Alloy Artifacts

Alloy Steel Tools

Armstrong was one of the earlier tool makers to use of alloy steels for their hand tools. Their catalog B-20 of 1921 lists a line of "Aero" tappet wrenches made with a chrome-nickel alloy steel, and their 1927 catalog claims that alloy steel tools were first offered in 1919. The 1919 date, if true, would place them close to the earliest known usage. (Herbrand is thought to have used alloy steels in 1919, when their "Van-Chrome" trademark was registered.) However, Armstrong appears not to have expanded the selection of alloy tools beyond the Aero tappets until 1925 or later.

By 1927 Armstrong was offering a substantial selection of double-open and tappet wrenches made with chrome-vanadium steel, and this expanded in the next few years to include obstruction wrenches and a line of thin single-open wrenches with 30-degree offset heads. (These latter items were offered as part of the Blackhawk-Armstrong line; see our article on Blackhawk-Armstrong Tools for more information.)

Box-end wrenches were probably first offered in the late 1920s, but we don't have a catalog reference until 1935. However, the Armstrong line of single-offset box wrenches closely resembles those offered by Blackhawk in the late 1920s, and even have the same model numbers. Given the known connection with the Blackhawk-Armstrong wrenches, it seems very likely that Armstrong was the manufacturer of these single-offset wrenches as well.

The earlier alloy tools were generally marked with "Chrome-Vanadium", "Alloy Steel", or some equivalent, but in 1946 Armstrong registered the trademark "Armaloy" as the standard marking for alloy steel tools.

Open-End Wrenches

By 1927 Armstrong was offering a wide selection of open-end "Engineer's" wrenches, marked with a bold "Armstrong-Vanadium" brand forged into the shank. Some early versions of these tools are marked with the older U.S.S. or S.A.E. sizes, suggesting that these tools may have been available somewhat before 1927. Other manufacturers -- notably Bonney and Williams -- are believed to have switched to fractional sizes by 1927.

We'll begin this section with two examples believed to represent the earliest production of the Armstrong-Vanadium line.

Armstrong-Vanadium 1027 19/32x11/16 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 9. Armstrong-Vanadium 1027 19/32x11/16 Open-End Wrench, with Insets for Reverse and Logo, ca. 1925-1927.

Fig. 9 shows an Armstrong 1027 19/32x11/16 open-end wrench, marked "Armstrong-Vanadium" in forged raised letters on the shank, with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the reverse. The faces are stamped "5/16 NUT" and "3/8 NUT", references to the older USS size conventions.

The overall length is 7.0 inches.

The upper inset shows the small "Armstrong Chicago, U.S.A." stamped into the reverse face, without the Strong-Arm logo. This is believed to indicate earlier production than the more common stamped marking "Armstrong Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo.

Armstrong-Vanadium 1033-A 7/8x15/16 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 10. Armstrong-Vanadium 1033-A 7/8x15/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, ca. 1925-1927.

Fig. 10 shows an Armstrong 1033-A 7/8x15/16 open-end wrench, marked "Armstrong-Vanadium" in forged raised letters on the shank, with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the reverse. The faces are stamped "1/2 NUT 5/8 CAP" and "5/8 S.A.E.", references to the older USS and SAE size conventions.

The overall length is 9.5 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

The reverse face (not shown) is stamped "Armstrong Chicago, U.S.A.", but without the Strong-Arm logo.

Armstrong-Vanadium 1023 13/32x1/2 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 11. Armstrong-Vanadium 1023 13/32x1/2 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse, ca. late 1920s.

Fig. 11 shows an Armstrong 1023 13/32x1/2 open-end wrench, marked "Armstrong-Vanadium" in forged raised letters on the shank, with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the reverse. The faces are stamped with the fractional sizes, and reverse faces are stamped with the model number and "Armstrong Chicago, U.S.A.", although the latter marking has been partly obscured by grinding.

The overall length is 6.0 inches.

The use of fractional sizes for the openings indicates somewhat later production than the previous figures.

1727 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 12. Armstrong 1727 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 12 shows an Armstrong 1727 9/16x5/8 open-end wrench, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo on the face, and with "Alloy Steel" stamped on the reverse shank.

The overall length is 6.8 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.

1728 9/16x3/4 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 13. Armstrong 1728 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, ca. 1942-1945.

