Early Socket Sets
In this section we'll look at the earlier models of socket sets and drive tools offered by Billings,
covering roughly the period from the 1910s through 1920s.
In general the Billings socket sets have turned out to be more difficult to examine and evaluate than
other Billings tools,
with several factors contributing to the difficulty.
The first is the relative scarcity of examples;
compared with the rather common adjustable and fixed wrenches,
examples of Billings sockets and sets have been very difficult to acquire.
For example,
even the early Billings bicycle wrenches made more than 100 years ago can be easily found,
but so far we have been unable to acquire even one 1940s era socket set.
A second contributing factor is that Billings made several abrupt changes to
its manufacturing technology for socket products,
with little if any overlap between the various phases.
Socket production went from pressed-steel before 1920,
to male-drive forgings in the 1920s,
and finally to female-drive machined sockets in the 1930s and beyond.
The final factor is that Billings relied heavily on outside contract manufacturers
for much (probably most) of the production from 1930 onward.
Based on a careful examination of tool examples,
the major producers of Billings-marked sockets and drive tools have been identified as
Walden, Herbrand, and Wright,
in approximate chronological order.
In addition,
New Britain Machine has recently been identified as a secondary provider of socket tools,
beginning in the earlier years when Walden was the major supplier and continuing into the 1950s.
In order to provide a framework for examining these tools,
we'll divide the production into four periods as follows.
-
The Pressed-Steel Period from approximately 1915 to 1920,
characterized by pressed-steel sockets.
-
The Male-Drive Period from 1920 to 1929, with male-drive forged sockets.
-
The Chrome Alloy Period from 1930 to the early 1940s,
featuring alloy steel sockets and tools primarily by Walden.
-
The Modern Period from the mid 1940s and later,
with hot-forged sockets produced by Herbrand and Wright.
In this section we'll look at examples from the Pressed-Steel and Male-Drive periods.
The discussion of the later socket tools will be deferred to the section on
Later Contract-Production Socket Sets.
The Pressed-Steel Period: 1915-1920
The earliest interchangeable sockets produced by Billings were made of pressed steel,
and were similar to the well-known sockets of Mossberg, Walden, and others.
(See our
Mossberg No. 10 Socket Set
for an example of this style.)
Sockets of this type had been in use since around 1907 or so,
and were quite popular for automotive maintenance and other service jobs.
The Billings pressed-steel sockets were probably available by around 1915,
although our earliest catalog reference is not until 1919,
with several Billings sets offered in the Chandler & Farquhar catalog from that year.
Of the five sets listed in that reference,
four of them came with a
Model CA Ratchet similar to the one shown here,
and the other set used a "Eureka" model ratchet.
The socket wrench sets in the 1919 catalog included the No. 31 with 30 sockets,
No. 21 with 20 sockets, No. 9 with 8 sockets, the "Ford Special" with 8 sockets,
and the "Eureka Ford Special" with 9 sockets.
A ratchet and other accessories,
such as extensions or universal joints,
were also part of the sets.
The Billings sockets were compatible and interchangeable with the pressed-steel sockets from
Mossberg, Walden, and other manufacturers,
and this leads to an interesting observation.
Billings pressed-steel socket sets are frequently acquired with some (or even most) of
the original sockets replaced by Mossberg sockets;
in place of the expected Billings
B-Triangle logo on the sockets,
one often finds the Mossberg
M-Diamond logo instead.
Although this might lead one to conclude that Billings sockets were inferior and more prone to breakage
than other makes,
there are several other factors that must be considered first.
The first observation is that all makes of pressed-steel sockets were subject to breakage.
With the thin walls of the sockets and the relatively low strength of steel at that time,
breaking a socket would not be unexpected.
The next consideration is the ease of replacement.
Mossberg was the leading producer of pressed-steel sockets,
and Mossberg sockets were readily available as individual pieces, not just in sets.
Thus when the owner of a Billings, Walden, or any other maker's set needed to replace a broken socket,
it was probably much easier to buy a Mossberg replacement.
Another factor relates to the type of drive tools supplied with the socket sets.
Mossberg sets generally included a ratchet with a large opening (approximately 11/16 square)
to drive the sockets from the outside,
which places only compressive forces on the socket base.
Other makers (including Billings) provided only 1/2 square tools to drive the sockets
from the inside,
thereby introducing tensile forces that tend to split the socket base.
Sockets driven from the inside could thus fail on either the drive end or the service end,
leading to overall higher failure rates.
In weighing all of these considerations,
it's probably fair to say that the Billings sockets generally performed as expected
for tools of this type,
with possibly a somewhat greater failure rate than some other makes.
The Billings pressed-steel socket sets are less commonly found,
but we have been able to acquire two examples,
a Billings No. 31 set and an "Allen Friction Wrench Set" with Ford-special sockets.
Allen Friction Wrench Socket Set
We'll begin this section with an example of the Billings "Allen Friction Wrench Set",
a collection of pressed-steel sockets and drive tools supplied in wooden box.
Fig. 143 shows
the top cover of the socket set,
marked "The Billings & Spencer Co." with the
B-Triangle logo
and "Trade Mark".
The text "Allen Friction Wrench Set" appears on a line below,
followed by a repeat of the company name and "Hartford, Conn",
but the latter text is quite difficult to read.
(The text here is repeated on the inside cover,
providing two chances to decipher the worn markings.)
Fig. 144 shows
the Allen Friction Wrench Set in its wooden storage box.
The markings on the inside cover appear to be a duplicate of those on the outside cover;
both examples are rather worn,
but between the two,
most of the markings can be made out.
The end of the box (shown below) marks this as a "Ford Special" set,
meaning that the socket sizes had been chosen for the common service requirements
of that make.
(At this time, "Ford" meant "Model T".)
The set (as acquired) consists of the Allen Friction Wrench ratchet,
a double-male extension, a universal,
and nine pressed-steel sockets.
All of the tools are built around a 1/2 square drive standard,
with the sockets driven from the inside.
(Mossberg socket sets used a ratchet sized to drive the sockets from the outside,
which greatly reduced the chance of cracking the sockets at the base.)
The sockets are definitely not all original,
as two of the square ones are marked by Mossberg,
and other sizes may have been substituted.
The five hex socket have sizes 17/32, 19/32, 5/8, 25/32 (cracked), and 29/32,
and all are marked with the Billings
B-Triangle logo.
The three square sockets have sizes 13/32, 19/32, and 25/32,
and only the smallest one is marked with the Billings logo;
the two larger sizes have the Mossberg
M-Diamond logo.
The special oval socket has no markings of any kind.
Fig. 145 shows
the end of the box,
marked "Allen Friction" and "Ford Special".
Currently we don't have a Billings catalog reference for this set,
but a 1922 Marwedel catalog lists an apparently identical set
as the Allen Wrench No. 9 Ford Special Set.
(The ratchet in the illustration appears to be identical to the one here
except for markings,
and even has a B-Triangle logo.)
According to the catalog description,
the set consisted of the friction ratchet, short and long extensions,
8 regular pressed-steel hex sockets, and one spark plug socket.
The hex socket sizes are given as 13/32, 17/32, 19/32, 11/16, 23/32, 25/32,
31/32, and 1-5/32.
The same catalog shows several other Allen socket sets,
such as the No. 31 and "Eureka Ford Special",
all of which appear to be identical to the corresponding Billings sets.
These listings indicate that Billings was still acting as a manufacturer
for Allen Wrench & Tool as late as 1922.
"Allen Friction Wrench" 1/2-Drive Ratchet
Fig. 146 shows
the 1/2-drive Allen friction ratchet from the socket set.
The shank has forged-in markings "The Billings & Spencer Co. H'T'F'D. CT." on one side,
and the back side is marked "Allen Friction Wrench" and "Pat Aug 15 1911" with the
B-Triangle logo.
The overall length is 8.4 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
The patent date on the shank corresponds to patent
#1,000,878,
issued to Fred R. Allen on that date.
The patent describes the design of a gearless ratchet,
using a friction cam to alternately grip and release the drive wheel.
The Allen friction ratchet was initially produced by Allen Wrench & Tool
of Providence, Rhode Island.
Billings was apparently the contract manufacturer for Allen,
but also offered the tools under its own name.
1/2-Drive 8 Inch Double-Male Extension from Allen Friction Wrench Set
Fig. 147 shows
the unmarked 1/2-drive 8 inch double-male extension from the socket set.
The overall length is 7.5 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
1/2-Drive Double-Male Universal from Allen Friction Wrench Set
Fig. 148 shows
the unmarked 1/2-drive double-male universal from the Allen Friction Wrench socket set.
The overall length is 3.5 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
No. 31 Pressed-Steel Socket Set
The next several figures show a Billings No. 31 socket set,
the largest of the pressed-steel sets offered by Billings.
Fig. 149 shows
a Billings No. 31 pressed-steel socket set in its wooden box,
consisting of a Model CA ratchet, short and long extensions, screwdriver bit, universal joint,
27 standard hex sockets, three square sockets, and one spark plug socket.
The set is marked on the inside of the lid with "Billings & Spencer" in an arc,
followed by the
B-Triangle logo
and "Ratchet Socket Wrench Set" below.
The text "The Billings & Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn."
appears on the lines at the bottom.
The drive tools in the set are all 1/2-drive,
and the sockets are therefore driven only from the inside.
This is in contrast to the mix of 11/16-drive and 1/2-drive tools used by
Mossberg and Walden socket sets,
with the sockets sometimes driven by the outer base.
The 27 standard hex sockets include all sizes from 5/16 to 1 inch by 32nds,
plus 1-1/32, 1-3/32, 1-5/32, and 1-9/32.
The three square sockets (in the front row at the right) have sizes 13/32, 17/32, and 21/32.
The Billings sockets are stamped with the
B-Triangle logo and fractional size;
however, most of the original sockets have been replaced with the Mossberg equivalent and
are stamped with the M-Diamond logo.
The spark plug socket was missing when this set was acquired,
and the size is not specified in our only catalog reference for the set.
(Common sizes at the time were 29/32, 31/32, and 1-5/32.)
For the photograph we have added a Mossberg 29/32 spark plug socket.
This set was reasonably complete when acquired,
but most of the sockets had been replaced by Mossberg sockets:
of the original 31 sockets,
only seven Billings sockets remained in the set.
For the photograph the set has been restored to a functionally complete state,
with a few missing sockets filled in from inventory and the
Universal on loan from the
Billings "Allen Friction Wrench" Set
shown in a previous figure.
The sockets and tools in the photograph have been arranged to match the illustration in
the 1919 Chandler & Farquhar catalog,
but there's a trick to packing the ten sockets in the back row.
