Husky Wrench, The Common Sense Tool Company

Logo from A Husky Wrench No. 999 Socket Set.

The Husky Wrench Company operated only briefly as an independent tool maker, but left a legacy that includes the very well known "Husky" trademark. In this page we'll look at some examples of their tools from the mid 1920s through 1930 or so.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Sockets and Drive Tools
• Collaboration with J.H. Williams & Company
• References and Resources
• What's New (Last Updated May 24, 2007)
  Recent changes to this page:

  • 05/24/2007: Added patent table, added a Husky-Williams No. 642 Wrench Set Illustration.
  • 03/17/2007: Added notes on collaboration with J.H. Williams.
  • 01/15/2007: Moved HeXo Wrenches to Blackhawk page.
  • 10/07/2006: Added a Husky 9/16-Hex Drive No. 986 Socket Set.
  • 09/19/2006: Added a Husky 9/16-Hex Drive No. 5 Extension.
  • 09/13/2006: Added a Husky 9/16-Hex Drive 7/8 Socket.
  • 09/12/2006: Added a Husky 9/16-Hex Drive No. 2 T-Slider Breaker Bar.
  • 09/11/2006: Added a Husky 9/16-Hex Drive No. 1 Ratchet.
  • 09/10/2006: Added a No. 3 Speed Crank and a No. 4 Rotating-Grip Extension, both part of a No. 986 Socket Set to be shown soon.
  • 08/31/2006: Added catalog references for Husky.
  • 05/08/2006: Minor updates to text.
  • 04/19/2006: Added photos of 13/16 hex drive ratchet plug and sockets.
  • 04/06/2006: Page just added, only a few photos.

Introduction

Company History

Although not much information is available for the Husky Wrench Company, we can piece together a rough outline of their history from various records.

Husky Wrench was founded on January 29, 1924 by Sigmund Mandl, a Czech national; the date is the one he listed as the first commercial use of the Husky name. Mandl filed to register the "Husky" trademark on February 9 of 1924, and the registration was issued on July 22 of that year. The first address was listed as 1610 Vliet Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Sigmund Mandl received several patents for Husky Wrench, the first of which was filed on February 1 of 1924, just days after the company was formed. This patent covered the design used in their No. 1 Ratchet, and was issued as #1,614,039 with an assignment to the Husky Wrench Company of Milwaukee. The timing of the patent suggests that this ratchet design was the major impetus for founding the company.

Currently nothing is known about what kind of production facilities Husky Wrench may have had, or whether they made use of outside production for their tools. However, the new company was apparently able to get their tools into the distribution channels: the Dunham, Carrigan & Hayden Company, a San Francisco-based industrial supplier, mentions Husky in their 1925 catalog.

The Dunham catalog shows two Husky socket sets, a No. 986 set that turns out to have 9/16-hex drive, and a "Heavy Duty" set that was likely 3/4-hex drive. The No. 986 set included a No. 1 ratchet, a T-slider, a "speed crank" (similar to the Blackhawk T15), an extension with a rotating grip, a universal, and adapter, and 10 hex sockets. Sigmund Mandl filed a patent application in 1925 for the design of the No. 986 set, and received patent #1,775,402 in 1930.

A recently found catalog reference shows that by 1928 Husky had established a significant collaboration with the J.H. Williams Company, one of the oldest and most respected tool companies. A 1928 catalog from McMaster-Carr offers a "Husky Combination Mechanics' Wrench Kit", consisting of Husky sockets and drive tools, together with Williams' "Superrench" tappet and open-end wrenches. Williams had introduced its superb "Superrench" line a few years previously, but had not yet started making sockets and drive tools at this time, and the jointly produced tool kit must have been intended to broaden both product lines. Williams is also known to have included socket tools from Husky in one of its miniature ignition wrench sets. (See our section on Collaboration with J.H. Williams for more information.)

