Alloy Artifacts

Zenel Alloy Tools

In the early 1930s Bonney began using an alloy steel called Zenel and advertised it as the strongest known steel for tools. (Such claims were frequently made by tool companies of that time.) Bonney claimed to have registered the Zenel brand as a trademark, although the registration isn't listed in the USPTO trademark database.

Bonney's catalog No. 33 of 1933 lists several pages of Zenel tools, including double-open "Engineer's" wrenches, tappet wrenches, and small electrical or ignition wrenches. Box-end wrenches were not yet available in Zenel steel at this time, but combination wrenches (amusingly called "TuType") were listed in a "New Items" supplement dated May, 1933.

The date of the "TuType" combination wrench listing is rather significant, as this is very close to the time that Plomb Tools first advertised its combination wrenches, and Plomb is generally credited with originating this popular wrench style. The Zenel "TuType" combination wrenches were actually the first of this style offered by Bonney, and followed the emerging standard of 15 degree offsets for both ends. The initial 1933 listing offered only four sizes, models 3114 (7/16), 3116 (1/2), 3118 (9/16), and 3120 (5/8).

Zenel tools were given model numbers beginning with a "3" for quick identification, as these were sold at premium prices. The open-end wrenches were given a 3xxx series (3000 plus the industry-standard number), combination wrenches were the 31xx series, and tappet wrenches were in the 34xx series. (The miniature ignition wrenches were the exception; these were assigned models beginning with an "E" or "H".)

Although we can't verify whether Zenel was really the strongest alloy steel, the available examples of Zenel tools do appear to be of very high quality. Some of the photographs below show tools used extensively to the point that the chrome plating has worn through, but the broached openings are still in nearly perfect condition.

Zenel Product Lifespan

The Zenel product line had a relatively short lifespan, with some selections already discontinued by as early as 1938. (By this time the tool buyer's fascination with alloy steels was apparently beginning to fade.) The most successful of the Zenel products were the tappet and open-end wrenches, which remained in production into the 1950s.

The table below shows the approximate dates of the introduction and eventual discontinuation of the various categories of Zenel products.

Zenel Tappet Wrenches

3420 Zenel 7/16x17/32 Tappet Wrenches

The next figures show two generations of the Bonney 3420 Zenel tappet wrench.

Fig. 119. Bonney 3420 Zenel 7/16x17/32 Tappet Wrench, 1933.

Fig. 119 shows an earlier Bonney 3420 7/16x17/32 tappet wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face with "Zenel" forged into the shank. The reverse shank has a forged-in code "JY" (not shown).

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "Y" year code and "Made in U.S.A." marking indicate production in 1933.

Fig. 120. Bonney 3420 Zenel 7/16x17/32 Tappet Wrench, ca. Late 1940s+.

Fig. 120 shows a later Bonney 3420 7/16x17/32 tappet wrench, stamped "U.S.A." on the face with "Zenel" forged into the shank. The reverse shank has a forged-in code "JY." (see inset).

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "U.S.A." face marking indicates production in the late 1940s or 1950s.

3422 Zenel 1/2x9/16 Tappet Wrench

Fig. 121. Bonney 3422 Zenel 1/2x9/16 Tappet Wrench, 1946.

Fig. 121 shows a Bonney 3422 1/2x9/16 tappet wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face, with "Zenel" forged into the shank. The reverse shank has a forged-in code "DX." (not shown).

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "X" year code indicates production in 1946.

3424 Zenel 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrenches

The next two figures show examples of the Bonney 3424 Zenel wrench model.

Fig. 122. Bonney 3424 Zenel 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, 1945.

Fig. 122 shows a Bonney 3424 5/8x11/16 tappet wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face with "Zenel" forged into the shank. This example still has its Zenel decal, visible on the shank at the left, and the reverse shank has a forged-in code "KW" (see inset).

The overall length is 8.5 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "W" year code indicates production in 1945.

