-B-
Well-known member
LOC-RITE is from Kesley Hays Bonney bought them out.
Why doesn't somebody start making BONNEY wrenches again?
- Thread starter Merkava_4
- Start date
buening
Well-known member
paramudduck
Well-known member
Actually that is backwards, Kelsey-Hayes bought Bonney in 1966. KH was then purchased by Utica in 1967. Utica sold to Cooper Industries around 1993. (Thats when the USPTO shows the transfer.) In 1996 Snap-on purchased the Bonney and Kelsy-Hayes held trademarks.
Loc-Rite was trademarked by Kelsey-Hayes as they were the parent company of Bonney at that time.
Actually the purchases were probably earlier, I'm going by the transfer date on the trademarks here.
Loc-Rite was trademarked by Kelsey-Hayes as they were the parent company of Bonney at that time.
Actually the purchases were probably earlier, I'm going by the transfer date on the trademarks here.
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Underdog
Well-known member
They still bring good money!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&item=170324489960
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&item=170324489960
krooser
Well-known member
I worked at a joint in '67 that gave us all a small set of Bon-E-Con wrenches and misc. tools when we started working there... they were surprised that they didn't get the tools back after the guys quit!
I hope the Bonney name is never used like Thorsen and a few others.
We started finding out about it when they were the OEM for John Deere. Like most others in the ag business we picked up a few at the dealership and liked them. I asked who the OEM was and got Utica. We quit getting the Deeres when Utica quit making them. I have never been one who was dyed green. If it was good we bought it, if not no.
Still have seen a few ebay auctions on the old 4 digit deere stuff made by Utica. You think the Snap on boys are nuts, you need to watch a couple of those that happen when planting and harvesting are not in full swing.
We started finding out about it when they were the OEM for John Deere. Like most others in the ag business we picked up a few at the dealership and liked them. I asked who the OEM was and got Utica. We quit getting the Deeres when Utica quit making them. I have never been one who was dyed green. If it was good we bought it, if not no.
Still have seen a few ebay auctions on the old 4 digit deere stuff made by Utica. You think the Snap on boys are nuts, you need to watch a couple of those that happen when planting and harvesting are not in full swing.
-B-
Well-known member
I'd love a long pattern metric set of Bonney wrenches . ( yes i HE site)
Granco Industries got possession of the Bonney dies and pull-broaches sometime after Cooper Tools sold them off. I talked to one of the owners of the company in 2005 or so. He told me they planned to re-introduce Bonney tools one wrench style at a time over time. HJE actually has some Granco DBE's in extra long black oxide that were made by Granco with the old Bonney dies. But Granco got into financial trouble a few years ago, and the government got involved. I heard that last year the dies and forges were sold for scrap. Bonney tools are no more. 
sberry
Banned
The only reason to keep a name is the name and with market share concerns and so many brands someone has to lose. Cheaper to close up some brands than keep the effort to sustain it.
Conductor562
Well-known member
I don't know what all this talk about Snap-On owning Blackhawk is about, but it's not true. It was passed around a few times and was at times owned by New Briton, Litton, and National Hand Tool. Stanley bought National Hand Tool in 1986 and the Blackhawk brand came with it. I can't swear SO never owned Blackhawk, but if they did it was only briefly and a long time ago.
Conductor562
Well-known member
Wow, didn't realize this post was nearly 4 years old. Talk about coming back from the dead.
yup. i believe everything i read on the net. looked pretty good til it said it was in the yarns and thread category.
yup, that's it snap-on is in the yarn and thread business.
ps. if you just type blackhawk tools in to your search engine it will send you right to the stanley-proto website. that may give you a hint on who owns blackhawk.
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NHBandit
Well-known member
One of my all time favorite ratchets was a long handled 3/8 drive Bonney. It broke my heart when it crapped out and I couldn't get a kit for it anywhere. Finally threw it away a couple years ago. I also had a complete gold plated 3/8 drive Bonney set from the Chrysler Master Technicians Service Conference but sold it on Ebay awhile back. Nice stuff.
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Conductor562
Well-known member
I am 9,999.99% sure Blackhawk is not owned by Snap-On and I'm only very slightly less sure that they were never owned by Snap-On. Yea, don't believe everything you read on the internet.
neophyte
Well-known member
If you want full radius beam wrenches in a long pattern combo style just by Williams supercombo wrenches.
ganymede
Well-known member
yup. i believe everything i read on the net. looked pretty good til it said it was in the yarns and thread category.
yup, that's it snap-on is in the yarn and thread business.
ps. if you just type blackhawk in to your search engine it will send you right to the stanley-proto website. that may give you a hint on who owns blackhawk.
But that's no where near sensational enough to bump a 4 year old thread.
Conductor562
Well-known member
Good find, but the link posted clearly says Sockets, wrenches, etc.
Steinmetz
Well-known member
The purchase of any patents that Bonney might have owned would not confer any right to use the Bonney trademark. Besides, any patent Bonney might have owned is most likely expired by now.
I didnt post it to try and prove snapon owned them, just to show y'all where I saw it. I know the Stanley proto website shows blackhawk that's why I thought the whole thing was strange.
