Ideas on the age of this tool board? Indestro

[oldgoaly]

Metal trim hard board aka Masonite.Indestro mfg corp

[coolford]

Cannot really help, but "Select" was their last new introduction as I remember, thus as a guess 1960's.

[EVILDR235]

At my last job we sold Duro Chrome and KD brand tools. When they decided not to sell tools any more, they split up the tools between us mechanics and tossed the tool display boards in the dumpster. If I had only had the fore sight to save them. They also tossed a 400 pound range Fairbanks Morse platform scale. I did manage to save the brass scale and the cast iron weights from the scale.

EvilDr235

[d42jeep]

I found this on G503.com. There is a little on AA about Select Steel. They are commonly found at the flea markets.
-Don

[oldgoaly]

I looked on AA and was overwhelmed by the info on indestro, looks like they sold these starting in 1937 and ended? Well still have more to read!

[kayjayjay]

I just happened to be researching an Indestro wrench and can tell you a little bit about Select Steel. Soon after the owners of Duro Metal Products Company took over Indestro Tool Company, they renamed it Indestro Tool Corporation, which is what your display board says. This occurred mid-to-late 30s.

My wrench is a rare pre-Select Steel Indestro which reads "Alloy Steel." It was produced for about a year before it was changed from Alloy Steel to Select Steel, ushering in the Select Steel line. Alloy Artifacts suggest my wrench dates from around 1937-1938. So your board is as early as 1937-38. Indestro and Duro closed their doors in 1990, with one of the original owners still serving as chairwoman!

Now, the style and color of the graphics are certainly not 1990s. In my opinion, they could be 30s, 40s, or 50s imo.

More research into the tool numbers would be a logical and easy next step in research.

(Thanks to madeinchicagomuseum.com and alloy-artifacts.org)

[kayjayjay]

These are open end wrenches. Alloy Artifacts doesn't show this era. A search readily returns examples, but I'm still trying to locate dates. They are looking later rather than earlier. '50s or '60s?

[international3414]

cool no matter what year,about 400 indestro listings on ebay

[d42jeep]

Here is a link to a 1958 catalog which might help to narrow it down a bit although I didn’t see a match to your board.
https://archive.org/details/IndestroMfg1958
-Don

[d42jeep]

In looking for your tool board, I found a listing for the Select Steel DOE set I found back in January with a cool holder.
-Don

[kayjayjay]

Here's an example of what would have hung on your board, fwiw:


Note the "P729"

[Twertsy]

I date that style board late 50's to 60's....... The 30's boards were real wood.

[EVILDR235]

I have a 5 piece set just like the ones d42jeep has pictures of. Mine are in very good condition with all the attaching hardware. Mine do not say Select Steel or Indestro on them and have good chrome. I hope to get my grand daughter over in the next few days to post some pictures of them in the FOR SALE section. I also have a 5 piece Husky set with attaching hardware and they have a cadmium finish on them that will be FOR SALE also.

EvilDr235