The Dunlap Brand
Sears offered a wide variety of Dunlap brand economy tools during the 1940s and 1950s,
and the brand continued to be available until 1963.
The 1963 Craftsman Power and Hand Tools catalog was the last to mention the Dunlap brand.
The Retirement of the Dunlap Brand
The retirement of the Dunlap brand in 1963 seems clear to us,
based on its disappearance from the catalogs after a long period of extensive use.
However, we have found some disagreement on other tool websites or message boards,
with some thinking that the Dunlap brand continued to be used throughout the 1960s or even beyond.
To quantify the usage of the Dunlap brand,
we went through the Craftsman hand tool catalogs at the ITCL and counted the references to "Dunlap"
using the full text search facility.
Here are the counts we found for various catalog years:
- 1948: 38
- 1949: 14
- 1952: 12
- 1953: 32
- 1954: 36
- 1955: 46
- 1957: 12
- 1959: 98
- 1960: 81
- 1963: 4 (Power Tools catalog)
- 1964: 0
- 1966: 0
- 1968: 0
- 1970: 0.
A full text search of the ITCL found no references to Dunlap in Sears catalogs for 1964 and later.
Some of the variation in the counts is due to OCR errors caused by poor quality scans,
but the overall trend is clear:
references to Dunlap peaked in the late 1950s and then dropped to zero.
It's possible that there might be regional editions of Sears catalogs that would show
longer use of the Dunlap brand,
but it seems very unlikely that the ITCL would somehow have gathered only non-Dunlap editions after 1964.
It's also possible that Dunlap could have appeared sporadically in store flyers,
as it would have taken some time for the inventory of Dunlap tools to sell through after production ceased.
If any of our readers have evidence that Dunlap remained in use after 1963,
please send us an email with the details.
After the retirement of the Dunlap brand,
the alternate brands for tools became the "Sears" name itself and later the "Companion" brand.
Note though that the catalogs did not always specify the brand for the non-Craftsman tools,
and the history of the era has to be pieced together from what tool brands are actually observed.
Dunlap Carbon Steel Wrenches
Up until 1955 Dunlap carbon steel wrenches were offered in an older style with a small depressed oval panels,
with production by Maker "V".
An example can be seen as the
Dunlap "V" 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench.
The 1957 Craftsman catalog illustrated wrenches in a new style with gently-sloped depressed panels,
which closely resemble the "TruFit" wrenches being made by Lectrolite at that time.
The early production of this new style had forge marks similar to those on the "TruFit" wrenches,
and by the late 1950s the wrenches were being marked with a forged-in "LC" code,
presumably a mnemonic for "Lectrolite Corporation".
Dunlap "LC" 11/16x3/4 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 91 shows
a Dunlap 11/16x3/4 open-end wrench with gently-sloped depressed panels,
marked with "Dunlap" and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,
with "Forged in U.S.A." and the fractional sizes forged into the back panel.
The back panel also has a forged-in code "S" at the left
and a code "LC" between "U.S.A." and the fractional size.
The overall length is 7.3 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The forged-in "LC" code indicates production by Lectrolite.
This code was more typically placed on the "Dunlap" side at the end of the panel,
but here it has been shoe-horned into the middle of the "Forged in U.S.A." side.
This wrench was acquired as part of the
Dunlap 4364 "LC" Six-Piece Wrench Set.
Dunlap ["LC"] 13/16x7/8 Open-End Wrenches
The next figures show two generations of the Dunlap 13/16x7/8 wrench.
Fig. 92 shows
an early Dunlap 13/16x7/8 open-end wrench with gently-sloped depressed panels,
marked with "Dunlap" and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,
with "Forged in U.S.A." and the fractional sizes forged into the back panel.
The front panel also has a forged-in code "C" visible at the left.
The overall length is 8.5 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The construction of this wrench closely resembles the Lectrolite "TruFit" wrenches
produced in the late 1940s and 1950s,
as for example the TruFit 11/16x3/4 Open-End Wrench.
Note in particular the gently-sloped depressed panels.
The wrench is not marked with an "LC" code,
but the general construction and the presence of a "C" code on the front panel are
very similar to the other Dunlap "LC" examples here,
indicating production by Lectrolite.
Fig. 93 shows
a somewhat later Dunlap "LC" 13/16x7/8 open-end wrench with gently-sloped depressed panels,
marked with "Dunlap" and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,
with "Forged in U.S.A." and the fractional sizes forged into the back panel.
The front panel also has a forged-in "LC" visible at the right,
and the back panel has a forged-in "K" code at the left.
The top inset shows a side view of the wrench,
with remnants of the trimming process visible on the edge.
The overall length is 8.5 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The forged-in "LC" code indicates production by Lectrolite.
This wrench was acquired as part of the
Dunlap 4364 "LC" Six-Piece Wrench Set.
Dunlap 4364 "LC" Six-Piece Open-End Wrench Set
Fig. 94 shows
a Dunlap 4364 six-piece open-end wrench set in its metal clip.
The wrenches are marked with "Dunlap" and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,
with "Forged in U.S.A." and the fractional sizes forged into the back panel.
Each wrench is also marked with a forged-in "LC" code.
The sizes are 5/16x11/32, 3/8x7/16, 1/2x9/16, 19/32x5/8, 11/16x3/4, and 13/16x7/8.
The finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The forged-in "LC" code (for "Lectrolite Corporation") indicates production by Lectrolite.
Examples of wrenches in this set can be seen as the
Dunlap "LC" 11/16x3/4 Open-End Wrench
and
Dunlap "LC" 13/16x7/8 Open-End Wrench.
Dunlap "LC" 5/8 Combination Wrenches
The next two figures show examples of the Dunlap 5/8 combination wrench.
Fig. 95 shows
a Dunlap 5/8 combination wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Dunlap" and the fractional size forged into the front panel,
with "Forged in U.S.A." and the fractional size forged into the back side.
The front panel also has a forged-in "T" code at the left and "LC" code at the right,
shown as a close-up in the middle inset.
The overall length is 7.1 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The construction of this wrench closely resembles the Lectrolite "TruFit" combination wrenches
produced in the late 1940s and 1950s,
as for example the TruFit 9/16 Combination Wrench.
Note in particular the gently-sloped depressed panels and the increased width of the shank
at the junction with the box end.
The forged-in "LC" code (for "Lectrolite Corporation") indicates production by Lectrolite.
Fig. 96 shows
another Dunlap 5/8 combination wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Dunlap" and the fractional size forged into the front panel,
with "Forged in U.S.A." and the fractional size forged into the back side.
The front panel also has a forged-in code "T" at the left and "LC" at the right,
shown as a close-up in the middle inset.
The overall length is 7.1 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The forged-in "LC" code indicates production by Lectrolite.
This wrench was acquired as part of a
Sears 4385 Six-Piece Combination Wrench Set
brand wrench set containing a mix of Sears and Dunlap wrenches.
The set would have been sold in 1964,
with the Dunlap wrenches as leftover inventory presumably made somewhat earlier.
Dunlap "LC" 3/8x7/16 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 97 shows
a Dunlap 3/8x7/16 offset box wrench with gently-sloped depressed panels,
marked with "Dunlap" and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,
with "Forged in U.S.A." and the fractional sizes forged into the back side.
The front panel also has a forged-in code "X" at the left and "LC" at the right end,
seen as a close-up in the middle inset.
The overall length is 6.9 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The construction of this wrench closely resembles the Lectrolite "TruFit" wrenches
produced in the late 1940s and 1950s,
as for example the TruFit 3/4x25/32 Offset Box Wrench.
Note in particular the gently-sloped depressed panels and the increased width of the shank after
the offset.
The forged-in "LC" code (for "Lectrolite Corporation") indicates production by Lectrolite.
Dunlap "LC" 5½ Inch Combination Pliers
Fig. 98 shows
a pair of Dunlap 5½ inch slip-joint combination pliers,
stamped with the Dunlap oval logo near the pivot,
with "USA" and with a small "LC" code below (see lower inset).
The plier handles are also marked with very faint forged-in codes,
with the back side handle showing "N36",
as seen in the right middle inset.
The top inset shows a side view of the pliers,
illustrating the diamond checkered gripping pattern on the handles.
The overall length is 5.6 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The handle pattern closely resembles the early gripping pattern used by J.P. Danielson for its own production
in the 1930s,
suggesting Danielson as the likely maker of the pliers.
(See for example the
Danielson 8 Inch Combination Pliers.)
We can confirm production by Danielson by noting that the forged-in codes on the handles
match the format of the Danielson date code,
and the "6" year digit on the back side code likely indicates production in 1956.
Although the pliers were made by Danielson,
the "LC" code indicates that they were supplied to Sears by Lectrolite in an unusual case
of "pass-through" contract production.
Danielson supplied pliers to Lectrolite from the late 1940s until the mid 1960s,
and beginning in the mid 1950s Lectrolite had a supply contract with Sears for the Dunlap brand.
Dunlap Adjustable Wrenches
Dunlap "Y-Circle" 10 Inch Adjustable Wrench
Fig. 99 shows
a Dunlap 10 inch adjustable wrench,
marked with the Dunlap double-line logo and "Dependable Quality" forged into the shank,
with "Forged in U.S.A." forged into the back side.
The shank is also marked with a forged-in
Y-Circle logo,
visible at the right near the hanging hole.
The overall length is 10.0 inches and the maximum opening is 1.1 inches.
The finish is chrome plating.
On this wrench the pin securing the knurl is threaded on the outside (slotted) end,
a detail also observed on other adjustable wrenches marked with the Y-Circle code.
The forged-in Y-Circle logo was recently (2024)
identified as the manufacturer's code for McKaig-Hatch.
The Y-Circle logo also appears on Craftsman adjustable wrenches,
as for example the
Craftsman "Y-Circle" 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
Dunlap "Japan" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench
We recently (2024) discovered that in 1962 Sears placed a trial order for "Dunlap" brand adjustable wrenches
from its prospective Japanese suppliers.
We haven't found any mention of Japanese imports for Dunlap in the catalogs,
and presumably these wrenches were sold only in stores.
