Hey guys, You know how you can go and find someplace to spend like $200,000 on a pair of speakers? Well, how do I find the "Elite" or "Very high quality" end of the hand tools world? Like screwdrivers, wrenches, sockets, etc... Does anyone know of any manufactures?
SnapON
Max
Max wrote:
The professional toolmakers from the 1900's to 50's. Like Millers Falls, for example Rosewood handled hack saw frames nickel plated I have 4 off Also MF similar rosewood handled cast iron hand drills have 6 off. Leblond lathe 1942 Wrenches by Rigid. full set from 12in to 36in. have seen bigger!. Denbeigh pillar drill 6ft high. 1920 Hazelwood and Dent drop hammers 3 off 1860 1880 and 1890 all complete with all tooling & dies for buckles buttons plaques coins and medals. Sweeny Blocksidge 6 fly presses from 2 ton to 10 ton circa 1890 to 1940 complete with all press tools die sets . Humphries 25 ton power press 2 Worcester 6 ton ditto Silversmiths draw bench 2 ton circa 1850. Silversmiths stakes 1770. Many wrought iron hammers with crucible steel fire welded to working face. 1 possibly Roman but certainly medeieval Over 100 pairs of pliers of every kind from Blacksmiths to dentists. Collect those. Early all aluminium bodied Black and Decker electric hand tools too many to count Starrett small tools micrometers etc. Taps and dies in imperial and metric. up to 1 1/2 inch. Its all out there, all you have to do is go every week to your local car boot and search every box of tools under the tables. Obviously not the bigger stuff!! Early Chicago Pnewmatic air tools Stick mig and tig arc welders . bit anchient!! but all work. Gas welders and cutters. I could go on, thats just metal working. then theres all the wood working tools boxwood handled chisels by Marples, Disston saws Stanley and Record cast iron planes too much to list . Most is never going to be made again to that quality. So collect it whilst you can, restore it , get pleasure using it and hand it down to the next generation.
NASA knows them all. Ask them.
Art
Can't go wrong with snap-on. Crafstman is fine too if you don't mind needing to use the livetime guarantee from time to time. Anything made in China, don't bother.
The Germans still make some very high quality stuff. These guys sell em in the USA. Some of the tools are specials for working on German cars, but others are just very nice hand tools
Some Proto tools are still high quality.
I really like Klenk snips- I think they are much better than Wiss for aviation style snips-
In Chicago there is a surgical instrument museum "International Museum of Surgical Sciences". Some of the hand tools from the 1700s and 1800s look on par if not better than modern stuff.
The needle nose pliers look seems completly unchanged over the years.
It's truly amazing how some of those old tools look and were made.
Excelite
Gunner
This Message is guaranteed environmentally friendly Manufactured with 10% post consumer ASCII Meets all EPA regulations for clean air Using only naturally occuring fibers Use the Message with confidance. (Some settling may occure in transit.) (Best if Used before May 13, 2009)
And kill and maim people. Yep today even. Just not as bad - they got rid of the leaches. Doctors turned into them!
Martin
Martin H. Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net TSRA, Life; NRA LOH & Endowment Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot"s Medal. NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
Cydrome Leader wrote:
Williams.
John
PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.