Alloy Artifacts

Wrenches and Other Tools

Walden-Worcester 982 Tappet Wrench

Fig. 88. Walden-Worcester 982 13/16x7/8 Tappet Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 88 shows a Walden 982 13/16x7/8 tappet wrench, marked "Walden Worcester" in forged raised letters on the shank, with "Chrome-Alloy" forged on the reverse. One face is stamped with "Made in U.S.A." and a code resembling a backwards "Z", likely a date code.

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

The backwards "Z" code on the face probably indicates the manufacturing date, but we do not yet have the decoder ring for these codes.

Walden-Worcester 1725 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 89. Walden 1723 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 89 shows a Walden 1723 3/8x7/16 open-end wrench, marked with the "Walden Worcester" logo forged into the shank, with "Chrome-Alloy" on the reverse. The faces are stamped with the model number and "Made in U.S.A.", though the markings are difficult to read.

The overall length is 5.5 inches. The original finish appears to have been nickel plating, but most has been lost due to rust.

Walden-Worcester 1725 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 90. Walden 1725 7/16x1/2 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 90 shows a Walden 1725 7/16x1/2 open-end wrench, marked with "Walden Worcester" forged into the shank and "Chrome-Alloy" on the reverse, and with "Made in U.S.A." stamped on one face.

The overall length is 5.5 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.

Walden-Worcester 1027A Open-End Wrench

Fig. 91. Walden 1027A 5/8x11/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 91 shows a Walden 1027A 5/8x11/16 open-end wrench, with "Walden Worcester" forged into the shank and "Chrome-Alloy" on the reverse. One face is stamped "Made in U.S.A." with a small reversed "F" date code.

The overall length is 7.5 inches, and the finish is nickel plating with polished faces.

Walden-Worcester 1729 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 92. Walden 1729 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 92 shows a Walden 1729 5/8x3/4 open-end wrench, marked "Walden Worcester" in forged raised letters, with "Chrome-Alloy" on the reverse. The faces are stamped with the model number at one end and "Made in U.S.A." at the other, though both are difficult to read due to the pitted surface.

The overall length is 7.5 inches. The finish is chrome plating, with some loss due to rust.

Walden-Worcester 485 Short Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 93. Walden 485 1/2x9/16 Short Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 93 shows a Walden 485 1/2x9/16 short offset box wrench, marked "Walden Worcester" in forged raised letters, with "Chrome Alloy" and "Made in USA" forged on the reverse.

The overall length is 5.6 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Walden-Worcester 486 Short Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 94. Walden 486 5/8x11/16 Short Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 94 shows a Walden 486 5/8x11/16 short offset box wrench, marked "Walden Worcester" in forged raised letters, with "Chrome Alloy" and "Made in USA" forged on the reverse.

The overall length is 6.2 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Walden-Worcester 2114 "Boxtite" Single-Offset Box-End Wrench

Walden-Worcester was one of a few companies to produce box-end wrenches in a single-offset configuration, a style popular in the late 1920s through 1930s. (The other companies included Blackhawk, Bonney, Mossberg, Snap-On, and Williams, so it was a good group to join.) These wrenches offered two openings of the same size, with one end straight and the other offset.

Fig. 95. Walden 2114 7/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Our first example of this style is shown in Fig. 95 at the left, a rare Walden 2114 7/16 single-offset box wrench with 12-point broachings. The wrench is marked "Walden-Worcester" in forged raised letters, with "Chrome-Alloy" and "Made in U.S.A." forged on the reverse.

The overall length is 5.6 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating. (This was the standard finish, according to the Sligo catalog.)

The 1930 Sligo catalog lists these as "Walden Boxtite Wrenches", the only known reference to that name.

The side view shows the design of the offset box, with an elongated and tapered form almost like a socket. The Boxtite single-offset wrenches were available in sizes ranging from model 2112 (3/8) up to 2132 (1 inch).

Examples of the single-offset wrench style from other makers include the Blackhawk 2720 Wrench, Blue Point X-16 Wrench, Bonney 2832 Wrench, and Williams 8140 Wrench.

Walden-Worcester 2118 "Boxtite" Single-Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 96. Walden 2118 9/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Fig. 96 at the left shows a Walden 2118 9/16 single-offset box wrench, marked "Walden Worcester" in raised letters, with "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

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

Walden-Worcester 2120 "Boxtite" Single-Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 97. Walden 2120 5/8 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Reverse Detail.

Another similar example is shown in Fig. 97 at the left, a Walden 2120 5/8 single-offset box wrench, marked "Walden Worcester" in raised letters with "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 8.6 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.

Stevens-Walden 2112 "Boxtite" Single-Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 98. Walden 2112 3/8 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Our final example of the single-offset style is shown in Fig. 98, a Walden 2112 3/8 single-offset box wrench, marked "Stevens Walden Worcester" in forged raised letters.