The next three figures show examples of these wrenches.
Fig. 100 shows
a Dunlap 6 inch adjustable wrench,
marked with the Dunlap oval logo and "Chrome" over "Alloy Steel" forged into the shank,
with "Full Drop Forged" and "Japan" forged into the back side.
The center inset shows the construction of the jaws.
Note the rounded transition at the corner of the fixed jaw,
with a corresponding inset convex cutaway on the movable jaw.
The overall length is 6.1 inches and the maximum opening is 0.8 inches.
The finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
We verified that the pin securing the worm gear is threaded on the inside end.
However, it wasn't easy to remove the pin —
the threads push the head of the pin only slightly beyond the edge of the wrench,
and we had to grasp the pin with needlenose pliers to pull it out.
This wrench has been identified as part of a trial order placed by Sears in 1962
and imported by the Fuller Orient Corporation.
At that time Fuller's primary manufacturing partners were
KTC
and
Toho Kōki,
and the inside threads on the pin of this wrench identify KTC as the maker.
Note the round or "maru" outline of the jaws in the center inset.
In later years KTC adopted a "spear-type" outline,
and this wrench will help us narrow the date estimate for the change.
The distinctive stacked "Chrome/Alloy Steel" marking is a production characteristic believed to be unique
to KTC for its 6 inch adjustable wrenches.
This same marking has also been observed on a
Sears "BF" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
Dunlap "Japan" 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench
Fig. 101 shows
a Dunlap 8 inch adjustable wrench,
marked with the Dunlap oval logo and "Chrome Alloy Steel" forged into the front,
with "Full Drop Forged" and "Japan" forged into the back.
The center inset shows the construction of the jaws.
Note the rounded transition at the corner of the fixed jaw,
and the corresponding inset convex cutaway on the movable jaw.
In addition, note the round or "maru" outline of the jaws.
The overall length is 8.1 inches and the maximum opening is 1.0 inches.
The finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
We verified that the pin securing the worm gear is threaded on the outside end,
but we not able to remove the pin due to damaged threads at the opening of the hole.
This wrench has been identified as part of a trial order placed by Sears in 1962
and imported by the Fuller Orient Corporation.
At that time Fuller's primary manufacturing partners were
KTC
and
Toho Kōki,
and the outside threads on the pin of this wrench identify Toho Kōki as the maker.
Dunlap "Japan" 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench
Fig. 102 shows
a Dunlap 12 inch adjustable wrench,
marked with the Dunlap oval logo and "Chrome Alloy Steel" forged into the shank,
with "Full Drop Forged" and "Japan" forged into the back side.
The center inset shows the construction of the jaws.
Note the rounded transition at the corner of the fixed jaw,
and the corresponding inset convex cutaway on the movable jaw.
In addition, note the round or "maru" outline of the jaws.
The overall length is 12.1 inches and the maximum opening is 1.4 inches.
The finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
We disassembled the wrench for cleaning and verified that the pin securing the worm gear
is threaded on the outside end.
The pin diameter was measured as 6.05mm at the threaded end and 5.47mm at the interior section.
This wrench has been identified as part of a trial order placed by Sears in 1962
and imported by the Fuller Orient Corporation.
At that time Fuller's primary manufacturing partners were
KTC
and
Toho Kōki,
and the outside threads on the pin of this wrench identify Toho Kōki as the maker.
The trial order was apparently well received by its customers,
and in 1964 Sears began its "BF" series of imported Japanese tools.
We noted that all three of the Dunlap Japanese wrenches have similar design features,
including features that differ from those normally used by the two manufacturers.
In particular, the rounded transition at the fixed jaw was not the preferred style for Toho Kōki,
and the hanging hole with a ridge was not standard for KTC at that time,
but was preferred by Toho Kōki and in addition was widely used in the U.S. market.
This suggests that the two manufacturers consulted ahead of time and agreed on a common design
that would be well received by the U.S. market.
This same design continued for early production in the "BF" series.
Dunlap "N-Square" 5/8 Flat Chisel
Fig. 103 shows
a Dunlap 5/8 flat chisel,
stamped with the Dunlap logo and "Made in U.S.A." with the fractional size on the square shank,
and with an "N-Square" manufacturer's code.
The overall length is 6.4 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
The top inset shows a side view of the chisel,
illustrating the parting line on the edge of the tip,
an indication of drop-forged construction.
Dunlap "N-Square" Center Punch
Fig. 104 shows
a Dunlap brand 3/8 center punch,
stamped with the Dunlap logo and "U.S.A." on the square shank,
and with an "N-Square" manufacturer's code.
The overall length is 4.8 inches.
The Sears Brand
In 1964 Sears began selling large numbers of lower-priced tools under its own "Sears" brand.
There were two factors leading to the sudden appearance of Sears branded tools,
the first being that with the 1963 "retirement" of the Dunlap brand,
some of the tools previously branded as Dunlap moved to the Sears brand.
The second factor was that in 1964 Sears began to import tools from Japan in the "BF" series,
and most of these were initially sold under the Sears brand.
For example,
tools such as the Dunlap carbon-steel open-end and combination wrenches of the 1950s and early 1960s
moved to the Sears brand in 1964,
still made by Lectrolite and marked with an "LC" manufacturer's code.
These wrenches were joined by nearly identical Sears brand wrenches from Japan with a "BF" code.
Our identification of 1964 as the starting date for the "BF" series is based on the 1964 Sears Craftsman catalog
as the first catalog to note tools from Japan.
If an earlier catalog were to be found documenting Japanese imported tools,
the starting date would have to be adjusted accordingly.
Currently we're uncertain to what extent (if at all) the "Sears" brand was used for tools
prior to 1964.
In the 1920s and 1930s the Fulton, Merit, and Dunlap brands accounted for most of the tool sales,
with Dunlap continuing until 1963.
The catalogs often didn't specify the brands for lower-priced tools,
except sometimes as "Not Craftsman",
so we have to look at what tools can be found now and attempt to surmise when they were sold.
The trickle of Japanese tools in 1964 soon turned into a torrent as the tools found wide acceptance
based on their consistent quality and attractive prices.
More information on the "BF" series of Japanese tools can be found in our article on
Distributor "BF".
A Marketing Experiment?
We have a theory that the sudden importance of the Sears brand was part of a marketing experiment
with the new line of Japanese tools.
It's based on three assumptions: that the Japanese tools had lower unit cost;
the Japanese tools were comparable in quality; and American consumers would prefer domestic brands,
but were willing to consider imports based on perceived quality and price.
We'll fill in details later.
Sears Brand Carbon Steel Wrenches
Sears brand carbon steel wrenches were the continuation of the earlier Dunlap brand wrenches.
The style remained the same,
with rounded depressed panels and forged-in markings,
and the wrenches continued to be offered in open-end, box-end, and combination designs.
Wrench Sets
These wrenches were only sold in sets and as a result the individual wrenches were never
marked with a model number.
In 1964 the available sets were:
- No. 4364 6-Piece open-end wrench set with sizes from 5/16 to 7/8;
- No. 4380 5-Piece box-end wrench set with sizes from 3/8 to 7/8;
- No. 4385 6-Piece combination wrench set with sizes from 3/8 to 11/16.
In the 1970 catalog the open-end wrench set changed to No. 4360 with five pieces instead of six,
and with the largest wrench size as 11/16x3/4.
This implies that the 13/16x7/8 size was made only in 1969 or earlier,
which may be useful for estimating production dates.
Sourcing and Packaging
The carbon-steel wrenches were one of the few types of tools available from both domestic and imported sources.
Catalog fulfillment would have followed the catalog description of the source,
but both domestic and imported tools could be sold in the stores,
where the customer could decide which product they wanted.
One complication to sourcing occurred in 1970 when domestic production switched to the "Companion" brand,
with Western Forge ("WF") replacing Lectrolite ("LC") as the producer.
From 1964 through 1976 the catalogs noted only domestic (but non-Craftsman) sourcing,
and the wrench sets were advertised with a metal clip for storage.
Then from 1977 onward the sourcing flipped to imported,
at which point the catalogs offered sets in both S.A.E. and metric sizes,
and the sets were advertised with a plastic pouch for storage.
Since we don't have records of what was offered in the stores,
the difference in sourcing means that it's possible that plastic pouches and metric sizes arrived earlier
for Japanese production,
and that metal storage clips continued later for domestic production.
Metric Sizes
As noted above,
in 1977 the Craftsman catalogs began offering carbon steel wrenches in metric sizes,
and also noted that the wrenches were imported from Japan.
A review of online photographs found many examples of "Sears" brand metric wrenches
marked with a "BF" code.
By this time domestic production of carbon-steel wrenches had shifted to the "Companion" brand,
and although not mentioned in the catalogs,
Companion carbon-steel wrenches were also available in metric sizes.
A Stealth Upgrade to Alloy?
Sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s the "carbon steel" wrenches were upgraded to alloy steel,
at least for the Japanese production.
Since there was no notice of the change in the catalogs,
we're calling it a stealth upgrade.
By this time the wrench sets were being supplied in plastic pouches instead of metal clips,
and a review of online photographs found a number of the pouches marked for alloy steel,
with the wrenches inside marked "Forged Alloy" instead of just "Forged".
But the changeover wasn't very consistent,
as sometimes pouches marked "Alloy" had wrenches with just "Forged" and pouches without "Alloy"
had wrenches with "Forged Alloy".
Extended Sizes
By 1981 the combination wrench sets were available with additional sizes:
- No. 4399 11-Piece standard combination wrench set with sizes from 3/8 to 1 inch;
- No. 4388 11-Piece metric combination wrench set with sizes from 6mm to 22mm.
Selected Examples
The Sears carbon steel wrenches have been observed with "LC" and "BF Japan" manufacturing codes.
With two manufacturers, three types of wrenches, three generations of markings for "BF" tools,
and five or six sizes in the sets,
there are a large number of tools to explore.
We will not even attempt to show everything,
but will offer representative examples as available.
Sears "LC" 11/16x3/4 Open-End Wrench
We'll begin this section with an example from maker "LC",
with the intent of showing continuity with the prior "Dunlap" generation.