Fig. 123. Bonney 3424 Zenel 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrench, 1945.

Fig. 123 shows a similar Bonney 3424 tappet wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face, with "Zenel" forged into the shank. The reverse shank has a forged-in code "KW." (not shown).

The overall length is 8.5 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "W" year code indicates production in 1945.

Another example of this model in our collection has a forged-in code "CP....." on the reverse shank.

3426 Zenel 3/4x7/8 Tappet Wrench

Fig. 124. Bonney 3426 Zenel 3/4x7/8 Tappet Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, 1945.

Fig. 124 shows a Bonney 3426 3/4x7/8 tappet wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face with "Zenel" forged into the shank. This example still has its Zenel decal, visible on the shank at the left, and the reverse shank has a forged-in code "KW" (see inset).

The overall length is 9.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "W" year code indicates production in 1945.

Zenel Open-End Wrenches

Zenel wrenches were Bonney's top-of-the-line tools and sold at a premium price. For comparison, the 1934 list price for the 3731A wrench was $1.20, compared to $0.95 for the Bonney "CV" 1731A model.

3723 Zenel 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench, PWA Contract

Fig. 125. Bonney 3723 (PWA1401) Zenel 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, 1940.

Fig. 125 shows a rare Bonney Zenel 3723 3/8x7/16 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face with "Zenel" in forged raised letters on the shank. The reverse is stamped "PWA1401", indicating that this wrench was produced for Pratt-Whitney Aircraft. The shank also has a forged-in code "KR...." visible at the left.

The overall length is 4.7 inches. The original finish was chrome plating, but most has been lost due to rust.

The "R" year code and "Made in U.S.A." marking indicate production in 1940.

3723A Zenel 3/8x1/2 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 126. Bonney 3723A Zenel 3/8x1/2 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, 1947.

Fig. 126 shows a Bonney Zenel 3723A 3/8x1/2 open-end wrench, stamped "U.S.A." with the plain Bonney name on the face. The shank is marked "Zenel" in forged raised letters, with a forged-in code "CY." visible on the reverse (see inset).

The overall length is 4.7 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "Y" year code and "U.S.A." face marking indicate production in 1947.

3725B Zenel 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrenches

The next figures show several generations of the Bonney Zenel 3725B wrench.

Fig. 127. Bonney 3725B Zenel 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, 1935.

Fig. 127 shows a Bonney Zenel 3725B 1/2x9/16 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the plain Bonney name on the face. The shank is marked "Zenel" in forged raised letters, with a forged-in code "IM" visible on the reverse (see inset).

The overall length is 5.7 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "Made in U.S.A." face marking and "M" year code indicate production in 1935, in the second cycle of Bonney's date code system.

Fig. 128. Bonney 3725B (PWA1113) Zenel 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, 1942.

Fig. 128 shows a Bonney Zenel 3725B 1/2x9/16 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face. The shank is marked "Zenel" in forged raised letters with a forged-in code "GT." visible at the left, and the reverse is stamped "PWA1113", indicating that this wrench was produced for Pratt-Whitney Aircraft.

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

The PWA marking and plain finish suggest a 1941-1945 manufacturing date, and the year code "T" indicates production in 1942.

Fig. 129. Bonney 3725B Zenel 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench, 1949.

Fig. 129 shows a somewhat later Bonney Zenel 3725B open-end wrench, stamped "U.S.A." on the face with "Zenel" in forged raised letters on the shank. The shank also has a forged-in code "AM.." visible at the left.

The overall length is 5.7 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "U.S.A." marking on the face would indicate production in the late 1940s onward, and the "M" year code indicates the production year as 1949.

3027C Zenel 9/16x11/16 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 130. Bonney 3027C Zenel 9/16x11/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, 1940.

Fig. 130 shows a Bonney Zenel 3027C 9/16x11/16 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face with "Zenel" forged into the shank. The inset shows a close-up of the forged-in code "GR." on the reverse shank.