Fig. 13 shows an Armstrong 1728 9/16x3/4 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo on the face. The shank is stamped "Chrome-Vanadium" on the front, with "Armstrong" and another Strong-Arm logo on the reverse.

The overall length is 7.9 inches, and the finish is plain steel with polished faces.

The plain finish is believed to iducate production during the 1942-1945 war years.

1029 11/16x25/32 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 14. Armstrong 1029 11/16x25/32 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

The overall length is 8.6 inches.

1731 3/4x13/16 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 15. Armstrong 1731 3/4x13/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

The overall length is 9.4 inches.

1731-A 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 16. Armstrong A-1731-A 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 16 at the left shows an Armstrong A-1731-A 3/4x7/8 open-end wrench, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo on the face, and with "Chrome Vanadium" on the shank.

The overall length is 9.5 inches.

A later version of this model can be seen as the Armaloy 1731-A Wrench.

S-Shaped Wrenches

1077-B 1/2x9/16 S-Shaped Open-End Wrench

Fig. 17. Armstrong-Vanadium 1077-B 1/2x9/16 S-Shaped Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse.

Fig. 17 shows an Armstrong 1077-B 1/2x9/16 S-shaped wrench, stamped on the face with "Made in U.S.A." and the Strong-Arm logo, The shank is marked "Armstrong-Vanadium" in forged raised letters, with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the reverse.

The overall length is 7.2 inches.

Obstruction Wrenches

Obstruction wrenches were a specialized subset of open-end wrenches designed for work in tight spaces. These wrenches first became popular in the late 1920s, and several different obstruction wrench designs were in common use. Armstrong's design featured two different opening sizes placed at nearly right angles to the wrench axis, a design very similar to that used by J.H. Williams.

Armstrong obstruction wrenches were assigned model numbers by adding 2000 to the industry-standard number for the equivalent open-end wrench. (See our table Industry-Standard Wrench Models for more information.) For example, a wrench with sizes 19/32x25/32 would be an industry-standard model 28, and therefore became a model 2028 obstruction wrench.

Armstrong was a manufacturing partner for Blackhawk and the corresponding Blackhawk-Armstrong obstruction wrenches are basically identical to Armstrong's production, except for the markings. Examples include the Blackhawk-Armstrong 2029 Obstruction Wrench and Blackhawk-Armstrong 2731 Obstruction Wrench.

Examples of obstruction wrenches similar to the Armstrong models can be seen in the Billings M-2030 Obstruction Wrench and Williams 2021 Obstruction Wrench.

Alternate obstruction wrench designs were used by companies such as Bonney and Herbrand, and examples of their production can be seen in the Bonney 2031 Obstruction Wrench and Herbrand 1827 Obstruction Wrench.

2028 19/32x25/32 Obstruction Wrench

Fig. 18. Armstrong 2028 19/32x25/32 Obstruction Wrench.

Fig. 18 shows a rare Armstrong 2028 19/32x25/32 obstruction wrench, marked "Armstrong Chicago, U.S.A." on the face, with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the shank.

The overall length is 7.7 inches, and the finish is nickel plating with polished faces.

The reverse side of the shank has been ground smooth and has no markings.

Box-End Wrenches

Armstrong probably introduced box-end wrenches with double-hex broachings in the late 1920s or early 1930s, a time when other tool companies such as Bonney, Herbrand, Snap-On, and Williams were also introducing box wrenches. However, due to limited catalog resources, our first reference to these tools is in the Armstrong 1935 catalog.

Armstrong's earliest numbering system for box wrenches was a series of 2xxx model numbers not based on industry-standard wrench numbers. The 1935 catalog offered wrenches in a 24xx series for the angled box style, a 26xx series for the standard double-offset style, a 27xx series for the short double-offset style, and a 29xx series for the single-offset style.

By 1939 Armstrong had switched all of its box wrenches (except for the 24xx series) to industry-standard based numbers, using the same prefixes as J.H. Williams. A new 6000 series had also been introduced for the short angled box style. Eventually the 24xx numbers were converted to a 7000-series with industry-standard numbers.

In 1935 Armstrong listed the standard finish for box wrenches as chrome plating over nickel, but by 1939 the finish was listed as cadmium plating for all styles. This is somewhat surprising, as most other tools companies were using chrome plating at the time, except for cadmium plating during wartime restrictions. The change in the standard finish for Armstrong wrenches means that we can't use a plain or cadmium finish as a date marker for wartime production.

