Thorsen tools collection

[OilyRascal]

A few recent Thorsen acquisitions:

Metal set box marked "Thorsen Tools, 5321 Horton St. , Emeryville, Calif., USA" and "Manufacturers of SPEED-HED Wrenches".  Unknown to me as to the original contents of the box, if any.



The Yankee Doodle Special - Set Number 1776 marked - 1/4" and 3/8" drive SAE and Metric -  with some propaganda re: Metric on the reverse of the insert.

















Set Number 1416 - 1/4" Drive 16 piece SAE set coming from Moose - Dallas production vintage



Unknown set number - 1/4" drive 16 piece Metric set - Dallas production vintage



Another 1/4" drive SAE set - unknown set number - unknown vintage - box contained sockets with a mixture of vintages

I've got some Thorsen.

PM Inbound

[OilyRascal]

Another picture of Roy Shurtleff  -  this one at age 20 (1908) out of an article titled "Young Nimrods Plan Bear Hunt"

Source:  San Francisco Call, Volume 104, Number 47

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SEEK BIG GAME
Will Remain in Wilds of Mendocino County for Three Weeks

BERKELEY, July 16. — Bear hunting in the wilds of Mendocino county for the next three weeks is the plan of Roy Shurtleff and George Harlowe, two graduates of the Berkeley high school, who left for their hunting trip today. They will return to this city In time to enter the university, about the middle of August.
Each boy will be armed with a slhotgun and rifle and will be accompanied by a dog.
Both Shurtleff and Harlowe are well known here in high school circles. Shurtleff was editor of the Skulk, the high school funny paper, and a member of the Cannibal and Lamp and Quill societies. Harlowe is a track athlete and prominent in the affairs of the local school.

[OilyRascal]

A few recent unique additions to the Thorsen collection.  Most of these coming from FrankLee.

A Model 80J 1/2" driver



Model 25F feeler gauge set marked with TT in a circle



JX series swivel sockets - 414JX, 416JX, 424JX, and 426JR



Model 18 1/2" drive x 5/16" something.  I'm not yet clear if this is a drive adapter (never heard of a 5/16" drive) or a specialty tool.



Model 53 1/2" extension - 5" long

[johnsironsanctuary]

Oily,
It has got to be pretty easy to make a list of what's missing. It would be kinda hard for even  ol' Mr Shurtleff to stump you with a tool you've never seen. Did you ever finish restoring the four boards? I assume that by now you can fill them.

[OilyRascal]

It has got to be pretty easy to make a list of what's missing. It would be kinda hard for even  ol' Mr Shurtleff to stump you with a tool you've never seen. Did you ever finish restoring the four boards? I assume that by now you can fill them.

:) I've had a list from the onset that I've worked against.  I'm missing 24 at this point to complete the 4 boards.  Those missing are ( for the most part) pipe wrenches, hammers, and pliers.  I have not acquired any of the hammers at this point.  I would imagine those may go on for many many years.  Again that is to complete the tools for the 4 boards.  I would post the missing here, and still may at some point, but I do not believe that's in the project's best interest at this point.  The four board carousel is refinished and sits in a dismantled state.  I do not have a "good place" to display it assembled at the moment.  You must appreciate I originally had no plan to keep it (was pushed over the cliff here).  I do not have all of the parts to complete the carousel as it was originally shipped (it was missing it's chrome rails).  That is not to say it can't stand as it is, it's just more decision criteria for me.  I'm not sure yet that I would not rather have it as four boards on a wall.  I would rather wait until I'm able to find it a permanent placement before I go any further on it.

In terms of the broader collection outside the "boards", there are currently 2286 individual articles in the larger Thorsen collection. I've had much success in the collection of Thorsen tools in their later USA production years - let's say early 50's on is represented well with the exception of those things already noted above.  I have made much less ground with covering their early years (late 20's - late 40's).  The feeler gauges coming from FrankLee being one of the few early tools I have.  I missed out on one very important acquisition of early tools.  That will not happen to me again.

All that said - I still lack sound reference material for the full breath of their USA production.  I often struggle with what may be out there that I'm missing........but that is the fun of it for me - the chase to find more data points, more history, more tools I've not seen and need to understand.

It's not yet been a year since I started collecting Thorsen, so I feel very good about the project's progress and status.  It would have been very difficult, and much more costly, to do this without the assistance of so many folks from here.  I appreciate everything that has been done to help.

[OilyRascal]

An observation I'd thought I'd share.  It seems there were at least the following USA productions, or generations.  This is my current thinking (WAG) based on what I've learned so far, the tools shared here, and those I've collected.  I'll work to come back and show representations of each in an orderly manner.  This past weekend I enjoyed going through those acquired and putting together an early '50s vintage "master set" based on the box that came from Moose.  I believe I have the tools true to that vintage.  I'll also share that grouping when its photo time. 

Disclaimer: this is a work in progress and subject to my errors and omissions.  I welcome your comment.  My intent is to share, and solicit, data regarding the various scripting, as there is limited information currently available.

1) Marked with TT in a circle in conjunction with "GT" (General Tool) or other private branding. (no COO markings) - suspect late 20's through early 30's
2) Marked with TT in a circle in conjunction with "Thorsen Tool" (no COO markings) - suspect late 20's through early 30's with "Thorsen" being another private branding label as noted above (and previous documented in this thread).
3) Marked with TT in a circle with no other company markings (no COO markings) - I suspect early 30's
4) Marked Thorsen with block style font - suspect 40's - 50's vintage

Identity crisis starts here in mid to late 50's????????