The ten largest sockets won't quite fit,
so the 7/8 and 27/32 sockets were moved from the back row to the middle,
and the 13/16 and 25/32 sockets were moved from the middle row to the back.
Fig. 150 shows
a top view of the Billings No. 31 socket set in its wooden box.
The cover markings are pressed (or possibly burned) into the wood,
with the text "Billings & Spencer" in an arc at the top,
followed by the
B-Triangle logo
and "Ratchet Socket Wrench Set" below.
The text "The Billings & Spencer Co." and "Hartford, Conn."
appears on the lines at the bottom.
(The same markings appear on the inside of the lid.)
The dimensions of the box are 12.7 inches wide by 5.7 inches deep by 2.5 inches high.
Fig. 151 shows
the end of the Billings No. 31 socket set wooden box,
marked with "B. & S." and "Ratchet Socket Wrench Set",
with the "No. 31" model number at the bottom.
These markings appear at only one end of the box.
Model CA 1/2-Drive Ratchet from No. 31 Set
Fig. 152 shows
the 1/2-drive Billings model CA ratchet from the No. 31 set,
marked with "Billings & Spencer Co." and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the shank,
with "Hartford Conn USA" forged into the back side.
The overall length is 8.4 inches,
and the finish is polished steel.
The model CA ratchet is a rugged tool with a hardened body and gear for a long service life.
The ratchet is fitted with a relatively coarse 11-tooth drive gear,
which is held in place by the piston-like pawl set into a recess drilled into the handle.
The drive gear can be removed for cleaning (or replacement) by aligning the cross-drilled holes
and then depressing the pawl with a suitable pin.
A slightly later version of this model can be seen as the
Model CA Ratchet,
and an example of the successor model can be seen as the
Model CB Ratchet.
1/2-Drive 10 Inch Double-Male Extension from No. 31 Set
Fig. 153 shows
the unmarked 1/2-drive 10 inch double-male extension from the Billings No. 31 set.
The overall length is 9.6 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
1/2-Drive Ratchet Plug (Short Extension) from No. 31 Set
Fig. 154 shows
the unmarked 1/2-drive ratchet plug (or short extension) from the Billings No. 31 set.
The overall length is 1.7 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
1/2-Drive Screwdriver Bit from No. 31 Set
Fig. 155 shows
the unmarked 1/2-drive screwdriver bit from the Billings No. 31 set.
The overall length is 1.8 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
Pressed-Steel 1-9/32 Hex Socket from No. 31 Set
Fig. 156 shows
the Billings 1-9/32 pressed-steel socket from the No. 31 set,
the largest of the hex sockets.
The socket is stamped with the fractional size and the
B-Triangle logo on the base.
Small Pressed-Steel Sockets from No. 31 Set
Fig. 157 shows
a group of three of the smaller Billings pressed-steel sockets from the No. 31 set,
each stamped with the fractional size and the
B-Triangle logo.
The socket sizes are, from the left, 11/32 (Hex), 3/8 (Hex), and 13/32 (Square).
The Male-Drive Period: 1920-1929
In the early 1920s Billings discontinued the production of pressed-steel sockets
and adopted a very different socket design.
The new sockets were rugged forgings built with male drive tangs,
probably a natural design for a drop-forging company to consider,
but very different from the heavy-wall machined sockets produced by others at that time.
These new sockets were forged of carbon steel,
the standard material for all of Billings' tools of the time,
and appeared to be strong but were rather bulky.
(Perhaps for the latter reason they seem not to have been very popular.)
The Billings catalog of 1923 offers forged male-drive sockets in various sets,
and they may have been available for some time prior to this.
(No pressed-steel sockets were listed at this time.)
These sockets were still being offered in the 1929 Billings catalog,
but were likely discontinued by 1930 or shortly thereafter,
when Billings started offering standard female-drive sockets of alloy steel.
Even by 1923,
most of the tool industry had already adopted 1/2-square drive sockets with female drive ends
as the standard,
and the Billings tools must have seemed old-fashioned.
No. 52 Socket Set
Our example for this period is a No. 52 socket set,
described in the 1923 catalog as the "S.A.E. and A.L.A.M. Ratchet Socket Wrench Set".
Fig. 158 shows
the inside cover of the No. 52 set,
marked "Billings & Spencer" with the
B-Triangle logo.
This socket set (and several similar models) were furnished in wooden boxes
with cutouts to hold the tools.
The tools in the No. 52 set are shown in Fig. 159 at the left.
The standard contents of the set consisted of a ratchet, brace, extension,
a screwdriver attachment,
a spark plug socket, and 12 hex sockets.
The sockets ranged in size from 3/8 up to 1-1/4.
The set as acquired was missing two of the original sockets (9/16 and 11/16),
and one extra socket (13/32) had been added at some point.
1/2-Drive Model CA Ratchet from No. 52 Set
Fig. 160 shows
the 1/2 female drive Billings model CA ratchet from the No. 52 set.
The shank has forged-in markings "Billings & Spencer" with the
B-Triangle logo on one side,
and "Hartford Conn USA" on the back side.
The overall length is 8.5 inches.
The ratchet body is ruggedly built and hardened all over,
and the mechanism uses an 11-tooth gear with a cylindrical pawl.
The ratchet can be disassembled for cleaning by depressing the pawl with a pin,
after lining up the access holes in the gear.
The drive gear was originally fitted with a spring clip to retain the inserted tool,
but the clip has broken off.
This simple but effective ratchet design remained in production for many years.
A slightly earlier version of this model can be seen as the
Early Model CA Ratchet,
and an example of the successor model can be seen as the
Model CB Ratchet.
Early 1/2-Drive Brace (Speeder)
Fig. 161 shows
the 1/2 female drive brace (or speeder) from the No. 52 set,
with no markings visible on the tool.
The overall length is 10.8 inches,
and the finish is black paint.
The drive end of the brace is a 1/2 square socket fitted with a spring clip
to retain the male drive studs of the sockets.
Male-Drive Sockets
Fig. 162 shows
the three largest sockets from the No. 52 set,
marked with the fractional sizes on the drive stud.
The sizes are, from the left, 1-1/16, 1-1/8, and 1-1/4.
The finish is black paint.
Male-Drive Folding Tee Handle
This next figure shows another example of a Billings male drive tool,
possibly part of a portable repair kit for automobiles.
Fig. 163 shows
a Billings folding Tee handle for use with 1/2 male drive sockets,
stamped with the
B-Triangle logo.
The overall length is 8.8 inches,
and the finish is black paint,
with losses due to rust.
The inset shows the 1/2 square broaching of the drive end,
suitable for a male drive socket.
The hole in the side appears to have been for a rivet holding a flat spring,
but these parts are now missing.
In operation,
the bar with the hook end slides through the head to form a Tee handle or
extended offset handle.
The hook prevents the bar from being removed and lost.
Although not marked with a patent number,
this tool is described by patent
#1,413,699,
issued to H.I. Adams in 1922 and assigned to Billings.
Currently we don't have a catalog reference for this tool
and so are unsure of its model number.
The Tee handle was acquired along with several standard and deep male drive sockets,
suggesting that it may have been part of a smaller automotive repair kit.
Male-Drive 1 Inch Deep Hex Socket
Fig. 164 shows
a 1/2 male drive Billings 1 inch deep hex socket,
acquired with the
Folding Tee Handle
shown in a previous figure.
The socket is stamped with the size and
B-Triangle logo on the drive tang.
The overall height is 3.7 inches,
and the finish is black paint,
with some losses due to rust.
Male-Drive 1-1/8 Deep Hex Socket
Fig. 165 shows
a 1/2 male drive Billings 1-1/8 deep hex socket,
acquired with the
Folding Tee Handle
shown in a previous figure.
The socket is stamped with the fractional size,
but is not marked with the Billings logo.
The overall height is 3.7 inches,
and the finish is black paint,
with some losses due to rust.
Alloy Steel Tools: Early Life-Time and Chrome-Molybdenum Era
Billings was not one of the pioneers in the development of alloy steel tools,
despite being one of the largest tool makers of the time.
By the time Billings brought out its first alloy wrenches in 1925 or so,
Bonney had already been selling its highly successful Chrome-Vanadium CV line of wrenches
for two years.
Other companies including Herbrand, Plomb, and Cornwell are believed to have been
using alloy steels for tool production since around 1919.
In particular, Cornwell appears to have used chrome-molybdenum alloys for substantially all
of its tool production beginning in 1919.
Early Tappet Wrenches
Billings began producing tappet wrenches around 1925 in a unique design (for tappet wrenches),
with unequal opening sizes and opposite 22.5 degree offsets.
(This was the design that had been used for the much earlier "textile" wrenches.)
These early tappet wrenches were given 30xx model numbers ranging from 3000 (3/8x7/16)
up to 3014 (15/16x1 inch).
By 1930 the 30xx wrenches had been superseded by a 109x series of tappet wrenches
with 15 degree offsets.
3000 3/8x7/16 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 166 shows
an early Billings 3000 3/8x7/16 tappet (or checknut) wrench,
stamped "Made U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on the face.
The shank is marked with B-Triangle logo and "Chrome-Molybdenum" forged into the front,
with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The overall length is 8.0 inches.
The use of the fractional size markings (instead of the older size conventions)
suggests production in 1927 or later.
This style of tappet wrench had been discontinued by 1930,
in favor of the 109x series of tappet wrenches.
3002 7/16x1/2 Tappet Wrenches
This next figure shows one of the earliest known examples of Billings' alloy-steel tappet wrenches.
Fig. 167 shows
an early Billings 3002 7/16x1/2 tappet wrench,
stamped with the Billings early face markings on the left face (see lower inset),
with the model number on the right face.
The shank is marked with the
B-Triangle logo
plus "Chrome-Molybdenum" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the front.
The overall length is 7.9 inches.
The finish is nickel plating,
but with extensive losses due to wear and rust.
The back side faces are marked "1/4 NUT 5/16 ⬡C 5/16 S.A.E." and "1/4 ⬡C 1/4 S.A.E.",
references to the older U.S.S., Hex Capscrew, and S.A.E. size conventions.
The use of the Billings standard early face markings suggests production in 1925 or early 1926,
prior to the April 1926 introduction of the modern face markings.
Fig. 168 shows
another early Billings 3002 7/16x1/2 tappet (or checknut) wrench,
stamped with the Billings modern face markings on the left face,
with the model number on the right face.
The shank is marked with the
B-Triangle logo
and "Chrome-Molybdenum" forged into the front,
with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The overall length is 7.9 inches.
