An Expedient Tool Room aka Life is Short

[Wrenchmensch]

Guys, guys....

I live in the still uptight eastern Mid-Atlantic region where a) public drinking is reserved for the unmarried young and thugs, b) there are relatively few serious wrench collectors, like one every 70 miles or so, and c) there is, as a consequence, no serious wrench auction opportunity for profitable disposal of surplus within a reasonably attainable geographic area. I agree that wrenches were instrumental in furthering the industrial revolution in the U.S. I also hold that variation in wrench designs are irrefutable proof of America's historic"freedom to think". Having said that, the world seems largely indifferent to wrench preservation beyond the scope of an individual's personal collection.  In the end the only alternative here, since heirs and assigns are rarely wrench collectors, is the scrap yard.

[benjy]

wrenchmensch i am actually coming down on your side on this,,but i am  lucky enough to get rid of my scrap with little effort,
at the end of the day you or anyone here would  not throw out a classic tool,,,,but ScraP is Scrap

[johnsironsanctuary]

My memory sometimes takes a while. I figure at my age, my hard drive is just about full and with my obsolete operating system, I am lucky to find any memories at all.  Anyway, I remembered seeing this at an Antique Truck Historical Society Convention in Boston in '88 or '89.  A GREAT way to display old  tools. I don't know if the guy is still around, but if someone knows who he is, maybe there are better photos than mine. I hope that no valuable wrenches were harmed in the making of this display.

http://s1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb373/johnsironsanctuary/Wrench%20Art/

[bird]

Do all wrench collectors "speak with forked tongue" or is it just the ones on this post?  I have had an ad for 12 wrenches running since August 30 and 74 viewers have looked. These wrenches came from the boxful of excess tools that I keep.  They are not priceless rarities. They are fairly common wrenches, though not oriental junk, most are 75 or 100 years old, but no takers at $20, so I dropped to $15 and still no takers. I am getting close to taking the Wrenchmensch approach. Whoever posted "NEVER THROW ANYTHING AWAY" has not tried to work in my shop or find anything in my storage trailer. Let's see a show of hands.  How many of you are among the 74 viewers.        There, see, shame on you for beating up Wrenchmench.

WOW, I don't think anyone on this sight would want to upset you. When you said, " Do all wrench collectors speak with forked tongue, or is it just the ones on this post?" I think that took many of us by surprise.  I am certain that no one on this site would want to upset you. This is a site where we love wrenches, history, and, along the way, find  a few good friends.
      I realize that you have tried to sell your wrenches and are upset that they haven't sold. I guess a number of persons have looked at the wrenches you wanted to sell and have not bought them.  As a result from you not being able to sell the wrenches, you said, " Let's see a show of hands. How many of you are among the 74 viewers .  There, see, shame on you for beating up Wrenchmench."   
      I think things have gotten confused. For some reason you hold some degree of animosity towards the rest of us folks on this site. There isn't anyone that I know around here who would want to upset or offend anyone.  For some reason you have gotten upset. I don't know what to say, we love persons that are interested in old tools. I welcome any person that can teach me about old tools, history, or anyone that can teach me something that I don't know.  I'm only speaking for myself. But, this has never been a community that "shuts persons out." 
      So, for whatever reason, johnsironsanctuary, we've upset you. I'm sorry for that. But, I think I can speak for our community, we love anyone that's interested in tools. I'm not sure what went wrong. Maybe someone else can shed some light on this.
cheers, bird

[kxxr]

bird, pardon me for sticking my nose in here, but i think johnsironsanctuary was mostly joking and also pointing out that while there was some howling about wrenches possibly winding up in the orphanage, there is no long line of folks looking to adopt wrenches about to suffer a similar fate. 
I think he was just illustrating the dichotomy in a humorous way. 
Correct me if I'm off base here johnsironsanctuary.

[johnsironsanctuary]

Thanks kxxr, you read me correctly.

Bird, sorry if I ruffled your feathers. I'm not angry at anybody.  I was poking some fun at pulpit pounders. My angst over not selling the pile of wrenches was not intended to sound genuine. To quote Robert Burns the Scottish Philosopher, " Oh would that God the giftie give us, to see ourselves as others see us". This is a wonderfully friendly group that welcomed me without reservation and I am grateful for that.  There are way too many blogs that are full of angry people.

John

[Wrenchmensch]

Today is our weekly Man Cave neighborhood retiree conviviality session.  The guys are pretty smart. I will put to them the quality and scrap wrench disposal problem I have described to you.  I will report back to you anything they say which has not already been foreseen or prognosticated by you all.

[johnsironsanctuary]

wrenchmensch,
I was hunting through Google images this morning and found this.
If "Wrenches tell of man's freedom to think", they really should have a proper place to do it.
Here we have the Wrenchmenschbench.

[Branson]

It looks familiar...  Is there a logo on the other side?  Not Select Steel, I imagine...

[johnsironsanctuary]

The logo on the other side says "Naugahyde Wrench Co"

[Wrenchmensch]

Man Cave Report:  It was suggested by one of the neighbors this afternoon that I go directly to the Smithsonian with an offer to give the wrenches to them.

[kxxr]

If nothing else, the salvation army or St Vincent's or somewhere like that should take them. Some lucky tool collecting soul will have a bargain bonanza and the $$ will go for a good cause.

[bird]

bird, pardon me for sticking my nose in here, but i think johnsironsanctuary was mostly joking and also pointing out that while there was some howling about wrenches possibly winding up in the orphanage, there is no long line of folks looking to adopt wrenches about to suffer a similar fate. 
I think he was just illustrating the dichotomy in a humorous way. 
Correct me if I'm off base here johnsironsanctuary.

MY MISTAKE!!! sorry folks, glad you pointed that out.... didn't mean to cause a scene!!!!! I missed the humor.... yes, there's not exactly a line of folks beggin' for old wrenches..... unfortunately there seems to be a large line of folks lookin' for those Taiwan wrenches. What a shame. If they picked up one "old" wrench in one hand and picked up another three Taiwan wrenches in the other hand, they'd realize that they weighed the same. You would think that would be a clue as to the quality of a wrench.... obviously not so!!
     Call me crazy, most folks do..., but, the weight of a tool can tell a lot ...
cheers, bird

[Branson]

MY MISTAKE!!! sorry folks, glad you pointed that out.... didn't mean to cause a scene!!!!! I missed the humor.... yes, there's not exactly a line of folks beggin' for old wrenches..... unfortunately there seems to be a large line of folks lookin' for those Taiwan wrenches. What a shame. If they picked up one "old" wrench in one hand and picked up another three Taiwan wrenches in the other hand, they'd realize that they weighed the same. You would think that would be a clue as to the quality of a wrench.... obviously not so!!
     Call me crazy, most folks do..., but, the weight of a tool can tell a lot ...
cheers, bird

Maybe not such a shame, Bird.  Such folks will pass over the good ones, leaving them for us to find.  The fact that people put up with the Taiwan, Sri Lanka, and India made junk shows how many people are willing to pass over quality for cheap nonsense.

[johnsironsanctuary]

The law of supply and demand actually applies some what to wrench collectors. High end collector cars are worth a lot because there are more people that want them than there are cars. If our parents had not scrapped obsolete cars, we'd be up to our ears in collector cars and they wouldn't be worth much. My point is that scrapping a few 9" Auto Wrenches or Coes adjustables probably won't  swing the marketplace one way or another, but it is shame to see 80 or 100 year old tools die after surviving for so long. I like the St. Vincent de Paul alternative. It's like an afterlife for tools.

Side note: m fumich took mercy on my wrenches. They will have a good home now.