Fig. 105 shows
a Sears 11/16x3/4 open-end wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Sears" and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,
with "Forged in U.S.A." and the fractional sizes forged into the back panel.
The front panel is also marked with a forged-in "LC" code at the left,
as seen in the lower inset.
The top inset shows a side view of the wrench.
Note that traces of the trimming operation are still visible on the edge.
The overall length is 7.4 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The "LC" marking is the manufacturer's code for Lectrolite,
and this wrench provides an example of Lectrolite's production after the transition to the Sears brand in 1964.
Except for the use of "Sears" instead of "Dunlap",
this wrench is very similar to the
Dunlap "LC" 11/16x3/4 Open-End Wrench
of the previous generation.
Lectrolite is believed to have continued production of Sears carbon steel wrenches until 1969,
but in 1970 appears to have been replaced by Western Forge,
when domestic production of these wrenches transitioned to the Companion brand.
Sears "LC" and "BF" 13/16x7/8 Open-End Wrenches
The next two figures show examples of 13/16x7/8 open-end wrenches,
with differences in the manufacturer's code to provide a comparison between domestic and imported production.
Note that the 13/16x7/8 size was no longer available after 1969 —
in 1970 and later the open-end wrench sets only went up to 11/16x3/4.
Fig. 106 shows
a Sears "LC" 13/16x7/8 open-end wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Sears" and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,
with "Forged in U.S.A." and the fractional sizes forged into the back panel.
The front panel also has a small forged-in "LC" code at the right,
as shown in the center inset.
The top inset shows a side view of the wrench,
with remnants of the trimming operation clearly visible on the edge.
The overall length is 8.5 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The "LC" code indicates production by Lectrolite.
Fig. 107 shows
an early Sears "BF" 13/16x7/8 open-end wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Sears" and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,
with "Drop Forged" between "BF" and "Japan" forged into the back panel.
The top inset shows a side view of the wrench,
with traces of the trimming operation visible on the edge.
The overall length is 8.5 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
This wrench is marked with the first generation variant of the
KTC Standard Forged Markings,
which indicates production by KTC for the Sears "BF" contract.
Note that in this example the "BF" and "Japan" markings are split by "Drop Forged",
and the back panel doesn't repeat the size markings.
The first generation marking suggests production from 1964 to the mid 1960s.
A comparison of the "LC" and "BF" wrenches in the above figures confirms that the tools are very similar,
but there are some discernable differences.
For example, the depressed oval panels of the "LC" wrench have gently-sloped edges,
but the panels of the "BF" wrench have sharply defined edges.
Another difference is that the heads of the "LC" wrench have a lateral offset at the connection
to the shank.
In our photograph the shank is horizontal and connects to the left head on its upper side,
so that the head projects well below the shank,
with the right head connecting on its lower side and projecting above the shank.
In contrast,
the shank of the "BF" wrench connects near the center of the heads and the projections are about the same.
The heads of the wrenches also have a different outline,
with a round ("maru") style for the "LC" wrench,
and a spear-type style for the "BF" wrench.
Sears "BF" 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrenches
The next figures show two generations of the Sears "BF" 9/16x5/8 wrench,
with minor differences in the markings and length.
Fig. 108 shows
an early Sears "BF" 9/16x5/8 open-end wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Sears" and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,
with "Drop Forged" between "B.F" and "Japan" forged into the back panel.
The top inset shows a side view of the wrench,
with traces of the trimming operation visible on the edge.
The overall length is 6.1 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
This wrench is marked with the first generation variant of the
KTC Standard Forged Markings,
which indicates production by KTC for the Sears "BF" contract.
Note that in this example the "BF" and "Japan" markings are split by "Drop Forged",
and the back panel doesn't repeat the size markings.
The first generation marking suggests production from 1964 to the mid 1960s.
Fig. 109 shows
a later Sears "BF" 9/16x5/8 open-end wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Sears" and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,
with "Drop Forged" and "BF Japan" forged into the back panel.
The top inset shows a side view of the wrench,
illustrating the smoothly finished and polished edge of the wrench.
The overall length is 6.4 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
This wrench is marked with the third generation variant of the
KTC Standard Forged Markings.
which indicates production by KTC for the Sears "BF" contract.
Note that the "BF Japan" markings are joined at the right,
and the size markings are repeated on the back panel.
The third generation marking suggests production from the mid 1970s onward.
Sears 4385 "LC" Six-Piece Combination Wrench Set
One of the themes in this section is the transition from the Dunlap to the Sears brand,
and for a wrench set nothing says "transitional" like a having mix of brands.
Fig. 110 shows
a Sears 4385 six-piece combination wrench set in its metal clip,
marked with "Sears" and "Made in U.S.A." on the paper label.
When we took the wrenches out of the clip,
we found a surprise —
only two of the wrenches were "Sears" brand,
and the remaining four were "Dunlap" brand!
The brands and sizes are Dunlap 3/8, Sears 7/16, Dunlap 1/2, Dunlap 9/16, Dunlap 5/8,
and Sears 11/16.
The wrenches are marked with the brand and size plus an "LC" code forged into the front,
with "Forged in U.S.A." and the size forged into the back.
The "LC" code indicates production by Lectrolite.
The mix of brands has a very straightforward explanation:
when Lectrolite switched its production to the Sears brand,
it's likely that there would have been some remaining inventory of Dunlap wrenches,
and these would have been used to fill out the early sets.
And since we know that 1964 was the first post-Dunlap year,
we can precisely date this set to 1964.
Fig. 111 shows
the six wrenches from the Sears 4385 combination wrench set.
The wrenches are, from top to bottom,
Dunlap 3/8, Sears 7/16, Dunlap 1/2, Dunlap 9/16, Dunlap 5/8, and Sears 11/16.
Each wrench is marked with an "LC" manufacturer's code,
visible at the right end of the panels.
Examples of individual wrenches from this set can be seen as the
Dunlap "LC" 5/8 Combination Wrench
and
Sears "LC" 11/16 Combination Wrench.
Sears "BF" 5/8 Combination Wrenches
The next figures show two generations of the Sears "BF" 5/8 combination wrench,
with minor differences in the markings.
Fig. 112 shows
an early Sears 5/8 combination wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Sears" and the fractional size forged into the front panel,
with "Drop Forged" between "B.F" and "Japan" forged into the back side.
The top inset shows a side view of the wrench.
Note that the edge of the shank has been ground smooth,
but a few traces of the trimming process still remain.
The overall length is 7.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
This wrench has an early variation of the
KTC Standard Forged Markings
with "B.F" and "Japan" on opposite ends of the back panel.
Fig. 113 shows
a somewhat later Sears 5/8 combination wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Sears" and the fractional size forged into the front panel,
with "Drop Forged" and "BF Japan" plus the fractional size forged into the back side.
The top inset shows a side view of the wrench.
Note that the edge of the shank has been ground smooth,
and the edges of the open-end are rounded and polished.
The overall length is 7.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The second-generation
KTC Standard Forged Markings
identify this wrench as production by KTC for the Sears "BF" contract.
Note that "BF" and "Japan" are joined on the right side,
and the back panel repeats the fractional size.
These wrenches closely resemble the
Dunlap "LC" 5/8 Combination Wrench
shown in an earlier figure,
strongly suggesting that the Sears "BF" wrenches were made as intentional copies.
Sears "LC" 11/16 Combination Wrench
The next several figures show examples of Sears 11/16 combination wrenches,
with differences in the manufacturer's code and markings.
Fig. 114 shows
an early Sears 11/16 combination wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Sears" and the fractional size forged into the front panel,
with "Forged in U.S.A." and the fractional size forged into the back panel.
The front panel also has a forged-in "LC" code at the right,
shown as a close-up in the center inset.
The top inset shows a side view of the wrench,
with traces of the trimming operation visible on the edge.
The overall length is 7.8 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The "LC" code indicates production by Lectrolite.
This wrench was acquired as part of a
Sears 4385 Six-Piece Combination Wrench Set
with mixed brands dating from 1964.
Sears "BF" 11/16 Combination Wrenches
The next figures show three generations of the Sears "BF" 11/16 combination wrench.
Fig. 115 shows
an earlier Sears 11/16 combination wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Sears" and the fractional size forged into the front panel,
with "Drop Forged" between "B.F" and "Japan" forged into the back side.
The top inset shows a side view of the wrench.
Note that the edge of the shank has been ground smooth,
but a few traces of the trimming process still remain.
The overall length is 7.8 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
This wrench has an early variation of the
KTC Standard Forged Markings
with "B.F" and "Japan" on opposite ends of the back panel.
Note also that the size marking is not repeated on the back panel.
Fig. 116 shows
a somewhat later Sears 11/16 combination wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Sears" and the fractional size forged into the front panel,
with "Drop Forged" and "BF Japan" plus the fractional size forged into the back side.
The top inset shows a side view of the wrench,
illustrating the smoothly ground and polished edge of the wrench.
The overall length is 7.8 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The
KTC Standard Forged Markings
identify this wrench as production by KTC for the Sears "BF" contract.
The second generation markings on this wrench suggest production from the late 1960s to early 1970s.
Fig. 117 shows
a later Sears 11/16 combination wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Sears" and the fractional size forged into the front panel,
with "Forged" and "BF Japan" plus the fractional size forged into the back side.
The top inset shows a side view of the wrench,
illustrating the smoothly ground and polished edge of the wrench.
The overall length is 7.8 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The
KTC Standard Forged Markings
identify this wrench as production by KTC for the Sears "BF" contract.
The third generation markings on this wrench suggest production from the mid 1970s onward.
Sears "BF" 9/16x5/8 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 118 shows
a Sears 9/16x5/8 offset box-end wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Sears" and the fractional sizes forged into the front panel,
with "Forged" and "BF Japan" plus the fractional sizes forged into the back panel.
The overall length is 9.4 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating,
with losses due to wear and rust.
This wrench can be identified as production by KTC based on a display in KTC's tool museum,
which shows a wrench closely resembling this example identifed as contract ("OEM") production for Sears.
The wrench in the exhibit has the same distinctive production characteristics,
including the short horizontal section joining the box end.
