The Armaloy Era
Armstrong's earlier alloy tools had been marked as "Chrome-Vanadium", "Alloy Steel", or some equivalent,
but in August of 1946 the company began using "Armaloy" as the standard marking for alloy steel tools.
("Armaloy" was registered as a trademark in 1957.)
Since it probably took some time to change over the markings,
a beginning year of 1947 is reasonable for "Armaloy" marked tools.
Within this era there were relatively few changes in design to allow for estimation of manufacturing dates,
but in 1978 the model number system was revamped to use 5-digit numbers.
Unless other factors are known,
we will use a range of 1947-1978 for Armaloy tools in the older numbering system.
For tools with a flat face, such as open-end or combination wrenches,
the change from the Standard Armstrong Face Marking to the Armstrong Shank Marking
has recently (2022) been estimated to have occurred around 1970.
See the section on Manufacturing Dates for details.
Hopefully further review of the catalogs (and available examples) will help refine
our date estimation guidelines.
1021-S Armaloy 1/4x5/16 Specialty Open-End Wrench
Fig. 146 shows
an Armstrong 1021-S 1/4x5/16 specialty open-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with the "Armaloy" trademark on the shank.
The overall length is 4.6 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome plating.
The Standard Armstrong Face Marking indicates production up to around 1970.
1729 Armaloy 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 147 shows
an Armstrong 1729 5/8x3/4 open-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with the "Armaloy" trademark on the shank.
The overall length is 8.0 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The Standard Armstrong Face Marking indicates production up to around 1970.
1029 Armaloy 11/16x25/32 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 148 shows
an Armstrong 1029 11/16x25/32 open-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with the "Armaloy" trademark on the back side shank.
The overall length is 8.6 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The Standard Armstrong Face Marking indicates production up to around 1970.
1731 Armaloy 3/4x13/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 149 shows
an Armstrong 1731 3/4x13/16 open-end wrench,
stamped with "Made in U.S.A." and the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
with the "Armaloy" trademark on the shank.
The overall length is 9.2 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The Standard Armstrong Face Marking indicates production up to around 1970.
1731A Armaloy 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 150 shows
an Armstrong 1731A 3/4x7/8 open-end wrench,
marked "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with the "Armaloy" trademark on the shank.
The overall length is 9.3 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The Standard Armstrong Face Marking indicates production up to around 1970.
1039-B Armaloy 1-1/4x1-5/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 151 shows
an Armstrong 1039-B 1-1/4x1-5/16 open-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
although barely visible due to wear and pitting.
The shank is stamped "Armaloy" near the center.
The overall length is 14.1 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The Standard Armstrong Face Marking indicates production up to around 1970.
1029C Armaloy 11/16x13/16 Open-End Wrench
In later production Armstrong dropped the Standard Armstrong Face Marking with its venerable
Strong-Arm logo
sometime around 1970.
The Armaloy trademark remained in use probably into the 1990s.
Fig. 152 shows
an Armstrong 1029C 11/16x13/16 open-end wrench,
stamped "U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the shank,
with the model number and sizes on the back side.
The overall length is 8.5 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The absence of the Standard Armstrong Face Marking suggests production in 1970 or later.
The use of the older model number indicates production in 1978 or earlier.
H-15 Armaloy 9/32x3/8 Miniature Open-End Wrench
Armstrong also produced open-end wrenches in miniature sizes,
commonly called ignition wrenches.
Fig. 153 shows
an Armstrong H-15 9/32x3/8 miniature open-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with "Armaloy" on the shank.
The overall length is 3.8 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The inset shows the dual marking "Blackhawk-Armstrong",
indicating that this wrench was contract production for Blackhawk.
1122 Armaloy 11/32x11/32 Ignition Wrench
Fig. 154 shows
an Armstrong 1122 11/32x11/32 obstruction-style ignition wrench,
stamped "Armstrong U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the back side.
The overall length is 3.7 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The absence of the Standard Armstrong Face Marking suggests production in 1970 or later.
The use of the older model number indicates production in 1978 or earlier.
Tappet Wrenches
For the Armaloy era Armstrong offered tappet wrenches in a 109x series,
using the same design with unequal openings and 15 degree offset angles as the older 42x series.
The older 40x series wrenches with asymmetric offsets remained in production up until 1970,
but appear to be quite rare.
1092-F Armaloy 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 155 shows
an Armstrong 1092-F 5/8x11/16 tappet wrench,
stamped with "Armstrong" and "Made in U.S.A. plus the
Strong-Arm logo on the left face,
with the model number on the right.
The shank is stamped with "Armaloy" on the front.
