Wrench shank type

[Downwindtracker 2]

I'm not sure if the time frame matches. When you buy a common Taiwanese wrench the shank is rectangular in shape . The first time I saw this was on some MAC wrenches the other millwrights had. This was 1979. The sawmill had burned down and the company supplied new tools. So that's when they got them, My Canadian made IR Protos were oval in shape. Who started the rectangular shape and any idea when Snap-On changed over. My pawnshop Snap-On are oval. New Snap-Ons are something I know nothing about.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Shank shapes fluctuated between oval, flat, and round (box end) over time by type and brand since the late 1880s to today. Youd have to do a histogram for each mfgr. It would show some consistent trends, but not industry wide. It would be a hard thing to generalize.

 

[humber2]

Plomb pebbles have rectangular shanks. 1940's

 

[rustyzman]

Cornwell has traditionally had rectangular shanks as far back as I have seen (1920's perhaps? Somebody would have to check that). Actually the older MAC wrenches are darn near clones of many of the Cornwell's.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

As noted on several different threads, Cornwell, VTC, MAC, and Wright, all located in Ohio, share several construction features, including the shank, early on - the ends being hand forged, and most prominently, hex throats. Too many features in geographic proximity to be mere coincidence, in my opinion. If they weren't some kind of formal partners, at the very least a tool and die trend emerged.

 

[woody 73]

As noted on several different threads, Cornwell, VTC, MAC, and Wright, all located in Ohio, share several construction features, including the shank, early on - the ends being hand forged, and most prominently, hex throats. Too many features in geographic proximity to be mere coincidence, in my opinion. If they weren't some kind of formal partners, at the very least a tool and die trend emerged.

Yes I agree as I have seen that connection myself with the tools in central "Ahia" as they say...

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

That's pretty interesting. BTW I'm sorry if my question was vague, I couldn't find better phrasing in the great hollow.

 

[DadsTools]

That's pretty interesting. BTW I'm sorry if my question was vague, I couldn't find better phrasing in the great hollow.

I don't think it was too vague, since the subject itself is so diverse. I think Lugz has a point with regional trends, like when an antique furniture appraiser can tell whether a piece was made in Boston or Philadelphia by the style of legs, moldings, etc. Some of this no doubt has to do with workers moving from shop to shop within the trade.

If I might add a forth handle cross-section to the typical rectangular, oval or round, it would be what I call a racetrack shape, having flat sides but pronounced radius edges. I first used that term with tools during a previous thread discussion involving the Plomb-Proto Empire ratchet head shape lottery. I pulled it from my days in the office furniture business, where "racetrack" is the industry standard term for conference and work tables shaped so. It seemed needed to fill a gap in traditional tool terminology. Those Plomb pebble wrenches are distinctly rectangular, while some of the later Proto were much more racetrack in cross-section. So even within the same mfr, there can be some variation.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Most of my tools don't make to 50 year vintage class, I was too poor to afford many tools in those years, besides, wine, women, and song took up some of my spending. Of the recent fleamarket finds, I picked up a Stahlwille combination. The shank was an I-beam, wide rounded edges. I though it was ideal shape for a wrench. But I had also found an American made vintage wrench with the same shank pattern. Nothing is new.