We will refer to the markings on this wrench as the
KTC Standard Forged Markings
for use in identifying other production by KTC.
Sears Brand Pliers
In 1964 Sears began offering pliers imported from Japan in several styles,
initially with combination pliers, utility (waterpump) pliers, longnose pliers,
and diagonal cutters.
The catalog listings for pliers offer proof that the imported tools were being sold under the Sears brand,
as both the 1964 and 1966 catalogs illustrate utility (waterpump) pliers with "Sears" in an oval outline on the handle.
By 1969 the fixed-pivot models (lineman's, diagonal cutters, and longnose) were being illustrated with
plastic handgrips,
and by 1978 the slip-joint models (combination, utility, and tongue-and-groove) had plastic handgrips as well.
Suppliers
Several manufacturers have been identified (or are strongly suspected) as suppliers of Sears pliers.
KTC's Kyoto Kōki subsidiary was probably the maker of early Sears slip-joint combination, utility,
and tongue-and-groove pliers,
although we are still looking for definitive evidence.
Several examples of these pliers share a particular production quirk in the form of matching stamped numbers
on both pieces of the pliers.
We hope to identify this as a production trait of Kyoto Kōki.
Maruto Hasegawa Kōsakujo
has been identified as the maker of fixed-pivot pliers,
probably beginning in 1964 at the start of the "BF" series.
Itō Kōgu
has been identified as the maker of Sears 30748 "Midget" diagonal cutters,
and probably supplied needlenose pliers and conventional diagonal cutters as well.
In addition,
it's likely that there are one or more other suppliers yet to be identified.
Sears Slip-Joint Combination Pliers
In 1964 Sears began offering combination pliers imported from Japan,
with standard pliers in models 30701 (6 inches) and 30702 (8 inches),
plus thin-nose pliers in model 3071 (6 inches).
(The thin-nose pliers were discontinued after 1971.)
A review of numerous online photos found some variation in production and markings,
with early examples stamped "Sears" and "Drop Forged" with "Japan BF" forged into the underside of one handle.
Later models were stamped with "Sears" and the model number,
and sometimes had "BF Japan" forged into the tips of the handles.
Early pliers (without a model number marking) have been observed only with a chevron (herringbone) gripping pattern,
but later pliers may have a diamond-checkered gripping pattern.
The Sears combination pliers can be categorized into three generations based on the marking style.
The first generation was stamped with "Sears" and "Drop Forged" along an oval arc,
with no model number marking,
and with "Japan BF" forged into the undersides of the handles.
These pliers were made from 1964 to 1969.
The second generation was stamped with "Sears" along a curved arc with the model number below,
typically with "Japan BF" forged into the indersides of the handles.
However, a variant during this generation had a diamond-checkered gripping pattern with "BF Japan"
at the ends of the handles.
These pliers were made from 1970 to 1977.
The third generation was defined by plastic handgrips,
which necessitated placing a stamped "Japan BF" marking in the middle of the handle above the plastic grips.
In some cases "Japan" was stamped below the model number,
without an apparent "BF" marking.
Pliers in the third generation were made from 1978 onward.
Pliers originally supplied with plastic handgrips can be recognized even if the handgrips have fallen off
by a stamped "Japan" marking as noted above.
Observations indicate that the pliers were made with the usual gripping pattern under the plastic handgrip.
Sears 30701 "BF" 6 Inch Combination Pliers
The next figures show two generations of the Sears 30701 6 inch combination pliers,
beginning with an early example before model numbers were marked..
Fig. 119 shows
an early pair of Sears [30701] 6 inch combination pliers,
stamped with "Sears" and "Drop Forged" along an oval arc.
The pliers are also marked with "BF Japan" forged into the undersides of the handles,
as seen in the small inset at the right.
The top inset shows a side view of the pliers,
illustrating the chevron (or herringbone) gripping pattern forged into the handles.
The overall length is 6.3 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome plating.
The absence of a model number marking suggests production before 1970.
We observed a hand-stamped "561" code in the pivot area
and verified that the other handle had a matching code.
Fig. 120 shows
a close-up of the disassembled pliers,
illustrating the forged-in and stamped production numbers in the pivot area.
Both handles have a forged-in "IR" code within a depressed oval,
with a hand-stamped "561" code below.
The stamped codes are believed to be part of the production process,
to ensure that the handles finished as a pair stay together in the final assembly.
Fig. 121 shows
a later pair of Sears 30701 6 inch combination pliers,
stamped with "Sears" along a curved arc with the model number below.
The pliers are also marked with "BF Japan" forged into the tips of the handles,
as seen in the top inset.
The top inset shows a side view of the pliers,
illustrating the diamond-checkered gripping pattern forged into the handles.
The overall length is 6.1 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome plating.
The model number marking suggests production in 1970 or later,
and the absence of plastic grips indicates production before 1978.
Sears 30702 "BF" 8 Inch Combination Pliers
The next figures show two generations of the Sears 30702 8 inch combination pliers,
beginning with an early example before model numbers were marked.
Fig. 122 shows
a early pair of Sears [30702] 8 inch combination pliers,
stamped with "Sears" and "Drop Forged" along a oval arc near the pivot.
The pliers are also marked with "Japan BF" forged into the underside of the handles (not shown).
The top inset shows a side view of the pliers,
illustrating the chevron or herringbone gripping pattern on the handles.
The overall length is 8.1 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome plating.
The absence of a model number marking suggests production before 1970.
The two parts of the pliers each have a stamped number "194" near the pivot pin,
one of which can be seen in the lower inset.
(We disassembled the pliers and verified that the other piece has the same number.)
These stamped numbers are probably a production code to ensure that once the two parts are paired in the finishing process,
they get assembled together for the final product.
Fig. 123 shows
a later pair of Sears 30702 8 inch combination pliers,
stamped with "Sears" along a curved arc with the model number below.
The pliers are also marked with "Japan BF" forged into the underside of the handles.
The top inset shows a side view of the pliers,
illustrating the chevron or herringbone gripping pattern on the handles.
The overall length is 8.1 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome plating.
The model number marking suggests production in 1970 or later,
and the absence of plastic handgrips indicates production before 1978.
Early Sears [3071] "BF" 6 Inch Thin-Nose Combination Pliers
Fig. 124 shows
an early pair of Sears 6 inch thin-nose combination pliers,
stamped with "Sears" and "Drop-Forged" along an oval arc near the pivot.
The pliers are also marked with "Japan BF" forged into undersides of the handles.
The top inset shows a side view of the pliers,
illustrating the thin nose and the chevron (or herringbone) gripping pattern forged into the handles.
The overall length is 6.1 inches,
and the finish is polished chrome plating.
The absence of a model number marking suggests production before 1970.
We observed a stamped number "669" on one handle,
but had to disassemble the pliers to verify that the other handle had a matching number.
Fig. 125 shows
a close-up of the disassembled pliers,
illustrating the forged-in and stamped production numbers in the pivot area.
Both handles have a forged-in "T15" code,
although it's not very clear on the left handle.
In addition, both handles have a hand-stamped "669" code.
Sears Utility Pliers
In 1964 Sears began offering slip-joint "utility" pliers imported from Japan,
a style with offset jaws often referred to as waterpump pliers.
The pliers featured five adjustment positions and were available as model 3072 in a 9½ inch size.
Fig. 126 shows
a catalog listing for the model 3072 utility pliers,
as published on page 78 of the 1966 Craftsman catalog.
(The utility pliers are in the middle.)
Note that the illustration shows the utility pliers with "Sears" in an oval outline
on the handle.
This is one of the few instances of the catalogs actually showing the "Sears" brand in use.
(The 1964 catalog also shows the utility pliers with the "Sears" oval outline.)
The 3072 pliers were quite popular and we were able to observe many examples in online photographs.
Most of the examples were stamped with "SEARS" and the model number
and had a polished chrome finish.
A few examples were observed with "Sears" stylized in an oval outline,
closely resembling the catalog illustration.
These examples were not marked with a model number and
had handles with a chevron gripping pattern.
All of the examples were marked with "JAPAN BF" forged into the underside of one handle.
The model 3072 pliers remained available until 1977,
but had been discontinued by 1978,
the year that plastic handgrips became standard for slip-joint pliers.
By this time Sears was offering functionally equivalent tongue-and-groove pliers in sizes 10, 12, and 16 inches.
Sears 3072 "BF" 9½ Inch Utility (Waterpump) Pliers
The next figures show two generations of the Sears 9½ inch utility (or waterpump) pliers.
Fig. 127 shows
a early pair of Sears [3072] 9½ inch utility pliers,
stamped with a stylized "Sears" inside an oval outline.
The pliers are also marked with "Japan BF" forged into the underside of one handle,
as seen in the small inset.
The top inset shows a side view of the pliers,
illustrating the chevron (or herringbone) gripping pattern.
The overall length is 9.5 inches closed and 10.0 inches fully extended.
The finish is polished chrome plating.
The absence of a model number marking suggests production before 1970.
Note that the two parts of the pliers are each stamped with "741" near the jaws,
probably a production code to ensure that the mated parts are assembled together.
The stylized "Sears" marking in an oval outline closely resembles the illustrations in the 1964 and 1966 Craftsman catalogs,
providing proof that the Sears brand was in use at the start of the "BF" series in 1964.
Later versions of this model were stamped with "SEARS" in block letters and marked with the 3072 model number.
Fig. 128 shows
a later pair of Sears 3072 9½ inch utility pliers,
stamped with "Sears" and the model number on the handle.
The pliers are also marked with "Japan BF" forged into the underside of one handle,
as seen in the small inset.
The top inset shows a side view of the pliers,
illustrating the chevron (or herringbone) gripping pattern.
The overall length is 9.5 inches closed and 10.0 inches fully extended.
The finish is polished chrome plating.
The model number marking suggests production in 1970 or later.
The model 3072 pliers were offered until 1977.
Tongue-and-Groove Pliers
By 1968 Sears was offering Japanese utility pliers with tongue-and-groove construction,
which were listed as models 30723 (10 inches) and 30724 (12 inches).