Interesting that snapon is using bonney designed torque adapters
Interesting that snapon is using bonney designed torque adapters
What about South Bend lathes, name now owned by Grizzly and made you know where.
My cousin worked for Fisher; she had some office job. Marantz was top of the line Hi Fi and it became an import, too.
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bob15
Well-known member
talk about digging up an ancient post.....from 9 years ago
dnschmidt
Well-known member
To answer your original question: Because few people like flushing money down a toilet.
Parrothead
Well-known member
As much as you like to collect them, there's just no real market.
The box stores have their lines, and the trucks are already having their own issues with their own brands. Other than tool junkies, there's not a need or desire.
Well I'm sure they would love to start a company from all 100 of you who even remember the name and have a nostalgic sentiment towards them. 99.9 percent of tool buyers probably wouldn't even recognize the name of a relic tool company sorry to say.
RAS61
Well-known member
It would be a very small market.
Most of the market is homeowners and hobbyists that want as cheap as possible.
Then you have pros that want the best AND the convenience of truck service - that's already being handled, and truck service isn't happening in any resurrection!
Then you have maybe 10% of tool buyers that want something in the middle. In that market you already have Taiwan tools at the lower $ end, and Proto, Williams, etc on the higher $ USA made end. How much market would be left for Bonney (or any other similar company)?
If there was enough market to go around Craftsman would still be carrying USA made tools and Armstrong wouldn't be out of business - there's your answer.
Most of the market is homeowners and hobbyists that want as cheap as possible.
Then you have pros that want the best AND the convenience of truck service - that's already being handled, and truck service isn't happening in any resurrection!
Then you have maybe 10% of tool buyers that want something in the middle. In that market you already have Taiwan tools at the lower $ end, and Proto, Williams, etc on the higher $ USA made end. How much market would be left for Bonney (or any other similar company)?
If there was enough market to go around Craftsman would still be carrying USA made tools and Armstrong wouldn't be out of business - there's your answer.
RAS61
Well-known member
If Bonney ever comes back it will be as a name replacement for a struggling store brand like Kobalt. And it would be in name only - same tools, different brand stamp, and still made overseas.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
Just a tidbit...
Technically, some Bonney tools are still produced.
Granco acquired some of Bonneys wrench tooling.
Granco was bought by WTA Tool and they are still manufacturing in the USA using Bonney tooling.
Technically, some Bonney tools are still produced.
Granco acquired some of Bonneys wrench tooling.
Granco was bought by WTA Tool and they are still manufacturing in the USA using Bonney tooling.
kythri
Well-known member
Who heard of full polish combination ratcheting wrenches, or reversibles of the same before then?
GearWrench building a name for themselves isn't a good analogy to a newly produced Bonney product building a name for themselves, because GearWrench was marketing something newish/unique.
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bob15
Well-known member
Just a tidbit...
Technically, some Bonney tools are still produced.
Granco acquired some of Bonneys wrench tooling.
Granco was bought by WTA Tool and they are still manufacturing in the USA using Bonney tooling.
They might have bought some of the equipment/dies/tooling, but Snap On owns the Bonney name and trademark. It was also renewed by Snappy in 2008
http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=71031399&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch
https://trademarks.justia.com/owners/snap-on-incorporated-2294/
Well said. I was sorry to see Apex close down Armstrong. When I was a kid, Arnstrong was an industrial brand and they were not made to be pretty. Later came their full polish chrome stuff. I used 10 mm a lot on the job and had an an Armstrong combo that was a work of art. It was a replacement for a lost wrench. That was as nice as any wrench I have ever seen. I also had a set of black Bonneys that I really liked. I see a set of Armstrong black metric combos for sale for 60 bucks. I don't need them but I am tempted.
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Mikeske
Well-known member
I do not think I have ever seen a Granco wrench and I think that they even might be no longer producing tools. I have seen Bonney and I have a basic set of SAE and Metric Bonney wrenches.Just a tidbit...
Technically, some Bonney tools are still produced.
Granco acquired some of Bonneys wrench tooling.
Granco was bought by WTA Tool and they are still manufacturing in the USA using Bonney tooling.
After doing a search for Granco and WTA. Granco has no website and does not show anywhere except on Harry Epsteins and all they had were Crowfoot wrenches. WTA has a website and they also do not make basic hand wrenches but they had B nut flare wrenches and crowfoots. I found nothing like my attached pictures of basic hand wrenches.
Attachments
KnurledNut
Well-known member
This has been well established on GJ in other threads.
I was trying to add new info with my post.
But since you brought that up about the trademark, while it may be true, so little is known about it, its like saying grass is green. And while SO owns an ancient trademark, Bonney Forge is still in operation. Add that to the puzzle.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
As stated in my first post, Granco sold to WTA.
Granco planned to release tools gradually (as they had the tooling) but fell into financial trouble.
They did make flare/box end combos. I have some. They are identical to the Bonneys.
WTA offers limited tools, but the source is still the same.
RAS61
Well-known member
You and me both! I love my 88 tooth Armstrong Aero ratchet, and the few full polish combo's I have I actually like better than my Williams'. Bring back Bonney, but bring back Armstrong first!