Thorsen tools collection

[OilyRascal]

One more major data point on the "Speed Hed" wrenches.

Source – Steel Processing & Conversion, Volume 36, Page 285

Equipment:  pair of 100-ton punch presses (Ferracute & Verron)
Equipment:  Acme forging machine
Equipment:  Six (6) Cleveland Automatic Screw Machines

Photography:  Shows photograph of dies being installed into equipment.

Notes:  “These Speed Head wrenches are among the principal hand tools forged by Thorsen Tools organization at Emeryville, CA.  Note the peculiar design of open ends, which enable the wrenches to rotate without moving parts.” 

NOW -

Quoting AA:  "The design and construction of this example strongly suggest Vlchek as the manufacturer, as does the forged-in number "9" near the open end. The markings on the tool also point to a contract maker, as Thorsen did not usually mark its Oakland location on tools."

[OilyRascal]

This is one of my all time favorite sets. This 3/4" drive set dates from the early 30's (I think) or the dawn of Thorsen tools. It has sockets marked TT in a circle and GT in a hexagon. The look and feel of this set says original to me. Alloy Artifacts says there was a connection between Thorsen and General tools of Portland. I think Thorsen or P&C (or both) made tools for General Tool in the 30's. These three companies were fairly well entwined until Plomb bought out P&C in the early 40's. I got this at an estate sale of an old heavy equipment mechanic a few miles from General Tool in Portland.


By stormking3 at 2012-07-31

I'm not sure how I ever missed this post, but I did.  This is one of the oldest sets I've seen.  The TT in a circle is significant in it's dating, as is the "GT".  Lawton wrote of the inefficiency in the factory due to changing out dies for just a few tools in a run.  There is no question they were private label stamping them at the factory.  Great find!


1941
Source – “The Shurtleff and Lawton families: genealogy and history”
Company Name:  “Thorsen Tools”
Products:  sockets, socket wrenches, socket attachments, flat wrenches, and specialized tools.
Production Contract:  “One large contract for wrenches for Indian motorcycles”
 Notes “Thorsen Tools” was purchased in early 1941 for a total of “about $20,000”; with $14,000 of Harry Pete’s money, $3000 of Lawton Shurtleff and Bobbies, and $5000 limited partnership loan from roy.  It notes Harry Pete had 49 percent, Lawton/Bobbie had 17.65 percent ownership, that Roy had 34 percent with an invested $5000 as a limited partner with no share in the liabilities.  Notes that Thorsen was run down at the time of purchase, and that there were five employees (not counting the new owners).  The main products at time of purchase were sockets, socket wrenches, socket attachments, flat wrenches and specialized auto tools.  Notes E.A Boyd’s Thorsen Tools in San Fran had exclusive rights for northern CA sales; California Tool Co had rights for southern CA., and General Tool Company controlling Washington and Oregan, with “Old Forge” in PA with exclusive rights to the east coast.  Notes Thorsen production private branded tools for those distributors.  It notes government contracts and “one large contract for wrenches for Indian motorcycles” gave a new lease on life for Thorsen.
Sales:  $40,000
Profit:  $8,000 before salaries. 

[Branson]

As you can see on the map, these two (Oakland Warehouse and Store - 392 24th Street, Holliday Manufactoring Plant - 5321 Horton Street, Emeryville) are just walking distance from one another.  As I suspected.  My sister (an artist) has a live/work space just off Horton.  Next time I visit, I'll take a little walk.

[OilyRascal]

For those interested in the Thorsen / Giller connection:

We now know, thanks to a little known lawsuit in TX, that David Giller became an employee of Thorsen Tool Company in 1970.  At all times during Giller's employment with Thorsen that Lawton Shurtleff was Chief Operating Officer of Thorsen.  Further, we know that Giller worked directly for Shurtleff; Shurtleff was Giller's supervisor.

However, we also know that their relationship extends further back than 1970 (Giller's start at Thorsen).  In 1968 the two entered an agreement to construct apartments in Dallas.  In 1969 they borrowed some 170k for the project, paid it down to 60k by the project, and Shurtleff paid the remaining 60k.

