Guthard, Edgar C. Company ("Billmont")

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Edgar C. Guthard Company operated in Chicago as the maker of a well-regarded line of "Billmont" socket tools.

Company History

The Edgar C. Guthard Company was founded in Chicago by the eponymous Edgar C. Guthard and had begun operations by early in 1919. The company offered a well-regarded line of socket sets under the "Billmont" brand, including a distinctive angled driver based on the 1919 Fullenwider patent 1,310,473.

Prior to founding the company, Guthard was a part owner and the general manager of the Northwestern Auto Supply Company in Billings, Montana, a wholesale supplier of auto accessories. (The Billings location presumably gave rise to the "Billmont" name.) Northwestern Auto Supply had been founded in 1915 by Guthard's father Charles H. Guthard and appears to have been a substantial operation, with sales extending throughout Montana and the adjacent states.

Fig. 1. May 1919 Ad for Billmont "Master Wrench".

The company appears to have started operations early in 1919, as we have found ads for the "Master Wrench" product from as early as April of 1919.

Fig. 1 shows an early ad for the Billmont "Master Wrench", as published on page 71 [External Link] of the May 1919 issue of Automobile Dealer and Repairer.

The illustration shows the distinctive long bent tube and cross-bar handle of the "Master Wrench" angled driver, along with four (male) hex drive sockets.

The text notes that the wrench was designed to reach nuts in difficult places, and specifically mentions servicing the infamous fourth connecting rod nut on the [Model T] Ford.

Although the illustration shows just four sockets, the text explains that the set came with six sockets in all: three general purpose sockets, a Ford valve grinder attachment, a screwdriver bit, and an adapter for use with any "standard" socket.

In the context of early 1919, a "standard" socket meant a pressed-steel socket driven by its 1/2 square internal opening.

The text gives the company's address as 361 East Ohio Street in Chicago.

Interestingly, the East Ohio Street address is the same as the address used by Duro Metal Products at that time. We don't know of a direct connection between the two companies, and it's possible that both companies simply rented space in the same building.

From the description in this early advertisement, we can see that the "Master Wrench" was initially intended as a specialty tool for difficult service jobs on the Model T and other automobiles.

To provide some context, when the Guthard company started in 1919, the Ford Model T was by far the most popular automobile, although other brands were starting to gain popularity.

Fixed socket wrenches were widely used for automobile service, especially by garages and professional mechanics. Walden-Worcester dominated the market for this type of tool and was offering selected collections of fixed socket wrenches for each of many automobile brands.

In early 1919 the market for socket tools was completely dominated by pressed-steel sets, with the Frank Mossberg Company as the leading seller, and companies such as Walden-Worcester and the Syracuse Wrench Company providing significant competition.

As for the future leading producers of machined-and-broached socket tools in the 1920s, Blackhawk didn't release its socket sets until May of 1919, Walden was mired in financial difficulties and its sets were delayed until 1920, and the future founders of Snap-on were still working at Blackhawk. 😀

This was the market into which Billmont launched its products, and the next several sections will discuss some of the more unusual or distinctive aspects of the Billmont tools.

The "Master Wrench" Angled Universal Driver

The most novel aspect of the early Billmont sets was their reliance on a unusual drive tool, the "Master Wrench" angled universal driver, which was based on the 1919 Fullenwider patent 1,310,473. This tool was basically a sliding Tee handle with an extension and universal joint, but permanently assembled in an angled tube.

As noted above, the angled driver was originally designed as a specialty tool for servicing the Model T fourth connecting rod nuts, or for other applications that required turning nuts in hard-to-reach areas. It provided an elegant solution for these cases: by enclosing the universal joint in a tube, the tool could provide smooth rotary motion through the sharp bend at the end, and the long tube meant that the turning motion could be initiated away from the restricted area.

The angled driver did have some limitations though, as for example it required two hands to operate, and the relatively small diameter of the cross-bar meant that only limited torque could be applied. These limitations would start to become important as the company matured and developed new products.

3/4-Male Hex Drive Sockets

Another unusual aspect of the Billmont sets was the use of 3/4-male hex drive sockets, a unique and non-standard arrangement that must have been very time-consuming to manufacture. The socket blanks could be made with an automatic screw machine, but then each socket required milling to create the hexagonal drive tang. (The milling marks are visible on the bottom of the larger sockets.)

The 3/4 hexagonal drive tangs on the sockets meant that each drive tool had to be fitted with a 3/4 opening, typically as a socket machined into the tool or attached to a handle.

