Older White Wrench Mystery

[Wrenchmensch]

Here is an older White wrench.  The number embossed on the back is W988.  There were White steam wagons, George White Canadian steam tractors, and American White trucks.   This massive and beautifully finished wrench is 12 7/8" in length, its 2" open jaws are 3/8" thick and its 2 1/2" closed end sides are all buttressed on both sides. The word "White is in block letters, not in the script found on many White truck wrenches.

So what do you think the provenance of this wrench is?

[Bus]

Rotate the wrench 180 degrees, the part number is 886M not W889 (note the straight not slanted legs on the M.  Circa 1909 White truck hubcap wrench. 

[Wrenchmensch]

Bus,

Thanks for clearing  this up!

Bob

[Wrenchmensch]

Convinced that the pictured wrench was not a truck wrench, I sent a picture of it to the webmaster of the White Steamcar site.  Below is his answer:

Bob,
Thank you for your query.  That is indeed a White Steam CAR wrench.   It is for a White 1909 Model M car.  That wrench was used for both removing the hub caps and opening the gas cap.  Since the gas tank was pressurized to about 50 pounds this is a very important wrench to have.     All White parts, including the wrenches, have part numbers.   They all end in the model number, in this case a Model M.   The Model M's were made in 1909.  I have a Model M and would love to have this wrench if you ever consider parting with it.

Thank you
Mitch Gross

[bgarrett]

I have one too