Observations show that these were typically stamped with "SEARS" and the model number
and had a polished chrome finish with a chevron gripping pattern.
Sears later offered 16 inch tongue-and-groove pliers as model 30725.
As with other slip-joint pliers,
plastic handgrips became standard in 1978.
Sears 30723 "BF" 10 Inch Tongue-and-Groove Utility Pliers
Fig. 129 shows
a pair of Sears 30723 10 inch tongue-and-groove utility pliers,
stamped with "SEARS" and the model number on the handle.
The pliers are also marked with "BF Japan" forged into the back of one handle,
as seen in the small inset.
The top inset shows a side view of the pliers,
illustrating the undercut grooves of the tongue-and-groove mechanism.
The overall length is 10.3 inches closed and 10.5 inches fully extended.
The finish is chrome plating with polished jaws.
The plastic handgrips indicate production in 1978 or later.
Sears 30724 ["BF"] 12 Inch Tongue-and-Groove Utility Pliers
Fig. 130 shows
a pair of Sears 30724 12 inch tongue-and-groove utility pliers,
stamped with "SEARS" and the model number on the handle,
and marked with "Japan" forged into the backside of the handle.
The top inset shows a side view of the pliers,
illustrating the chevron (or herringbone) gripping pattern on the handles.
Note also the undercut grooves of the tongue-and-groove mechanism.
The overall length is 12.1 inches closed and 12.6 inches fully extended.
The finish is chrome plating with polished jaws.
The model number marking suggests production in 1970 or later,
and the absence of plastic handgrips indicates production before 1978.
We noted that both handles of the pliers have a hand-stamped "T107" code,
which is visible near the upper jaw in the main photo and on the back of the lower jaw,
as shown in the upper left inset.
This is believed to be a production code to ensure that the handle parts are
assembled together after being finished together.
These pliers are missing the expected "BF" code,
which can be explained by noting that the maker of these pliers was also supplying a nearly identical model to Fuller.
The raw forgings for the Sears and Fuller versions differed only by the presence of the "BF" code,
and for these pliers apparently a handle forging intended for Fuller got processed for the Sears version instead.
The converse situation —
a "BF" code on a Fuller tool —
was also fairly common.
Needlenose (Longnose) Pliers
The 1964 Craftsman catalog offered 6 inch longnose pliers with side cutters as model 3077,
noting that the pliers were imported from England.
The catalog also offered model 30803 longnose pliers with similar specifications,
but imported from Japan.
By 1968 the model 3077 pliers were being imported from Japan,
but the model 30803 pliers remained available at a reduced price,
possible as an inventory clearance.
The model 30803 pliers were listed until 1973.
Longnose pliers were later offered in an 8 inch size as model 30771.
Early [Sears 30803] "BF" 6 Inch Needlenose Pliers with Side-Cutters
Fig. 131 shows
an early pair of [Sears 30803] 6 inch needlenose pliers,
stamped with "Drop Forged" around the pivot.
The handles are marked with "BF Japan" forged into the underside.
The top inset shows a side view of the pliers,
illustrating the diamond-checkered gripping pattern on the handles.
The overall length is 6.5 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
Although not marked with a brand or model number,
these match the listing (without illustration) of the 30803 longnose pliers on page 18 of the 1964 catalog.
The minimal markings suggest a very early production date for these pliers.
The "BF" code indicates that the tool was supplied through a distributor representing
a number of Japanese manufacturers.
(See the section on Distributor "BF"
for further discussion.)
[Sears] 30803 "BF" 6 Inch Needlenose Pliers with Side-Cutters
Fig. 132 shows
a pair of [Sears] 30803 "BF" 6 inch needlenose pliers,
stamped with the model number on the front,
with "BF Japan" on the back side.
The lower inset shows a close-up of the back side markings,
with "BF Japan" at an angle on the right,
and a small flag-like "F" mark at the lower left.
The overall length is 6.5 inches,
and the finish is plain steel with yellow plastic handgrips.
The model number marking suggests production from 1970 onward.
The "BF" code indicates that the tool was supplied through a distributor representing
a number of Japanese manufacturers.
(See the section on Distributor "BF"
for further discussion.)
The model 30803 pliers were listed in the Craftsman catalogs from 1964 until 1973,
but with no illustration and with only a minimal description.
We're not sure why there is no brand marking on the pliers,
but we've seen other photos of this model without a brand marking.
These pliers have been identified as production by
Maruto Hasegawa Kōsakujo
by the "F" mark stamped on the back.
A similar pair of
Fuller "Maruto" 6 Inch Needlenose Pliers
have been observed with an "F" stamped in the same position on the back.
Sears 3077 "BF" 6 Inch Needlenose Pliers with Side-Cutters
Fig. 133 shows
a pair of Sears 3077 "BF" 6 inch needlenose pliers,
stamped with "Sears" and the model number on the front,
with "BF Japan" and an "E" code on the back.
The upper inset shows a close-up of the back side markings,
with "BF Japan" at an angle on the right,
and a small "E" mark at the left.
The overall length is 6.5 inches,
and the finish is polished steel with red plastic handgrips.
The model number marking suggests production from 1970 onward.
The "BF" code indicates that the tool was supplied through a distributor representing
a number of Japanese manufacturers.
(See the section on Distributor "BF"
for further discussion.)
These pliers have been identified as production by
Maruto Hasegawa Kōsakujo
by the "E" code stamped on the back.
A similar pair of
Fuller "Maruto" 6 Inch Needlenose Pliers
have been observed with an "F" code stamped in the same position on the back.
The model 3077 needlenose (or longnose) pliers were listed in the 1964 catalog as imported from England,
but from 1968 onward were listed as imported from Japan.
Lineman's Side-Cutting Pliers
The 1964 Craftsman catalog offered 7 inch lineman's pliers as model 3079,
with a note that the pliers were imported from England.
By 1968 the model 3079 pliers were being sourced from Japan.
In 1977 the catalogs began offering 8 inch lineman's pliers as model 3080.
Sears 3079 "BF" 7 Inch Lineman's Pliers
Fig. 134 shows
a pair of Sears 3079 7 inch lineman's pliers,
marked with "Sears" and the model number on the front,
with "BF Japan" on the back side.
The overall length is 7.5 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The "BF" code indicates that the tool was supplied by a distributor representing
a number of Japanese manufacturers.
The 1977 Craftsman catalog notes that the pliers were made of alloy steel with
a polished head and plastic handgrips,
and notes the Japanese origin.
The 3079 pliers were listed at a $3.97 price,
and the 8 inch model 3080 pliers were available at a $4.29 price.
We purchased these pliers new in the mid 1970s for a vehicle tool kit and they have provided good service
over the years.
Sears Brand Adjustable Wrenches
The 1964 Craftsman catalog offered adjustable wrenches imported from Japan,
and the specifications noted drop forged alloy steel and a chrome-plated finish.
The catalog did not mention a brand,
but based on numerous online photographs the wrenches had forged-in markings for the "Sears" brand
and a "BF Japan" code.
The catalogs listed these wrenches as models 30870-30873 for sizes 6, 8, 10, and 12 inches respectively.
In 1972 the catalog number for the 6 inch size changed to 30874,
and thus far all observations of the 6 inch size have shown the 30874 number.
Model number markings were not required before 1970.
Some adjustable wrenches have been observed without model number markings,
and these presumably represent early production.
Some variations in the markings and construction have been observed as well,
suggesting that there may have been multiple manufacturers.
Suppliers
KTC has been identified as a maker of Sears brand adjustable wrenches based on the
close resemblance of the
Sears [30871] "BF" 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench
to the illustration on
page 11
[External Link] of the 1966 KTC catalog.
The key matching features were the rounded transition at the inside corner of the fixed jaw,
a matching inset cutaway on the movable jaw,
the wide tailpiece of the movable jaw,
and the absence of a ridge around the hanging hole.
The Sears wrench is not marked with a model number,
an indication of production before 1970.
KTC actually began supplying adjustable wrenches to Sears in 1962 with a trial order for the "Dunlap" brand,
and an example can be seen as the
Dunlap "Japan" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
These early wrenches had a different style with a round jaw outline and a ridge around the hanging hole,
and this style continued for early production for the Sears brand,
as seen in the
Sears [30870] "BF" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
Toho Kōki ("HIT")
has also been identified as a supplier of adjustable wrenches to Sears,
beginning in 1962 with the
Dunlap "Japan" 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench,
and continuing with the
Sears [30872] "BF" 10 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
Hokuyo Sangyō ("Sanki")
has been identified as the maker of the
Sears [30873] 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench
based on its unusual style,
which matches that of a Fuller wrench marked "Sanki".
This is believed to be early production from Sanki,
so early that the "BF" marking was omitted.
For later production marked with model numbers,
two different marking styles have been observed,
both with production characteristics different from KTC.
Hokuyo Sangyō ("Sanki")
has been identified as the maker of the
Sears 30874 "BF" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench
based on a nearly identical wrench from Fuller marked "Sanki".
More generally,
this identification applies to wrenches marked "Sears Chrome Alloy" on the front
with the model number on the back.
Sears [30870] "BF" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrenches
The next figures show two generations of the Sears [30870] 6 inch adjustable wrench,
both identified as production from KTC but with differences in the features.
Fig. 135 shows
an early Sears [30870] 6 inch adjustable wrench,
marked with "Sears" and "Chrome" over "Alloy Steel" forged into the front,
with "Full Drop Forged" and "BF Japan" forged into the back.
The lower inset shows a close-up of the fully open jaws,
illustrating the rounded corner of the fixed jaw and the corresponding inset convex cutaway of the movable jaw.
The overall length is 6.1 inches and the maximum opening is 0.8 inches.
The finish is chrome plating with polished faces,
with some losses due to rust.
The wrench is not marked with a model number,
but the early catalogs listed the 6 inch size as model 30870.
The construction of this wrench is nearly identical to the
Dunlap "Japan" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench
made by KTC,
and the presence of the distinctive stacked "Chrome/Alloy Steel" marking
confirms KTC as the maker.
The pin holding the worm gear of this wrench is frozen,
so we were not able to confirm the use of inside threads,
but based on other details we are confident that the wrench was made by KTC.