At some point Husky Wrench started calling themselves Husky Corporation, and by 1929 had moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin. (The assignment for patent #1,724,491 listed Husky Corp. in Kenosha.) The 1930 Donnelley's Industrial Directory (Midwest Region) showed a listing for Husky Corporation, and gave their address as Lake Shore Road in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Although no details are known, the Husky Corporation was apparently either acquired or forced to close sometime in the early 1930s. We know that the New Britain Machine Company had acquired the rights to the Husky trademark (and possibly the production facilities) by the early 1930s. In addition, by 1931 Sigmund Mandl was apparently employed by Blackhawk Manufacturing of Milwaukee, as his name appears on a patent application filed by Blackhawk in that year. The timing of these changes suggest that Husky Corporation may have run into problems during the Depression, and either chose to sell or was forced to sell to New Britain.

This brought to an end the brief history of the Husky Wrench Company, but the Husky name continues as a well-known tool trademark today, and Sigmund Mandl found continued success as an engineer for Blackhawk. (See our article on Blackhawk Manufacturing for further information.)

Patents

Trademarks

Sockets and Drive Tools

Husky Wrench could be considered as a socket tools specialist, as their currently known production consists only of sockets and drive tools. The company produced a variety of such tools, with drive sizes ranging from 5/16 hex up to 13/16 hex drive. In their early production Husky appeared to favor hex drives in non-standard sizes, but later production included (or switched entirely) to standard square drives.

It's possible that the company produced other tools as well, and we'll expand the coverage here if additional examples are acquired.

5/16-Drive Tools

The next few figures show a rather unusual set of tools, a Husky Wrench No. 999 socket set with 5/16-hex drive. The 5/16 hex drive size is rather uncommon and may be unique to Husky Wrench.

Husky Wrench No. 999 5/16-Hex Drive Socket Set

Fig. 1 below shows the cover of the No. 999 set, with a distinctive logo identifying the contents as "Common Sense Wrenches".

Fig. 1. Cover of Husky Wrench No. 999 Socket Set.

The box is very well made with wrap-around corners and spot-welded construction, and the hinge for the lid runs the full length of the box. The dimensions are 5.4L x 2.2W x 1.0H.

Fig. 2. Husky Wrench No. 999 5/16-Hex Drive Socket Set, ca. 1924-1930.

Fig. 2 at the left shows the contents of the No. 999 set, consisting of an L2 sliding Tee handle, an L147 extension with a rotating grip, seven hex sockets ranging from 5/32 to 7/16, and two square sockets of size 1/4 and 5/16.

The sockets are marked with an "L" followed by the size, with a "Hex" or "Sq" mark to indicate the broaching. For example, the 7/16 hex socket is marked "L 7/16 Hex", as can be seen in Fig. 5 below.

The paper tag on the inside of the lid shows the "Husky" logo with the "Trade Mark Reg." notation. After looking up the trademark record on the USPTO site, we find that this mark was filed on Feb. 9, 1924 and issued July 9, 1924, so we at least know that this set was manufactured after the latter date.

Husky Wrench L2 5/16-Hex Drive Sliding Tee Handle

Fig. 3. Husky Wrench 5/16 Hex Drive L2 T-Slider, with Inset for Logo, ca. 1924-1930.

Fig. 3 shows the Husky Wrench model L2 5/16 hex drive sliding Tee handle from the No. 999 set, marked with the Husky logo.

The overall length is 5.1 inches.

Husky Wrench L147 5/16-Hex Drive Rotating-Grip Extension

Fig. 4 shows the Husky L147 extension from the No. 999 set, marked with the Husky logo on the drive end. The rotating grip is an unusual feature for an extension of such a small drive size.

Fig. 4. Husky Wrench 5/16 Hex Drive L147 Extension, with Inset for Logo, ca. 1924-1930.

The overall length is 4.4 inches. The finish is a bright plating that appears to be nickel.

Husky Wrench L 7/16 Hex Socket

Fig. 5 shows a close-up of one of the sockets from the No. 999 set, a 7/16 size marked "L 7/16 Hex". The socket has a cross-hatched band around the center, and the finish appears to be nickel plate.

Fig. 5. Husky Wrench 5/16-Hex Drive Socket, Marked "L 7/16 Hex", with Inset for Logo, ca. 1924-1930.

