Craftsman Tools: Maker "V" And The Modern Era [Under Construction]

In an earlier article we reviewed the Early Craftsman Tools of the 1920s and 1930s, and a separate article covered the Craftsman "BE" and H-Circle line of sockets in greater depth. In this page we'll look at the Craftsman "Modern Era" that began around 1945, with a particular emphasis on the manufacturer of the Craftsman "V" series tools.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Origins of The Modern Style
• Wrenches
• Sockets and Drive Tools
• Pliers, Cutters, and Other Tools
• References and Resources
• What's New (Last Updated Apr. 9, 2008)
  Recent changes to this page:

  • 04/09/2008: Updated catalog resources.
  • 03/08/2008: Added a Craftsman 19/32x25/32 Offset Box Wrench.
  • 01/14/2008: Added a Craftsman 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench.
  • 12/17/2007: Added a Craftsman 11/16 Panelled Combination Wrench.
  • 12/10/2007: Added a Craftsman "V" 3/8Wx7/16W Whitworth Open-End Wrench.
  • 12/02/2007: Added a Craftsman "V" 1/2 Combination Wrench.
  • 11/30/2007: Added a Craftsman 5/8x3/4 Offset Box Wrench.
  • 10/22/2007: Added a Craftsman "V" 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench.
  • 10/11/2007: Page created, not much content yet.

Introduction

Company History

Origins of The Modern Style

In the 1920s and 1930s the Craftsman line was composed primarily by selecting tools from leading makers, with items selected for their quality and functionality.

Early "V" 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 1. Craftsman "V" 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 1 shows an early example of the Craftsman "V" series, a 3/4x7/8 open-end wrench marked with the Craftsman double-line logo. The reverse is stamped "Forged in U.S.A." on the raised panel, with a raised-letter "V" code forged into the shank.

The overall length is 9.2 inches.

Early "V" 1/2 Combination Wrench

Fig. 2. Craftsman "V" 1/2 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 2 shows a Craftsman "V" series 1/2 combination wrench, stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo on the raised panel, with "Forged in U.S.A." on the reverse panel. The shank also has a "V" code forged into the reverse, as shown in the inset.

The overall length is 6.1 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Early "V" 5/8 Combination Wrench

Fig. 3. Craftsman "V" 5/8 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 3 shows a Craftsman "V" series 5/8 combination wrench, marked "Forged in U.S.A." on the reverse. As with the previous figure, the raised panels show the double-line logo, and a raised-letter "V" code is forged into the shank.

The overall length is 7.8 inches.

Early 11/16 Panelled Combination Wrench

Fig. 4. Craftsman Early 11/16 Panelled Combination Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 4 shows a Craftsman 11/16 combination wrench in the panelled style, stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo on the front, with "Forged in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 8.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Although this wrench is very similar to the other "V" series examples, no manufacturer's marking was found.

Craftsman "P-Circle" 19/32x25/32 Offset Box Wrench

The next several figures show very rare examples of modern raised-panel wrenches, but marked with a "P-Circle" manufacturer's code instead of the expected "V" code.

Fig. 5A. Craftsman "P-Circle" 19/32x25/32 Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. 1945.

Fig. 5A shows a Craftsman 19/32x25/32 offset box wrench, stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo on the raised panel, and with a P-Circle mark forged into the shank. The reverse is stamped "Forged in U.S.A." on the panel with an "N4" code forged into the shank.

The overall length is 10.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel with traces of cadmium plating.

The "P-Circle" mark is the manufacturer's code for Wilde Tools, a maker known today primarily for their pliers, but a full-line tool maker in the 1930s and 1940s. Examples of their production can be seen in our article on Wilde Tools.

Craftsman "P-Circle" Offset Box Wrench

Fig. 5B. Craftsman "P-Circle" 5/8x3/4 Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail, ca. 1945.

Fig. 5B shows a Craftsman 5/8x3/4 offset box wrench, stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo on the raised panel, and with a P-Circle mark forged into the shank. The reverse is stamped "Forged in U.S.A." with a "2" forged into the shank.

The overall length is 10.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Craftsman "P-Circle" Open-End Wrench

Fig. 6. Craftsman "P-Circle" 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, ca. 1945.

Fig. 6 shows a Craftsman 3/8x7/16 open-end wrench, stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo on the raised panel, with "Forged in U.S.A." on the reverse panel. The reverse is also marked with an "N4" code and a P-Circle mark forged into the shank.

The overall length is 5.1 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Wrenches

Early "V" 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench

The forged-in "V" code on the shank was soon replaced by a stamped code on the wrench panel, as the next example illustrates.

Fig. 7. Craftsman "V" 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail, ca. 1945.

Fig. 7 shows an early example of the Craftsman "V" series, a Craftsman 1/2x9/16 open-end wrench with raised panels. The wrench is stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo on raised panel, with "Forged in U.S.A." and a "V" code stamped on the reverse.

The overall length is 5.9 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating with polished faces.

Whitworth (British Standard) Tools

Although less commonly found in the United States, Craftsman did offer wrenches in Whitworth (British Standard) sizes.

3/8Wx7/16W Whitworth Open-End Wrench

Fig. 8. Craftsman "V" 3/8Wx7/16W Whitworth Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 8 shows an example of a Whitworth-sized wrench, a Craftsman 3/8Wx7/16W open-end wrench with raised panels. The wrench is stamped with the Craftsman double-line logo on raised panel, with "Forged in U.S.A." and a "V" code stamped on the reverse.

The overall length is 5.9 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

The opening sizes were measuered at 0.72 and 0.83 inches.

Sockets and Drive Tools

Pliers, Cutters, and Other Tools

Waterpump or Wrench Pliers

Fig. 9 shows an unusual pair of Craftsman waterpump or wrench pliers, marked with a transitional form of the double-line logo resembling "== U.S.A. ==". The overall length is 7.0 inches.

Fig. 9. Craftsman Waterpump or Wrench Pliers, with Insets for Handle and Marking Detail, ca. 1945.

The finish is polished steel with no plating, which together with the double-line logo suggests a manufacturing date around 1945.

Although the handle pattern closely resembles the Craftsman Vanadium pliers shown above, no C-Circle or other code was found on this tool. The design of the pliers resembles the Wilde Wrench Pliers shown on another page.

References and Resources

Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in my personal collection.

Catalog Coverage

We have fairly extensive catalog coverage for the Craftsman post-war production, as summarized in the table below.

Patents and Trademarks

Patent and trademark information was obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) uspto.gov web site. Patent documents were obtained from web sites offering free downloads, notably freepatentsonline.com.

Feedback

If any readers have additional information regarding Craftsman tools, please let us know via the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of any page. Your comments and suggestions are welcome as well.