The overall length is 7.0 inches. The finish is chrome plating, with some loss due to rust and pitting.

The "R" year code and "Made in U.S.A." marking indicate production in 1940.

3729 Zenel 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrenches

The next figures show two generations of the Bonney Zenel 3729 wrench.

Fig. 131. Bonney 3729 Zenel 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench, 1946.

Fig. 131 shows an earlier Bonney Zenel 3729 5/8x3/4 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face, with "Zenel" in forged raised letters on the shank. A forged-in code "DX.." is visible on the shank at the left.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "X" year code indicates production in 1946.

Fig. 132. Bonney 3729 Zenel 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, 1947.

Fig. 132 shows a later Bonney Zenel 3729 open-end wrench, stamped "U.S.A." on the face with "Zenel" forged into the shank. The reverse shank has a forged-in code "CY." as shown in the inset.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "Y" year code and "U.S.A." marking indicate production in 1947.

3028S Zenel 5/8x25/32 Open-End Wrench

The next two figures show examples of the Bonney Zenel 3028S model.

Fig. 133. Bonney 3028S Zenel 5/8x25/32 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, 1935.

Fig. 133 shows an earlier Bonney Zenel 3028S 5/8x25/32 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face with "Zenel" forged into the shank. The reverse shank has a forged-in code "CM..v.." as shown in the inset.

The overall length is 8.0 inches. The finish is chrome plating with extensive pitting due to rust.

The "M" year code and "Made in U.S.A." marking indicate production in 1935, the beginning of the second cycle of the Bonney date code system.

Fig. 134. Bonney 3028S Zenel 5/8x25/32 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, 1945.

Fig. 134 shows a later Bonney 3028S open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face with "Zenel" forged into the shank. The reverse shank has a forged-in code "LW." visible at the left.

The overall length is 7.9 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "W" year code and "Made in U.S.A." marking indicate production in 1945.

3731A Zenel 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 135. Bonney 3731A Zenel 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench, 1945.

Fig. 135 shows a Bonney Zenel 3731A 3/4x7/8 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face, with "Zenel" in forged raised letters on the shank. The reverse shank has a forged-in code "KW" (not shown).

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

The "W" year code indicates production in 1945.

3733 Zenel 7/8x1 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 136. Bonney 3733 Zenel 7/8x1 Open-End Wrench, 1947.

Fig. 136 shows a Bonney Zenel 3733 7/8x1 open-end wrench, stamped "U.S.A." on the face, with "Zenel" in forged raised letters on the shank. The shank also has a forged-in code "IX..." visible at the left.

The overall length is 10.9 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

This wrench shows a minor inconsistency between its forged-in date code and the stamped "U.S.A." marking on the face. The "IX" code would normally indicate production late in 1946, but the "U.S.A." marking indicates production in early 1947 or later. Since the stamped marking is added during actual wrench production, the wrench was likely produced in 1947.

3033C Zenel 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 137. Bonney 3033C Zenel 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench, 1945.

Fig. 137 shows a Bonney 3033C 15/16x1 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face, with "Zenel" forged into the shank. The shank has a forged-in code "KWx" visible at the left.

The overall length is 11.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The "W" year code indicates production in 1945.

The equivalent model in the Bonney CV line can be seen as the Bonney CV 1033C Wrench.

3737 Zenel 1-1/8x1-1/4 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 138. Bonney 3731A Zenel 1-1/8x1-1/4 Open-End Wrench, ca. 1933-1941.

Fig. 138 shows an example of one of the larger Zenel models, a Bonney 3737 1-1/8x1-1/4 open-end wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face with "Zenel" forged into the shank. The reverse shank has a forged-in code, but the mark is too faint to be read.

The overall length is 12.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The chrome finish and "Made in U.S.A." marking suggest production in the range 1933-1941.