The socket is marked "HeX" in a rather distinctive style, with the middle letter raised and a tail from the "H" underlining the word; note the similarity to the motif used in the Husky trademark logo. This "HeX" marking may be significant, as it closely resembles the marking style on the later "HeXo" Wrenches made by Blackhawk.

9/16-Hex Drive Tools

We recently acquired a very rare Husky Wrench No. 986 socket set, which features drive tools in the previously unknown 9/16-hex drive size. The set was identified by the illustration in the 1925 Dunham catalog, and based on the catalog listing, our set is complete except for a 1/2-drive adapter. These tools are currently the only known example of the 9/16-hex drive size from Husky or any other tool maker.

We'll begin with a photograph and description of the full set, and then present the individual tools in greater detail. The model numbers cited below are those used in the Dunham catalog, as none of the tools are marked with model numbers.

Husky Wrench No. 986 Socket Set

Fig. 6 shows the full Husky Wrench No. 986 socket set in its metal case, with the wire carrying handle at the front. Inside the case a wooden divider keeps 10 hex sockets organized at the back, with sizes (left to right) 7/8, 13/16, 25/32, 3/4, 11/16, 5/8, 19/32, 9/16, 1/2, and 7/16.

The front part of the case shows a No. 3 crank speeder on top, with (from top to bottom) a No. 1 ratchet, No. 5 extension, No. 4 extension, No. 6 universal, and a No. 2 T-slider breaker bar.

Fig. 6. Husky Wrench No. 986 9/16-Hex Drive Socket Set, ca. 1925-1926.

Husky Wrench 9/16-Hex Drive No. 1 Ratchet

Fig. 7 shows a 9/16-hex drive Husky Wrench No. 1 ratchet, with forged markings "Husky Wrench Co." and "Milwaukee Wis" on the handle. The overall length is 10.0 inches.

Fig. 7. Husky Wrench 9/16-Hex Drive No. 1 Ratchet, ca. 1925-1926.

The original finish appears to have been nickel plate on the face and handle edges, with black paint in the handle recess.

We know from other examples that the Husky ratchets are described by patent #1,614,039, which was issued in early 1927. Later ratchets include the patent number in the forged markings, and its omission here suggests a manufacturing date before the patent was issued.

The ratchet mechanism uses a 12-tooth gear with asymmetrical teeth, as described in the patent. The unmarked plug pushes through to reverse the action.

A later example of this model, but with 1/2 square drive, is shown as the Husky 1/2-Drive No. 1 Ratchet.

Husky Wrench No. 2 T-Slider Breaker Bar

Our next drive tool from the No. 986 set is referred to as a "Combination Tee" in the catalog. In Fig. 8 we see a 9/16-hex drive Husky Wrench No. 2 T-slider breaker bar, marked with the Husky logo on the head, and with "Pat. Pend." on the reverse side (not shown). The overall length is 10.5 inches, and the finish is nickel plate.

Fig. 8. Husky Wrench 9/16-Hex Drive No. 2 T-Slider Breaker Bar, ca. 1925-1926.

The breaker bar is of conventional design but very well built with a hardened head. Note also the superior design feature of the cutout slot on the head, which allows the head to move to the extreme end of the bar.

Husky Wrench No. 3 Speed Crank

Fig. 9 shows a rare 9/16-hex drive Husky Wrench No. 3 speed crank, marked with the Husky logo and "Pat. Pend." on the handle grip. The throw is 5.0 inches and the overall length (diagonal) is 7.3 inches.

Fig. 9. Husky Wrench 9/16-Hex Drive No. 3 Speed Crank, ca. 1925-1926.

The finish was originally nickel plate, but only a few traces now remain.

The speed crank or half-speeder is a fairly uncommon type of drive handle, and is known only by the current example and the similar Blackhawk T15 Crank Speeder. It appears likely that this design may have originated with Husky Wrench, as the present No. 3 model is illustrated in the 1925 Dunham catalog, but Blackhawk's T15 model is not listed in that same reference.