The upper left and lower right insets show the back side face markings "1/4 NUT 5/16 CAP 5/16 S.A.E." and "1/4 CAP 1/4 S.A.E.",
references to the older U.S.S., Hex Capscrew, and S.A.E. size conventions.
The use of the older size markings with the Billings modern face markings (introduced in 1926)
suggests production in the 1926-1927 range.
Early 3004 9/16x5/8 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 169 shows
an early Billings 3004 9/16x5/8 tappet wrench,
stamped with the Billings early face markings on the left face,
with the model number on the right face.
The shank is marked with the
B-Triangle logo
plus "Chrome-Molybdenum" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the front.
The overall length is 8.0 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
The back side faces are marked "7/16 ⬡C 7/16 S.A.E." and "3/8 ⬡C 3/8 S.A.E.",
references to the older Hex Capscrew and S.A.E. size conventions.
The use of the Billings standard early face markings suggests production in 1925 or early 1926,
prior to the April 1926 introduction of the modern face markings.
3005 1/2x19/32 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 170 shows
an early Billings 3005 1/2x19/32 tappet wrench,
stamped "Made U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on the face.
The shank is marked with B-Triangle logo and "Chrome-Molybdenum" forged into the front,
with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The overall length is 7.9 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The top inset shows the back side face markings "NUT 5/16" and "1/4 NUT 5/16 CAP 5/16 S.A.E.",
references to the older U.S.S., Hex Capscrew, and S.A.E size conventions.
The use of the older size markings with the Billings modern face markings (introduced in 1926)
suggests production in the 1926-1927 range.
3006 9/16x5/8 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 171 shows
an early Billings 3006 9/16x5/8 tappet wrench,
stamped "Made U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on the face.
The shank is marked with B-Triangle logo and "Chrome-Molybdenum" forged into the front,
with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The overall length is 7.9 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
The top inset shows the back side face markings "7/16 CAP 7/16 S.A.E." and "3/8 CAP 3/8 S.A.E.",
references to the older Hex Capscrew and S.A.E size conventions.
The use of the older size markings with the Billings modern face markings (introduced in 1926)
suggests production in the 1926-1927 range.
3008 11/16x13/16 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 172 shows
an early Billings 3008 11/16x13/16 tappet (or checknut) wrench,
stamped "Made U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on the face.
The shank is marked with B-Triangle logo and "Chrome-Molybdenum" forged into the front,
with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The overall length is 8.0 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
The top inset shows the back side face markings "7/16 U.S.S." and "3/8 U.S.S.",
references to the older U.S.S. size convention.
The use of the older size markings with the Billings modern face markings (introduced in 1926)
suggests production in the 1926-1927 range.
3010 3/4x13/16 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 173 shows
an early Billings 3010 3/4x13/16 tappet (or checknut) wrench,
stamped "Made U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on the face.
The shank has a forged-in B-Triangle logo,
with "Chrome-Molybdenum" forged into the front and "Made in U.S.A." on the back side.
The overall length is 8.0 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
The back side faces are marked "9/16 ⬡C" and "1/2 CAP 1/2 S.A.E.",
references to the older size conventions for the 13/16 and 3/4 openings, respectively.
The use of the older size markings with the Billings modern face markings (introduced in 1926)
suggests production in the 1926-1927 range.
3011 3/4x7/8 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 174 shows
an early Billings 3011 3/4x7/8 tappet wrench,
stamped with the Billings early face markings on the left face,
with the model number on the right face.
The shank is marked with the
B-Triangle logo
and "Chrome-Molybdenum" forged into the front,
with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The overall length is 7.9 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating,
with some losses due to rust.
The back side faces are marked "5/8 ⬡C 9/16 S.A.E. 1/2 U.S.S." and "1/2 ⬡C 1/2 S.A.E.",
references to the older size conventions for the 7/8 and 3/4 openings, respectively.
The Billings early face markings on this example suggest production in 1925 or early 1926,
prior to the April 1926 introduction of the modern face markings.
M-Series Open-End Wrenches
When Billings began producing alloy-steel open-end wrenches,
it adopted and adapted the industry-standard numbering system by adding 1000 to the number,
and then used an "M-" prefix.
For example,
an industry-standard number 29 wrench became a Billings model M-1029.
Our earliest reference to the M-Series wrenches is the Billings 36th Edition catalog
with a price list dated May 10, 1926.
The catalog includes an expanded section with pages 32a-32h describing the new Mo-lyb-den-um "Life-Time"
wrenches in the double-open M-Series,
as well as tappet and structural wrenches.
Catalog Illustration of M-Series Double-Open Wrench
Fig. 175 shows
a catalog illustration of a Billings M-Series wrench,
as published on page 32b of the 36th Edition catalog for 1926.
The illustration shows the standard early face markings with "Chrome-Molybdenum" and the B-Triangle logo
forged into the shank.
The 1926 Billings 36th Edition catalog offered a broad selection of M-1xxx series wrenches.
M-1728 "Chrome-Molybdenum" Open-End Wrench
We'll begin with an example believed to be an early Billings alloy-steel wrench,
based on the design and raised-letter markings.
Fig. 176 shows
an early Billings M-1728 1/2x5/8 open-end wrench,
stamped with the standard early face markings and model number on the front faces,
with "7/16 [HEX]C 7/16 S.A.E." and "1/4 NUT 5/16 CAP 5/16 S.A.E." on the back.
The shank has forged-in markings "Chrome-Molybdenum" and "Made in U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo.
The overall length is 6.6 inches.
The 1926 Billings 36th Edition catalog offered a broad selection of M-1xxx series wrenches at that time,
and the illustrations show the "Chrome-Molybdenum" marking seen in the example here.
The use of the early face markings on this example indicates production in 1926 or earlier.
M-1025 "Chrome Molybdenum" 1/2x19/32 Open-End Wrench
This next example is believed to be representative of Billings' alloy steel production in the late 1920s
to mid 1930s.
The modern face markings indicate production in 1926 or later,
and instead of forged-in markings,
this wrench has a smoothly ground convex shank with stamped markings.
Fig. 177 shows
a Billings M-1025 1/2x19/32 open-end wrench,
stamped "Chrome Molybdenum" on the shank with the simplified standard markings on the face.
The overall length is 6.4 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The "Chrome-Molybdenum" marking instead of "Vitalloy" indicates production before the adoption
of the Vitalloy brand in 1937.
The alloy markings together with the simplified face markings suggest that these smooth-shank wrenches
represent production intermediate between the earliest models and the later "Duo-Forged" paneled design.
M-1027C "Chrome Molybdenum" 9/16x11/16 Open-End Wrenches
The next figures show two generations of the M-1027-C model.
Fig. 178 shows
an early Billings M-1027-C 9/16x11/16 open-end wrench,
stamped with the standard modern face markings,
with the B-Triangle logo
plus "Chrome Molybdenum" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the shank.
The overall length is 6.4 inches.
The finish is nickel or chrome plating,
with extensive losses due to wear.
The back side face is marked "3/8 U.S.S.",
a reference to the older
U.S.S. Size Convention for the 11/16 opening.
(The right hand face is worn and no markings are visible,
but probably would have been marked "3/8 S.A.E." for the 9/16 opening.)
The use of the Billings modern face markings with the older size convention
places the likely manufacturing date in 1926-1927.
Fig. 179 shows
a later Billings M-1027-C 9/16x11/16 open-end wrench,
stamped with the standard modern face markings,
with "Chrome Molybdenum" stamped on the shank.
The overall length is 7.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
A later example of this model can be seen as the
Billings M-1027-C Duo-Forged Open-End Wrench.
M-1030 "Chrome Molybdenum" 11/16x7/8 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 180 shows
another example of the smooth-shank style,
a Billings M-1030 11/16x7/8 open-end wrench,
stamped "Chrome Molybdenum" on the shank with the simplified standard markings on the face.
The overall length is 8.0 inches.
The neatly drilled hole in the shank is probably a later addition.
M-1907A 1-1/8 Single-Open Structural Wrench
The M-series wrenches were also offered in a single-open structural pattern,
as the next figure illustrates.
Fig. 181 shows
a Billings M-1907A single-open structural wrench,
stamped with the model number and modern face markings on the shank,
with "Chrome Molybdenum" on the back side.
The overall length is 17.2 inches,
and the finish is black oxide.
The Billings 36th Edition catalog of 1926 offered M-series structural wrenches in offset and straight patterns.
C-Series Open-End Wrenches
In addition to its M-series of chrome-molybdenum wrenches,
Billings also produced a similar series of alloy-steel wrenches with C-prefix model numbers.
These wrenches were typically stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" on the shank,
with only the
B-Triangle logo
to identify Billings as the maker.
Currently we have no catalog references for this series of tools.
Given the minimal markings,
these tools may have been sold as generic contract production for other tool makers,
or possibly as lower cost tools for hardware or automotive repair markets.
The Billings C-series wrenches are similar to the
Craftsman Vanadium Steel wrenches,
which were made by Billings as contract production for Sears in the 1931-1933 time frame.
C-1721 5/16x3/8 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 182A shows
a Billings C-1721 5/16x3/8 open-end wrench,
stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank.
The faces are stamped with the model number and
B-Triangle logo
(but no Billings name) on the front,
with the fractional sizes on the back.
The overall length is 4.3 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating,
with losses due to wear.
C-1723-A 3/8x1/2 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 182 shows
a Billings C-1723-A 3/8x1/2 open-end wrench,
stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank,
and with a
B-Triangle logo
(but no Billings name) on the face.
The overall length is 4.7 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
C-1725-B 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 183 shows
a Billings C-1725-B 1/2x9/16 open-end wrench,
stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank,
and with a
B-Triangle logo
(but no Billings name) on the face.
The overall length is 5.3 inches.
The finish is mostly plain steel,
but the faces show some traces of a prior plated finish.
C-1025 1/2x19/32 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 184 shows
a Billings C-1025 1/2x19/32 open-end wrench,
stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank.
The faces are stamped with the model number and
B-Triangle logo
(but no Billings name) on the front,
with the fractional sizes on the back.
The overall length is 5.2 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
C-1027-C 9/16x11/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 185 shows
a Billings C-1027C 9/16x11/16 open-end wrench,
stamped with "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank.
The model number is stamped on the right face,
with the fractional sizes on the back side faces.
The overall length is 6.5 inches,
and the finish is plain steel,
with traces of nickel plating.
This wrench is not marked with the B-Triangle logo
seen on other wrenches in this series,
but can be identified by the markings on the shank and the model number.
