Old Heavy Line Mechanic + Retiring = Old Plomb Tools

[UncleBill]

A retiring heavy line mechanic asked me if I wanted to buy some of his stuff.   Besides some misc boxes full of early 50's Snap-On, Proto, Firestone, John Bean, and other misc items, so far this one Plomb socket turned out to be my favorite rare find.  Plomb Los Angeles 1930 - 1931 DDX30 3/4" Drive 1 7/8" socket.  Plomb 1930 catalog retailed this for $2.30 and it weighs around 2.5 pounds.

He still has his original rolling toolbox with tools stuck in storage at the dealership so I am hoping when he retrieves it that it has more of these old Plomb sockets.

[EVILDR235]

Nice find. Those real early PLvmb tools are easy to spot. They have a O in the word Plomb instead of a triangle. I had some 1940s 3/4 inch Plvmb sockets with the lettering WAR FINISH on them. Makes one wonder how many Plvmb tools are still out there. How many ships are there sitting on the bottom of the ocean with military supplies from WWII that were sunk by U-Boats. In 1922 a man opens the door on King Tut's tomb and is asked ( what do you see ? ) I see many wonderful things. ( Is it things made of gold ? ) No Plomb tools made of steel.

EvilDr235

[UncleBill]

I found out some more info on how this was originally purchased from the mechanic I got it from.  There used to be a local tool salesperson, who drove one of those tool trucks, that sold Cornwell tools.  If you couldn't afford a new item of his he offered you used items that he would pick up from other mechanics who upgraded their tools from him.  The mechanic that I acquired this socket from told me it was in the early 70's when he picked this up and a few other things. 

Always fun to learn the history on some of this stuff.

[EVILDR235]

Back in the early 1970's I got a lot of tools from the milk man. He delivered  milk to the bakery I worked at. He was out early everyday and picked up lots of tools from his milk customers. The only thing I still have that I got from him is a Yale & Towne 1/4 ton chain hoist. Greed got the best of me and I sold the Plomb 1/2 drive torque wrench and the S&K Wayne 1/2 inch drive tool set. I see those big Plomb sockets once and awhile for sale, but for more than I am willing to pay.

EvilDr235

[Papaw]

Long ago, and in another life, I used to hock a diesel mechanics tools and boxes. He would come to my M/C shop needing $$ and I would hold his tools for $100-200 until he came back with the money. I later learned he was buying dope with it. Finally one time he asked for $200 for the lot straight out. I bought the tools and boxes and still have some of them, including the boxes.
Just a few years later, he OD'ed and died.

[EVILDR235]

When I turned wrenches for a living I worked with a guy that would blow his pay check at strip clubs and then sell some of his tools to have money for his wife for her drug problem. When the tool trucks would come by, he would charge more tools to replace the ones he sold and then the cycle would start over again.

EvilDr235