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woody old craftsman hand tools
June 16th, 2005 06:49 PM
Does anyone know if there are any resources available for old craftsman tool identification. I can find info on powertools on OWWM but nothing on hand tools.
Adam Old Craftsman Hand tools
June 17th, 2005 01:59 AM
June 16, 2005 Old Craftsman Hand tools


There are several resources I've use for identifying old Sears hand tools.

This post is a good resource for text based communication. Most of the posters are very "in to" old Made in the US of A Craftsman hand tools.

There's one tool nut who's been collecting, restoring and using old woodworking tools for over 30 years and works at Sears as a ratchet rebuilder and who was formerly a Sears Tool Territory Tool Consultant, named Adam.

The always tempting eBay.com is a good resource under Collectibles/Tools, Hardware and Locks, with a Search on "Craftsman".

That will narrow the tools from 12 to 14 thousand to several hundred Craftsman tools. Some of them are Sears-Craftsman tools, others are generic craftsman or crafts "people" tools (like old woodworking planes).

I just got a Craftsman 14 inch Jack plane and an 18 inch Craftsman Fore plane from eBay. It's risky, but both are of acceptable quality for continued use.

If you have the time (and money), eBay sells old Craftsman catalogs all the time. I just picked up a Craftsman tools (hand tools) catalog from 1957.

There used to be two Craftsman catalogs (Power tools and Hand tools). The hand tool catalogs are rarer, but obtainable.

There is also a site that Sears does business with called The History Factory.

Guides to value are non-existent at this time.

A history search of past Craftsman tool winning bids on eBay will give you a reasonable price range of tools sold there in the past.

For instance, an 8-in-1 or "dog bone" wrench sells for between $27 and $87, depending on the tools condition and the number of tool "crazies" bidding.

I just lost a pre-Civil War strapped Carpenters' hammer. It went for over $147.
Joe Hand Tools
June 19th, 2005 08:34 PM
That's a work in progress between many of us "regulars" here on the boards. Not much exists for it outside this board, frankly.

Most of the Sears OEM hand tool vendors are a little tight lipped about what they made for Sears and such.

Post some pictures and some codes/model #s you find on your tools and we'll all pitch in to try to figure it out.
Adam Pictures
August 28th, 2005 03:49 PM
August 28, 2005 Tool Pictures


A posted link to the poster's tool in question would help the group in identification tremendously.

It would take way too many words to describe a "dog-bone" wrench. But, viewing one picture says it all.

It would be very useful for this service to be available from Sears itself.

But, that would involve keeping historical records. Pictorial historical records!

A collection of the old catalogs is probably the best reference.

Sears has a set of Big Book catalogs on microfiche available.

But, the Big Book was not a definitive tool resource.

That is why there have been Hand Tool and Power Tool yearly catalogs (combined the hand and power tool catalogs since 1936).

What little of yester-year that Sears supports can be found at www.searsarchives.com.

Do you like Craftsman style homes?

The time line gets the opening of the Craftsman tool line accurate within one year (something big already had happened in 1927).

So post those pictures on third party sites, with links posted here!
Adam Old tools were better
August 29th, 2005 02:29 AM
August 28, 2005 Old tools were better


This may be singing to the choir.

But, one reason old tools were better is that the only old tools we are holding "made-it".

The chafe is gone. That old tool with the mis-tempered cutting edge has been disposed of decades ago.

Also, back when hand tools were IT, they had to be made to be of stellar quality.

Today's wood chisel owner may only use it to butcher the shape of a door hinge or door lock plate.

Grandpa used his Firmer chisels for general work, like installing the mortised lock in the door.

The long paring chisel was used for carefully trimming through and blind mortises used in BUILDING, along with furniture construction.

The bevel-edged chisels (with their relieved long edges) were used for finishing off hand-cut dovetail pins and tails.

What we now think of as a "standard" chisel, was called a butt chisel. It was used only to install the "new" butt hinges and generally considered useless for much other precision chisel work.

Ever wonder why all the old wood chisels were socketed?

They weren't.