The overall length is 8.4 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating,
with losses due to wear and rust.
The Standard Armstrong Face Marking indicates production up to around 1970.
1090-D Armaloy (Blackhawk-Armstrong) 1/2x9/16 Tappet Wrench
Some earlier examples of Armaloy tappet wrenches can be seen in tools marked for the
Blackhawk-Armstrong line.
These tools all bear the standard Armstrong markings of the time,
clearly illustrating that these were really just standard Armstrong production with the Blackhawk name added.
Blackhawk Manufacturing was acquired by New Britain Machine in 1955 and the tool production changed after that,
providing a 1947-1955 date range for the Armaloy-marked tools.
Fig. 156 shows
an Armstrong 1090-D 1/2x9/16 tappet wrench,
stamped with "Armstrong" and "Made in U.S.A. plus the
Strong-Arm logo on the face.
The shank is stamped with "Blackhawk-Armstrong" on the front,
with "Armaloy" on the back side.
The overall length is 8.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
This wrench is marked with Armstrong's "Armaloy" trademark,
indicating production in 1947 or later.
1094 Armaloy 3/4x7/8 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 157 shows
an Armstrong 1094 3/4x7/8 tappet wrench,
stamped with "Armstrong" and "Made in U.S.A." plus the
Strong-Arm logo on the back side face.
The shank is stamped with "Blackhawk-Armstrong" on the front,
with "Armaloy" on the back side.
The overall length is 8.9 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
This wrench is marked with Armstrong's "Armaloy" trademark,
indicating production in 1947 or later.
Box-End Wrenches
Armaloy box wrenches were available in several different configurations,
all denoted by industry-standard numbers with a 4-digit prefix to specify the design.
Specifically, the 6xxx series denoted short angled wrenches,
the 7xxx series denoted long angled wrenches,
the 8xxx series denoted long offset wrenches, and the 9xxx series denoted short offset wrenches.
By the time of the Armaloy era,
an earlier 5xxx series used for extra-heavy-duty offset box wrenches had been moved to the 8xxx series.
8723 Armaloy 3/8x7/16 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 158 shows
an Armstrong 8723 3/8x7/16 offset box wrench,
stamped "Made U.S.A." with the "Armaloy" trademark,
and with the model and sizes on the back side.
The overall length is 8.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
8025 Armaloy 1/2x19/32 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 159 shows
an Armstrong 8025 1/2x19/32 offset box wrench,
stamped "Made U.S.A." with the "Armaloy" trademark,
and with the model and sizes on the back side.
The overall length is 9.1 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
8727 Armaloy 9/16x5/8 Offset Box-End Wrenches
The next two figures show examples of the 8727 offset box wrench.
Fig. 160 shows
an earlier Armstrong 8727 9/16x5/8 offset box wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the shank,
and with "Armaloy" on the back side.
The overall length is 9.7 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The rough, unplated finish of this wrench suggests that it was probably made
during the wartime period,
but the "Armaloy" marking would normally indicate a manufacturing date after 1946.
To reconcile these observations,
this wrench may a very early example of the use of "Armaloy",
perhaps an informal marking before the trademark was actually registered.
Fig. 161 shows
a much later version of the Armstrong 8727 offset box wrench,
marked "Made U.S.A." and "Armaloy",
with the model number on the back side.
The overall length is 9.7 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.
9725 Armaloy 9/16x5/8 Short Offset Box Wrench
Armstrong also offered a 9000 series of short offset box wrenches,
as the next figure illustrates.
Fig. 162 shows
an Armstrong 9725 7/16x1/2 short offset box wrench,
stamped "Made U.S.A." with the Armaloy trademark,
and with the model number and fractional sizes on the back side.
The overall length is 5.6 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
Combination Wrenches
Armstrong offered Armaloy combination wrenches in an 11xx model series,
the same numbering used by J.H. Williams.
The 1948 catalog offered 18 sizes from 7/16 up to 1-7/16.
By 1956 combination wrenches were available in smaller sizes from model 1157 (7/32) to 1160 (3/8).
Sizes 5/16 and under were made with hexagonal broachings.
By 1961 (catalog 700) Armstrong was offering extra-long combination wrenches in an 11xxL series,
with 24 sizes from model 1160L (3/8) up to 1190L (2 inches).
After the introduction of the extra-long combination wrenches,
the standard length wrenches remained available in 16 sizes from model 1157 (7/32) to 1167 (7/8).
1158-A Armaloy 9/32 Combination Wrench
Fig. 163 shows
an Armstrong 1158-A 9/32 combination wrench,
stamped "Armstrong" on the face,
with "Armaloy" and the fractional size on the shank.
