I've been an old Corvette and old Delta woodworking machine enthusiast for several years now. I remember restoring my first old Corvette in the early 1980s with the help and guidance of my uncle. I didn't have any tools to speak of so my dad bought me a small Craftsman set with the basics and the rest I borrowed from my uncle. He was a "car guy" his whole life and he, probably like many backyard mechanics across the country, used mostly Craftsman tools. I'm assuming that he did so for the ease of acquiring them, their affordability, and for the great warranty policy. Between my dad's influence and that of my uncle, I was raised on the same philosophy. What I remember most was the experience I gained and those old Craftsman tools in my uncle's box. They all had a =V= or a -V- mark on them. In very recent years, I got this crazy idea that it would be fun to tinker with old 1950s and 1960s cars and machines, using vintage tools from approximately the same era, versus using my tools from the 1980s and 1990s. As a result, I got hooked on Craftsman tools with the =V= manufacturer's mark on them. During the last few years, I've been trying to make sets of wrenches, sockets, etc. up to an inch in size. I've been buying some ratchets too. I finally finished the double box end wrench set below in sizes 3/8" to 1". The last one I needed was the 19/32" x 25/32". Nice old Craftsman tools "Made in the USA".
Jim C.