Every design for socket tools must provide some means of keeping a socket attached to its drive tool, and Billmont handled this requirement by machining a shallow groove at the end of the drive tangs, which then engaged with a spring retainer clip fitted into a groove at the base of each drive socket. (See Fig. 8 for a cut-away illustration of the retainer clip.) Providing each drive socket with a spring clip added yet another time-consuming step to the manufacturing process.

Machined and Cold-Broached Sockets

Apart from their unusual drive configuration, the Billmont sockets were constructed by machining a socket blank and then cold-broaching for the desired (hexagonal or square) opening. Machined and broached sockets could be made significantly stronger than pressed-steel sockets, since the wall thickness could be chosen to provide the desired strength.

This was an emerging standard in 1919 when the company started, and other companies already using machined and broached sockets included R.F. Sedgley and Will B. Lane for their 1/2-hex drive socket sets, and Walden-Worcester for its fixed socket wrenches.

An additional boost came with the May 1919 introduction of Blackhawk's socket sets, and later products from Walden and Snap-on made machined-and-broached sockets the dominant technology in the 1920s.

Billmont provided a refinement to the broaching process by arranging to clear the sheared metal or "chips". This was done by counterboring a recess below the intended broaching depth, so that the chips would break loose after reaching the recess.

The combination of the large drive tang and machined-and-broached construction meant that Billmont may have had the strongest sockets on the market when they came out in 1919. However, this advantage would have been somewhat diminished by the relatively low torque that could be delivered through the angled universal driver.

Market Acceptance

After their introduction in the spring of 1919, the company's products appeared to be reasonably successful, and their products were quickly picked up by a number of industrial distributors. Guthard's connections with Northwestern Auto Supply may have helped significantly with gaining distribution in the Western states and Pacific coastal region.

The company is known to have placed many advertisements in the various trade publications of the time, frequently including full-page ads. The extensive advertising suggests that the company had substantial financial resources from the beginning.

Fig. 2. October 1919 Notice for Edgar C. Guthard Company. [External Link]

Fig. 2 shows a notice regarding Edgar C. Guthard, as published on page 62 of the October 1919 issue of American Garage & Auto Dealer.

The text notes that Guthard had sold his interest in Northwestern Auto Supply in order to devote more time to the new business manufacturing Billmont wrenches.

This notice suggests that by October of 1919 the new business was going well enough so that Guthard felt comfortable going "all-in" on the Chicago venture and let go of his holdings in the family business.

Somewhere along the way the specifications for the Billmont set were modified, and the six sockets in the set now provided five general-purpose sizes plus the square drive adapter.

Interchangeable Sockets

In the years leading up to 1920 fixed socket wrenches had become very popular for automotive service, especially for garages and professional mechanics. This was largely due to the success of Walden-Worcester in carefully designing a series of wrenches tailored to each automobile, so that a relatively small number of socket wrenches would suffice for most service jobs on a particular auto.

Fixed socket wrenches came in a number of general-purpose styles such as short and long Tee handles, offset handles, and speeders, as well as a variety of special-purpose wrenches designed to work around obstacles to accomplish a specific job.

Billmont's "Master Wrench" was originally designed as a specialty tool for servicing the Ford fourth connecting rod, along with other notoriously difficult service tasks on various other automobiles. Each of these applications needed a socket of a certain size — Ford connecting rod nuts required a 5/8 socket, but other jobs needed a different size.

Hence from the beginning the "Master Wrench" was supplied with several socket sizes, making it a rare example of a specialty tool that could work for applications requiring different socket sizes. Billmont recognized from early on that the ability of its wrench to accept different socket sizes was an important part of its utility.

Billmont began using the term "Interchangeable Sockets" in its advertising and publicity to emphasize that its tools were not limited to a particular size, but could be easily configured for a range of sizes.

Fig. 3. November 1919 Notice for Billmont Interchangeable Sockets.

The composite scan in Fig. 3 shows a notice for the Billmont "Master Wrench", as published on page 100 [External Link] of the November, 1919 issue of Farm Mechanics. (The text has been moved to make a compact block.)

The text of the ad has a description of the operation and advantages of the "Master Wrench", but we want to draw the reader's attention to the caption for the illustration, which states "Wrench with Interchangeable Sockets" in bold text.

Based on an extensive search of the trade press for the late teens and early 1920s, this notice is believed to be the first reference to the term "Interchangeable Sockets" in the context of automotive service.