Husky Wrench No. 4 Extension

Another of the tools from the No. 986 set is shown in Fig. 10, a Husky Wrench No. 4 extension with a rotating hand grip. The drive end and grip are marked with the Husky logo, and a "Pat. Pend." notice appears on the grip. The overall length is 6.9 inches.

Fig. 10. Husky Wrench 9/16-Hex Drive No. 4 Rotating-Grip Extension, ca. 1925-1926.

The patent pending notice was found to refer to patent #1,775,402, filed in 1925 and titled "Wrench Outfit". The patent illustration shows the design for all of the tools in the No. 986 set, and shows how the pieces work together.

Husky Wrench No. 5 Extension

The longer extension from the No. 986 set is shown in Fig. 11, a Husky Wrench No. 5 extension marked with just the Husky logo. The overall length is 9.4 inches.

Fig. 11. Husky Wrench 9/16-Hex Drive No. 5 Extension, ca. 1925-1926.

The finish is now mostly plain steel, but some traces of the original nickel plating remain.

Husky Wrench 9/16-Hex Drive Universal

Fig. 12. No. 6 Universal to be added.

Husky Wrench 9/16-Hex Drive 7/8 Socket

Fig. 13. Husky Wrench 9/16-Hex Drive 7/8 Socket, with Inset for Broaching, ca. 1925-1926.

Fig. 13 shows a representative socket from the No. 986 set, a 9/16-hex drive Husky 7/8 hex socket marked "Hy" in a distinctive style.

The socket has a shallow knurled band in the center, more decorative than functional, and the upper walls are tapered for access in tight places. The finish is nickel plate.

The socket construction is cold-broached with a machined recess below the broaching, and the socket is hardened to the point that a file will barely touch it.

Husky Wrench 9/16-Hex Drive No. 1 Ratchet, Later Production

The 9/16-hex drive tools remained in production for some number of years, at least until after Husky had moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin and updated their forging dies.

Fig. 14. Husky Wrench 9/16-Hex Drive No. 1 Ratchet, ca. 1929-1930.

Fig. 14 shows a later production 9/16-drive Husky Wrench No. 1 ratchet, with forged markings "Husky Ratchet No. 1", plus the patent notices "Patent No. 1,614,089" and "Patent No. 1,628,467".

The overall length is 10.4 inches.

The forged body for this ratchet matches that of the 1/2-drive Husky No. 1 Ratchet shown in a later figure. In particular, the reverse is marked "Husky Corporation Kenosha Wis" and "Made in USA", as shown in the later example.

13/16-Hex Drive Tools

Husky also offered a line of heavy-duty sockets and drive tools, and these were based on another non-standard drive size, 13/16-hex drive. Currently we have only a few examples of these tools for display, but hope to offer more in the future.

Husky Wrench 13/16-Hex Drive Ratchet Plug

Fig. 16. Husky Wrench 13/16-Hex Drive Ratchet Plug, ca. 1924-1930.

Husky Wrench 13/16-Hex Drive Sockets

Fig. 17. Husky Wrench 13/16-Hex Drive 15/16 Sockets, with Inset for Broaching, ca. 1924-1930.

Fig. 17 shows a group of three 13/16-hex drive 6-point sockets, all with the same 15/16 size. Note that the hex openings at the bottom of the photograph are the drive ends.

The left and middle socket are marked with an "HY" logo, with the "H" underlining the "Y". (Perhaps this was Husky Wrench's equivalent of the Snap-On S/O-overstrike.) The righthand socket is marked "H 15/16 Hex", with the "H" in "Hex" underlining the word. This marking is very similar to the mark for the L 7/16 Hex Socket shown in Fig. 5 above.

The inset at the top shows the broaching for the sockets. The construction is cold-broached with a recess for chip removal, the standard method for socket construction in the early to mid 1920s.

1/2 Square Drive Tools

The earlier drive tools from Husky Wrench appear to have used primarily (perhaps exclusively) hex drive studs, and in non-standard sizes such as 5/16, 9/16, and 13/16. In their later production Husky adopted the industry-standard 1/2 square drive, as the following example illustrates.