The model number is stamped on the opposite face.
The overall length is 3.6 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The small size of the wrench has necessitated a hexagonal broaching in the box end and a variant
of the face marking.
The (variant) Standard Armstrong Face Marking indicates production up to around 1970.
1159-A Armaloy 11/32 Combination Wrench
Fig. 164 shows
an Armstrong 1159-A 11/32 combination wrench,
stamped "Armstrong U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the shank,
with the size and model number stamped on the back side.
The overall length is 4.0 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The absence of the Standard Armstrong Face Marking suggests production in 1970 or later.
1160 Armaloy 3/8 Combination Wrench
Fig. 165 shows
an Armstrong 1160 3/8 combination wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with the size and "Armaloy" trademark stamped on the shank.
The opposite face is stamped with the model number,
as seen in the lower inset.
The overall length is 4.2 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The model 1160 wrench was available by 1956,
and the Standard Armstrong Face Marking indicates production up to around 1970.
1161 Armaloy 7/16 Combination Wrench
Fig. 166 shows
an Armstrong 1161 7/16 combination wrench,
stamped "Armstrong U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the shank,
with the size and model number stamped on the back side.
The overall length is 5.9 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The absence of the Standard Armstrong Face Marking suggests production in 1970 or later.
1162 Armaloy 1/2 Combination Wrench
Fig. 167 shows
an Armstrong 1162 1/2 combination wrench,
stamped "Armstrong U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the shank,
with the size and model number stamped on the back side.
The overall length is 5.9 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The absence of the Standard Armstrong Face Marking suggests production in 1970 or later.
1163 Armaloy 9/16 Combination Wrench
Fig. 168 shows
an Armstrong 1163 9/16 combination wrench,
stamped "Armstrong U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the shank,
with the size and model number stamped on the back side.
The overall length is 5.9 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The absence of the Standard Armstrong Face Marking suggests production in 1970 or later.
1163A Armaloy 19/32 Combination Wrench
Fig. 169 shows
an Armstrong 1163A 19/32 combination wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with the size and "Armaloy" trademark stamped on the shank.
The opposite face is stamped with the model number,
as seen in the middle inset.
The overall length is 5.9 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The Standard Armstrong Face Marking indicates production up to around 1970.
1164 Armaloy 5/8 Combination Wrench
Fig. 170 shows
an Armstrong 1164 5/8 combination wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with the size and "Armaloy" trademark stamped on the shank.
The opposite face is stamped with the model number,
as seen in the middle inset.
The overall length is 6.3 inches, and the finish is polished chrome.
The Standard Armstrong Face Marking indicates production up to around 1970.
1166 Armaloy 3/4 Combination Wrench
Fig. 171 shows
an Armstrong 1166 3/4 combination wrench,
stamped "Armstrong U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the shank,
with the size and model number stamped on the back side.
The overall length is 8.1 inches, and the finish is polished chrome.
The absence of the Standard Armstrong Face Marking suggests production in 1970 or later.
1167 Armaloy 7/8 Combination Wrench
Fig. 172 shows
an Armstrong 1167 7/8 combination wrench,
stamped "Armstrong U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the shank,
with the size and model number stamped on the back side.
The overall length is 10.6 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The absence of the Standard Armstrong Face Marking suggests production in 1970 or later.
Long-Series Combination Wrenches
Catalog 700 of 1961 introduced a long series of combination wrenches,
which used the same model number as the standard series but with an "L" sufffix.
The following figures will show examples of the long-series wrenches.
The long-series combination wrenches in this section were helpful in estimating the
date of the change from the Standard Armstrong Face Marking to the Armstrong Shank Marking.
See the section on Manufacturing Dates for more details.
1160-L Armaloy 3/8 Long Combination Wrench
Fig. 173 shows
an Armstrong 1160-L 3/8 long-series combination wrench,
stamped with "U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the shank,
with the model number and fractional size on the back side.
The overall length is 7.0 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
Note that the model number on this wrench is incorrectly marked as "1160-AL".
Note that the faces of this wrench are not marked,
and the shank has the Armstrong Shank Marking and an older model number.
This wrench demonstrates that the Standard Armstrong Face Marking was replaced by the Armstrong Shank Marking
sometime between 1961 and 1978.
1168-L Armaloy 15/16 Long Combination Wrench
Fig. 174 shows
an Armstrong 1168-L 15/16 long-series combination wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with the "Armaloy" trademark on the shank.
The opposite face is stamped with the model number,
as seen in the lower inset.