Zenel Ignition Wrenches

By the late 1920s Bonney had begun offering several types of miniature wrenches intended for electrical and ignition work. These wrenches initially included open-end and obstruction styles, and by 1936 box wrenches had been added as well.

With the advent of Zenel steel in 1933, the ignition wrench models all moved to the Zenel line. Since the older CV models were being discontinued, the Zenel models retained the old model numbers.

H10 Zenel Miniature Open-End Wrench

Fig. 139. Bonney Zenel H10 3/16x7/32 Miniature Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, 1938.

Fig. 139 shows a Bonney H10 3/16x7/32 miniature open-end wrench for ignition applications, stamped "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." on the face. The shank is marked "Zenel" in forged raised letters, and the reverse has a forged-in code "LP" visible at the right.

The overall length is 2.5 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

This example is unusual in having its "Zenel" decal still mostly intact.

The "P" year code indicates production in 1938.

E16 Zenel Ignition Wrench

Fig. 140. Bonney Zenel E16 13/64x15/64 Ignition Wrench, with Inset for Reverse, ca. 1933-1941.

Fig. 140 shows a Bonney E16 13/64x15/64 ignition wrench in the obstruction style. The shank is forged with depressed panels, stamped "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." on one side with "Zenel" and the fractional sizes on the reverse.

The overall length is 2.9 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

No forged-in code was found on this wrench.

Zenel Combination Wrenches

Zenel combination or "TuType" wrenches were Bonney's first offering in this style, and were first listed in a catalog supplement for May of 1933. The combination wrench was a novel concept in the early 1930s, and the name "TuType" was probably intended to emphasize the mix of open and box ends.

The Zenel combination wrenches were given model numbers in a 31xx series, with the last two digits specifying the size in 32nds. The series was relatively short-lived -- by 1939 the Zenel combination wrenches had been superseded by Bonaloy models in the 11xx series.

3114 Zenel 7/16 "TuType" Combination Wrench

Fig. 141. Bonney 3114 Zenel 7/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, ca. 1933-1938.

Fig. 141 at the left shows a Bonney 3114 7/16 combination wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face (though almost illegible due to pitting), with "Zenel" in forged raised letters on the shank. The reverse shank is marked "3114" in forged raised letters, with a forged-in code "CY..." visible at the right.

The overall length is 4.9 inches, The finish is chrome plating, but with extensive losses due to rust and pitting.

3118 Zenel 9/16 "TuType" Combination Wrench

Fig. 142. Bonney 3118 Zenel 9/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse, ca. 1933-1938.

Fig. 142 at the left shows a Bonney 3118 9/16 combination wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face, with "Zenel" in forged raised letters on the shank. The reverse shank is marked "3118" in forged raised letters, with a forged-in code "CY...." visible at the right.

The overall length is 5.8 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

3120 Zenel 5/8 "TuType" Combination Wrenches

Fig. 143. Bonney 3120 Zenel 5/8 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse, ca. 1933-1938.

Fig. 143 shows a Bonney 3120 5/8 combination wrench with a panelled shank, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face, with "Zenel" in forged raised letters on the shank. The reverse shank is marked "3120" in forged raised letters, with a forged-in code "JY." visible at the right.

The overall length is 6.2 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with some loss due to wear.

Fig. 144. Bonney 3120 Zenel 5/8 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse, ca. 1933-1938.

Fig. 144 shows a similar Bonney 3120 combination wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the face, with "Zenel" in forged raised letters on the shank. The reverse shank is marked "3120" in raised letters with a forged-in code "JY..." (not shown).

The overall length is 6.2 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with some loss due to wear.

Zenel Box-End Wrenches

Z2804 Zenel 3/8x7/16 Short Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 145. Bonney Z2804 Zenel 3/8x7/16 Short Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 145 shows a Bonney Z2804 3/8x7/16 short offset box wrench, stamped "Made in U.S.A." on the side of the shank. The shank is marked with "Bonney" and the model number forged into the depressed panel, and with "Zenel" forged into the reverse. The reverse shank also has a forged-in code "CW..." at the left. (The leading "Z" of the model number is hard to read, but can be seen in the enlarged photograph.)