2415 7/16x1/2 Box-End Wrench

Fig. 19. Armstrong 2415 7/16x1/2 Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. Late 1930s.

Fig. 19 shows an Armstrong 2415 716x1/2 box-end wrench, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo, and with "Chrome Vanadium" on the reverse.

The overall length is 7.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

2426 Special 13/16x7/8 Box-End Wrench

Fig. 20. Armstrong 2426 Special 13/16x7/8 Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. Late 1930s.

Fig. 20 shows an Armstrong 2426 Special 13/16x7/8 box-end wrench, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo, and with "Chrome Vanadium" on the reverse.

The overall length is 11.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The "Special" mark on this wrench indicates a non-standard or special-order size. In this case the standard 2426 model had sizes 3/4x7/8, so this particular wrench was made as a special size based on the standard model.

6725 7/16x1/2 Short Box-End Wrench

Fig. 21. Armstrong 6725 7/16x1/2 Short Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. 1939-1942.

Fig. 21 shows an Armstrong 6725 7/16x1/2 box-end wrench, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo, and with "Chrome Vanadium" on the reverse.

The overall length is 5.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

7731-A 3/4x13/16 Box-End Wrench

Fig. 22. Armstrong 7731-A 3/4x7/8 Box-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, ca. 1945-1947.

Fig. 22 shows an Armstrong 7731-A 3/4x13/16 box wrench, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo, and with "Alloy Steel" on the reverse.

The overall length is 11.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.

7725 7/16x1/2 Box-End Wrench

Fig. 23. Armstrong 7725 7/16x1/2 Box-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, ca. 1942-1945.

Fig. 23 shows an Armstrong 7725 7/16x1/2 box wrench, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo, and with "Hi-Tensile" on the reverse.

The overall length is 7.8 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The "Hi-Tensile" marking indicates production during the 1942-1945 wartime years.

7729-A 3/4x25/32 Box-End Wrench

Fig. 24. Armstrong 7729-A 3/4x25/32 Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. 1942-1945.

Fig. 24 shows an Armstrong 7729-A 3/4x25/32 box wrench, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo, and with "Hi-Tensile" on the reverse.

The overall length is 11.6 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The "Hi-Tensile" marking indicates production during the 1942-1945 wartime years.

8028-A 5/8x11/16 Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 25. Armstrong 8028-A 5/8x11/16 Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. 1942-1945.

Fig. 25 shows an Armstrong 8028-A 5/8x11/16 offset box wrench, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo on the shank, with "Hi-Tensile" on the reverse.

The overall length is 10.6 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The "Hi-Tensile" marking indicates production during the 1942-1945 wartime years.

8033 13/16x31/32 Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 26. Armstrong 8033 13/16x31/32 Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. 1942-1945.

Fig. 26 shows an Armstrong 8033 13/16x31/32 offset box wrench, marked "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo on the shank, with "Hi-Tensile" on the reverse.

The overall length is 14.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The "Hi-Tensile" marking indicates production during the 1942-1945 wartime years.

9729-A 11/16x3/4 Short Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 27. Armstrong 9729-A 11/16x3/4 Short Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. 1939-1942.

Fig. 27 shows an Armstrong 9729-A 11/16x3/4 short offset box wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo on the shank, with the model number and "Chrome-Vanadium" on the reverse.

The overall length is 7.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel with traces of cadmium plating.

5037 1-1/16x1-1/4 Heavy-Duty Offset Box-End Wrench

In the mid to late 1930s Armstrong began offering a series of heavy-duty offset box wrenches, recommending them "for the heaviest industrial and oil field work." These were massively built wrenches with round shanks, and were assigned model numbers in a 5xxx series with an industry-standard suffix. (A separate 8xxx series provided regular-duty offset box wrenches.) The 1939 catalog listed nine models ranging from the 5035-A of sizes 1-1/16x1-1/8, up to the 5053 with sizes 2-9/16x2-3/4.

Fig. 28. Armstrong 5037 1-1/16x1-1/4 Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. Late 1930s.

Fig. 28 shows an Armstrong 5037 1-1/16x1-1/4 offset box-end wrench, marked "Armstrong-Vanadium" with the Strong-Arm logo, and with "Made in U.S.A." and "Chromium-Vanadium" on the reverse.

The overall length is 16.9 inches, and the finish is plain steel.