In 1973 Shurtleff allegedly demands Giller sign a note to repay the 60k (actually over 60k with 9% interest), or he will lose his job with Thorsen tools.

In the end Lawton sued David for the 60k, but lost on the basis of "duress" he applied to David threatening his job while his daughter was sick in the hospital (at a charge of $700/week).  Appeals courts later upheld the decision.

We also know Giller's employment contract contained a covenant not to compete with his employer, Thorsen, for five years following termination of his services for any reason, and that Giller KNEW of his covenant not to compete.

I'm left to conclude a Thorsen / Giller production/marketing relationship was very short lived, or did not exist.  The continued references to non-compete agreements insinuates some breach or problem.....though it is not specifically called out (and may have been excluded from the lawsuit because of irrelevance, as it was "personal business" outside Thorsen).   It seems clear to me though that Shurtleff was trying to make an issue of non-compete in the lawsuit.

[stormking]

Hey Oily, Great info your posting up. I have a few 1940's General tool catalogs I have collected. The oldest from 1945 and by that time General no longer sold Thorsen tools at least they are not in the product catalog. General only listed Plomb and Armstrong tools. Even today General is a Proto dealer. In regards to the 3/4" drive set in the carrier, the sockets all have the same maker look to them either marked TT or GT. I have other 1/2"sockets marked GT that were found with early P&C sets and they look the same also.

[OilyRascal]

A picture of Roy Shurtleff about the time of his Thorsen investment, 1941, along with his Berkeley classmates (a number of who become very well known for their investment careers, and in financing the West' development).

Source:   Roy L. Shurtleff, "The University's Class of 1912, Investment Banking, and the Shurtleff Family History" an oral history conducted in 1981 by Harriet Nathan, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1982.

[kxxr]

Not to mention Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and 3 time California governor Earl Warren. Cool!

[Branson]

Not to mention Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and 3 time California governor Earl Warren. Cool!

Not to mention, too, the photo was taken at the Bohemian Grove!

[kxxr]

One has to wonder if Mr Shurtleff's seemingly inordinate amount of favorable court decisions would have anything to do with the crowd he ran with. Earl Warren for cripes sake!!

[kxxr]

I stopped in the pawn shop yesterday with no money in my pocket and of course I found a bunch of cool tools that I could not buy at the time so I did the only thing a penniless tool junky could do. I hid the ones I wanted behind the bins where no one will ever look and will go back this weekend and snag them. One piece was a swivel spark plug socket by Thorsen. I think it's the first I've seen. I will go back this weekend and It will be mine. Pictures to come. I hadn't been to the shop for some time, so there were quite a few tools stuffed safely behind the bins.
I learned this trick when I was 13 years old and lived on a very remote tropical island where the ship came about every 2 months with the latest and greatest products from the States. My interest was in record albums at the time and my M.O. was to get there on day one, find the albums I wanted and take them over to the brief cases and stuff one full of the records I wanted. It was a flawless technique and I consequently had the greatest collection of new releases on the island. Two records I can remember getting this way were Rolling Stones "High Tides and Green Grass" and "Got Live if You Want It". Not necessarily records I would have ordered, but it was all about getting it before someone else did at that time. Albums were about a buck 79 at the time ... seemed like a lot back then. I still have them, all of them.

[OilyRascal]

Great story!

[OilyRascal]

4" Thorsen Model 16704 adjustable wrench coming from Lostmind.  I would date it after 1975, based on the model number construct.

[kxxr]

Here are a few more '600' series sockets, another 53 extension and a 426J swivel spark plug socket with the rubber insert intact.

[OilyRascal]

Fresh in the door, Thorsen USA torx drivers; T10, T15, T20, T25, T30.  It rather sucks they did not bother to mark the sizes on the shank; although now that I look the part number gives a clue (e.g. T20 is Model 156320)

[OilyRascal]

It has been strongly suggested Thorsen Speed-Hed wrenches were the only tools Thorsen marked with "Oak. Calif." - Below is evidence there were other early Thorsen tools marked this way. 

I personally suspect this was a marking used starting in the early-mid 1940s, along side the "TT" in a circle marking - likely released subsequent to a business decision to discontinue custom stampings for General Tool (and the other exclusive dealers).