Note the round or "maru" outline of the jaws in the center inset.
In later years KTC adopted a "spear-type" outline,
and this wrench helps us narrow the date estimate for the change.
Continuity with the earlier Dunlap example plus the use of a "maru" outline
and a ridge around the hanging hole lead to an early date estimate of 1964-1965
for this example.
Fig. 136 shows
a somewhat later Sears [30870] 6 inch adjustable wrench,
marked with "Sears" and "Chrome" over "Alloy Steel" forged into the front,
with "Full Drop Forged" and "BF Japan" forged into the back.
The lower inset shows a close-up of the fully open jaws.
Note the rounded corner of the fixed jaw, the inset convex cutaway in the movable jaw,
and the full width at the end of the tailpiece.
The overall length is 6.0 inches and the maximum opening is 0.8 inches.
The finish is chrome plating with polished faces,
with minor spots of corrosion.
The wrench is not marked with a model number,
but based on the catalogs would have been model 30870.
The markings on this wrench are nearly identical to the
Early Sears "BF" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench
shown above,
and the presence of the distinctive stacked "Chrome/Alloy Steel" marking
confirms KTC as the maker.
We were not able to remove the pin holding the worm gear,
but the walls of the bore are smooth,
confirming the use of inside threads as expected for KTC.
Although the markings of this wrench match the earlier Sears 6 inch wrench,
the construction differs in the use of elongated "spear type" jaws and a plain hanging hole.
In these aspects the wrench is nearly identical to the
Sears "BF" 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench
shown in a later figure,
and also matches the illustration on
page 11
[External Link] of the 1966 KTC catalog.
The absence of a model number suggests production before 1970,
when Sears began requiring model number markings.
The "spear type" jaws and plain hanging hole suggest production in 1966 or later,
as earlier production by KTC for Sears had "maru" outline jaws and a ridge around the hanging hole.
The reader may wish to review the
Dunlap "Japan" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench,
the
Early Sears "BF" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench,
and the present example as a progression,
as these represent three generations of KTC production for Sears.
Early Sears [30872] "BF" 10 Inch Adjustable Wrench
Fig. 137 shows
an early Sears [30872] 10 inch adjustable wrench,
marked with "Sears" and "Chrome Alloy Steel" forged into the front,
with "Full Drop Forged" and "BF Japan" forged into the back.
The lower inset shows a close-up of the fully open jaws,
illustrating the rounded corner of the fixed jaw and the corresponding inset convex cutaway of the movable jaw.
Note also the round or "maru" jaw outline.
The overall length is 10.1 inches and the maximum opening is 1.3 inches.
The finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The pin securing the worm gear is threaded on the outside end,
with threads clearly visible in the bore.
The construction of this wrench is very similar to the
Dunlap "Japan" 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench
made by
Toho Kōki.
In particular, the "maru" outline of the jaws,
the ridge around the hanging hole,
and the use of outside threads for the pin confirm Toho Kōki as the maker.
This wrench is currently our only example of production by Toho Kōki for the Sears brand.
We have a theory that Toho Kōki dropped out as a supplier to Sears at a fairly early stage,
but are still gathering evidence before presenting our explanation.
This wrench is not marked with a model number,
but the catalogs listed the 10 inch size as model 30872.
The absence of a model number suggests production from 1964-1969,
and the production by Toho Kōki narrows the estimated date to 1964-1965.
Sears [30871] "BF" 8 Inch Adjustable Wrench
Fig. 138 shows
a Sears [30871] 8 inch adjustable wrench,
marked with "Sears" and "Chrome Alloy Steel" forged into the front,
with "Full Drop Forged" and "BF Japan" forged into the back.
The lower inset shows a close-up of the fully open jaws.
Note the rounded corner of the fixed jaw, the inset convex cutaway in the movable jaw,
and the full width at the end of the tailpiece.
The overall length is 7.9 inches and the maximum opening is 0.9 inches.
The finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The wrench is not marked with a model number,
but based on the catalogs would have been model 30871.
This wrench closely resembles the illustration on
page 11
[External Link] of the 1966 KTC catalog,
in particular with the jaw details noted above and the absence of a ridge around the hanging hole.
Note also the elongated "spear type" jaw outline.
Another construction characteristic noted for this wrench is that the pin securing the worm gear
is threaded on the inside end.
In addition to closely matching the KTC catalog illustration,
this wrench is nearly identical (except for markings) to the
Fuller No. 12 "KTC" Adjustable Wrench
displayed in our article on Fuller.
The additional comparison with the Fuller example provides strong evidence that this wrench was produced by KTC.
The absence of a model number suggests production from 1964-1969,
after which Sears began requiring model number markings.
The "spear type" outline of the jaws and plain hanging hole suggest production in 1966 or later,
as earlier production by KTC for Sears had "maru" outline jaws and a ridge around the hanging hole.
Sears [30873] "Japan" 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench
Fig. 139 shows
a Sears [30873] 12 inch adjustable wrench,
marked with "Sears" and "Chrome Alloy Steel" forged into the front,
with "Full Drop Forged" and "Japan" forged into the back.
The lower inset shows a close-up of the fully open jaws.
Note the angled transition at the corner of the fixed jaw, with a corresponding angled cutaway on the movable jaw.
The overall length is 11.9 inches and the maximum opening is 1.4 inches.
The finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The wrench is not marked with a model number,
but based on the catalogs would have been model 30873.
We removed the pin securing the worm gear and confirmed that it is threaded on the inside end.
This wrench has been identified as production by
Hokuyo Sangyō ("Sanki")
based on the close resemblance to the
Fuller No. 10 "SANKI" 10 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
Note in particular the relatively small plain hanging hole and the constant width of the handle,
which are fairly uncommon production quirks known to have been used by Sanki.
In addition, the wrench uses an angled transition at the fixed jaw and inside threads on the pin,
both standard production characteristics for Sanki.
Note that the wrench is missing the forged-in "BF" marking typically placed near "Japan",
an omission that suggests very early production by Sanki.
The absence of a model number marking suggests production before 1970,
and the known upgrade to Hokuyo Sangyō's factory in 1968 makes 1968 the most likely production year.
Sears 30874 "BF" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench
Fig. 140 shows
a Sears 30874 6 inch adjustable wrench,
marked with "Sears" and "Chrome Alloy" forged into the front,
with "Forged No. 30874" and "BF Japan" forged into the back.
The lower inset shows a close-up of the fully open jaws,
illustrating the angled transition at the corner of the fixed jaw and the corresponding angled inset of the movable jaw.
Note also that the tailpiece narrows rapidly to the cylindrical section of the movable jaw.
The overall length is 6.1 inches,
and the maximum jaw opening is 0.8 inches.
The finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The 30874 model number indicates production in 1972 or later;
earlier Sears 6 inch adjustable wrenches had catalog number 30870.
A comparison of this wrench with the
Fuller No. 6 "SANKI" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench
found that the tools are nearly identical in construction and dimensions.
Based on this comparison,
we are confident that this wrench was made by
Hokuyo Sangyō ("Sanki"),
an important production partner of KTC.
Fig. 141 shows
a stacked comparison of the Sears 30874 6 inch adjustable wrench
with the
Fuller No. 6 "SANKI" 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
Sears 30872 "BF" 10 Inch Adjustable Wrench
Fig. 142 shows
a Sears 30872 10 inch adjustable wrench,
marked with "Sears" and "No. 30872" forged into the front,
with "Full Forged Alloy" and "BF Japan" forged into the back.
The lower inset shows a close-up of the fully open jaws,
illustrating the angled transition at the corner of the fixed jaw and the corresponding angled inset of the movable jaw.
Note also that the tailpiece narrows rapidly to the cylindrical section of the movable jaw.
The overall length is 10.0 inches,
and the maximum jaw opening is 1.2 inches.
The finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The model number marking suggests production from 1970 onward.
One construction detail noted for this wrench is that the pin securing the worm gear
is threaded on the inside end.
Sears Brand Pipe Wrenches
In 1964 Sears began offering pipe wrenches imported from Japan,
initially in the Stillson pattern.
By 1968 Japanese heavy-duty (Ridgid pattern) pipe wrenches were available as well.
Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrenches
Pipe wrenches in the
ever-popular Stillson pattern were among the first group of Japanese tools offered in 1964,
with four models 30881-30884 available for sizes 8, 10, 14, and 18 inches respectively.
Fig. 143 shows
a catalog listing for the Stillson-pattern pipe wrenches,
as published on page 58 of the 1966 Craftsman catalog.
The same listing and illustration appeared in the 1964 and 1968 catalogs as well.
Note that the Stillson-pattern wrench is illustrated with a deeply paneled handle which transitions
to a flat area well before the jaw carrier.
Note also that the illustration shows leaf springs riveted to the top and bottom of the handle
under the jaw carrier,
a common feature of Stillson-pattern wrenches.
These were popular tools and we were able to find a number of examples listed on an online martketplace.
The online photographs show that the Stillson wrenches went through three product generations,
the first of which had external leaf springs on tools that closely resemble the illustrations
in the 1964, 1966, and 1968 catalogs.
These wrenches have stamped markings for "Sears" and "Japan BF" with no maker's marks,
suggesting that they were intended as generic contract production.
Although the 1964-1968 catalogs did not state a brand,
all (with one exception) of the first-generation wrenches observed in photographs were marked with the "Sears" brand.
Sears [30883] "BF" 14 Inch Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrench
Fig. 144 shows
a Sears [30883] 14 inch Stillson-pattern pipe wrench,
stamped with "Sears" on the shank,
with "Japan BF" on the back side.
The wrench is also marked with "Drop Forged-Steel" forged into the back side of the shank.
The overall length is 12.1 inches closed and approximately 14.0 inches fully extended.
The finish is plain steel,
with traces of red paint.
The wrench is not marked with a model number,
but based on the catalogs would have been model 30883.
Note that the handle has leaf springs riveted at the top and bottom
to control the motion of the jaw carrier,
a very conventional feature for Stillson-pattern wrenches.