The overall length is 5.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Stevens & Company merged with Walden-Worcester in 1926, but the companies continued to mark their products separately for some years after that. The Stevens marking on this wrench indicates that is likely more recent than the previous example.

Walden-Worcester 3807 Flex-Box Wrench

Fig. 99. Walden 3807 9/16x5/8 Flex-Box Wrench, with Inset for Broaching.

Fig. 99 shows another rarely seen tool, a Walden 3807 9/16x5/8 flex-box wrench. The wrench is marked "Walden-Worcester" with "Chrome Alloy" and "Made in U.S.A.", although some markings have been obscured by grinding. The overall length is 8.1 inches.

The shank shows a small mark resembling a "t" that is presumed to be a date code, but the interpretation is not yet known.

Flex-box wrenches were made by a number of manufacturers. An early example is the Herbrand 6827 Flex-Box Wrench shown on our page for Herbrand.

Combination Wrenches

The next several figures show examples of early Walden combination wrenches, featuring a distinctive Walden-Worcester logo with an extended "W" in raised letters.

Walden-Worcester 2150 Combination Wrench

Fig. 100. Walden 2150 3/8 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 100 shows a Walden 2150 3/8 combination wrench, marked "Walden Worcester" with "Chrome-Alloy" and "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 5.0 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.

Walden-Worcester 2153 Combination Wrench

Fig. 101. Walden 2153 9/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 101 shows a Walden 2153 9/16 combination wrench, marked "Walden Worcester" with "Chrome-Alloy" and "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 6.8 inches, and the finish is nickel plating with polished faces.

Walden-Worcester 2154 Combination Wrench

Fig. 102. Walden 2154 5/8 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 102 shows a Walden 2154 5/8 combination wrench, marked "Walden Worcester" with "Chrome-Alloy" and "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse. The overall length is 7.7 inches.

This example is finished in a heavy nickel plate.

Walden-Worcester 2155 Combination Wrench

Fig. 103. Walden 2155 11/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

The overall length is 8.7 inches.

Walden-Worcester 2156 Combination Wrench

Fig. 104. Walden 2156 3/4 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

The overall length is 9.5 inches.

The finish is plain steel, with no evidence of a prior plated finish.

Walden-Worcester 2157 Combination Wrench

Fig. 105. Walden 2157 7/8 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 105 shows a Walden 2157 7/8 combination wrench, marked with the "Walden Worcester" logo forged into the shank, with "Chrome-Alloy" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the reverse. The reverse face (not shown) is stamped with the 2157 model number.

The overall length is 10.9 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Walden-Worcester 2159 Combination Wrench

Fig. 106. Walden 2159 1 Inch Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

The overall length is 11.9 inches, and the finish is heavy nickel plate with polished faces.

Walden-Worcester 2161 Combination Wrench

Fig. 107. Walden 2161 1-1/8 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Reverse Detail.

Fig. 107 shows a Walden 2161 1-1/8 combination wrench marked "Walden Worcester" in forged raised letters, with "Chrome-Alloy" and "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 14.0 inches, and the finish is heavy nickel plate with polished faces.

Walden-Worcester 2162 Combination Wrench

Fig. 108. Walden 2162 1-1/4 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Side view and Reverse Detail.

Our largest example in this series is shown in Fig. 108, a Walden 2162 1-1/4 combination wrench marked "Walden Worcester" in forged raised letters, with "Chrome-Alloy" and "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 15.0 inches, and the finish is heavy nickel plate with polished faces.

Specialty Tools

Walden-Worcester 459 Ford Brake Wrench

Fig. 109. Walden 459 7/16x1/2 8-Point Ford Brake Box-End Wrench, with Inset for Reverse.

Walden 369 Water Pump Pliers

Fig. 110. Walden 369 Water Pump Pliers.

Fig. 110 shows a pair of Walden 369 water pump pliers, stamped "Walden-Worcester" and "Made in U.S.A." on one handle, with "Chrome Alloy" and "Water Pump Wrench" on the other.

The overall length is 10.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

Stevens Walden T-615 Chain Repair Pliers

Fig. 111. Stevens Walden T-615 Chain Repair Pliers, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 111 shows a pair of Stevens Walden T-615 chain repair pliers, stamped "Stevens Walden Worcester" and "Made in U.S.A." near the pivot.

The overall length is 7.0 inches. The original finish was nickel plating, but much has been lost due to rust.

Pliers of this style were used for opening and closing the links in tire chains when making repairs.

Although not marked with a patent notice, these pliers are covered by patent #1,338,804, issued to D.C. Woodworth in 1920. Another example of these pliers can be seen as the E.T. Company Chain Repair Pliers.

Walden-Worcester 867 Refrigeration Ratchet

Fig. 112. Walden 867 1/4-Drive Refrigeration Ratchet, with Inset for Reverse.

