GMTK Tools, 1/4" Drive Socket Sets

[OldGPW]

Hasn't been a post on the WW2 "GMTK" sets in a while..

An interesting thing about the "Stevens-Walden" boxes is that they come in two variations (three if you want to count the stock # marked boxes), the major differences in the two boxes are the hinges, all the stock # marked boxes I have seen have five "barrel" hinges while the plain non-# marked boxes have six hinge "barrels".

At first thought it would clearly indicate a reason the five bar hinged boxes would be in favor for a WW2 set thanks to the association of the stock # found on some examples, but some six bar hinged boxes have apparently turned up in surplus ( ). So both were used, seemingly at some point around the 1940's.

And of the #'d boxes the tool finishes vary..

Please check the hinges on your #'d boxes, five or six barrels on the hinge?

An update, Wingnutt posted an example of the other box with the 6 hinge barrels that had the stock number on the lid.

[lucakiki]

OK, here is mine.




I have also a few others, not marked with the stock numbers, but they are all in Utah, so I cannot check their hinges.

You are right, it has been a while since there has been any GMTK discussion, and I am glad if the subject is brought up again.

I like the Durochrome sets better,but of course the stock number on the Waldens is a kind of evidence that has its weight.
Let us play!

[OldGPW]

Hi Luca, it looks like your box is a 5 "bar" hinge, and of course has the stock # on the lid.

I wonder if any of the others with boxes would check theirs, or Roger could check the others you have?

I agree that the number on the lid has good evidence of use in WW2 even though it is not the box in the illustration.

[Roger]

I have and Luca has several identical boxes here. The one in the photo is the only one showing any signs of Gov. Stock #'s.

[OldGPW]

Hi Roger,

I have only seen the hinges with 5 "bars/ribs" on number marked boxes, I don't know if the boxes with 6 bars/ribs are post WW2 or if they are also wartime albeit a different year.

If you get the time could you check even the unmarked boxes? If a box turns up with 5 ribs/bars that clearly never had the numbers to begin with it would be interesting.

[OldGPW]

Bringing this back up to the top.

Does anyone have a box with the 6 "bars" on the hinge that is marked with the stock number?

[fliffy42]

Just a heads up for anyone looking.... there is a guy over at Garage Journal selling 41-W-2615 set (missing ratchet). Not mine but thought someone might be interested......

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/show ... p?t=116919

[Mike Wright]

Ahh Roger, You dog

Good catch

[lucakiki]

The smell of napalm in the morning...

[OldGPW]

That was a nice set, with the correct finish on the sockets.

Probably a 5 bar hinge on it, I still believe the 6 bar hinge to be late and post WW2. There have been a few of the "early" box turn up with mixed tool finishes, it may be that two finishes were supplied at some point, possibily until older stock finishes ran out. Or many may have been assembled by surplus dealors post WW2, something that cannot be ruled out.

For the purposes of this discussion I will call the box with the 5 bar hinge an early box, and the 6 bar hinge box a late box. No real proof has been found to pin the manufacturing years of either styles, but so far none of the 6 bar hinge boxes have surfaced with the stock number on the lid, this is just to make discussion easier until the manufacture years of both styles can be established.

Either they are rare, unrecognized or were never stamped as the earlier boxes were.

[OldGPW]

Confirmation of the second style box with the 41-w number has been posted in the GMTK tools thread.

[OldGPW]

A link to Wingnutt's set on page 5:

viewtopic.php?f=48&t=111970&start=60

[Larry E Long]

Aw heck, let's make it interesting. It's my opinion, and only an opinion, that S-K and Duro-Chrome were also suppliers of the 1/4" set.









Larry

[OldGPW]

Aw heck, let's make it interesting. It's my opinion, and only an opinion, that S-K and Duro-Chrome were also suppliers of the 1/4" set.









Larry

I agree, and I think some even turned up in the repacks from the 1950s?

Certainly nothing concrete but based on what we have perfectly fine for a GMTK. One thing the S-W box has in it's favor are the stock markings found on some, that doesn't mean it was only for use in the GMTK though.

Nice sets.

[lucakiki]

Old GPW ,your post gives me the opportunity for a general consideration on the approaches for chosing the tools.
Of course opinions can vary, and there is not a strict rule.
The obvious minimum requirement is that the tools are of war time manufacture.
At times it is not possible to verify that the manufacturer was actually a government supplier.
We are all aware of the limits of the images in the manuals, but I do think that the images can give some clues.
The 1/4" socket box is a perfect exemple:the image in the manual woul suggest Durochrome or SK or maybe some other brand, but not Walden.
On the other side, the federal stock number on some Walden boxes does grant them a safe provenance.
I am myself still doubting whether I should include in my own tool set the Walden or a Durochrome I also have, that would match the Durochrome 1/2" sockets which in great part came from repacks.
The finish does have a great relevance, and as a rule a patently civilian finish would suggest that they are not plausible for a military set.
I will be happy to hear the opinions of other collectors.