The overall length is 5.2 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

2807 Zenel 5/8x3/4 Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 146. Bonney 2807 Zenel 5/8x3/4 Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Reverse and Side.

Fig. 146 shows a Bonney 2807 5/8x3/4 offset box wrench, marked with "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the depressed panel, and with "Zenel" forged into the reverse. A forged-in code "DY." is visible on the reverse shank at the left.

The overall length is 8.8 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with losses due to wear.

Z2808 Zenel 3/4x7/8 Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 147. Bonney Z2808 Zenel 3/4x7/8 Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 147 shows a Bonney Z2808 3/4x7/8 offset box wrench, with "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the depressed panel, and with "Zenel" forged into the reverse. The shank also has a forged-in code "CV....." visible at the right.

The overall length is 10.3 inches. The original finish was chrome plating, but much of the finish has been lost due to wear.

One detail to note here is that the "2808" of the model number is forged into the shank, but that the leading "Z" is stamped. This indicates that model number change went into effect after the forging die had been finished.

The corresponding wrench in the later Bonaloy brand can be seen as the Bonney Bonaloy 2808 Wrench.

Z2814 Zenel 7/16x7/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench

Bonney was one of the select few companies to produce single-offset wrenches, a configuration with two box openings of the same size, with one offset and the other straight. This style of wrench was very popular in the later 1920s and early 1930s, but gradually fell out of favor with the rise of the combination wrench.

Fig. 148. Bonney Z2814 Zenel 7/16x7/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 148 at the left shows a Bonney Zenel Z2814 7/16x7/16 single-offset box-end wrench, marked "Made in U.S.A." in forged raised letters, with "Zenel" on the reverse. The reverse shank has a forged-in code, but it's too faint to be read.

The overall length is 8.2 inches. The original finish was chrome plating, but only a few traces remain now.

Z2816 Zenel 1/2x1/2 Single-Offset Box-End Wrenches

The next several figures show examples of the Bonney Z2816 model.

Fig. 149. Bonney Z2816 Zenel 1/2x1/2 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, 1940.

Fig. 149 shows an earlier Bonney Zenel Z2816 1/2x1/2 single-offset box-end wrench, with markings "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the depressed panel, and with "Zenel" forged into the reverse. The reverse shank also has a forged-in code "HR" visible at the right.

The overall length is 8.9 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.

Based on the recently decoded Bonney date code system, the "R" year code on this example corresponds to production in 1940.

Fig. 150A. Bonney Z2816 (NAF39460-2) Zenel 1/2x1/2 Single-Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, 1945.

Fig. 150A shows a later Bonney Z-2816 1/2x1/2 single-offset box wrench, dual-marked with the NAF model "NAF39460-2" stamped on the side of the shank. The shank is marked with "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the depressed panel, with "Zenel" and a forged-in code "AW...v" on the reverse. (The forged-in code is shown in greater detail in the middle inset.)

The overall length is 8.9 inches. The finish is plain steel, with extensive pitting due to rust.

The "W" year code on this wrench indicates production in 1945, and the NAF model number indicates production for a military contract.

Fig. 150B. Bonney [Z]2816 Zenel 1/2x1/2 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, 1945.

Fig. 150B shows another later Bonney [Z]2816 1/2x1/2 single-offset box wrench, marked with "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the depressed panel, with "Zenel" forged into the reverse. The reverse shank also has a forged-in code "AW.." visible at the right.

The overall length is 8.9 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.

The "W" year code on this wrench would indicate production in 1945.

