If this box could only talk................

[Ray Smi7th]

  A friend of mine was having a yard sale at his home a couple summers ago and I stopped by to say hello and see if he had anything I was interested in. Being a collector of old tool boxes I spotted this immediately.
  What I was attracted to primarily was the fact that someone had painted fairly decent lettering over the box. It also had an old automobile emblem bolted to the front of it. The construction was also markedly different from most tool boxes I have run across. It is primarily made of wood and covered with a thin layer of sheet metal and the interior is lined with paper. It bears a label from the R.H. Buhrke Co of Chicago Illinois. The tray has dividers made of an old yardstick. It also has the original keys.
   Jeff(the owner) told me the story of the box as he knew it. The box belonged to his great grandfather who worked as a mechanic for the Gridley Motor Car Co of Kansas City Missouri;a Peerless dealer. As Peerless was only in business from 1900 -1931 I knew the box was at least 80 years old. In addition to the emblem(which I found out was a radiator badge)there were a couple of sayings painted on the box that Peerless used in their ads. Also there was the owner's name(Floyd W. Hovey) and his address in Ohio.
   Jeff told me that he was cleaning out his basement and asked members of his family if they wanted the box.Nobody expressed any interest in it so he decided to put it out for sale. After a bit of negotiation I wound up buying it for $75.
  One thing that was painted on the inside of the lid really got to me though. It said simply:" HOMEWARD BOUND MAY 30, 1918" Apparently Mr. Hovey was a World War I veteran!

   If this old box could only talk................

[Northwoods]

Very nice. I got an old Wards Riverside box the other day with an Art Deco logo on the kid's underside:  Stylized arrowhead,.....Ward's Riverside Quality Tools For Service.
Hinged tray insist for large set of sockets.

[Nolatoolguy]

Neat box, the story makes it even better.

[SouthBendModel34]

That box is actually talking to you. 

Have you tried looking up Floyd W. Hovey on one of the genealogy sites?  Or, you might be able to find his obituary with Google or Bing searches.  If he's a WW1 veteran, then Gene.com might have his draft card record. 

Have you looked up R. H. Buhrke Co. in the Early American Industries Association (EAIA) Directory of American Toolmakers? (DAT)  A Google search uncovers a possible successor company in the metal stamping business.

The metal-over-wood construction is reminiscent of old travel trunks ("steamer trunks") of that era.

Your friend Jeff might be able to locate a photo of Mr. Hovey in an old family album; ask him to ask his relatives if anyone has such an album.

I think that your box has a whole story to tell you if you keep digging. When I successfully research a tool- or a toolbox-owners name, I sometimes feel that the person is stepping out of the mists of history.

John Ruth
Metuchen NJ     

[Bill Houghton]

Those metal-sheathed wood boxes aren't common, but they're not uncommon either.  I've always liked the design.

Nice find, and I agree that you should do a little digging around.

It's depressing that no one in the family wanted it.

[john k]

I would have paid that for just the history on that box.  I have two carry boxes with name and serial no. one from a Navy tech, the other Air Force.   Since the note says going home, I wonder if he was in France?  A while before the armistice but suppose it was possible. 

[Batz]

Seems a bit out there but I love to touch/hold things like this, perhaps you can feel the history.
Nice score, take care of it.

Batz

[RedVise]

The construction was also markedly different from most tool boxes I have run across. It is primarily made of wood and covered with a thin layer of sheet metal and the interior is lined with paper.
   

Ray, I sold a Dunlap machinist box 6 months ago, metal over wood construction, the guess from GJ (or GG) was 1940's.

Also, as you noted being a collector of old tool boxes, might I ask you to look at this one? Neat box, never could put a brand to it.

http://www.thegaragegazette.com/index.php?topic=28077.0

Thanks    Brian

[Ray Smi7th]

The construction was also markedly different from most tool boxes I have run across. It is primarily made of wood and covered with a thin layer of sheet metal and the interior is lined with paper.
   

Ray, I sold a Dunlap machinist box 6 months ago, metal over wood construction, the guess from GJ (or GG) was 1940's.

Also, as you noted being a collector of old tool boxes, might I ask you to look at this one? Neat box, never could put a brand to it.

http://www.thegaragegazette.com/index.php?topic=28077.0

Thanks    Brian

Hello Brian: I think it may be a hand made box. Here is a pic of one I picked up in Massachusetts several years ago for $4.It is made of aluminum. I had another hand made box that was constructed by a friend of mine's father that was pure art work.I lettered it up with his grandfather's business logo and gave it back to him.
Hard to describe but the top(a pent roof design)was made up of three pieces of metal riveted together and rolled around the edge over a piece of steel rod that served as the hinge pin and pivot for the hasp. The bottom was made up of just two pieces;the four sides were formed ad soldered together one one side;the top edge was rolled similar to the lid and the edges on the bottom folded over and the bottom piece soldered to that. The handle was a piece of solid copper step machined and drilled out for the handle sides.
Everything fit perfectly.
Here are some pics of the hand made box #1 and #2.

[Twertsy]

"R H Buhrke Co" is owned by Klein Tools.  The were famous for golf bags, then merged with a golf company and got into the golf club business. 

[Ray Smi7th]

"R H Buhrke Co" is owned by Klein Tools.  The were famous for golf bags, then merged with a golf company and got into the golf club business.

Thank you so much for that info sir. Mr.Hovey(the gentleman who owned it)must have taken very good care of it as the paper lining inside is in excellent shape. The tray dividers were made from a couple of old yardsticks and the two original keys were still inside.
The friend I got it from was Mr. Hovey's great-grandson.He apparently inherited it when his parents passed away along with a bunch of other stuff. He was doing some down-sizing and asked other family members if they would like it and nobody wanted it! A sad commentary.
In my multitude of various collections I try to document everything that may have any value so when the time comes my heirs will at least know where to start. Sadly I feel most of it will be relegated to the nearest dumpster. My sons are interested mainly in my firearms and vintage wristwatch collections but my knives and vintage tools and model cars hold very little interest to them.
About 15 years ago I was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer that came extremely close to terminating my contract with life on earth. Before undergoing surgery I had made arrangements(in writing and notarized)for several friends to assist my wife in disposing of most of it while realizing a maximum return monetarily. Those are still in effect and to me a good idea for anyone to consider. Doesn't cost anything if you do the lists yourself and your next door neighbor is a notary.