5) Marked Thorsen and "Hot Forged"
6) Marked Thorsen AND Oak. Calif. with stylized font - unknown vintage, but suspect mid to late 50's and first font change
7) Marked Thorsen with stylized font
8) Marked Thorsen with stylized font and "USA" markings
9) Marked Thorsen with stylized font and "MFD" over "USA" markings
10) Marked Thorsen with sytlized font, MFD USA, AND = = markings - latest USA production vintage.  some of the tools are cold broached, and some are hot broached in this marking style.  This suggest the style ran from before Dallas production into Dallas production, as cold broaching was introduced with the Dallas machinery.

[johnsironsanctuary]

Thanks for the update on the collection. It is hard to believe that it has only been a year since you started. It only seems like a lifetime. (chuckling and ducking). I hope that you are able to find good a place to display them. Remember that the only time that those boards were displayed 100% full was at trade shows. The retailers ALWAYS had empty hooks.

What do you know about the distribution chain? There may be partial catalogs in some of the auto parts and hardware distributor catalogs from back in the early days that would help date some of the the markings.

[OilyRascal]

What do you know about the distribution chain? There may be partial catalogs in some of the auto parts and hardware distributor catalogs from back in the early days that would help date some of the the markings.

Howdy John!  Appreciate your words.  What I know of the distribution chain is:

1) Source:  family genealogy book written by Shurtleff.  Confirmed with example tools.  Exclusive private branding distribution in the first few years.

2) Source:  Inserts in tool sets, and written testimony from a member in the know.  Confirmed in example tools.  Distribution was, at least, through "Farm Supply" stores.

3) Source:  genealogy book again.  Confirmed via NOS tool acquisition.  US Government contracts/distribution during WWII and at least through 1984.

4) Source:  verbal testimony of 16 "vintage" auto parts stores throughout south Arkansas and North Louisiana.  Napa, Western Auto were the focus but some "home town" unbranded stores surveyed.  1 unbranded parts store, out of the 16 total stores, had an employee with knowledge of them being sold out of the auto parts store.  Catalogs since gone.  Last recollection of distribution through his store being in the 1970's.

5) Source:  verbal testimony of "tool store" in business since the early 40s.  "We could get Thorsen through our distributors, and they were represented in their master catalogs.  We threw out several dumpsters full just last month cleaning up".

6) Source:  1985 Thorsen catalog.  It has a "Weatherly Index" number printed on the cover.  This implies formal catalog organization; such as within a parts store from my understanding.  The catalog was addressed to ........ Supply Company, Wholesale Distributors.

7)  Source:  1930s Thorsen catalog.  marked as distributed by "Lerer & Son Automotive, Petalhuma Calif."  I know nothing of this company as of yet.

That's all I know, and how I know it.

[OilyRascal]

and THIS 1930's catalog ending last evening on Ebay will hopefully help.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190763463070?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2648

[1930]

and THIS 1930's catalog ending last evening on Ebay will hopefully help.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190763463070?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2648

Well shoot, I just missed that one at 135.50

[OilyRascal]

and THIS 1930's catalog ending last evening on Ebay will hopefully help.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190763463070?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2648

Well shoot, I just missed that one at 135.50

Good to know the feller that cost me holiday gifts for the wife :)

[1930]

She told me she was looking forward to seeing her new catalog :)

[jgshurt69]

Hello Branson and OilyWrench.... My Dad Lawton Shurtleff ran Thorsen Tools from 1941-1968 when it was sold to HydroMetals. During WW2 and thereafter until 1968, the only address Thorsen ever had was 5321 Horton, on the Oakland/Emeryville Line and Southern Pacific/Union Pacific Railroad Tracks. Since in
the early days, nobody recognized Emeryville, Thorsen would just say that their company was in Oakland. If that misinformation was ever printed onto
Thorsen Tools..then I never saw it. Good luck...Jeffrey Shurtleff/San Bruno, CA

[Papaw]

Hello Branson and OilyWrench.... My Dad Lawton Shurtleff ran Thorsen Tools from 1941-1968 when it was sold to HydroMetals. During WW2 and thereafter until 1968, the only address Thorsen ever had was 5321 Horton, on the Oakland/Emeryville Line and Southern Pacific/Union Pacific Railroad Tracks. Since in
the early days, nobody recognized Emeryville, Thorsen would just say that their company was in Oakland. If that misinformation was ever printed onto
Thorsen Tools..then I never saw it. Good luck...Jeffrey Shurtleff/San Bruno, CA

Now there is some definitive info!

[OilyRascal]

Hello Branson and OilyWrench.... My Dad Lawton Shurtleff ran Thorsen Tools from 1941-1968 when it was sold to HydroMetals. During WW2 and thereafter until 1968, the only address Thorsen ever had was 5321 Horton, on the Oakland/Emeryville Line and Southern Pacific/Union Pacific Railroad Tracks. Since in
the early days, nobody recognized Emeryville, Thorsen would just say that their company was in Oakland. If that misinformation was ever printed onto
Thorsen Tools..then I never saw it. Good luck...Jeffrey Shurtleff/San Bruno, CA

Mr. Shurtleff - Thank you for your response.  I see that you've posted as a guest versus a registered user.  I think its fair to say a number of us would love to see you here as a member.  I know I'd certainly appreciate hearing your stories/views.  As you've probably figured out in this thread, I have a bit of a fondness for Thorsen tools and learning it's history.

Best regards,  Derek Alphin