Based on a review of online photographs this is a first-generation Stillson-pattern wrench
under the "BF" code,
with production between 1964 and 1968 based on catalog listings.
The wrench was clearly made for generic contract production,
as there is a convenient flat space for a stamped brand marking and no marks to betray the original maker.
Currently we are unsure of the maker of this wrench,
but we are quite certain that it was not made by KTC,
based on its very generic design.
(Also, KTC didn't make pipe wrenches until later in the 1960s.)
The best clue to the maker is the oddly phrased "Drop Forged-Steel",
which usually would be marked as "Drop-Forged Steel".
In our search for the maker of this wrench,
we have looked through literally hundreds of listings for used pipe wrenches in the Japanese online marketplaces,
and the search has made it clear that this style of wrench is very uncommon in Japan.
Most Japanese pipe wrenches are based either on the heavy-duty Ridgid pattern or on the distinctive "Trimo" pattern.
(See for example the Trimo 18 Inch Pipe Wrench.)
We hope to find other examples with the unusual "Drop Forged-Steel" marking that may help in identifying the
manufacturer.
If any of our readers have seen such a marking,
please let us know via email.
[Sears 30884] "BF" 18 Inch Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrench
Fig. 145 shows
a [Sears 30884] 18 inch Stillson-pattern pipe wrench,
marked with "Drop Forged" forged into the handle,
with "Drop Forged" and "BF Spain" forged into the back side.
The overall length is 16.3 inches closed and approximately 18.0 inches fully extended.
The finish is plain steel and red paint.
The wrench is not marked with a model number,
but based on the catalogs would have been model 30884.
Note that the handle has leaf springs riveted at the top and bottom
to control the motion of the jaw carrier,
a common feature for Stillson-pattern wrenches in the U.S. and Europe.
The leaf springs supporting the jaw carrier identify this as part of the first generation of
Stillson wrenches sold by Sears,
and this wrench is quite similar to the
Sears "BF" 14 Inch Stillson Pipe Wrench
shown in the previous figure.
However, there are also some significant differences to be noted.
In particular, the surface of the jaw carrier has been milled flat,
and the small panel for the wrench size is triangular instead of oval.
In addition, the handle is paneled differently and maintains a constant width,
and the hanging hole is round instead of elongated.
The biggest difference though is the "BF Spain" marking.
Yes, that's "Spain", not "Japan"!
We didn't notice this when we acquired the wrench,
as the marking wasn't clear in the photograph.
This is the only tool we've seen marked with "BF Spain".
The "Spain" marking allows us to identify the maker as
Super-Ego,
a well known Spanish maker of pipe wrenches and other pipe tools.
In the mid 1980s the Sears catalogs offered Super-Ego pipe tools under their own brand.
The forged-in "BF" marking makes it clear that this tool is part of the Sears "BF" series,
and the absence of a marked brand may indicate that the wrench originally had a decal or paper label.
To estimate the production date of the wrench,
we note that this Spanish variant of the first generation Stillson wrenches appears to be quite rare,
as this is the only example we've seen.
This leads to a 1968 production estimate,
the last year before the change to the second generation wrenches.
Second Generation Stillson Pipe Wrenches
In 1969 Sears began offering a new model of Stillson-pattern pipe wrenches,
which now were marked with "Sears" on the handle.
Fig. 146 shows
a catalog listing for Stillson-pattern pipe wrenches,
as published on page 58 of the 1969 Craftsman Power and Hand Tools catalog.
Note that the illustration of the Stillson-pattern wrench shows "Sears" on the handle,
just as the Craftsman heavy-duty wrench shows "Craftsman" on the handle.
A comparison of this wrench with the previous generation shows some significant differences in the construction.
The panel on the handle now extends almost up to the jaw carrier and the "Sears" brand is forged into the panel.
Another noticeable change is that the leaf springs of the previous generation
have been replaced by a hidden folded spring between the jaw carrier and handle.
The second-generation Stillson-pattern wrenches were developed by KTC at the request of Fuller Tool,
along with the heavy-duty pipe wrenches described in the next section.
(Fuller is known to have sold both heavy-duty and Stillson-pattern models under its own brand.)
The third generation of Stillson-pattern wrenches included forged-in model numbers,
but was otherwise identical to the second generation.
(Some wrenches were also marked for the "Companion" brand.)
The Craftsman catalogs discontinued Stillson-pattern wrenches after 1973.
Sears [30884] "BF" 18 Inch Stillson-Pattern Pipe Wrench
Fig. 147 shows
a Sears [30884] 18 inch Stillson-pattern pipe wrench,
marked with "Sears" forged into the handle,
with "Japan BF" forged into the back side.
The overall length is 15.9 inches closed and approximately 18.5 inches fully extended.
The finish is plain steel and red paint.
The wrench is not marked with a model number,
but based on the catalogs would have been model 30884.
The absence of a model number suggests production before 1970,
and the catalog listing leads to a 1969 date estimate.
This wrench can be recognized as the second-generation Stillson pattern by the paneled jaw carrier,
the absence of external leaf springs,
and the forged-in "Sears" marking.
The Fuller version of this wrench was identical except for the markings,
which typically included the
KTC-Oval logo.
By 1971 KTC itself was offering this model in its catalog,
which included a JIS+H certification.
Heavy-Duty (Ridgid Pattern) Pipe Wrenches
In 1968 Sears began offering Japanese heavy-duty (Ridgid pattern) pipe wrenches in models 30851 and 30852,
with sizes 10 and 14 inches respectively.
These wrenches were the result of an intensive development project at KTC,
which is covered in some detail in KTC's published history.
The project began with a request from Fuller Tool to produce pipe wrenches for the American market,
and Fuller sent samples of Ridgid-pattern wrenches to KTC for analysis and study.
At that time most heavy-duty pipe wrenches were being made with cast malleable iron bodies,
but after analysis KTC decided to use ductile cast iron instead,
which had strength similar to steel and would allow reduced weight.
KTC was able to find a foundry run by the Shimadzu Corporation which could make the required ductile castings,
but because of the greater cost of the material,
it required six months of research and development to find the right balance between strength and cost.
With the successful completion of the project,
the heavy-duty pipe wrenches were well received by the market,
as KTC reported selling 700,000 units in the U.S. and Australia in the first three years.
KTC's history doesn't provide a timeline for the pipe wrench program,
but if we work backwards from the listing in the 1968 Craftsman catalog,
the wrenches were probably ready for production by late 1966 or early 1967.
(Sears would have needed some time for testing and catalog preparation.)
Sears [30851] "BF" 10 Inch Heavy-Duty Pipe Wrench
Fig. 148 shows
a Sears [30851] 10 inch heavy-duty pipe wrench,
marked with "Sears" and "Heavy Duty" cast into the shank,
with the same markings plus "10" and "Japan" cast into the back side.
The jaw is marked with "Drop Forged" (not shown) plus a "BF" code forged into the recessed panel,
as shown in the small inset.
The overall length is 9.9 inches closed and approximately 10.7 inches fully extended.
The finish is plain steel and red paint.
The 1968 Sears catalog listed this wrench as model 30851.
The absence of a model number marking on this example suggests production before 1970,
leading to a 1968-1969 date estimate.
Sears 30852 "BF" 14 Inch Heavy-Duty Pipe Wrench
Fig. 149 shows
a later Sears 30852 14 inch heavy-duty (Ridgid pattern) pipe wrench,
marked with "Sears" and "Heavy Duty" plus the model number cast into the shank,
with the same markings plus "14" and "Japan" cast into the back side.
The jaw is marked "Drop Forged" (partly obscured) with the
KTC-Oval logo and "BF"
forged into the recessed panel,
as shown in the small inset.
The overall length is 12.8 inches closed and approximately 15.3 inches fully extended.
The finish is plain steel and red paint.
For this wrench we don't have to guess the manufacturer,
as KTC was thoughtful enough to place their well-known logo on the movable jaw.
The model number marking suggests production from 1970 onward.
Although not documented in the catalogs,
by the early 1970s the Japanese heavy-duty pipe wrenches were being marked with the "Companion" brand.
The style remained very similar to the above example,
although somewhat oddly the model numbers were no longer cast into the handle.
By 1978 Japanese heavy-duty pipe wrenches were available in the Craftsman brand as a model 5567x series,
with sizes from 8 to 24 inches.
(See for example the Craftsman 55677 "BF" Pipe Wrench.)
At this time heavy-duty pipe wrenches in the 3085x series were also still available,
and the catalog listed them under the Sears brand with "Sears" visible in the illustration,
and with an expanded ranges of sizes from 8 to 18 inches.
The 3085x series pipe wrenches continued to be listed in the catalogs into the early 1980s.
At some point Sears switched production to Super-Ego in Spain,
and although the catalogs listed the wrenches in a new 3084x series,
we've only seen 3085x wrenches marked for Spain.
The Companion Brand
Sears had used the Companion brand from even before the advent of the Dunlap brand in the late 1930s.
Sears registered "Companion" as a trademark for automobile tires in 1931
and for power tools and accessories in 1936.
After a long period of inactivity,
in 1970 the Sears catalogs started using the Companion brand again for economy tools,
similar to the use of the "Sears" brand.
The 1970 Craftsman catalog listed the Companion brand for some tools that had
previously been listed without a specified brand,
including carbon steel wrench sets and adjustable wrenches imported from Japan.
(Although not specified,
these tools are known to have been marked for the "Sears" brand.)
By 1972 Companion screwdrivers and hex-drive socket sets were available,
and in subsequent years the use of the Companion brand continued to expand.
The Companion brand was not a replacement for the Sears brand,
and many tools continued to be marked with "Sears" without converting to "Companion".
For example, carbon steel wrenches with the "BF" code continued to use the Sears brand,
even as the same series with the "LC" code converted to the Companion brand with the "WF" code.
To make matters even more confusing,
the catalogs did not always list the Companion brand for tools marked with the brand,
except as "Not Craftsman".
For example,
pipe wrenches were never listed as Companion brand,
but a substantial number of Companion pipe wrenches have been observed.
Although 1970 was the official announcement of Companion by the catalogs,
there is strong evidence that Companion-marked tools started arriving in the late 1960s.
