Alloy Artifacts

Estimation of Manufacturing Dates

If the discussion on the preceding pages has resolved the "who" question, the next question of interest concerns the "when", i.e. the approximate time when these tools were produced. In an ideal world, one could resolve this easily by simply looking through early Craftsman and New Britain catalogs to see when the tools were first offered. Unfortunately though, I don't have a series of these old catalogs available; my catalog resources are limited to a single New Britain catalog from 1941, plus three Craftsman catalogs from 1938, 1942, and 1947.

However, it turns out that a look at the Craftsman trademark records, plus a little knowledge of the socket manufacturing process, will allow a reasonable estimate of the manufacturing dates.

Craftsman Logo Styles

The first observation is that the Craftsman "BE" and H-Circle sockets cover three distinct styles of the Craftsman logo. The first Craftsman trademark was registered in 1927 with the mark "CRAFTSMAN" in plain block letters. A subsequent trademark introduced the underlined logo, with the initial "C" extended to underline the mark; the earliest reference to this at the USPTO is for 1934. Sears later introduced the logo using "CRAFTSMAN" bracketed by two parallel lines, so that it looks somewhat like "=CRAFTSMAN=". (We'll call this the double-line logo.) I'm unsure of exactly when this logo style was introduced, but it appears to have been widely used by the mid 1940s.

Fig. 15. "BE" and H-Circle Sockets Showing Three Craftsman Logo Styles. (Click to Enlarge)

Fig. 15 shows a mix of "BE" and H-Circle sockets with the three different logo styles. (Astute observers may have already noticed the different logos in the prior figures.)

Based on just this trademark information, we could roughly estimate production dates of 1927-1933 for the earliest logo examples, 1934-1944 for the underlined logo, and 1945 and later for the "= CRAFTSMAN =" style, with the understanding that the starting date for the third style is uncertain.

Socket Manufacturing Processes

Now let's look at the manufacturing methods used for these sockets. Refer again to Fig. 15, and look at the leftmost socket, a "BE" series of size 1 inch with the oldest logo. This socket was manufactured using a "cold-broach" process, in which the socket was first machined to include a cut-out recess under the area to broached, so that the shavings from the broaching could be removed. Note that the socket is wider at the base; this extra shoulder adds strength to compensate for the metal removed from the recess.

The middle socket is also a "BE" series of size 1 inch, but with the underlined logo. This socket was made using a "hot-broach" process, in which the socket is first heated to soften the metal, and the excess metal then accumulates at the bottom of the broached area. The socket has a constant diameter, as there is no recess under the broached area and thus no need to widen the base.

Fig. 16. Craftsman "BE" Broaching Detail, from Left: Cold-Broached, Hot-Broached. (Click to Enlarge)

Fig. 16 shows the broaching of the two "BE" sockets, with the cold-broached socket on the left. The left socket has a recess under the broached area, though it's a bit hard to see, but the shelf under the broaching of the right socket is clearly visible.

During the 1920s most sockets were made using cold-broaching, but by the late '20s and early '30s, companies were experimenting with hot-broach production and shifted over as they perfected the technique. (Duro Metal Products filed their hot-broach patent #2,027,922 in 1935, and it provides an excellent discussion of the process and advantages.) From these considerations, it's reasonable to assume that New Britain would have changed their socket production from cold-broached to hot-broached around the mid '30s, which is consistent with the conclusions drawn from the trademark data.

Another factor to be considered is the finish applied to the sockets, which for both early and later "BE" series sockets in Fig. 15 was done in polished chrome. Chrome plating for sockets was relatively new in the early '30s; for example, Snap-On appears to have begun plating sockets in 1929, and by 1931 or 1932 had polished chrome finishes comparable to the "BE" sockets. This suggests that the "BE" example in Fig. 15 is probably from 1931 or later, as it would have been very advanced indeed if it were produced before then. (Of course, it's entirely possible that earlier "BE" sockets with more primitive finishes exist, so these conclusions are based only on the limited samples available.)

Significance of the "BE" and H-Circle Marks

One further related question concerns the differences between or significance of the "BE" and H-Circle markings, in particular whether they were produced together, or whether one superseded the other.