The C-series wrenches were likely made as contract or generic production
and some marking differences could be expected.
C-1027 19/32x11/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 186 shows
a Billings C-1027 19/32x11/16 open-end wrench,
stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank,
and with a
B-Triangle logo
(but no Billings name) on the face.
The overall length is 6.2 inches.
The finish is mostly plain steel,
but the faces show some traces of a prior plated finish.
C-1729 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrenches
The next two figures show examples of the Billings C-1729 wrench.
Fig. 187 shows
a Billings C-1729 5/8x3/4 open-end wrench,
stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank.
The faces are stamped with the
B-Triangle logo and model number on the front,
with the fractional sizes on the back side.
The overall length is 7.4 inches.
The original finish was nickel plating,
but most has been lost due to wear and rust.
Fig. 188 shows
a Billings C-1729 5/8x3/4 open-end wrench,
stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank,
with the
B-Triangle logo on the face.
The overall length is 7.5 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating,
with extensive losses due to rust.
C-1731 3/4x13/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 189 shows
a Billings C-1731 3/4x13/16 open-end wrench,
stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank,
and with a
B-Triangle logo
(but no Billings name) on the face.
The shank also has a forge-in "V" code visible at the left.
The overall length is 8.8 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating with polished faces.
C-1031 25/32x7/8 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 190 shows
a Billings C-1031 25/32x7/8 open-end wrench,
stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank,
and with a
B-Triangle logo
(but no Billings name) on the face.
The overall length is 8.6 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating with polished faces.
C-1033-C 15/16x1 Open-End Wrenches
The next two figures show examples of the Billings C-1033-C wrench.
Fig. 191 shows
a Billings C-1033-C 15/16x1 open-end wrench,
stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank,
and with a
B-Triangle logo
(but no Billings name) on the face.
The overall length is 10.1 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating with polished faces.
Fig. 192 shows
another Billings C-1033-C 15/16x1 open-end wrench,
stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank.
The faces are stamped with the
B-Triangle
logo and model number on the front,
with the fractional sizes on the back side.
The overall length is 10.6 inches,
and the finish is plain steel,
with scattered traces of nickel plating.
C-92F 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrench
The C-Series tools also included tappet wrenches,
as this next figure illustrates.
Fig. 193 shows
a Billings C-92F 5/8x11/16 tappet wrench,
stamped "Forged Chrome Steel" and "Made in U.S.A." on the convex shank,
and with a
B-Triangle logo
(but no Billings name) stamped on the face.
The overall length is 8.9 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
Obstruction Wrenches
During the mid 1920s a number of tool companies experimented with open-end wrench designs
for clearing obstacles,
commonly called obstruction wrenches.
The design variations typically involved different head offset angles,
or placement of the openings on opposite sides,
and each style had its advocates.
The Billings design used two different opening sizes offset at high angles,
with both openings on the same side of the wrench.
The Billings obstruction wrenches were listed in the 1929 catalog
and may have been available somewhat earlier.
The obstruction style was relatively short-lived though,
and by 1938 had been discontinued.
Several other companies produced obstruction wrenches similar to the Billings models,
including Armstrong and Williams,
and examples can be seen in the
Blackhawk-Armstrong 2029 Wrench
and
Williams 2021 Wrench.
Alternate styles of obstruction wrenches can be seen in the
Bonney 2031 Wrench,
Cornwell AW10 Wrench,
and
Herbrand 1827 Wrench.
One oddity of the obstruction wrench examples collected here is that several of them have had
the left face slightly ground down,
apparently just enough to remove the markings.
The grinding was done very carefully,
but after the wrench was plated,
leaving a plain steel finish on the face.
Since this face would normally carry the Billings logo,
it seems that Billings wanted to remove the markings to sell the tool through some alternate channel.
Based on our collected examples,
the Billings obstruction wrenches were marked with the "Life-Time" trademark and
B-Triangle logo forged into the shank,
with "Chrome-Molybdenum" on the back side.
M-2725 Life-Time 7/16x1/2 Angle-Head Obstruction Wrench
Fig. 194 shows
an early Billings M-2725 7/16x1/2 angle-head obstruction wrench,
marked with "Life-Time Wrench" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the shank,
and with "Chrome-Molybdenum" forged into the back side.
The wrench also has stamped markings "Made U.S.A." with the B-Triangle logo on one face,
with the model number stamped on the other face.
The overall length is 5.5 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
M-2728 Life-Time 9/16x3/4 Angle-Head Obstruction Wrench
Fig. 195 shows
an early Billings M-2728 9/16x3/4 angle-head obstruction wrench,
marked with "Life-Time Wrench" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the shank (upper image),
with "Chrome-Molybdenum" forged into the back side.
The right face is stamped with the model number,
and the back side faces are stamped with the fractional sizes.
The overall length is 7.7 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating,
with minor losses due to rust.
Note that the left face (which would normally carry the Billings logo)
has been slightly ground down,
leaving a very flat plain steel finish.
M-2030 Life-Time 11/16x7/8 Angle-Head Obstruction Wrench
Fig. 196 shows
an early Billings M-2030 11/16x7/8 obstruction wrench,
marked with "Life-Time Wrench" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the shank,
with "Chrome-Molybdenum" forged into the back side.
The right face is stamped with the model number,
and the back side faces are stamped with the fractional sizes.
The overall length is 7.7 inches.
The finish appears to be a thin nickel plate,
now partially worn away.
Note that the left face (which would normally carry the Billings logo)
has been slightly ground down,
leaving a very flat plain steel finish.
M-2731B Life-Time 13/16x7/8 Angle-Head Obstruction Wrench
Fig. 197 shows
an early Billings M-2731B 13/16x7/8 obstruction wrench,
marked with "Life-Time Wrench" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the shank (upper image),
with "Chrome-Molybdenum" forged into the back side.
The right face is stamped with the model number,
and the back side faces are stamped with the fractional sizes.
The overall length is 9.2 inches.
The finish is nickel plating,
with extensive losses due to rust and pitting.
Note that the left face (which would normally carry the Billings logo)
has been slightly ground down,
leaving a plain steel finish that is now pitted from rust.
M-2731 Special 1x1-1/8 Angle-Head Obstruction Wrench
Fig. 198 shows
a Billings M-2731 "Special" 1x1-1/8 obstruction wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on the left face,
with the model number on the right face.
The overall length is 9.3 inches, and the finish is plain steel.
The plain finish and lack of the "Lifetime" and "Chrome-Molybdenum" markings
suggest production during the wartime years.
Early Box-End Wrenches
Box-end wrenches with double-hex broachings became popular in the late 1920s,
and were typically made in both flat and offset styles.
Billings did not offer wrenches of this style until the 1930 "Socket Wrenches and Handle Units" catalog,
which listed single-offset box wrenches in models ranging from 2814 (7/16) up to 2830 (15/16),
plus a model 2890 Chevrolet main bearing specialty box wrench.
By the time of the Billings 40th Edition catalog of 1937,
box-end wrenches were available in four styles:
a short S-xxx series and long L-xxx series,
with both flat and offset styles available in each length.
The (ordinal) model numbers assigned were S-15x for the short flat wrenches, S-45x for short offset,
L-15x for long flat wrenches, and L-45x for long offset.
These early box wrenches had wide slightly oval shanks and stamped markings.
The figures below will show a number of examples of these various styles.
2822 Early Chrome-Molybdenum 11/16x11/16 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench
We'll begin this section with two examples of single-offset box wrenches,
a style that became popular in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Fig. 199 shows
an early Billings 2822 11/16x11/16 single-offset box wrench,
stamped "Billings" and "Made U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo,
with "Chrome Molybdenum" and a "Patent No. 1424069" patent notice on the back side.
The overall length is 11.1 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
This wrench was listed in the 1930 Billings "Socket Wrenches and Handle Units" catalog,
which shows similar models ranging in size from 2814 (7/16) up to 2830 (15/16).
The wrenches were available individually or as part of a No. 2800 set.
The patent notice refers to patent
#1,424,069,
issued to F.W. Blackmar in 1922.
The patent describes the design of offset 12-point wrenches and was later assigned to
Snap-On around 1930.
Snap-On apparently licensed it to other tool companies,
as the patent can be found marked on wrenches from Bonney, Mossberg, Williams,
and now Billings.
2828 Early Chrome-Molybdenum 7/8x7/8 Single-Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 200 shows
an early Billings 2828 7/8x7/8 single-offset box wrench,
stamped "Billings" and "Made U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo.
The back side shank is also stamped
"Chrome Molybdenum" and "Patent No. 1424069" (not shown).
The overall length is 13.1 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
This wrench is listed in the 1930 Billings "Socket Wrenches and Handle Units" catalog,
which shows similar models ranging in size from 2814 (7/16) up to 2830 (15/16).
The wrenches were available individually or as part of a No. 2800 set.
2890 Early Chrome-Molybdenum 9/16x13/16 Specialty Box Wrench
Fig. 201 shows
an early Billings 2890 9/16x13/16 specialty box wrench,
stamped "Billings" and "Made U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo,
with "Chrome Molybdenum" and "Patent No. 1424069" on the back side.
The overall length is 14.0 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
The patent notice refers to patent
#1,424,069,
issued to F.W. Blackmar in 1922,
as discussed in the previous figure.
This wrench was listed in a 1930 Billings catalog for Chevrolet connecting-rod
and main-bearing service.
Note that although the wrench resembles the single-offset style shown in the previous figures,
the opening sizes are different,
as required for its specialized purpose.
This wrench is very similar to the
APCO-Mossberg 3014 Wrench
shown in another article.
Interestingly, the Mossberg example has been identified as production by Bonney,
based on a forged-in date code and the general construction.
Thus we strongly suspect that this Billings example was also produced by Bonney,
but the wrench has been ground smooth and does not retain a Bonney date code.
L-2 Early Chrome-Molybdenum 1/2x9/16 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 202 shows
an early Billings L-2 1/2x9/16 offset box wrench,
stamped "Billings" and "Made U.S.A." with the
with the B-Triangle logo,
and with "Chrome Molybdenum" on the back side.
The overall length is 8.8 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
No catalog reference is available for this early model,
but it likely dates from the early 1930s.
The Craftsman Contract
The previous sections have shown examples of Billings' early alloy steel tools.
Although we have been able to round up a reasonable selection of these tools,
Billings alloy wrenches prior to the Vitalloy era are difficult to find.
Since we know that Billings (along with J.H. Williams) had dominated the earlier carbon-steel era
and produced vast quantities of open-end wrenches and other tools,
the relative scarcity of the early alloy steel wrenches leaves an implied question:
where are all the Billings alloy wrenches?