The overall length is 13.2 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The Standard Armstrong Face Marking on this wrench demonstrates that this marking style remained in use until 1961 or later,
when extra-long combination wrenches were offered.
1170-L Armaloy 1 Inch Long Combination Wrench
Fig. 175 shows
an Armstrong 1170-L 1 Inch long-series combination wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with the size and "Armaloy" trademark stamped on the shank.
The opposite face is stamped with the model number,
as seen in the lower inset.
The overall length is 13.3 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The Standard Armstrong Face Marking on this wrench demonstrates that this marking style remained in use until 1961 or later,
when extra-long combination wrenches were offered.
1172-L Armaloy 1-1/8 Long Combination Wrench
Fig. 176 shows
an Armstrong 1172-L 1-1/8 long-series combination wrench,
stamped "U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the shank,
with the model number and fractional size on the back side.
The overall length is 15.9 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
Note that the faces of this wrench are not marked,
and the shank has the Armstrong Shank Marking and an older model number.
This wrench demonstrates that the Standard Armstrong Face Marking was replaced by the Armstrong Shank Marking
sometime between 1961 and 1978.
4122 Armaloy 11/16 Flare-Nut Wrench
By 1948 Armstrong was offering single-ended flare-nut wrenches.
Fig. 177 shows
an Armstrong 4122 11/16 single-ended flare-nut wrench,
marked "U.S.A." with the "Armaloy" trademark.
The overall length is 6.9 inches, and the finish is polished chrome.
T-4 Shock Absorber Wrench
Fig. 178 shows
an Armstrong T-4 shock absorber specialty wrench,
stamped "U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo,
with "Columbus Shock Absorbers" on the back side.
The overall length is 8.4 inches,
and the finish is nickel (or possibly chrome) plating.
1232 1 Inch Thin Single-Open "Aircraft" Wrench
Fig. 179 shows
an Armstrong 1232 1 inch thin single-open "aircraft" wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
with "Armaloy" and the model number on the shank.
The overall length is 7.2 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The Standard Armstrong Face Marking (see small inset) indicates production up to around 1970.
Later Production
In 1978 Armstrong changed its model numbers to a 5-digit system,
and this provides a convenient marker for the company's later production.
Armstrong's production after the 1994 acquisition by Danaher is believed to have omitted the "Armaloy" marking.
After Danaher's 1997 GearWrench acquisition,
ratcheting box ends based on the GearWrench design began appearing in Armstrong tools.
25-005 Armaloy 5/32 Combination Wrench
Fig. 180 shows
an Armstrong 25-005 5/32 combination wrench,
stamped "U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the shank,
with the model number and fractional size on the back side.
The overall length is 3.0 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The revised model number indicates production in 1978 or later,
and the "Armaloy" marking suggests production before 1995.
25-220 Armaloy 5/8 Long Combination Wrench
Fig. 181 shows
an Armstrong 25-220 5/8 long-series combination wrench,
stamped "U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the shank,
with the model number and fractional size on the back side.
The overall length is 9.9 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The revised model number indicates production in 1978 or later,
and the "Armaloy" marking suggests production before 1995.
The model 25-220 wrench is comparable to the earlier 1164-L long-series combination wrench.
25-524 Armaloy 3/4 Flex-Box Combination Wrench
Fig. 182 shows
a fairly recent Armstrong 25-524 3/4 flex-box combination wrench,
stamped "U.S.A." and "Armaloy" on the shank,
with the model number and fractional size on the back side.
The overall length is 10.9 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The revised model number indicates production in 1978 or later,
and the "Armaloy" marking suggests production before 1995.
28-032 Armaloy 1 Inch Thin Single-Open "Aircraft" Wrench
Fig. 183 shows
a recent Armstrong 28-032 1 inch thin single-open "aircraft" wrench,
stamped "Armstrong U.S.A." with the model number and fractional size on the shank.
The overall length is 7.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
27-513 9/16 Ratcheting Box-End Wrench
This next figure shows a wrench in a less common design,
with one flat ratcheting box end and an angled box end of the same size.
To be honest,
we're not sure of the use cases that would call for this design,
although it could be complementary to the first-generation GearWrench flat combination wrenches.
Fig. 184 shows
an Armstrong 27-513 9/16 ratcheting box wrench
with a flat ratcheting box end and an angled box end.
The wrench is stamped "Armstrong" with the size and model number on the front,
with "Forged USA" and "Pat." on the back.
The overall length is 9.1 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome.
The GearWrench-style flat ratcheting box end suggests production in the late 1990s to early 2000s.
Note the absence of an "Armaloy" marking on this tool,
indicating that the marking had been discontinued at some point in the Danaher era.