In my limited collection there are "BE" tools with the early block logo and underlined logo, but no "BE" with the double-line logo; for the H-Circle tools, there are underlined and double-line logos, but no examples of the H-Circle mark with the early block logo. This certainly suggests that the H-Circle production came later and may have eventually replaced the "BE" production. It's also possible that the two marks represent different factories used by New Britain, or different contractual agreements with Sears, but at least the overall time progression seems to be clear enough.

Another possible interpretation of the "BE" and H-Circle markings has been suggested by a recently acquired set of Craftsman "BE" sockets and drive tools. This set of tools is contained in a very sturdy hip-roof toolbox, and was obviously intended as a top-of-the-line product offering. The sockets and drive tools are all chrome-plated, and the drive tools have an amber plastic handle covering, a feature offered only for the "Super Socket" sets, as the catalogs referred to them. The tools in this particular set have a mix of the Craftsman early and underlined logos, placing the likely manufacturing date in the 1934-1935 time frame.

The 1/2-drive ratchet in Fig. 17 shows an example of the tools in this set. The design is identical to the previously illustrated 1/2-drive ratchets, except that the shift mechanism has been refined by adding a sliding crossbar. The amber plastic handles offer a nice cosmetic touch, though the handle here has cracked despite the "unbreakable" promise in the catalog.

Fig. 17. Craftsman "BE" 1/2-Drive Ratchet from "Super Socket" Set, ca. 1934-1935.

The tools in this set suggest that the "BE" marking may have been intended for the higher-end (and higher-priced) line of tools, with the H-Circle mark being used for more utilitarian items. This is consistent with the observation that most of the collected examples of "BE" tools have a polished chrome plating, even for the earliest logo styles, while the H-Circle tools are generally in polished but unplated steel.

Confirmation from the Catalogs

Having gone through the above exercise, let's now check whether the New Britain and Craftsman catalogs can confirm or revise any of the conclusions. The currently available resources for this are the 1941 New Britain catalog 56-M and three Craftsman catalogs, dating from 1938, 1942, and 1947. We'll begin with the New Britain catalog.

1941 New Britain Catalog 56-M

The New Britain catalog, in its section on drive tools and sockets, shows a number of tools matching the examples in the above figures. The 1/2-drive ratchet (they only offered one model, the NS-40) is shown on page 10 of the catalog, and it closely resembles the examples above, but with a more refined shift mechanism.

Fig. 18. New Britain Late Model NS40 1/2-Drive Ratchet Showing New Shifter, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 18 at the left shows an example of a later-model NS40 1/2-drive ratchet with the new shift mechanism.

The catalog touts the many fine features of the ratchet, including the double-tooth pawls, and also claims that it has been patented. Since the ratchets in my collection have a "Pat. Pend." notation (if anything), this indicates that these ratchets likely predate 1941. Although this at least helps to narrow the range of issue dates for the patent, thus far I haven't been able to locate the patent number after a fairly extensive search.

The catalog also offers a 1/4-drive NM-40 ratchet, with an illustration that looks very similar to the 3/8-drive ratchets above. (It has the same curled tabs on the shifter.) I haven't seen one of these yet, but will try to acquire one for a future comparison.

1938 Craftsman Tools Catalog

The 1938 Craftsman Tools catalog features a blue cover with a streamlined airplane, train, and automobile overlaid by a Craftsman adjustable wrench. Although the date for the catalog is not given directly, it was easily determined by checking a table in the back of the catalog. (Early Craftsman catalogs included a table of tappet wrench sizes for various makes of automobiles, and as the latest model year in the table was 1937, this catalog is likely for 1938. The tappet wrench table can be used to date Craftsman catalogs up to and including the 1942 year; after that they stopped updating the table.)

The catalog shows many illustrations of sockets and drive tools matching those shown previously in this article, and generally confirms the conclusions drawn here. Of the tool illustrations where a logo is visible, all show the use of the Craftsman underline style.

One notable inclusion is the illustration of a 47pc "Super Socket" set on page 6 and on the back cover, including amber plastic handles for the drive tools; this is the set previously mentioned as the high-end Craftsman "BE" set. (The set sold for $21.95 in 1938.) One other interesting observation (though somewhat off-topic for this article) is that the 3/4-drive ratchet and sockets appear to have been manufactured by S-K. (See our article S-K Knurled-Base Sockets for more information.)