Husky Wrench 1/2-Drive No. 1 Ratchet

Fig. 18. Husky Wrench 1/2-Drive No. 1 Ratchet, with Inset for Reverse, ca. 1929-1930.

Fig. 18 shows a Husky Wrench 1/2-drive No. 1 ratchet, marked "Husky Ratchet No. 1" plus patent notices on the front, with "Husky Corporation Kenosha Wis" and "Made in USA" on the reverse. The overall length is 10.4 inches.

The tool forging includes the patent notices "Patent No. 1,614,089" and "Patent No. 1,628,467", but it turns out that the first number is listed incorrectly; the actual patent issued was #1,614,039. Both patents were filed by Sigmund Mandl in 1924, and were issued on Jan. 11, 1927 and May 10, 1927, respectively.

The #1,614,039 patent was probably a key factor in the founding of the new Husky Wrench company, as the patent was filed only a few weeks after the company began operations.

An interesting detail to note is that this ratchet is marked with Kenosha instead of Milwaukee. Husky Wrench was founded in Milwaukee and listed that city on its earlier tools, but moved to Kenosha sometime in (or before) 1929. (The exact timing of the move is not known, but a patent issued in 1929 lists the Kenosha location in the assignment.) From the Kenosha marking we can assign a manufacturing date of 1929 or later.

This ratchet is a former Tool of the Week selection, and the interested reader can read that article for more information on the Husky No. 1 Ratchet.

Collaboration with J.H. Williams & Company

In the late 1920s Husky Wrench established a marketing alliance with J.H. Williams & Company, and the two companies produced socket wrench sets combining Husky socket tools with Williams wrenches. Such sets were popular at the time, and as Husky didn't make wrenches and Williams didn't (yet) make sockets, combining forces was just common sense.

The evidence for this collaboration is currently based entirely on catalog illustrations, as the combination wrench sets themselves appear to be quite rare. Listings for Husky-Williams wrench sets are currently known from the 1928 McMaster-Carr catalog No. 28 and the C.W. Marwedel catalog No. 12, but other references may turn up in the future.

We'll show an example of a catalog illustration in the figure below, and additional examples can be found in our article on the J.H. Williams-Husky Collaboration.

Husky-Williams E-642 and O-642 Combination Wrench Sets

Fig. 19. Catalog Listing of Husky-Williams E-642 and O-642 Combination Wrench Sets, 1928.

Fig. 19 at the left shows a catalog illustration of the Husky-Williams Nos. E-642 and O-642 combination socket wrench sets, as found in a 1928 McMaster-Carr catalog published more than 75 years ago.

Although the description doesn't mention the Williams name, the used of the "Superrench" trademark clearly identifies Williams as the maker of the wrenches in the set.

The wrench sets were offered in two variations, one including Engineer's (open-end) wrenches, the other with obstruction wrenches. (See the Williams 2027C Obstruction Wrench for an example of the latter.) Both sets included six tappet wrenches.

In addition, the description states that the customer could choose between 1/2 square or 9/16 hex drive socket tools, showing that Husky Wrench was producing both configurations by this time.

References and Resources

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

Catalog Coverage

Currently we do not have any Husky Wrench catalogs, but have found references to Husky in catalogs from two industrial suppliers.

• The 1925 catalog No. 73 from the Dunham, Carrigan & Hayden Company, a wholesale hardware and industrial supplier, lists a selection of Husky Wrench socket wrench sets and tools on page 1514. The tools listed include a No. 986 socket set and a "Heavy Duty" set. We refer to this important reference as the "1925 Dunham catalog" in the text.

• The 1928 catalog No. 28 from the McMaster-Carr Supply Company, an industrial distributor, lists a "Husky Combination Mechanics' Wrench Kit" that shows a collaboration between Husky and the J.H. Williams Company. The set consisted of Husky sockets and drive tools together with Williams "Superrench" tappet and open-end wrenches in either engineers or obstruction styles. The customer could specify either 1/2-square or 9/16-hex drive for the socket parts, and the price (including a steel carrying case) was $24.75 net.

Patents and Trademarks

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

Feedback

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