Numerous examples of Companion tools have been observed without a model number,
which strongly suggests production before 1970 even though no catalog listings were noted.
(In 1970 Sears began requiring model number markings on most tools.)
Additional evidence of Companion tools before 1970 has been observed in a Companion "WF"
open-end wrench of size 13/16x7/8,
a size available only in 1969 and earlier.
Our conclusion is that for 1970 onward we have to expect an unknown mix of Sears and Companion brand tools,
with just an occasional hint from the catalogs for Companion.
It's likely that for some tools the same model was being sold under both Sears and Companion brands
at the same time,
and some tools appear to have switched to Companion and then back again to Sears.
An On-going Marketing Experiment
After reviewing the usage of the Companion brand,
we think the best description of its role is as part of a marketing experiment,
as a way of testing whether a third brand would increase sales,
or whether "Companion" would perform better than "Sears" as a brand.
The best evidence for this is that Companion tools appear to have been sold alongside Sears tools,
with identical model numbers and specifications.
Under these conditions the store shelves could have been stocked with equal numbers of each brand,
and then the sell-through could be measured periodically.
Since the Companion brand was typically used as an alternative to the Sears brand for the same types and models of tools,
we will not attempt to show the full range of Companion tools,
if equivalent Sears tools are already on display.
Gray Market Companion?
In the 1970s and 1980s Companion tools were generally marked in the same manner as tools for the Sears or Craftsman brands,
typically with markings such as "Drop Forged" and the country of origin.
But for later years we've seen a number online photos for "Companion" tools with minimal markings –
just the brand and size,
with no note about drop-forging or the country of origin.
Even when the tools are in a plastic pouch or organizer,
there are no markings for Sears or anything about the origin.
We don't think Sears would ever approve packaging that didn't state at least the country of origin,
as such tools couldn't be legally sold in the U.S. unless they were made in the U.S.,
and most U.S. manufacturers will specifically mark their tools as of U.S. origin,
knowing that many customers are looking for this.
Our conclusion is that these tools are probably unauthorized knock-offs from foreign makers,
and are probably being informally imported from countries without a "country of origin" requirement.
Caveat emptor!
The best test for possible Companion knock-offs is probably the absence of a "country of origin" marking,
and we will exclude from discussion these types of tools.
Companion Carbon Steel Wrenches
The 1970 Craftsman catalog listed sets of carbon steel open-end, box-end, and combination wrenches
under the Companion brand,
and the illustration shows wrenches with depressed panels in the same style as the earlier Dunlap and Sears
brand carbon steel wrenches.
The sets came with a metal clip for convenient storage,
and at this time only fractional inch sizes were offered.
An online search for Companion wrenches found numerous examples with "WF" manufacturer's code
and some marked "BF Japan",
but the "BF" wrenches were also marked "Forged Alloy" and so technically were not carbon steel.
The indicates that the "BF" carbon steel wrenches continued to be marked for the Sears brand
after domestic production transitioned to the Companion brand.
The "LC" code previously marked on Dunlap and Sears wrenches has not been observed
on Companion wrenches,
which we believe indicates that the change to the Companion brand coincided
with Western Forge replacing Lectrolite as a supplier to Sears.
Wrench Sets
As before,
these wrenches were only sold in sets and the individual wrenches were never marked with a model number.
In 1970 the Companion brand sets were:
- No. 4360 5-Piece open-end wrench set, sizes 1/4x5/16 to 11/16x3/4;
- No. 4381 5-Piece box-end wrench set, sizes 3/8 to 7/8;
- No. 4390 6-Piece combination wrench set, sizes 3/8 to 11/16.
The No. 4360 set was slightly different from the predecessor No. 4634 set,
as it included only five wrenches and topped out at 11/16x3/4 instead of 13/16x7/8.
We have observed a photograph of a Companion "WF" wrench in the 13/16x7/8 size,
which presumably would have been made in 1969 or earlier,
providing evidence that Companion carbon-steel wrenches actually arrived somewhat earlier than
the 1970 catalog announcement.
Metric Sizes
As noted previously,
the 1977 Craftsman catalog offered carbon steel wrenches in metric sizes for the first time.
The catalog noted that the wrenches were imported from Japan,
but domestically produced metric wrenches were available in stores in the Companion brand.
Selected Examples
The next group of figures will show examples of these wrenches, as available.
Companion "WF" 5/8 Combination Wrench
Fig. 150 shows
a Companion "WF" 5/8 combination wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Companion" and the fractional size forged into the front panel,
with "Forged in USA" and the fractional size forged into the back panel.
The back panel also has a forged-in "WF" code at the left.
The overall length is 7.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The "WF" code indicates production by
Western Forge.
Companion "WF" 7mm Combination Wrench
The next three figures show examples of Companion combination wrenches in metric sizes,
all marked with a "WF" code.
These wrenches were purchased at a Sears store in the late 1970s for a bicycle tool kit.
Fig. 151 shows
a Companion "WF" 7mm combination wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Companion" and the metric size forged into the front panel,
with "Forged USA" and the metric size forged into the back panel.
The back panel also has a forged-in "WF" code at the left.
The overall length is 3.7 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The "WF" code indicates production by
Western Forge.
Companion "WF" 9mm Combination Wrench
Fig. 152 shows
a Companion "WF" 9mm combination wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Companion" and the metric size forged into the front panel,
with "Forged USA" and the metric size forged into the back panel.
The back panel also has a forged-in "WF" code at the left.
The overall length is 4.5 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The "WF" code indicates production by
Western Forge.
Companion "WF" 10mm Combination Wrench
Fig. 153 shows
a Companion "WF" 10mm combination wrench with depressed panels,
marked with "Companion" and the metric size forged into the front panel,
with "Forged USA" and the metric size forged into the back panel.
The back panel also has a forged-in "WF" code at the left.
The overall length is 4.5 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The "WF" code indicates production by
Western Forge.
Companion Adjustable Wrenches
The 1970 Craftsman catalog offered Companion adjustable wrenches imported from Japan,
with the specifications noting drop forged alloy steel and a chrome-plated finish.
The wrenches were listed as models 30870-30873 for sizes 6, 8, 10, and 12 inches respectively.
In 1972 the model number for the 6 inch size changed to 30874,
and in 1974 the catalog listing no longer specified the Companion brand.
A review of online photographs found that the Companion adjustable wrenches typically had forged-in markings
for "Chrome Alloy" and "BF Japan",
and some (but not all) were marked with the model number.
There was enough variability in the style of markings to suggest multiple manufacturers.
Companion [30873] "BF" 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench
Fig. 154 shows
a Companion "BF" 12 inch adjustable wrench,
marked with "Companion" and "Chrome Alloy" forged into the front,
with "Full Drop Forged" and "Japan BF" forged into the back.
The lower inset shows a close-up of the fully open jaws,
illustrating the angled transition at the corner of the fixed jaw and the corresponding angled inset of the movable jaw.
The overall length is 12.0 inches and the maximum opening is 1.4 inches.
The finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The wrench is not marked with a model number,
but based on the catalogs would have been model 30873.
We disassembled the wrench for cleaning and observed that the pin holding the worm gear is threaded on the inside end.
The "Companion" marking and absence of a model number marking suggest production in the late 1960s.
This wrench has been identified as production by
Hokuyo Sangyō ("Sanki")
based on the close resemblance to the
Sears 30874 6 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
Important details include the "Chrome Alloy" marking,
the use of an angled transition at the fixed jaw,
and the ridge around the hanging hole.
In the late 1960s KTC was also a supplier of adjustable wrenches to Sears,
but at that time was using a rounded transition at the fixed jaw and a plain hanging hole.
An interesting comparison can be made between this wrench and another wrench made by Sanki,
the
Sears [30873] "Japan" 12 Inch Adjustable Wrench.
The Sears wrench is made in a quirky style with a constant-width handle and a relatively small plain hanging hole,
whereas the present wrench has a more standard handle tapering wider towards the end and with
a ridge around the hanging hole.
We believe the Sears wrench represents very early production by Sanki,
when it was reusing its own designs to make the forging dies for Sears,
and even forgot to add the "BF" code.
In contrast,
the present example is close to the style observed for the 1970s and beyond.
Companion Pipe Wrenches
A review of online photographs found a substantial number of Companion pipe wrenches
in both Stillson-pattern and heavy-duty designs.
However, the Craftsman catalogs did not specify the Companion brand for either style of pipe wrench,
at least during the 1970s.
(Stillson-pattern wrenches were no longer listed after 1973.)
Our observations of the Companion Stillson-pattern wrenches found that all were marked "BF Japan",
and some (but not all) had forged-in markings for the 3088x model numbers.
Observations of the Companion heavy-duty wrenches found markings for "Heavy Duty" and "Japan" cast into the handle,
but no model numbers.
One example was found with the "KTC" logo on the movable jaw.
Companion 3812 "BF" Claw Hammer
Claw hammers are a bit outside of our main interests here at Alloy Artifacts,
but we wanted to use this tool to illustrate the breadth of the tool selection sourced through "BF".
Fig. 155 shows
a Companion 3812 claw hammer,
stamped with "Companion" and "Forged" plus the model number on the head,
with "Japan-BF" on the back.
The overall length is 12.9 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
The tubular steel handle is fitted with a rubber cushion grip
that makes the hammer comfortable to hold.
The "BF" code indicates that the tool was supplied through a distributor representing
a number of Japanese manufacturers.
(See the section on Distributor "BF"
for further discussion.)
The model 3812 hammer was listed in the Craftsman catalogs from 1966 through 1981.
The earlier catalogs did not mention a brand,
but we've seen photographs of this model marked with "Sears" and "Chrome Alloy".
By 1972 the 3812 hammer was listed under the Companion brand.
The manufacturer of this hammer has been identified as Nippon Riki,
now known as
Lobtex.
The identification was made based on the close similarity in construction between this hammer and a
Globemaster No. 60820-R Ripping Hammer,
which was stamped with Nippon Riki's trademark
Lobster-Logo.
This type of hammer was also made for the Fuller and Truecraft brands.
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