[FirebirdHank]

My dad was a farmer all his life. He never had the money to buy expensive tools. I keep some of his tools in my toolbox just for the memories. There are two wood handled screwdrivers that I still use for light work, always think of him when I use them.

[Mr Anonymous]

There is an emotional connection to tools and toolboxes. Tools are associated with "ability" and usefulness - and our value of ourselves, self-confidence, and so on. There is a lot of psychology around it.

I told my family, when I am gone, get rid of everything except the toolbox and the Studebaker.

A friend of mine just moved out of the US permanently, and he said the last thing to go, and hardest to let go of, was his tools, because without them he could not "fix" or take care of things, which he valued very highly. Lots of folks aren't that way, but those of us in the car hobby especially are.

There was a car magazine editorial years ago (probably by Dave Freiburger) who talked about toolboxes having souls. I swear, he nailed it.

[David Jones]

I looked at the Proto stuff on Amazon a bit ago.

https://www.amazon.com/Proto-JSCV-20...2290114&sr=8-4

$645.

I'll keep using the dukes mixture of brands I currently have and hope I can get by.

My Dad never had much in the way of tools but he could....or at least would try....to fix anything. I watched him soldering something once and it was obvious that the gun had a short in it. It would heat up then, when he went to use it, the tip had cooled enough that it wouldn't melt solder. He monkeyed with it a bit, then I heard him sigh deeply. He held the gun up and looked at it one final time and then in a quick motion he rared back and threw it into the concrete blocks behind the work bench. He said "fixed you" under his breath. My folks divorced about high school graduation time for me and in his later years Dad lived in a house on my little brothers property and rightly, whatever Dad had stayed with him.

[Rocco Testa]

The black wrenches are the ones the utility company I worked for would sometimes buy us, They would buy us the tools we used to keep the liability down if we got hurt . We sometimes got the chromed ones also. Ive seen those wenches for around $250 in chrome that's way over priced. The two air guns I posted pictures of were around $250 and that was a great deal they list for over $650. The Blackhawk brand are made overseas and run cheaper. These two on line stores have good prices on their tools http://ToolDiscounter.com/ "ToolTopia.com" Proto tools are very hard to find in the stores. Fastnenal and GRAINGER can order them for you. Most of their tools are bought by Gov, Aerospace and utility's Mac is the ones the sell to shops from trucks Mac Tools USA hardline tools are manufactured in their partner plant of Proto Dallas. Their primary distribution center is located in Hilliard, Ohio, United States. Mac Tools business model is a franchise system with roughly 1500 distributors across North America.

[dataway]

I just replaced an old 3/4" combo wrench with the top of the line Proto, long type, full polish, six point .... for $23. Worth every penny to me.

I tend to do better work when I have better tools ... not because the tool works better, but for some reason I use them more thoughtfully, carefully and don't rush through things.

Craftsman use to make a heck of a tool, back when Blue Point was making most of their stuff ... which I think was originally who made tools for Snap-On. Then I think Snap-On bought them, and spun them off into two lines ... less expensive Blue Point, more expensive Snap-On ... then I think Blue Point disappeared for decades ... I think someone may be making tools with that name on them again.

[Rocco Testa]

Up until a few years ago Snap On was still bluepoints lower line of tools. My friend had a Snap On truck. I haven't bought one in about ten years. All my tools are mostly older Craftsman man in the USA the rest are mostly Proto and S&K which was also sold to a different tool maker a few years back.. Cornwell is suppose to be a very good tool, but I never owned one of their tools. I did get their catalog. I only have a few Snap On tools, but not many for sure, maybe because I only worked for a dealer for one year when I was 18 and I never had the trucks come to take my money.

[grandam1979]

We have a snap on truck that comes every week he has a repo section that you can get some great deals in. Regular price is not cheap but will last forever or be replaced at no charge. Oh and if you want to spend some crazy money look at a snap on tool box.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by Rocco Testa

Up until a few years ago Snap On was still bluepoints lower line of tools. My friend had a Snap On truck. I haven't bought one in about ten years. All my tools are mostly older Craftsman man in the USA the rest are mostly Proto and S&K which was also sold to a different tool maker a few years back.. Cornwell is suppose to be a very good tool, but I never owned one of their tools. I did get their catalog. I only have a few Snap On tools, but not many for sure, maybe because I only worked for a dealer for one year when I was 18 and I never had the trucks come to take my money.

We used to have a Cornwell tool truck that stopped at the dealership I worked at. The tools aren't as good as Snap On, usually closer to Mac tools in quality, still very good tools and reasonable compared to Snap on. The guy that had the Cornwell truck used to be a Snap On dealer, but had a falling out with them, and went to Cornwell. I still have a lot of Cornwell tools I bought from him about 40 years ago.

[242177P]

Just spotted this, seemed pertinent.

[mgarblik]

Ahhh-yes, the gas axe wins every time! Except when plastic fuel lines are involved. Be careful. My current hand tool inventory is probably 60% Snap-ON, 10% Mac, 15% Craftsman, 5% Cornwell and 10% everything else. I do love tools.

[Stuart]

I have a couple random Proto tools, but I'm more interested in Plomb which is what Proto used to be called until the late 1940s. Old Plomb tools are relatively common out on the west coast (since they were made in Los Angeles) but are hard to find here in the midwest.