Both Billings and Williams were relatively late getting started in the alloy steel era,
but after introducing its "Superrench" line in 1925,
Williams went on to sell large numbers of its superb wrenches.
So once again, where are all of the Billings alloy wrenches?
With some recently (March 2016) gathered evidence we can now provide a very satisfying answer to this question:
the Billings alloy wrenches were hiding in plain sight all along!
In 1930 Billings landed a major contract with Sears Roebuck to produce alloy steel wrenches
for their new (at the time) Craftsman brand.
The initial production consisted of open-end and tappet wrenches marked with "Craftsman" and
"Chrome-Vanadium" forged into the shank,
followed in 1932 by a series of "Craftsman Vanadium Steel" wrenches with stamped markings.
Finally, by 1933 Billings was producing the well-known "Craftsman Vanadium" series of wrenches,
to which box-end wrenches in several configurations were soon added.
The Craftsman Vanadium wrench line was highly successful and helped build the reputation
for quality for the Craftsman brand.
Although sales volumes are always difficult to estimate,
Craftsman Vanadium wrenches are among the most common 1930s-era tools to be found,
suggesting that they may have outsold even the highly successful Bonney CV series
and the Williams "Superrench" line.
Billings remained as the major producer of Craftsman wrenches until the mid 1940s,
when Moore Drop Forging began producing the "=Craftsman=" modern line of wrenches.
In this section we'll look at examples of Billings' contract production for the Sears Craftsman brand.
The early Craftsman open-end wrenches closely resembled Billings' own C-Series wrenches,
but later tools in the Craftsman line were custom designed and have no close Billings counterpart.
Given the extensive design and production capabilities at Billings,
it's not surprising that they were able to offer Sears a customized wrench line,
but the lack of comparable examples made the identification of Billings as the maker much more difficult.
Readers wishing to view the Billings production in the context of the early Craftsman tools will find them
in our article on Craftsman Early Tools.
(Billings production was marked with "AF" and "CI" manufacturer's codes.)
That article also has a discussion of the process of identifying Billings as the maker of the tools.
Early C-3006 9/16x5/8 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 203 shows
an early Craftsman C-3006 9/16x5/8 tappet wrench,
stamped "Craftsman" and "Made in U.S.A" on the left face,
with the model number on the right face and the fractional sizes on the back side faces.
The shank is marked with "Chrome-Vanadium" forged into the front,
with "Craftsman" forged into the back side.
The overall length is 7.9 inches,
and the finish is plain steel with traces of chrome or nickel plating.
This wrench has an unusual design (for a tappet wrench) with the heads offset at 22.5 degree angles,
a pattern more commonly associated with "textile wrenches" used for working on machinery with square nuts.
The model 3006 tappet wrench was first offered in the Sears 1930 spring catalog and is notable as being among the first wrenches
(along with similarly marked open-end wrenches) to carry the Craftsman brand.
The model 3006 remained available through 1931,
but by 1932 had been superseded by a model 1092 tappet wrench with conventional 15 degree offsets.
The unusual design of this wrench makes it trivial to identify the maker as Billings & Spencer,
the only company known to have produced this style of tappet wrench.
Billings' own production of this wrench has a matching 3006 model number that confirms the identification,
and an example of the Billings version can be seen as the
Billings 3006 Tappet Wrench.
Early "Craftsman Vanadium Steel" C-1725B 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench
The early "Craftsman Vanadium Steel" wrenches were very similar to the Billings "C-Series" wrenches,
as will be seen in the next several figures.
Fig. 204 shows
an early Craftsman C-1725B 1/2x9/16 open-end wrench,
stamped with "Craftsman" in plain letters and "Made in U.S.A." on the face,
with "Craftsman Vanadium Steel" on the shank.
The overall length is 5.4 inches,
and the finish is plain steel,
with a few traces of nickel plating.
The corresponding Billings model can be seen as the
Billings C-1725-B Wrench.
Early "Craftsman Vanadium Steel" C-1027 19/32x11/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 205 shows
a Craftsman C-1027 19/32x11/16 open-end wrench,
stamped with "Craftsman" in plain letters and "Made in U.S.A." on the face,
with "Craftsman Vanadium Steel" on the shank.
The overall length is 6.5 inches.
The finish is nickel plating,
with extensive losses due to wear and rust.
The corresponding Billings model can be seen as the
Billings C-1027 Wrench.
The Vitalloy Era
In 1937 Billings filed an application for its "Vitalloy" trademark,
a marking for alloy steel use not tied to a specific metal composition.
The adoption of this new trademark was probably the occasion for a redesign of their wrench styles,
as around this time Billings started using a paneled shank design for its alloy-steel wrenches,
with smoothly contoured oval depressions on each side of the shank.
The standard markings for this design were forged into the panels,
and consisted of the
B-Triangle logo
in between "Billings" and "Vitalloy",
with "Duo-Forged" on the back side.
The marking "Duo-Forged" is frequently seen on Billings tools,
apparently in reference to a particular forging process,
but the exact meaning is not known at this point.
The date of first production for the paneled design is not known,
but this style was definitely in use by 1938,
as a catalog from that year shows illustrations of paneled open-end wrenches.
Vitalloy Open-End Wrenches
M-1723 Vitalloy Open-End Wrenches, Duo-Forged Paneled Design
The next two figures show examples of the Billings M-1723 wrench.
Fig. 206 shows
an early Billings M-1723 3/8x7/16 open-end wrench with the standard panel markings.
The face is stamped "Made U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo.
The overall length is 4.3 inches,
and the finish is appears to be a thin nickel plating.
This wrench is thought to be an early example of the style,
based on the thin plating and the slightly different face stamping.
Note that the "Made U.S.A." on the face is along a straight line,
instead of curving downwards as in most of the other examples here.
Fig. 207 shows
a somewhat later Billings M-1723 3/8x7/16 open-end wrench with the standard panel markings.
The overall length is 4.3 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The plain finish suggests that this wrench may have been manufactured during the wartime years 1942-1945.
M-1723A Vitalloy Open-End Wrench, Duo-Forged Paneled Design
Fig. 208 shows
another early example,
a Billings M-1723A 3/8x1/2 open-end wrench with the standard panel markings.
The face is stamped "Made U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo.
The overall length is 5.3 inches.
The original finish has been lost due to rust,
but the face has a few traces of thin nickel plating.
This wrench is thought to be an early example of the style,
based on the thin plating and the slightly different face stamping.
Note that the "Made U.S.A." on the face is along a straight line,
instead of curving downwards as in most of the other examples here.
M-1020A 3/16x1/4 Vitalloy Open-End Wrench, Duo-Forged Paneled Design
Fig. 209 shows
the paneled design applied to a very small wrench,
a Billings M-1020A 3/16x1/4 open-end wrench,
marked with a variant of the standard panel markings.
In this example the usual "Billings Vitalloy" and B-Triangle logo
forged markings have been replaced with just "Vitalloy".
The overall length is 3.5 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
M-1026 Special 1/26x3/4 Vitalloy Open-End Wrench, Duo-Forged Paneled Design
Fig. 210 shows
a Billings M-1026 "Special" 1/2x3/4 open-end wrench with a paneled shank,
stamped with the standard modern face markings on the front,
with "Special" on the back side face,
and with the standard panel markings forged into the shank.
The overall length is 6.9 inches.
The finish is mostly plain steel,
but with traces of the original chrome plating.
M-1027-C 9/16x11/16 Vitalloy Open-End Wrench, Duo-Forged Paneled Design
Fig. 211 shows
another example of the paneled design,
a Billings M-1027-C 9/16x11/16 open-end wrench with the standard panel markings.
The overall length is 6.9 inches,
and the finish is plain steel with a dark oxide coating.
An earlier example of this model can be seen as the
Billings M-1027-C "Chrome Molybdenum" Open-End Wrench.
M-1027 Vitalloy 19/32x11/16 Open-End Wrench, Duo-Forged Paneled Design
Fig. 212 shows
a Billings M-1027 19/32x11/16 open-end wrench with the standard panel markings.
The overall length is 6.9 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
M-1028 Vitalloy 19/32x25/32 Open-End Wrench, Duo-Forged Paneled Design
Fig. 213 shows
a Billings M-1028 19/32x25/32 open-end wrench with the standard panel markings.
The overall length is 8.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating,
with losses due to wear and rust.
M-1729 Vitalloy 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench, Duo-Forged Paneled Design
Fig. 214 shows
a Billings M-1729 5/8x3/4 open-end wrench,
with the standard panel markings on the shank and "Made in U.S.A." on the face.
The overall length is 8.0 inches.
The finish is chrome plating,
missing in some areas due to rust.
M-1028-S Vitalloy 5/8x25/32 Open-End Wrench, Duo-Forged Paneled Design
Fig. 215 shows
a Billings M-1028-S 5/8x25/32 open-end wrench in the standard paneled style,
but with a variant of the standard panel markings.
The back side is marked with "Made in U.S.A." flanked by two
B-Triangle logos,
instead of the expected "Duo-Forged" marking.
The overall length is 8.0 inches.
The finish is plain steel on the faces and gray paint on the shank,
suggesting production during the 1942-1945 wartime years.
M-1029 Vitalloy 11/16x25/32 Open-End Wrench, Duo-Forged Paneled Design
Fig. 216 shows
a Billings M-1029 11/16x25/32 open-end wrench with the standard panel markings.
The overall length is 7.9 inches.
The finish is nickel plate on the faces,
now worn in some areas,
and plain steel for the shank.
M-1731 Vitalloy 3/4x13/16 Paneled Open-End Wrench
Fig. 217 shows
a Billings M-1731 3/4x13/16 open-end wrench,
stamped with the modern face markings and model number on the front,
with the fractional sizes on the back side.
The paneled shank is marked with "Billings Vitalloy" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the front,
with "Duo-Forged" forged into the back side.
The overall length is 9.5 inches,
and the finish is cadmium plating.
The cadmium finish indicates production during the 1942-1945 wartime years.
M-1033-C Vitalloy 15/16x1 Paneled Open-End Wrench
Fig. 218 shows
a Billings M-1033-C 15/16x1 open-end wrench,
with the standard panel markings on the shank and "Made in U.S.A." on the face.
The overall length is 10.7 inches.
The original finish was chrome plating,
but extensive rust has left only traces of the finish.
M-1723 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench, Wartime Production
During the wartime years of 1942-1945,
tool makers faced shortages of certain materials (and sometimes labor),
and as a result had to make substantial changes to their production.
