Baffled on a Ratchet

[Twertsy]

The top is Bethlehem Spark Plug company with a Bonney forged stamp. The bottom one is confusing. Exactly the same Bonney patented design, but it appears to have a Herbrand forge mark and is also BSP branded. Might you folks have any insight on how Herbrand may have been producing Bonney patented designs in the 20s?? I have another branded straight Bonney and the obvious Bonney rats are date coded 1925 and 1924, and the Herbrand (at least I assume it's Herbrand) stamped one has no code.

I bought the socket set box with the Herbrand forge stamp for $10 as a complete Bethlehem Spark Plug box set and had always assumed it was a Bonney produced ratchet inside.  While cleaning my shop yesterday, I found the set and noticed the forge mark.

Any insights from you folks would be appreciated!

[Twertsy]

Reverse Pics:

[bonneyman]

Maybe they "shared" forging facilities at some point?

I had a Herbrand 1/4" ratchet with what looked like Mickey Mouse ears on the cover plate. A few months ago someone posted a Bonney socket set, and the Bonney rat looked eerily similar. The similarities couldn't have been accidental. I think the socket set was 50's.

Perhaps they did a back-and-forth utilization of forging plants - when one brand was slow, the other brand ran the forges to keep them hot. The little brand forging could have been done in-house later. Just guessing.

[Twertsy]

Ok Gents, first, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Now down to business..............I've acquired yet another of these Bethlehem Spark Plug Ratchets possessing yet another forge mark!  You good folks have any insight into this marking?

Thanks much!!!

[skipskip]

Just to add another data point, my BSP set has that ratchet with  the H diamond forge mark, no idea of the date

ADEC 262 by Skip Albright, on Flickr

ADEC 263 by Skip Albright, on Flickr

[bill300d]

Interseting mark I've never seen that one before Skip

[Twertsy]

Interseting mark I've never seen that one before Skip

That's the same as the one in my original post, believed to be Herbrand.

[bill300d]

Ok Twertsy I see it now. Funny how a little sleep gives you a different perspective.

[bill300d]

Twertsy
     The only one that I know of that even comes close to your oddball mark Is the BD mark as seen herehttp://home.southwind.net/~donhaury/wrench-logos/logos-page-1.html, for The Rassmann Mfg, Co. 

[Twertsy]

Twertsy
     The only one that I know of that even comes close to your oddball mark Is the BD mark as seen herehttp://home.southwind.net/~donhaury/wrench-logos/logos-page-1.html, for The Rassmann Mfg, Co.

Yeah, I looked through those but don't think mine is there.  To me it looks like there is either a T in the middle or perhaps an anchor??  Can't really make out the outside letters.

[mrchuck]

I believe it is just a "muffed up" BONNEY shield stamping.

[bill300d]

Mr C that crossed my mind too.

[Twertsy]

Boy I don't know gents.....I'm having a hard time seeing a shield.  There's just too much going on with it to be a simple B inside a shield.  Obviously, I've been wrong before though!

[bill300d]

I was thinking of the trademark shield they used but I've been staring at yours and the tm shield for the last hour and cant see any acceptable reason they one in the same.