I do have a 1954 Proto catalog as well.

Originally Posted by Rocco Testa

Up until a few years ago Snap On was still bluepoints lower line of tools.

I think you meant Blue Point is the lower priced line of Snap On...they still are.

[SRR]

I never knew that. I have quite a few "Plomb" tools.

[4dblnkldude]

There was a car magazine editorial years ago (probably by Dave Freiburger) who talked about toolboxes having souls. I swear, he nailed it.[/QUOTE]

I remember this article. He also spoke of the stickers on your toolbox.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by SRR

I never knew that. I have quite a few "Plomb" tools.

Plomb Tools got into a trademark dispute with Plumb Tools and lost, so they had to change their name.

As long as we're talking about beautiful tools, vintage Blackhawk tools are some of the nicest I've seen. They had real style. This picture of some Blackhawk ratchets and drivers was borrowed from the Garage Journal forum.

[Rocco Testa]

Very interesting I never new about Plomb tools. You learn something new here every day. Nice Catalog.

[dataway]

Oh no ... this thread is making me want to cruise ebay looking for vintage tools again. Last time I ended up with a half dozen excellent vintage Starrett, Brown & Sharpe and various other mics ... checked them with my standard ...dead on, all in original cases etc. Fraction of the current cost.

Now and then I do some small time metal detecting ... I've dug up Blue Point and various premium brand wrenches that all you had to do is literally wipe them off and they were shiny again after lying in the ground for 40 years. Chrome was that good. Cheaper US tools ... actually still usable ... but don't look so good.

[ta6point6]

I dont get buying expensive tools when old Craftsaman tools will do the job just as well, function over form is more important when it comes to tools. You could buy a Rolex because it is one of the best watches made but a 20.00 Walmart watch will do the same job. I love tools I have a whole Harbor Freight tool box full of Metrinch, Craftsman, Husky, Napa and cheapy Kmart tools from years past. Most of the tools in the tool box just sit there since my go to tools are in my tool bag that I take to the junkyard. My tool bag is full of Metrinch tools made in Germany, best SAE/Metric tools there are. I also have some of the old metal wrenches that I have found in junk yard cars, just put in some vinegar for a few minutes and rust scrubs off with ease. I cant seem to be able to throw any tools out even the junk yard treasures. It is amazing what old mechanics did with such primitive tools. I also like to buy old tools at estate sales, I bought a old Winchester monkey wrench a few months back as a wall hanger. I dont know about you guys but the most used tool for me is a ratchet and very rarely do I go for wrenches unless area is to tight. Once again function over form is the Harbor Freight ratchet I use all the time. The handle will extend to give more leverage on stubborn bolts, I also have the 1/2 extendable handle. In fact the other day at the junkyard a younger kid came up to me and asked if I had a breaker bar or maybe a long piece of pipe for a stuck bolt. He had a very nice shiny 1/2 ratchet in his hand so I handed him my HF ratchet and told him to try this. He said this thing is great where did you get it and told him Harbor Frieght.

[dataway]

"Old Craftsman tools" were expensive tools in their day ... that's why they are still around and still useful. An old Craftsman tool isn't a Timex ... it's an old Rolex.

Basically if you go back to the mid 60's there were no "cheap" tools sold in the US. Almost all of them were quality US made tools, and expensive in their day, which is why they got passed down to sons and grandsons. The idea of an inexpensive Japanese or Asian produced tool didn't really exist in the US until the late 60's.

So an old US made tool you get for cheap doesn't mean a cheap tool, it means an old tool you got for cheap because it's still here after 60 years.

[67drake]

Told this story here before.
I found an old Craftsman Phillips screwdriver at an old rental I owned. It was between the window and storm window. I’d estimate from the mid 60’s. That is my BEST Phillips screwdriver. The tip never wears out.
I bought a set of Snap-On screwdrivers off the tool truck back in the 80’s when I wrenched for a living. They always wore out! Midgrade tools at best IMO. I rarely use them as I get tired of running down a Snap-off truck to have them replaced.

[Old Man Taylor]

Originally Posted by Stuart

I have a couple random Proto tools, but I'm more interested in Plomb which is what Proto used to be called until the late 1940s. Old Plomb tools are relatively common out on the west coast (since they were made in Los Angeles) but are hard to find here in the midwest.



I do have a 1954 Proto catalog as well.





I think you meant Blue Point is the lower priced line of Snap On...they still are.

I have a pretty good collection of Plomb tools and their catalogs. It was easy to confuse Plomb with Plumb on the East coast, but they didn't make the same kind of tools as each other until about WWII. Then Plomb expanded and offered some of the same types of tools as Plumb. Plomb had never gotten a copyright on their name, so when Plumb sued them Plumb won. 1948 was a transition year for Plomb's name change, but they still had the Plomb name on their tools. "PROTO TOOLS BY PLOMB TOOL CO." They were sued again and had to remove the Plomb name from their tools all together. Basically 1948 was the only year with both names, so they are typically called transition tools. Counting individual sockets, I have over 2000 pieces of Plomb - including over 200 ratchets. The pictures are some of my 1/4" sets, but I have sizes up to 1" complete sets.

The Firestone sets were made by Plomb in 1948. They also made the Craftsman tools sometime in the 40's. The man in the picture is my Dad. It was taken at an open house at the Plomb Tool Company in 1945. He was a tool designer there.