Weekend Wrench Acquisition/s

[Mike H]

I posted some calipers and dividers that my mechanic gave me
this past Sat. There were also a few wrenches.
L to R
Crescent type wrench no name 6"

Craftsman Combo Box End 1/2" & 9/16"
Am I correct in thinking this is an alteration by a P.O.?

Combo Box End Williams 9729 Superrench 3/4" & 5/8"
This is the main reason I even posted this pic;
I know you wrench collector types aren't going to believe this,
I had never heard of this company until I saw this tool.
This type unusual with the 2 bevel depression leading to the ends?

Combo Box End Craftsman 3/8" & 7/16"

[leg17]

Combo Box End Williams 9729 Superrench 3/4" & 5/8"
This is the main reason I even posted this pic;
I know you wrench collector types aren't going to believe this,
I had never heard of this company until I saw this tool.

Well, actually, that IS rather hard to believe.

[john k]

Williams was more in the industrial end of the tool world.  Was recently bought out by Snap-on.    I have Williams wrenches back to WWI, in my 1920s catalogs they have a big ad.  J. H. Williams and Son, New York.   You will find more Williams wrenches the longer you stay in the old tool world, I even have a near complete set of Williams sockets.  Superrench was one of their trade names.  They had a flat bar wrench model with a reinforcing bar that is still one of the heavier types I've ever encountered. 

[mvwcnews]

Don't forget that Williams bought out Whitman & Barnes in 1920; they were calling themselves "THE WRENCH PEOPLE" well before that.
( https://books.google.com/books?id=NZxCAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA54&dq=williams+whitman+barnes&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4Ma9VMmxD6vmsATp5oDYDg&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=williams%20whitman%20barnes&f=false ) gives considerable detail about J.H. Williams' production capacity in 1920.