Fig. 112 shows a Walden-Worcester 867 1/4-drive refrigeration ratchet, marked "Walden-Worcester" with "Made in U.S.A." on the reverse.

The overall length is 6.0 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.

Refrigeration ratchets typically include several additional wrench openings in the handle, and this tool has openings for 7/32 square, 1/4 square, and 1/2 hex.

Modern Production

Walden 2122 Combination Wrench

Fig. 113. Walden 2122 11/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 113 shows a Walden 2122 11/16 combination wrench marked with just the company name, model, and fractional size. The overall length is 9.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel with polished ends.

Walden 2156A Combination Wrench

In its later years Walden apparently found it advantageous to use contract manufacturers for some items that had previously been made in-house. The next figure shows an example of a combination wrench clearly made by Vlchek, but marked for Walden.

Fig. 114. Walden 2156A 13/16 Combination Wrench.

In Fig. 114 we see a Walden 2156A 13/16 combination wrench, with "U.S.A." and "Alloy" stamped on the shank.

The overall length is 10.5 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.

References and Resources

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

Walden Mfg. Co. and Walden-Worcester are mentioned briefly in American Wrench Makers 1830-1930, 2nd Edition by Kenneth Cope (Astragal Press, 2002). The text includes a helpful list of patent dates used for various Walden tools.

Catalog Coverage

Product information for Walden tools was obtained from a limited selection of the company's own catalogs, supplemented by listings in various industrial and automotive supplier catalogs.

Walden tools were available from a number of automotive and industrial supply catalogs, and some examples of these publications are listed below.

• A 1916 catalog from Central Automobile Supply (Des Moines, IA) lists a modest number of Walden fixed socket wrenches. Interestingly, the socket wrenches didn't have model numbers at this point, but instead had codes such as "OFF" for offset (see the Walden 2524), "SST" for a short Tee (see the Walden 2620), "LST" for a long Tee (see the Walden 2718), and so on.

• The 1919 catalog from Chandler & Farquhar, an industrial distributor, lists one page of Walden fixed socket wrenches. The tools include the 25xx offset wrenches, 26xx short T-handle wrenches, 27xx long T-handle wrenches, 60xx speed wrenches, and a DGB series of brace socket wrenches.

• The 1922 catalog No. 11 from the C.W. Marwedel Company, an industrial supplier, includes five pages of Walden tools. Of particular interest is the listing of the early 1/2-drive interchangeable socket sets, which shows the 1xx and 2xx socket series, the 11xx drive tools, and the contents of complete socket sets. Fixed socket wrenches and speeders are offered as well.

• The 1924 catalog "F" from the Ducommun Corporation, a west-coast industrial supplier, lists a variety of Walden tools on pages 263 through 276. The listings include interchangeable sockets and drive tools and a fairly complete selection of fixed socket wrenches. Especially notable is the inclusion of the 15xx series of brace socket wrenches, currently our only catalog reference for this interesting tool.

• The 1925 catalog No. 73 from the Dunham, Carrigan & Hayden Company includes extensive listings of Walden tools on pages 1474 through 1494. Most notable was an illustration of the No. 1100 merchandising cabinet, offering "Chrome Nickel Interchangeable Sockets Handle Parts", one of the earliest references to alloy steel sockets. The catalog listings include socket sets, sockets and drive tools, and what must be a nearly complete listing of Walden's socket wrench and speeder wrench tools.

• The Williams Hardware Company (not to be confused with J.H. Williams & Co.) catalog for 1925-1926 includes six pages of Walden tools, including fixed socket wrenches, rim wrenches, and interchangeable socket sets. In addition, it shows a huge cross-reference table giving the recommended Walden tool for each of various service jobs (rows) on 47 brands of automobiles (columns)!

• The C.W. Marwedel catalog No. 12 of 1929 lists seven pages of Walden and Stevens tools, including socket sets, Spintite wrenches, and fixed socket tools. The socket sets include No. 16-R, 25-R, 26-R, 27-R, 28-R, and No. 500, the latter of 1 inch hex drive. Also shown are 1/2-drive sockets in the 1xx 4-point, 2xx 6-point, and 8xx 12-point series, and the OR916 ratchet.

• The 1930 catalog No. 70 from the Sligo Iron Store Company lists four pages of Walden tools, including socket sets in 1/2-drive, 5/8-drive, and 1-inch hex drive. The catalog also lists individual sockets and drive tools, and shows the Walden "Boxtite" single-offset box wrenches.

Patent and Trademark Information

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

Walden claims to have registered a number of trademarks, both in its catalog literature and on the tools themselves, but most of these trademarks were not found in a search of the USPTO trademarks database (TESS).

Feedback

If any readers have additional information regarding Walden-Worcester or its tools, please let us know via the "Contact Us" link on the home page. Your comments and suggestions are welcome as well.