The next figures show examples of some of these production changes.
Fig. 219 shows
a Billings M-1723 3/8x7/16 open-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on the face.
The overall length is 4.7 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The plain finish and other construction details indicate manufacturing compromises
made during wartime production.
The edges of the wrench have been left rough from the trimming operation,
and neither of the "Vitalloy" or "Life-Time" trademarks are marked,
suggesting the possibility that a lesser quality steel was used here.
M-1725 7/16x1/2 Open-End Wrench, Wartime Production
Fig. 220 shows
a Billings M-1725 7/16x1/2 open-end wrench,
marked "Made in U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on the face.
The overall length is 6.0 inches,
and the finish is cadmium plating.
The cadmium finish and other construction details indicate manufacturing compromises
made during wartime production.
The edges of the wrench have been left rough from the trimming operation,
and neither of the "Vitalloy" or "Life-Time" trademarks are marked,
suggesting the possibility that a lesser quality steel was used here.
M-1729 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench, Wartime Production
Fig. 221 shows
a Billings M-1729 5/8x3/4 open-end wrench,
marked "Made in U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on the face.
The overall length is 8.0 inches.
This wrench is the same model as the
M-1729 shown previously,
but a number of changes can be noted.
The finish is cadmium plating,
and the edges have been left unfinished,
with marks from the trimming operation remaining.
Note also that neither of the "Vitalloy" or "Life-Time" trademarks are marked,
suggesting the possibility that the steel composition was compromised.
M-1031W Vitalloy 7/16Wx1/2W Paneled British Standard Open-End Wrench
Our next figure shows a wrench in the less commonly seen British Whitworth sizing.
The Whitworth system was actually the first standard for screw thread sizes,
dating back to the mid nineteenth century.
Wrench sizes in the Whitworth system are specified by the bolt size rather
than the milled opening (or AF "across flats") size,
as is the case with the USS and SAE systems as well.
Fig. 222 shows
a Billings M-1031W open-end wrench,
sized 13/16x29/32 across flats or 7/16W by 1/2W in the Whitworth system.
The face is stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo,
and the shank has the standard panel markings.
The overall length is 9.4 inches.
The wrench has a uniformly roughened surface, probably from shot-peening.
This particular wrench appears to be unused,
and may have been intended for a maintenance tool kit for a British vehicle.
Vitalloy 109x Series Tappet Wrenches
By 1930 Billings had changed its tappet wrench design to the standard 15 degree offset openings
favored by most major tool makers.
In addition, Billings had adopted the 109x model number series used by Armstrong and J.H. Williams.
Tappet wrenches in the 109x series are illustrated in the Billings "Socket Wrenches and Handle Units" catalog
of 1930.
The 109x series wrenches continued in production into the Vitalloy era.
1092B Vitalloy 1/2x11/16 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 223 shows
a Billings 1092B 1/2x11/16 tappet wrench,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the
B-Triangle logo on the shank,
and with "Made in U.S.A." stamped on the face.
The overall length is 9.0 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The plain finish suggests production during the 1942-1945 war years.
1092F Vitalloy 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 224 shows
a Billings 1092F 5/8x11/16 tappet wrench,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the
B-Triangle logo on the shank,
and with "Made in U.S.A." and another logo on the face.
The overall length is 9.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.
Vitalloy Box-End Wrenches
The 1937 catalog lists box-end wrenches in two lengths,
a short S-xxx series and long L-xxx series,
and both flat and angled styles were available in each length.
The (ordinal) model numbers assigned were S-15x for the short flat wrenches, S-45x for short offset,
L-15x for long flat wrenches, and L-45x for long offset.
These early box wrenches had wide slightly oval shanks and stamped markings.
By 1938 Billings had updated the model numbers for its box wrenches to a system based on
the industry standard numbers for open-end wrenches.
(See our
Table of Industry Standard Wrench Sizes
for an explanation of this system.)
Model numbers were assigned by adding a prefix to the industry standard number for the opening sizes,
with the prefix based based on the particular wrench style.
The prefix numbers were 6000 for the short flat wrenches,
7000 for the standard flat models, 8000 for the standard offset models,
and 9000 for the short offset models.
(These numbers were the same as those used by J.H Williams for its box wrenches.)
For example, a wrench with openings 1/2x9/16 would be an industry-standard number 725B,
so the corresponding offset box wrench was assigned model number 8725B.
With the model number change-over Billings also greatly expanded the range of sizes available,
and apparently also changed the physical design of the wrenches at this time as well.
The offset box wrenches (the 8000 and 9000 series) were made with distinctive deeply paneled shanks,
with the markings in raised letters forged into the shank.
The flat wrench styles (the 6000 and 7000 series) were designed with oval shanks and
stamped markings.
The timing of these design changes is a bit uncertain,
as the catalog illustrations are not very clear;
however, no examples of the earlier S-xxx or L-xxx series with paneled shanks are known.
By 1949 Billings had changed its wrench styles again,
adopting a flat or slightly convex shank instead of the depressed panel design.
The markings for the new design were all stamped instead of forged (for the offset models),
and typically the "Billings" and "Vitalloy" trademarks were placed on opposite sides of the shank.
One notable detail for this change is that the venerable
B-Triangle logo was no longer marked
on the wrenches.
The figures below will show a number of examples of these various styles.
L-456 Vitalloy Early Duo-Forged 15/16x1 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 225 shows
a Billings L-456 15/16x1 offset box wrench,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the
with the B-Triangle logo,
and with "Duo-Forged" and the model number on the back side.
The overall length is 14.5 inches.
The finish is now plain steel,
but a few traces of an apparent chrome plated finish can be found on one box end.
S-153 Vitalloy Early Duo-Forged 5/8x11/16 Box-End Wrench
Fig. 226 shows
a Billings S-153 5/8x11/16 box wrench,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the
with the B-Triangle logo,
and with "Duo-Forged" and the model number on the back side.
The overall length is 5.1 inches.
7723 Vitalloy 3/8x7/16 Box-End Wrench
The next several figures show examples of the 7000 series style of box wrenches
introduced in 1938.
These wrenches feature straight oval shanks with angled box ends.
Fig. 227 shows
a Billings 7723 3/8x7/16 box wrench with an oval shank,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" and "Made in U.S.A."
with the B-Triangle logo.
The model number and sizes are stamped on the back side.
The overall length is 7.6 inches.
7725B Vitalloy 1/2x9/16 Box-End Wrench
Fig. 228 shows
a Billings 7725B 1/2x9/16 box wrench with an oval shank,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" and "Made in U.S.A."
with the B-Triangle logo on the front.
The model number and fractional sizes are stamped on the back side.
The overall length is 8.4 inches.
7727 Vitalloy 9/16x5/8 Box-End Wrench
Fig. 229 shows
a Billings 7727 7727 9/16x5/8 box wrench,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the
B-Triangle logo
and "Made in U.S.A." on the front.
The back side is marked with the model number and fractional sizes.
The overall length is 9.5 inches.
7733 Vitalloy 7/8x1 Box-End Wrench
Fig. 230 shows
a Billings 7733 7/8x1 box wrench with an oval shank,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the
B-Triangle logo
and a smaller "Made in U.S.A" marking.
The overall length is 14.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
7033C Vitalloy 15/16x1 Box-End Wrench
Fig. 231 shows
a Billings 7033C 15/16x1 box wrench with an oval shank,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the
B-Triangle logo
and a "Made in U.S.A" marking.
The overall length is 14.1 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.
8723 Vitalloy Duo-Forged 3/8x7/16 Offset Box-End Wrench
The next group of figures show examples of the 8000 series offset box wrenches.
Fig. 232 shows
a Billings 8723 3/8x7/16 offset box wrench with a deeply paneled shank,
marked with "Billings Vitalloy" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the shank,
with "Duo-Forged" forged into the back side.
The shank is also stamped with one size and the model on the front,
with "Made in U.S.A." and the other size on the back side.
The overall length is 8.7 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The "Duo-Forged" marking is found on all of the wrenches of this style,
and is apparently a reference to a production technique.
The specific meaning is not known.
8725B Vitalloy Duo-Forged 1/2x9/16 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 233 shows
an example of the 8000 series offset box style,
a Billings 8725B 1/2x9/16 offset box wrench.
The deeply-paneled shank has forged-in markings for "Billings Vitalloy"
with the B-Triangle logo,
and the back side is marked "Duo-Forged" in raised letters with
"Made in U.S.A." stamped to one side (see inset).
The overall length is 9.2 inches.
The "Duo-Forged" marking is found on all of the wrenches of this style,
and is apparently a reference to a production technique.
The specific meaning is not known.
8727 Vitalloy Duo-Forged 9/16x5/8 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 234 shows
another example of the deeply-paneled style,
a Billings 8727 9/16x5/8 offset box wrench.
The shank has forged-in markings for "Billings Vitalloy"
with the B-Triangle logo,
and the back side is marked "Duo-Forged" in raised letters with
"Made in U.S.A." stamped to one side (see inset).
The overall length is 10.1 inches,
and the finish is cadmium plating.
The cadmium finish suggests a manufacturing date during 1942-1945.
8027 Vitalloy Duo-Forged 19/32x11/16 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 235 shows
a Billings 8027 19/32x11/16 offset box wrench in the paneled style.
The shank has forged-in markings for "Billings Vitalloy"
with the B-Triangle logo,
and the back side is marked "Duo-Forged" in raised letters with
"Made in U.S.A." stamped to one side (see inset).
The overall length is 10.1 inches,
and the finish is black oxide.
The oxide finish suggests a manufacturing date during 1942-1945.
8729 Vitalloy Duo-Forged 5/8x3/4 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 236 shows
a Billings 8729 5/8x3/4 offset box wrench in the paneled style.
The shank has forged-in markings for "Billings Vitalloy"
with the B-Triangle logo,
and the back side is marked "Duo-Forged" in raised letters with
"Made in U.S.A." stamped to one side (see inset).
The overall length is 11.3 inches,
and the finish is cadmium plating.
8029 Vitalloy Duo-Forged 11/16x25/32 Offset Box-End Wrenches
The next two figures show examples of the Billings 8029 wrench,
with minor differences in the markings.
Fig. 237 shows
a Billings 8029 11/16x25/32 offset box wrench in the paneled style,
marked with "Billings Vitalloy" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the shank,
and with "Duo-Forged" forged into the back side.
The shank also has stamped markings for the model and 25/32 size on the front,
with "Made in U.S.A." and the 11/16 size on the back side.