Note that although the expected model number for this wrench would be "Z2816", the "Z" prefix has been omitted on the second example. The 1945 production date offers a possible explanation for this anomaly. According to the catalog descriptions, by 1947 (or earlier) the Zenel single-offset wrenches had been superseded by Bonaloy models, with the model numbers dropping the "Z" prefix. Since the Bonaloy single-offset models shared the same design and specifications, the forging dies for Bonaloy and Zenel versions would have been the same except for the markings. If Bonney was gearing up for the switch to Bonaloy, the Zenel production might have shared half of the die, with the "Z" prefix intended to be stamped but omitted from this example.

Z2818 Zenel 9/16x9/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrenches

Fig. 151. Bonney Z2818 Zenel 9/16x9/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, 1937.

Fig. 151 shows a Bonney "Zenel" Z2818 9/16x9/16 single-offset box-end wrench, marked with "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the depressed panel, and with "Zenel" forged into the reverse. The reverse shank also has a forged-in code "JO...." visible at the right (see lower inset).

The overall length is 9.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

The year code "O" on this example indicates production in 1937, in the second cycle of the Bonney date code system.

Fig. 152. Bonney Z2818 Zenel 9/16x9/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, 1937.

Fig. 152 shows another Bonney Z2818 single-offset box wrench, marked with "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the depressed panel, and with "Zenel" forged into the reverse. The reverse shank also has a forged-in code "JO..v" (not shown).

The overall length is 9.6 inches. The finish is chrome plating, but now worn through in many areas.

An example of the earlier CV version of this model can be seen as Bonney CV 2818 Single-Offset Wrench.

Z2820 Zenel 5/8x5/8 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 153. Bonney Z2820 Zenel 5/8x5/8 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, 1937.

Fig. 153 shows a Bonney "Zenel" Z2820 5/8x5/8 single-offset box wrench, with markings "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the depressed panel, and with "Zenel" forged into the reverse. The reverse shank also has a forged-in code "BO.v" visible at the left.

The overall length is 10.3 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.

The year code "O" on this example indicates production in 1937, in the second cycle of the Bonney date code system.

An example of the earlier CV version of this model can be seen as Bonney CV 2820 Single-Offset Wrench.

Z2822 Zenel 11/16x11/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 154. Bonney Z2822 Zenel 11/16x11/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 154 shows a Bonney "Zenel" Z2822 11/16x11/16 single-offset box wrench, with markings "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the depressed panel, and with "Zenel" forged into the reverse. The reverse shank also has a forged-in code "FY.v..." visible at the right.

The overall length is 10.9 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.

The model number on this example is forged in as "Z-2822", in contrast to a previous figure with a stamped "Z" prefix.

Z2826 Zenel 13/16x13/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 155. Bonney Z2826 Zenel 13/16x13/16 Single-Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, 1945.

Fig. 155 shows a Bonney "Zenel" Z2826 13/16x13/16 single-offset box wrench, with markings "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the depressed panel, and with "Zenel" forged into the reverse. The reverse shank also has a forged-in code "AW.v" visible at the right, and shown as a close-up in the middle inset.

The overall length is 12.5 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.

The "W" year code indicates production in 1945.

2894 Zenel 7/8x15/16 Box-End Wrench

Our next figure shows a very rare example of a Zenel angled box wrench, and with a stamped (rather than forged-in) Zenel marking.

Fig. 156. Bonney 2894 Zenel 7/8x15/16 Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. 1936.

Fig. 156 shows a Bonney 2894 7/8x15/16 box wrench with an oval shank, stamped "Bonney" and "Made in U.S.A." on the front with a rare "Zenel" marking stamped on the reverse. A forged-in code "JZ" can be seen on the shank at the right, near the box end.

The overall length is 12.4 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.

Currently our only reference for this wrench model in Zenel steel is the 1936 Bonney catalog. (We don't have a 1935 catalog, so it's possible that the wrench appears there as well.) This wrench style was only briefly available in Zenel, as by 1938 the 289x series was listed as part of the CV line, and by 1939 as using Bonaloy steel.