixed in with an old Bonney set that belonged to my Grandfather.

 

[plewlandsbob]

Here is a walden - worchester 3620 wrench. It is for head bolts and sparkplugs on model T fords.

 

[scottmlew]

I have a brand-new Walden 4034 3/8 black handled socket driver labelled as Made in USA, Worcester, MA. If anyone is interested in this, let me know. I believe I could get a few more of these if there was interest. It's a little unclear from reading the above if you guys find these "collectible", so pardon me if this post is silly. (I don't "collect" tools b/c of their age or historical importance or novelty or anything like that, so I'm not sure if these are desirable or not)

 

[autopts]

Nothing like a late response. I came across this set today.
This was my dads set and I'm 60+. It looks all there. The two chrome are Duro 1/4" extensions I believe. I myself never used it and I'm not even a tool collector. Its a small size set from 3/16" to 7/16"

 

[64merc]

Yup, that is a cool set autopts. I bought a similar set from a member here a while back. For some reason, I love the metal box.

 

[skipskip]

That's a neat set!!

Industrial finish 1/4 inch drive is pretty unusual.

Certainly a great remembrance of your Dad

 

[american lockpicker]

I wonder...

 

[RM209]

autopts: That's an excellent set of tools, but I think the case might actually be the best part.
BTW, great looking dog!

RM209

 

[bonneyman]

I've got this little 1/4" Walden #3150 that I picked up a week or so ago for 50 cents. It's rusty and frozen up. I just haven't gotten around to doing anything with it yet.

Jim

I love a challenge. Sell me that ratchet, and I'll take a crack at it!

I think I used to have more Walden, but all I have right now is a 1/4" breaker bar 3117 and a 3/8" drive 5/16" 6 point socket. Don't know their ages, but both are solid tools. Well made, finish is OK.

 

[autopts71045]

autopts: That's an excellent set of tools, but I think the case might actually be the best part.
BTW, great looking dog!

RM209

Thanks,thats a Springer Spanial and I miss her. She was the best. By the way, I have no ties to this set. I'll give it up for the price of a large pizza.

 

[vssjim]

I have a catalog from the eighties and bought some stuff direct from them in the late eighties the phone number for the company goes to a bar now the opened in the nineties. They did invent alot of tools we use today but some times things are hard to keep going in this ultra competitive world

 

[TDLMOMOWERS]

I was at an estate sale on Saturday. The sale was for my Grandparents estate. I bought a metal box full of sockets for $2.00. After cleaning the box up, I could see where there was some logo on the box. It says Walden Worcester Wrenches. Inside the box were about 30 mixed sockets. Most of the sockets have no manufacturers names on them, but appear to be the same style and design. They are 1/2" drive and some are 8 point, some are 6 point and some are 12 point. There are some with sizes that are 32ths also. These belonged to my Grandpa, who worked as a mechanic in the 30s and 40s. I hope to get them cleaned up and see if there is a complete set.

 

[Lump]

Cool, Mowers. Congrats. I have always had an emotional attachment to tools which my own ancestors once owned.

I have quite a few tools in my "Stevens Walden Worcester" bin. So if you're missing anything, let me know and I'll check to see if I have it.

 

[TDLMOMOWERS]

Cool, Mowers. Congrats. I have always had an emotional attachment to tools which my own ancestors once owned.

I have quite a few tools in my "Stevens Walden Worcester" bin. So if you're missing anything, let me know and I'll check to see if I have it.

Lump, Do you know any history of the Walden Tool Co?

 

[Outlawmws]

AA has quite a bit:
http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/walden-worcester.html#history

 

[Tylermorris]

It says 1113 and I think Walden. anyone seen one like it?

 

[bonneyman]

Nope, tyler, have not seen a Walden extension (?) like that.

I always thought of Walden - Worchester tools as "normal Joe" tools of old, like Duro and Indestro used to be. Indestro lived on into the 1980's, and got pretty decent with nice chrome. Don't know when Walden disappeared.
I also recall Stevens - Walden there for awhile, too. Don't know when what name was associated with them, though.

I do have this Walden ratcheting adaptor in 3/8" drive. Really rugged!

 

[Dieselhammer]

I have an old stevens walden 1/2 sae shallow impact set in like new condition, cool piece of history, but i have to say theyre not very good impact sockets. the 1-1/8 blew into a couple pieces on a stuck bolt, never had an impact socket do that, usually they get wallowed out or crack.

 

[Tylermorris]

It’s very hard to read but I’m Damn sure it says Walden- Warcester, I also found this....
And it’s not an extention it’s an in-line ratchet or clutch

 

[3baygarage]

Yes, it’s an early ratchet, or ratcheting adapter. Mossberg also had similar.

Nice to see Uncle Buck on the board! 2006,wow.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

And Lump! Haha. This thread is from the Dark Ages, Pre-Schism, before there was a Vintage Board and a Classified Board... It gives me nightmares just thinking about it...

This is what the board would look like...

FOR SALE: Snap-on
Snap-on rules! Everything else drools!
FOR SALE: Lot of old tools, miscellaneous
What is this?
FOR SALE: MAC puller set
Harbor Freight *****
FOR SALE: Wrenches
Look what I found at the flea market today!
Why do people buy Harbor Freight?
FOR SALE: CRAFTSMAN =V=
Need some advice on impacts
FOR SALE: Toolbox and contents

and in an hour those would all be replaced by 50 new threads that looked the same, or people would be bumping their own sales thread!

APCO-Mossberg ratchet adapter

 

[Magnum440d100]

The top ratchet is Walden IIRC. I can’t remember the last time I used it though. Maybe when I was a teenager(?!?)

Needs oil, but works fine otherwise.

 

[vssjim]

At some point Craftsman impact sockets were made by them before the Danaher wave took over most items as older sockets had that same oval with the word impact in the center which WW 1/2 impact sockets had the same logo. Mine were from the 70's and 80's that had that logo the ones from later did not

 

[four.cycle]

@BSA1 -
The post you responded to is 14 years old.
this has been the most active "Walden" thread recently
this is another Walden thread but it's not quite as busy

What you have there are Walden Worcester ("WW") impact sockets, which were marketed in those rather unique steel boxes just as you've shown them - with no drive tools.

 

[NUTTSGT]

@BSA1 -
The post you responded to is 14 years old.
this has been the most active "Walden" thread recently
this is another Walden thread but it's not quite as busy

What you have there are Walden Worcester ("WW") impact sockets, which were marketed in those rather unique steel boxes just as you've shown them - with no drive tools.

We have a Wanted Section for members to use when looking for tools.