Random Fairmount comparison

Manufacturers, configurations, Shovels, Axe, Wrenches, Oiler, F/E etc.
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Silly's MB
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Random Fairmount comparison

Post by Silly's MB » Sat Oct 14, 2017 12:35 pm

Just been sorting tools for disposal and thought I would share the Fairmount findings.
These have all been acquired in the UK to the best of my memory some locally and some from Ebay.
First picture is all GMTK Jeep sizes all makes.

2nd pic is just about the amount of Rounds to the one sharp. Again, it makes me wonder why the sharps are so popular.
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Re: Random Fairmount comparison

Post by pjones » Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:19 pm

Roger, I really enjoy seeing what you find. That would be my experience with the repacks as well, mostly rounds with a smaller number of sharps. The only thing I can think of that may make collectors want the sharps more is that they were the style found in the Greg K kit. As you know Fairmount was a verified Willys supplier and as far as I am concerned rounds and sharps are equally desirable for a Willys set.

phil
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Re: Random Fairmount comparison

Post by Silly's MB » Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:40 pm

Tools have been a bit scarce recently Phil although on 2 occasions I have found a nest of Fairmounts and also a nest of wartime 1/2" Craftsman BE sockets with a sliding tee.

I think the picture makes a good timeline...........
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Re: Random Fairmount comparison

Post by henry501 » Sun Oct 15, 2017 4:33 am

Roger and Phil,

Very interesting post. I have a vested interest in it because I collect Fairmount and Craftsman. Nice to know that you've found Fairmount in the U.K. and repacks respectively. Interesting that they are predominantly rounds. My experience here in my neck of the woods has been the opposite. True, I have focused on "sharp" DOE wrenches but I never pass up a Fairmount wrench so I do have a few "rounds". But again, my Fairmount finds in DOE's have been predominantly "sharps". I'll look at the stuff I have and report back on actual numbers.

No real comment on the Craftsman "BE" except good to know that they turn up in the U.K. too.

As to the U.K. Connection... a couple of caveats first.

1.) what I'm about to express is my theory and is based upon my personal collecting experiences and observations and may only by chance be representative of others' collecting experiences and observations.

2.) it is not meant to be a dictate to what or how others collect.

3.) my collecting goal is to assemble: an "on board" tool set for my jeep, a GMTK, and higher echelon sets, that contain tools that actually could have seen action in the E.T.O. even if the exact tool I have in my collection never actually made it to the E.T.O.

So... here goes. For the above reasons I find it interesting as to what tools (as well as the specific styles of them (think Fairmount "rounds" and "sharps")) are found in the U.K. -- as well as any tools and styles thereof our fellow collectors find in Europe in general-- because my theory (and it is just that) is that if tools we know to have been manufactured for or obtained by the U.S. Military in WWII turn up in countries in the E.T.O. perhaps that gives them a more bone fide provenance as "correct" if I want to build a "could have been used in the E.T.O." tool set for my collections. Conversely while it is of course great (for me and the rest of the U.S. members) to find these "wartime" tools at our local flea markets in the U.S., when it comes to the different styles (again, think Fairmount "rounds" and "sharps") where (and I'm basing this on MY personal collecting experiences and observations) one is found predominantly in the E.T.O. and the other is found predominantly in the U.S. Could that mean that the U.S. Styles were not eligible (produced too late during the war years) to make it to the E.T.O. and thus may not be suited to a "could have been used in the E.T.O." tool set.

As to U.S. repacks perhaps since they are found in U.S. Military surplus warehouses they do represent tools manufactured for the war effort that just didn't make it to the E.T.O. before the end of hostilities or were repatriated after the war, versus our "flea market found" tools that are of course wartime vintage, known to be from manufacturers who had military contracts but are of styles that don't exactly match what was sent to the E.T.O.

So... that is my theory, again, it is not meant to dictate how others collect and might be full of holes but... perhaps it might be plausible.

Bottom line, is there some explaination as to why some specific manufacturers or a different style of tool from one manufacturer turn up more frequently in the U.S. versus the countries in the E.T.O., and what does that mean to a guy like me trying to collect a "could have been in the E.T.O., tool set?

Thank you,
Henry

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Re: Random Fairmount comparison

Post by lucakiki » Tue Oct 17, 2017 6:20 am

pjones wrote:
Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:19 pm
Roger, I really enjoy seeing what you find. That would be my experience with the repacks as well, mostly rounds with a smaller number of sharps. The only thing I can think of that may make collectors want the sharps more is that they were the style found in the Greg K kit. As you know Fairmount was a verified Willys supplier and as far as I am concerned rounds and sharps are equally desirable for a Willys set.



I wholeheartedly agree!
Luca

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42 Willys MB-T #13560 11-42
43 Willys MB-T # 25417 4-43
Way too many WWII military tools,hopefully thinning down,and way too many posts...

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Re: Random Fairmount comparison

Post by Wingnutt » Tue Oct 17, 2017 6:27 am

Silly's MB wrote:
Sat Oct 14, 2017 12:35 pm
Just been sorting tools for disposal
:o :shock: :? Please turn in your Hoarders Anonymous identification card and your scarlet [H] badge immediately! :lol:
TEMPORARY DUTY

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Re: Random Fairmount comparison

Post by Chuck Lutz » Tue Oct 17, 2017 9:12 am

Henry...
I think the tools in the repacks were generally from US bases and warehouses and for the most part I don't buy the idea they were repatriated from overseas. I also feel that while some were NOS stocks, some were used on bases or were otherwise "used but serviceable" and not just scrapped.
They would represent Army, Navy, USAAF, USAF, bases, ships, shops and depots which would have covered all types of GMTKs as well. They would cover pre-WWII tools up to the KW era as well as some pre-war civilian tools that crept into "the system".

Tools found in US flea markets can be from the pre-WWII era right though the modern era and only identified by makers marks/identifications. Civilian as well as military of course!

As for US made tools found in flea markets in the UK or France, I think they would represent whatever tools were available from the beginning of WWII on up through the post war era as the US maintained bases long after the war ended.

Personally I think the GMTK tools ad those ordered directly by the government came from many sources compared to those specifically ordered by Ford or Willys or Dodge, etc. for their vehicle tool kits....they would then be the "easy" ones to validate while those in use elsewhere would be harder to define...while many brands were purchased, where they were used/sent is not quite as easy to follow outside of them being a "Navy" contract or "Army" contract for instance.

That's my two cents worth of it...
Chuck Lutz

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