1942 Craftsman Mechanics Tools Catalog

The 1942 Craftsman catalog has a cover showing a white-coated technician performing service on a cylinder head, presumably using his Craftsman tools. The date is printed clearly on the front cover.

This catalog also shows a number of illustrations matching the figures in this article and again is in agreement with the conclusions here. In particular, the illustrations of the 1/2-drive and 3/8-drive ratchets show the distinctive shifter mechanisms found on the New Britain tools. However, the 1/4-drive ratchets shown have a different design: a knurled handle with two riveted plates instead of a one-piece forging. It's not yet known how these 1/4-drive ratchets relate to the other tools.

The illustrations of sockets and other drive tools generally match the expected form, although the detail provided in the catalog graphics doesn't permit close comparison. The description of one of the 1/2-drive socket sets mentions that the tools have a "highly polished, industrial-style finish", which corresponds to the polished but unplated finish generally seen on the H-Circle series tools. The catalog also offers the "Super Socket" set noted in the 1938 catalog (with one extra piece), but the price has risen sharply to $32.95.

One important detail noted in the catalog is that the Craftsman logos were all of the underlined form, showing that the transition to the double-line logo must have occurred somewhat after 1942. As noted previously for the 1938 catalog, the 3/4-drive tools offered were apparently made by S-K.

1947 Craftsman Tools Catalog

This Craftsman catalog (dated 1947 on the inside) has a cover showing a series of open-end wrenches in the double-line logo style, and lists both hand tools and some power tools. The most important observation gleaned from this catalog is that two distinct lines of sockets and drive tools were being offered in 1947. The catalog illustrations clearly show both the older New Britain models featured in this article, as well as the new model line that would become the Craftsman "V" series. We can thus identify 1947 as a transition year in which the older models were on their way out while the new models were being introduced.

Although it's not possible to see the individual H-Circle or "BE" markings on tools, the catalog illustrations do show some of the older New Britain models with double-line logos. Similarly, it's not possible to see whether the new tool models were marked with the "V" symbol, but the catalog does show the Craftsman double-line logo on both the drive tools and wrench models. (The illustrations of sockets in both model lines are too small to show the logos, but presumably would be the double-line logo as well.)

Based on this catalog, we can identify 1947 as being at or near the end of the model life for the "BE" and H-Circle line of tools.

Summary

To summarize the above findings, the Craftsman "BE" and H-Circle series tools were made for Sears by New Britain Machine, with production of the "BE" sockets beginning around 1931 or perhaps somewhat earlier.

The "BE" series continued in production through the change to the Craftsman underline logo in about 1934, then at some point was joined by tools with the H-Circle marking, probably as an economy or utilitarian line. Production of both "BE" and H-Circle series continued with the underline logo around 1945, and then at least the H-Circle series made the transition to the double-line logo. The H-Circle tools continued to be offered into 1947, then finally were phased out in favor of the Craftsman "V" series tools.

I hope that this discussion of the Craftsman and New Britain connection will prove to be useful, or at least interesting, and that it may serve as an example for other vintage tool explorations.

Postscript: Confusion from the Hinsdale "Fat" H-Circle Logo

At least one other company made use of a logo that could possibly be confused with the Craftsman H-Circle mark, so I thought it would be helpful to illustrate the other logo. Hinsdale Manufacturing, a company active from the early 1920s until at least the late 1940s, made use of a logo that resembles a very rotund "H" in a circle. Fig. 19 shows an example of the mark, although sometimes it more closely resembles a pair of parentheses with a dash in between.

Fig. 19. Hinsdale Wrench Showing "Fat" H-Circle Logo.

As you can see, it's quite different from the H-Circle mark used on the Craftsman tools. In the example photograph the logo appears in the middle of the Hinsdale name, but sometimes (especially on sockets) the name was omitted, and the "Fat" H-Circle is the only indication of the Hinsdale maker.

For more information about Hinsdale and its tools (including a Craftsman connection), see the article Hinsdale in Hindsight.

References and Resources

The photographs and observations in these pages are based on items in my personal collection. Additional information was obtained from the 1941 New Britain Machine Co. catalog 56-M, and from Craftsman catalogs from 1938, 1942, and 1947.

Patent and trademark information was obtained from the USPTO web site. Patent documents were obtained from web sites offering free downloads, notably freepatentsonline.com.

Feedback

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