Who Made These FM Sockets?

[Mick56]

I was digging through my tub of old 1/4 drive sockets, and came up with these FM brand. 1413 1/2", 1409 9mm, 1410 11/32, 1404m 4mm, and two 1430 5/32. Anyone know who made these? I Googled for a while but wasn't able to come up with anything.

 

[four.cycle]

Fairbanks Morse?

 

[Leviton]

Help poor Mick out. It has been 4 years ago, and, although four.cycle put forth a valiant attempt, Mick's question is still not settled. I searched for Fairbanks Morse sockets with no luck, and the socket is too new looking to be Frank Mossberg.

My bump for Mick is not altogether altruistic. I just found one of these today (although not chrome) and I am also wondering what the "FM" stands for.

Mine is stamped == FM 1412 U.S.A. 7/16 == and is only about 0.8 inches tall. It is a 1/4-inch square drive. Plating is interesting, almost looks like cadmium, but is a bit too shiny for that. It might have a slight gold tint.

Any more ideas?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Pretty crude stamping on them

 

[Leviton]

Pretty crude stamping on them

It is indeed somewhat crude, but the photos make it look worse than it actually is due to me expanding the pictures to make them larger (and in the last photo, me attempting the Alloy Artifacts trick of combining a couple photos around the circumference to see all the stamping in one photo).

 

[Debcrow]

If Fairbanks, being metric, they are probably a lot newer than the Fairbanks Morse & Co. wrench I have which was made by Whitman and Barnes.
My guess is they are probably not Fairbanks. The FM probably stands for something else.
They are pretty Crude looking. Perhaps made before 'Spell Check' and they were Asian and supposed to be the initials "MF" cheap wrenches

 

[3baygarage]

Forge Master (Upland Industries, a division of Emerson Electric Co.). Mainly generic Taiwan socket sets in the tin case.

Those little sockets seem to be about on par with Oxwall.

 

[Leviton]

Forge Master (Upland Industries, a division of Emerson Electric Co.). Mainly generic Taiwan socket sets in the tin case.

Those little sockets seem to be about on par with Oxwall.

Thanks 3bay! I did some googling starting with your info. Forgemaster Tool started in the late 70's. Looks like Upland Industries had both "Forgemaster" and "Upland Forge" brands and these sockets look similar in quality to the Upland Forge wrenches.

I have yet to see an online photo conclusively tying an "FM" marked socket to "Forgemaster", but as the Magic 8-ball says: "All Signs Point To Yes".

Patent 4061013 "Method of forming socket wrench" was granted in 1997 and in 1993 Forgemaster Tool Company was mentioned in relation to the patent.

 

[RTM]

I have a Forge Master universal 3/4” socket, 1/2” drive. No FM on it. Nothing special, but doesn’t seem cheap either. Roll pins for the pivots, which seems different. No COO.

 

[Tom "Python" Aycock]

I guess I'm joining the FM family. Found these in my favorite Restore socket box...

They're all marked U.S.A.

If indeed ForgeMaster, is it known that they began in the US before going to Taiwan

 

[shanny19]

these sockets look similar in quality to the Upland Forge wrenches.

I've kept an Upland Forge 1 1/2" combo, not in the collection, but as a user because somehow it's the only 1 1/2" combo that I've got.

As far as postwar tools go, it is the most crudely forged and un-finished wrench I own. I'd really, really like to know where they were sold.
Off the ice-cream truck perhaps.

 

[redragoon]

I have found something slightly related?

These are Ampco brand sockets stamped with FM and ALBR (Aluminum Bronze) USA.
MSC Direct Ampco Socket



The only other reference I can find for an FM forgemark is from AR forums.
FM = FN/Martin Marietta

 

[shanny19]

^^That is a Factory Mutual approved logo, not a maker's mark

 

[RTM]

^^That is a Factory Mutual approved logo, not a maker's mark

Isn’t it supposed to have the Approved under it?

Have not had to deal with that for 26 years now.

 

[shanny19]

^^ To meet current standards, not only should it say Approved, but it should have a C for Canada or US for US. Maybe they think the USA COO stamping covers that. But yeah, it’s not up to spec.