The tanged versions split their handles to the point of damaging the ferrules and becoming useless to their owners.

Carving tools are the only tanged tools still in favor (with internal ferrules in the handles).

"Old tools didn't rust."

Bull cookies.

Old tools were taken care of.

Most of them facilitated their owner's making a living.

"You can't get that quality any more."

It is hard to find. And very expensive. The group of users that support this level of quality has shrunk considerably over time.

But, there are most definitely still quality hand tools being made.

Check out Lie-Nielson planes, Woodworker's Supply, GarrettWade, Two-Cherries, and Lee Valley's Veritas line of tools.

The Craftsman, made in the US of A, hand tools almost go without saying. They always will have quality materials and manufacturing methods that competitors are slowly abandoning in favor of "cheap" tools.

Sayings like, "You get what you pay for.", "Good tools will take good care of you." and "Buy the best tools you can afford.", all come to mind.

I'd add a corollary, "Use tools for the use they were intended for."

I will be happy to exchange an old Craftsman lifetime-warranted old tool for a new Craftsman tool.

But, I do not accept tool quality ratings from users who abuse their tools.

Seeing a good quality vintage screwdriver ruined by a set of pliers run around its ferrule or handle is heart breaking.

I can not restore that (new components needed) without fundamentally changing the tool.

I've got an heirloom New Britain wooden handled #1 Phillips screwdriver that has the end of its beautifully stained handle destroyed or gnawed off by a big rat.

Only the fact that is was once owned by my father keeps it with me. I'm ashamed to show it to anyone.

That tool was savagely abused.

Need more leverage?

Use, buy, borrow or make an offset screwdriver.

Point is, we've still got a lot of good new tools and need to take good care of them, so they might have the chance of "becoming" old tools.

Thank you for the use of the soap box.
Adam Combined Tool catalogs
August 29th, 2005 02:34 AM
The Sears hand tool and power tool catalogs combined in 1963 (instead of 1936, posted in an earlier post).

Sorry.

A little number dyslexia.
Adam Old tool users
September 23rd, 2005 12:35 AM
September 22, 2005 Old tool users


I think most posters here know I work for Sears as a Preventative Maintenance Technician (PMT), that among other duties, rebuilds ratchets returned to the store.

I like to spend some time every day in stuartship to the old Craftsman tools (mostly ratchets), helping to invigorate them for their next user.

Now, I know most of us are fond of saying "They don't make them like that anymore".

There was even the post about the old steel and iron tools not rusting like today‛s tools do.

But, as I was evaluating the latest batch of returned ratchets, I came upon a personal epiphany.

I am taking apart basically a very narrow model number range of old Craftsman ratchets, of only three different drive sizes.

Yet, some tools either look brand new or have had their finish uniformly worn off the way that only constant, respectful, hard use generates.

While, a few tragic others have hammered handles, their selector levers beaten and banged up (used as hammers!) and to a one they are all devoid of lubrication.

I opened up one shiny ½ inch drive, chrome levered ratchet that just needed its lubrication flushed and re-applied.

Another ratchet, identical size and model number, had "liquid rust" inside of it, teeth shards floating in the soupy mess around the drive gear and pawl, with the ball "welded" to the spring with ugly white oxidation (like the stuff around a car battery post).

The same model, size and within a few years of manufacturing dates.

Why the difference in condition?

The two different users.

What was a marginal tool to one user, was probably an old friend to the other.

I'll bet you could tell which user owned which ratchet by spending just a few hours of observing each individual's shop practices.

Before moving on to power tools, my vocational training instructor(s) required hand tool practices be experienced first (including maintenance and basic sharpening techniques).

What may have been the "good old tool days", was also probably the good old users too.
Joe And....
September 25th, 2005 04:39 PM
I'm the guy who is probably rummaging through your curbside inventory on pickup night looking for Craftsman stuff.

I just found a 2 drawer 2000/2001 tote toolbox that I cleaned up and made functional in 15 minutes with a little bending and lubrication. Not sure why someone would throw it it...lots of life left in it, even with needing some TLC.
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