The overall length is 11.3 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
Fig. 238 shows
a Billings 8029 11/16x25/32 offset box wrench in the paneled style,
marked with "Billings Vitalloy" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the shank,
and with "Duo-Forged" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The shank also has stamped markings for the fractional sizes on the front,
with the model number on the back side.
The overall length is 11.3 inches.
The finish is chrome plating with some loss due to rust.
8731 Vitalloy Duo-Forged 3/4x13/16 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 239 shows
a Billings 8731 3/4x13/16 offset box wrench in the paneled style,
marked with "Billings Vitalloy" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the shank,
and with "Duo-Forged" forged into the back side.
The back side shank is also stamped with "Made in U.S.A." and the "3/4" fractional size.
The overall length is 12.9 inches.
8033C Vitalloy Duo-Forged Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 240 shows
a Billings 8033C 15/16x1 offset box wrench in the paneled style,
marked with "Billings Vitalloy" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the shank,
and with "Duo-Forged" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The overall length is 15.0 inches.
8039 Vitalloy 1-1/4x1-7/16 Offset Box-End Wrench
The next two figure show examples of the larger Billings offset box wrenches.
The larger sizes of the offset box wrenches (models 8037 and up) are noted in the catalogs
as having round shanks for greater strength.
Fig. 241 shows
a Billings 8039 1-1/4x1-17/16 offset box wrench with an oval shank,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" and "Made in U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on one side,
with the model number and fractional sizes on the back side.
The overall length is 19.5 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.
8742B Vitalloy 1-1/2x1-11/16 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 242 shows
a Billings 8742B 1-1/2x1-11/16 offset box wrench with a massive round shank.
The shank is stamped "Billings Vitalloy" and "Made in U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on one side,
with the model number and fractional sizes on the back side.
The overall length is 24.4 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.
9723 Vitalloy 3/8x7/16 Short Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 243 shows
a Billings 9723 3/8x7/16 offset box wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Billings Vitalloy" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the front panel,
with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The overall length is 4.9 inches.
The finish is plain steel with pitting due to rust.
9725 Vitalloy 7/16x1/2 Short Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 244 shows
a Billings 9725 7/16x1/2 offset box wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Billings Vitalloy" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the front panel,
with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The overall length is 5.4 inches.
9725B Vitalloy 1/2x9/16 Short Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 245 shows
a Billings 9725B 1/2x9/16 offset box wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Billings Vitalloy" and the
B-Triangle logo forged into the front panel,
with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The overall length is 5.9 inches.
Combination Wrenches
Billings first offered combination wrenches during the mid to late 1930s.
The 1938 catalog listed eight models with sizes from 7/16 to 7/8,
with the model numbers in a somewhat odd 5xxx series,
some with 50xx numbers and others with 57xx numbers.
Based on the catalog illustrations,
these early combination wrenches had a convex shank with "Billings Vitalloy" in raised letters.
In the mid 1940s Billings updated its combination wrench models and adopted the 11xx series numbers
used by Williams, Armstrong, Bonney, and other tool companies.
The combination wrenches of this era were ruggedly built with hefty convex shanks,
and the markings were stamped instead of being forged into the shank.
The shank markings included the B-Triangle trademark in the center,
with the Billings name and Vitalloy trademark on either side.
By around 1948 Billings had updated its combination wrench design again,
replacing the thick oval shank with a wider and thinner shank.
The markings were changed as well,
with the B-Triangle trademark no longer stamped on the shank,
and the Billings and Vitalloy trademarks placed on opposite sides.
(The wrench faces continued to show the B-Triangle logo however,
at least for some period of time.)
Examples of combination wrenches in this later style can be seen in the section on
Later Combination Wrenches.
In this later period the Billings "Life-Time" trademark made a reappearance,
being used to designate a line of tools for the wholesale hardware trade.
In this line the Life-Time marking replaced the Vitalloy trademark,
but the tools were otherwise very similar to the Vitalloy counterparts,
except for a somewhat lower grade finish.
Some examples of Life-Time wrenches are shown in the next section.
5xxx Series Combination Wrenches
Production of the Billings 5xxx series combination wrenches is believed to have begun
in late 1937 or early 1938,
and our earliest catalog reference to the wrenches is the 41st edition catalog for 1938-39.
This is around the same time that Billings started providing combination wrenches as contract production
for the Sears Craftsman brand.
Additional information can be found in our section on
Craftsman Combination Wrenches.
Fig. 246A shows
a catalog listing for Billings combination wrenches,
as published on page 23 of the 41st edition catalog from 1938.
The illustration shows a wrench with forged-in markings,
but the known examples of this series all have stamped markings.
The table below the illustration shows the available sizes with their odd mix of
50xx and 57xx model numbers.
The wrenches were available in eight sizes ranging from model 5701 (7/16) up to 5005 (7/8).
Note that the Billings catalog offered two additional sizes (13/16 and 7/8) not available
as Craftsman production.
The 5xxx series wrenches are rather rare,
suggesting that they sold in only modest quantities.
Based on observed examples,
production of the 5xxx series continued into the wartime era,
but was superseded by the 11xx series in the late wartime or early post-war era.
5701 Vitalloy 7/16 Combination Wrench
Fig. 246B shows
a Billings 5701 7/16 combination wrench,
stamped with "Billings Vitalloy" plus the
B-Triangle logo and fractional size on the front shank.
The back side is stamped "Duo-Forged" with "Made in U.S.A." and the model number,
as shown in the middle inset,
which has been rotated for readability.
Note also the forged-in "N4" code to the left of the model number in the photograph.
The overall length is 5.4 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The plain steel finish indicates production during the wartime years.
The "N4" marking is frequently found on Billings tools of apparent wartime production
and may represent a date code for 1944.
5704 Vitalloy 3/4 Combination Wrench
Fig. 246C shows
a Billings 5704 3/4 combination wrench,
stamped with "Billings Vitalloy" plus the
B-Triangle logo and fractional size on the front shank.
The back side is stamped "Duo-Forged" with "Made in U.S.A." and the model number,
as seen in the middle inset.
(Note that the middle inset has been rotated for readability.)
The overall length is 9.4 inches,
and the finish is plain steel with some gray paint remaining.
The gray paint finish indicates production during the wartime years.
11xx Series Combination Wrenches
Billings changed the model numbers for its combination wrenches from the 5xxx series (see above)
to the 11xx series in the late wartime or early post-war period.
Our estimate for the timing of the change is based on the existence of examples of 11xx series wrenches
with plain steel or cadmium finishes characteristic of the wartime period.
The Billings 11xx model numbers for combination wrenches matched those in use by J.H. Williams and Bonney,
which had become a de facto standard in the post-war era.
1162 Vitalloy 1/2 Combination Wrench
Fig. 247A shows
a Billings 1162 1/2 combination wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on the face,
and stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the B-Triangle on the shank as well.
The overall length is 6.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
1164 Vitalloy 5/8 Combination Wrench
Fig. 247B shows
a earlier Billings 1164 5/8 combination wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on the face,
and stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the B-Triangle on the shank as well.
The overall length is 7.5 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
A later version of this model can be seen as the
Billing 1164 Combination Wrench, Later Style.
1165 Vitalloy Combination Wrench
Fig. 248 shows
a Billings 1165 11/16 combination wrench,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the
B-Triangle logo on the shank,
and stamped "Made in U.S.A." with another B-Triangle on the face.
The overall length is 8.5 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The inset shows a side view to illustrate the oval shank and substantial construction.
The plain steel finish suggests production in the late wartime or early post-war period.
1166 Vitalloy Combination Wrench
Fig. 249 shows
a Billings 1166 3/4 combination wrench,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the
B-Triangle logo on the shank,
and stamped "Made in U.S.A." with another B-Triangle on the face.
The overall length is 9.4 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
A later version of this model can be seen as the
Billing 1166 Combination Wrench, Later Style.
1167 Vitalloy Combination Wrench
Fig. 250 shows
a Billings 1167 7/8 combination wrench,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the
B-Triangle logo on the shank,
and stamped "Made in U.S.A." with another B-Triangle on the face.
The overall length is 10.9 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
1170 Vitalloy Combination Wrench
Fig. 251 shows
a Billings 1170 1 inch combination wrench,
stamped "Billings Vitalloy" with the
B-Triangle logo on the shank,
and stamped "Made in U.S.A." with another B-Triangle on the face.
The overall length is 13.0 inches.
The finish is cadmium plating.
The cadmium finish suggests a manufacturing date in the late wartime or early post-war period.
Other Vitalloy Wrenches
Billings produced other types of wrenches in the Vitalloy line,
including S-shaped open-end wrenches, various specialty wrenches,
and ignition wrenches.
Ignition Wrenches
Billings produced an 11xx series of miniature open-end wrenches for ignition service
or other work with small nuts and bolts.
These wrenches were designed with two equal-sized openings,
but set at different offset angles.
The model numbers for the ignition wrenches use the last two digits to specify the opening size in 64ths,
so for example a model 1122 would indicate an 11/32 opening.
(The same model numbers were used by J.H. Williams for its "Midget Superrench" series.)
Note that the Billings ignition wrench model numbers conflicted with some of their earlier 11xx standard
open-end wrenches.
M-34 Vitalloy 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 252 shows
a Billings M-34 5/8x3/4 open-end wrench intended for servicing Draper looms.
The wrench is stamped with the Billing modern face markings,
with "Billings Vitalloy" and the
B-Triangle logo on the shank.
The overall length is 7.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
Most of the Billings tools made for Draper Loom applications were of carbon-steel construction,
with this M-34 model being an exception.
This tool was listed in the 1937 Billings catalog.
M-71 Vitalloy 1/2x9/16 S-Shaped Wrench
Fig. 253 shows
a Billings M-71 1/2x9/16 S-shaped wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
B-Triangle logo on the face,
with "Billings Vitalloy" stamped on the back side of the shank.
The overall length is 4.8 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
1112 3/16x3/16 Ignition Wrench
Fig. 254 shows
a Billings 1112 3/16x3/16 ignition wrench,
stamped with the
B-Triangle logo on one face,
with the model number on the other end.
The shank has forged-in markings "Made in U.S.A." on one side
with "Billings Vitalloy" on the back side.
The overall length is 3.1 inches,
and the finish is plain steel (or possibly cadmium plating).
