Stanley tools

[gibsontool]

A while back I was cruising the Antique and second hand stores and I found a couple of treasures. The first is a Stanley Four Square Vise No 1145, it was made from 1923 to 1935. It has the majority of the original finish and is in good overall condition. It's just a little guy 2 1/2" jaws. I don't think I'll be using it because it looks too good to mess up.
  The second item is a Stanley hammer which I think is a No 25 made from 1911 until 1932. It came in 4 different weights, 7, 13, 16, and 20 ounces. Don't have a small scale here but I think this is the 16 oz version. The handle may or may not be original, no real way to tell.
  Most of the info above comes from John Walters great book "Stanley Tools guide to identity and value " 1996 edition

[gibsontool]

Forgot the pics, here they are, need more practice.

[mikeswrenches]

Look on the end of the hammer handle.  Most original handles will have a number stamped on them.  This is true for many manufacturers, not just Stanley.  Of course this assumes that nobody shortened it up.

I Like the vise!  I don't have any of the four square ones yet.  Saw one on eBay a week or so ago that went for $58.50 including shipping.  I think that model is one of the best small vises that has been made.

As an aside, there was a four square vise with the two guide rods and in the original box that sold for $1850.00 at a recent Brown's auction...and no I didn't put the decimal point in the wrong place.  Personally I like yours better.

Mike

[Bill Houghton]

Amazing that Stanley was still making that hammer design that late, years after the Maydole adez-eye design had proven its usefulness.

Neat finds.

[gibsontool]

Thanks Mike, I'm in Oregon now, but I'll check the butt end of that handle when I get back home.

[gibsontool]

mikeswrenches. checked the end of the handle and all it has is a bent over staple.

[Branson]

  The second item is a Stanley hammer which I think is a No 25 made from 1911 until 1932. It came in 4 different weights, 7, 13, 16, and 20 ounces. Don't have a small scale here but I think this is the 16 oz version. The handle may or may not be original, no real way to tell.
  Most of the info above comes from John Walters great book "Stanley Tools guide to identity and value " 1996 edition

It looks like the Stanley 221 flooring hammer -- same pattern head at least.   

The non Madole hammers continued in production for longer than I had imagined.  I'd had the impression that they rather quickly taken over the field.  But no.  Civil War photographs show them to be the preferred hammers (Haven't found a Madole in any).  They were still in mail order catalogs at the end of the 1800s.

[gibsontool]

Branson. You are correct, it is a Stanley No 221. I missed a 2 when I typed that post and the specs I wrote are for the 21, not the 221. The 221 was made from 1929 until 1932 and it only came in the 32 ounce size. My info shows the length was 13 1/2", my handle is a hair over 14" so it is most likely a replacement. I know I was looking at the 221 when I identified it because of the head pattern and the cross hatched face, how I managed to enter info for the 21 I'll never know. It is definitely a Stanley as it is stamped on one side of the head. Sorry about that, my typing needs more practice, and I think I need a proof reader. For an 80 plus year old hammer I think it's in pretty decent condition. It is a nice looking hammer and feels good to use, I'm surprised it had such a short life span.