1122 11/32x11/32 Ignition Wrench
Fig. 255 shows
a Billings 1122 11/32x11/32 ignition wrench,
marked with "Billings" and "Vitalloy" forged into the shank,
with "Made in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The overall length is 3.8 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
![[Top Cover of Billings Allen Friction Wrench Socket Set]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_allen_friction_set_cover_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Allen Friction Wrench Socket Set]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_allen_friction_set_cropped.jpg)
![[End Markings of Billings Allen Friction Wrench Socket Set]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_allen_friction_set_end_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Allen Friction Wrench 1/2-Drive Ratchet]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_ratchet_allen_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings 1/2-Drive 8 Inch Double-Male Extension]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_extension_allen_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings 1/2-Drive Double-Male Universal]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_universal_allen_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings No. 31 Pressed-Steel Socket Set]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_no31_socket_set_f_cropped.jpg)
![[Top View of Billings No. 31 Pressed-Steel Socket Set]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_no31_socket_set_top_cropped.jpg)
![[End View of Billings No. 31 Socket Set]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_no31_socket_set_end_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Model CA 1/2-Drive Ratchet]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_ca_ratchet_no31_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings 1/2-Drive 10 Inch Extension]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_ext_10in_no31_f_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings 1/2-Drive Ratchet Plug (Short Extension)]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_drive_plug_no31_f_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings 1/2-Drive Screwdriver Bit]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_screwdriver_bit_no31_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Pressed-Steel 1-9/32 Hex Socket]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_sockets_ps_s41_no31_f_cropped_adjust.jpg)
![[Billings Small Pressed-Steel Sockets]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_sockets_ps_small_x3_no31_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Cover of Billings No. 52 Socket Set]](Photos/tools/billings_12mdr_no52_socket_set_cover_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings No. 52 Socket Set]](Photos/tools/billings_12mdr_no52_socket_set_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings 1/2-Drive Model CA Ratchet]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_ca_ratchet_no52_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings 1/2-Drive Brace (Speeder) from No. 52 Set]](Photos/tools/billings_12mdr_brace_no52_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings 1/2 Male Drive Sockets]](Photos/tools/billings_12mdr_sockets_6pt_x3_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings 1/2 Male Drive Folding Tee Handle]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_handle_folding_tee_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings 1/2 Male Drive 1 Inch Deep Hex Socket]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_socket_6pt_deep_male_s32_paint_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings 1/2 Male Drive 1-1/8 Deep Hex Socket]](Photos/tools/billings_12dr_socket_6pt_deep_male_s36_paint_f2_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings 3000 3/8x7/16 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1214_3000_tappet_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings 3002 7/16x1/2 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1416_3002_wrench_tappet_crmo_early_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings 3002 7/16x1/2 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1416_3002_tappet_f_cropped_inset3.jpg)
![[Billings Early 3004 9/16x5/8 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1820_3004_wrench_tappet_crmo_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings 3005 1/2x19/32 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1619_3005_wrench_tappet_crmo_usssae_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings 3006 9/16x5/8 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1820_3006_wrench_tappet_crmo_capsae_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings 3008 11/16x13/16 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2226_3008_wrench_thin_crmo_uss_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings 3010 3/4x13/16 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2426_3010_wrench_thin_crmo_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings 3011 3/4x7/8 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2428_3011_wrench_tappet_crmo_early_capsae_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[1926 Catalog Illustration of Billings M-Series Wrench]](Photos/tools/scans/billings_cat_36th_p32b_mseries_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings M-1728 1/2x5/8 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1620_m1728_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Chrome Molybdenum M-1025 1/2x19/32 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1619_m1025_wrench_crmo_f_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Chrome Molybdenum M-1027C 9/16x11 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1822_m1027c_wrench_crmo_raised_uss_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Chrome Molybdenum M-1027-C 9/16x11/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1822_m1027c_wrench_crmo_f_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Chrome Molybdenum M-1030 11/16x7/8 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2228_m1030_wrench_crmo_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings M-1907A 1-1/8 Single-Open Structural Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe36_m1907a_wrench_spud_f_cropped_inset3.jpg)
![[Billings C-1721 5/16x3/8 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1012_c1721_wrench_chrome_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings C-1723-A 3/8x1/2 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1216_c1723a_wrench_chrome_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings C-1725-B 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1618_c1725b_wrench_chrome_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings C-1025 1/2x19/32 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1619_c1025_wrench_chrome_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings C-1027-C 9/16x11/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1822_c1027c_wrench_fcs_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings C-1027 19/32x11/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1922_c1027_wrench_chrome_f_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings C-1729 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2024_c1729_wrench_chrome_2nd_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings C-1729 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2024_c1729_wrench_chrome_f_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings C-1731 3/4x13/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2426_c1731_wrench_chrome_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings C-1031 25/32x7/8 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2528_c1031_wrench_chrome_f_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings C-1033-C 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe3032_c1033c_wrench_chrome_f_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings C-1033-C 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe3032_c1033c_wrench_fcs_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings C-92F 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2022_c92f_wrench_tappet_cr_steel_plain_f_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Life-Time M-2725 7/16x1/2 Angle-Head Obstruction Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1416_m2725_wrench_obst_lifetime_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Life-Time M-2728 9/16x3/4 Angle-Head Obstruction Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1824_m2728_wrench_obst_lifetime_crmo_b_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Life-Time M-2030 11/16x7/8 Angle-Head Obstruction Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2228_m2030_wrench_obst_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Life-Time M-2731B 13/16x7/8 Angle-Head Obstruction Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2628_m2731b_wrench_obst_lifetime_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings M-2731 Special 1x1-1/8 Angle-Head Obstruction Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe3236_m2731_special_wrench_obst_f_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Chrome-Molybdenum 2822 11/16x11/16 Single-Offset Box Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db2222_2822_wrench_offset_pat_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Chrome-Molybdenum 2828 7/8x7/8 Single-Offset Box Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db2828_2828_wrench_offset_pat_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Chrome-Molybdenum 2890 9/16x13/16 Specialty Box Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db1826_2890_wrench_offset_pat_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Chrome-Molybdenum L-2 1/2x9/16 Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db1618_l2_wrench_offset_crmo_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Craftsman C-3006 9/16x5/8 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/craftsman_oe1820_c3006_wrench_tappet_raised_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Craftsman Vanadium Steel C-1725B 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/craftsman_oe1618_c1725b_wrench_vanadium_steel_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Craftsman Vanadium Steel C-1027 19/32x11/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/craftsman_oe1922_c1027_wrench_vanadium_steel_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1723 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1214_m1723_wrench_vitalloy_duo_early_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1723 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1214_m1723_wrench_duo_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1723A 3/8x1/2 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1216_m1723a_wrench_vitalloy_duo_early_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1020A 3/16x1/4 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe0608_m1020a_wrench_duo_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1026 Special 1/2x3/4 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1624_m1026_special_wrench_vitalloy_duo_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1027-C 9/16x11/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1822_m1027c_wrench_vitalloy_duo_plain_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1027 19/32x11/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1922_m1027_wrench_vitalloy_duo_plain_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1028 19/32x25/32 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1925_m1028_wrench_vitalloy_duo_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1729 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2024_m1729_wrench_vitalloy_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1028-S 5/8x25/32 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2025_m1028s_wrench_paint_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1029 11/16x25/32 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2225_m1029_wrench_vitalloy_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1731 3/4x13/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2426_m1731_wrench_vitalloy_duo_cadmium_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1033-C 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe3032_m1033c_wrench_vitalloy_duo_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings M-1723 3/8x7/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1214_m1723_wrench_plain_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings M-1725 7/16x1/2 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1416_m1725_wrench_cadmium2_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings M-1729 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2024_m1729_wrench_cadmium_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-1031W 13/16x29/32 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2629_m1031w_wrench_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 1092B 1/2x11/16 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1622_1092b_wrench_tappet_plain_f_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 1092F 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2022_1092f_wrench_tappet_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy L-456 15/16x1 Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db3032_l456_wrench_offset_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy S-153 Duo-Forged Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db2022_s153_duoforged_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 7723 3/8x7/16 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db1214_7723_wrench_vitalloy_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 7725B 1/2x9/16 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db1618_7725b_wrench_vitalloy_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 7727 9/16x5/8 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db1820_7727_wrench_vitalloy_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 7733 7/8x1 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db2832_7733_wrench_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 7033C 15/16x1 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db3032_7033c_wrench_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 8723 3/8x7/16 Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db1214_8723_wrench_offset_vitalloy_duo_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 8725B 1/2x9/16 Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db1618_8725b_wrench_duo_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 8727 9/16x5/8 Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db1820_8727_wrench_offset_panel_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 8027 19/32x11/16 Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db1922_8027_wrench_offset_panel_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 8729 5/8x3/4 Duo-Forged Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db2024_8729_wrench_offset_panel_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 8029 11/16x25/32 Duo-Forged Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db2225_8029_wrench_offset_vitalloy_duoforged_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 8029 11/16x25/32 Duo-Forged Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db2225_8029_wrench_duo_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 8731 3/4x13/16 Duo-Forged Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db2426_8731_wrench_duo_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 8033C 15/16x1 Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db3032_8033c_wrench_offset_f2_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 8039 1-1/4x1-7/16 Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db4046_8039_wrench_offset_vitalloy_bt_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 8742B 1-1/2x1-11/16 Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db4854_8742b_wrench_offset_f_cropped_inset3.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 9723 3/8x7/16 Short Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db1214_9723_wrench_offset_vitalloy_panel_plain_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 9725 7/16x1/2 Short Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db1416_9725_wrench_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 9725B 1/2x9/16 Short Offset Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_db1618_9725b_wrench_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[1938 Catalog Listing for Billings 5xxx Combination Wrenches]](Photos/tools/scans/billings_cat_41st_1938_p23_combo_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 5701 7/16 Combination Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_c14_5701_wrench_vitalloy_duo_n4_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 5704 3/4 Combination Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_c24_5704_wrench_vitalloy_paint_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 1162 1/2 Combination Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_c16_1162_wrench_combo_vitalloy_bt_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 1164 5/8 Combination Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_c20_1164_wrench_combo_vitalloy_bt_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 1165 11/16 Combination Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_c22_1165_wrench_combo_vitalloy_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 1166 3/4 Combination Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_c24_1166_wrench_combo_vitalloy_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 1167 7/8 Combination Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_c28_1167_wrench_vitalloy_oval_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy 1170 1 Inch Combination Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_c32_1170_wrench_combo_vitalloy_cropped.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-34 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe2024_m34_wrench_vitalloy_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings Vitalloy M-71 1/2x9/16 S-Shaped Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1618_m71_wrench_s_vitalloy_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings 1112 3/16x3/16 Ignition Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe0606_1112_wrench_ignition_vitalloy_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Billings 1122 11/32x11/32 Ignition Wrench]](Photos/tools/billings_oe1111_1122_wrench_ignition_f_cropped_inset.jpg)