Billmont went on to make frequent use of the phrase "Interchangeable Sockets" in its later ads and publications, especially after its selection of tools and socket sizes was greatly expanded.

Eventually other companies began using the term "Interchangeable Sockets" as well, and the term became an important catch-phrase in the 1920s to symbolize the replacement of older fixed socket wrenches with modern socket tools.

Fig. 4. December 1919 Ad for Billmont "Master Wrench".

Throughout 1919 Billmont continued to lean heavily on the "Master Wrench" as its main attraction.

The scan in Fig. 4 shows a full-page ad for the "Master Wrench", as published on page 2 [External Link] of the December 18, 1919 issue of Motor Age.

Under the breathless heading "The 17 Jewelled Wrench", the ad presents an illustration of the wrench, with arrows pointing to the key features ("jewels") of the tool.

The small print at the bottom states that a set consisted of the "Master Wrench", five hexagon sockets (7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 19/32, and 5/8), and an adapter, all furnished in a wooden box for $10.

Later catalogs identified this as the Billmont No. 1 set.

A Sales Milestone

Fig. 5. February 1920 Notice for Edgar C. Guthard Company.

Fig. 5 shows a notice of a sales milestone reached by the Edgar C. Guthard Company, as published on page 112 of the February, 1920 issue of The Automobile Journal.

The text notes that the company had recently shipped a full carload of Billmont "Master Wrench" sets to a group of Pacific coast jobbers, consisting of 10,000 units of the "Master Wrench" and six sockets, with a retail value of $10 per unit.

This was an impressive sales figure, especially considering that it was for just one region of the country. Assuming that the other regions did reasonably well, we can conclude that the Billmont No. 1 set was a very successful product.

Expanded Selection of Sockets

Fig. 6. May 1920 Advertisement for Billmont Master Wrench Set. [External Link]

By May of 1920 Billmont was offering a greatly expanded selection of sockets with its new No. 100 socket set.

Fig. 6 shows an ad for Billmont socket sets, as published on page 148 of the May 1920 issue of Pacific Ports.

Although the set is not identified in the text, the illustration shows the Billmont No. 100 "Master Wrench" socket set, a collection of 24 hex and square sockets with the distinctive patented angled driver.

The introduction of the No. 100 set meant that Billmont was now trying to position its tools as a more general service solution, rather than just as a specialty tool for certain difficult jobs. This is when the limitations of the angled driver started to become an important issue.

The slogan "The Wrench that Spins 'em off" at the top suggests that it could easily remove any nut, but in reality only a limited amount of torque could be delivered due to the spindly cross-bar handle.

The selection of sockets in the No. 100 set extended up to 31/32, which meant that the wrench would be expected to handle much larger nuts than were possible for previous sets marketed as specialty tools.

In addition, some nuts in obstructed areas would have been unreachable due to the long tube, and since the tool required two hands for operation, in some cases the operator might have had difficulty getting both hands into position.

In short, the angled driver had some limitations, and in some situations having a sliding Tee handle, extension, and universal as individual tools would have been more effective.

A Catalog for the Growing Selection

Fig. 7. August 1920 Notice for Billmont Catalog. [External Link]

Billmont soon recognized that its sockets needed stronger and more versatile drive tools, and the company expanded its tool selection to include a "Junior" sliding Tee handle, Tee handles, speeders, an offset handle, and a ratchet.

By August of 1920 Billmont was offering a catalog of its growing selection of tools.

Fig. 7 shows a notice of the availability of a Billmont catalog, as published on page 54 of the August 1920 issue of American Garage & Auto Dealer.

The text notes that the catalog provides illustrations and descriptions for the company's products, including the recent additions to the line.

The third paragraph notes that the tool worked with "24 interchangeable sockets", another example of a favorite phrase used to emphasize that the wide range of sizes available.

Expanded Selection of Drive Tools

Billmont continued to expand its selection of drive tools with the addition of two extensions for the ratchet, and by November of 1920 had created several new sets, the largest of which was the No. 500 "Mechanic's Kit".

In late 1920 the company began to highlight the more important new tools in its continuing parade of full-page ads.

Fig. 8. November 1920 Ad for Billmont Junior.

One of the most important components of the No. 500 set was the Billmont "Junior" handle, a sliding Tee handle with a sturdy shaft, a rotating hand grip, and a stronger 7/16 cross-bar.

The scan in Fig. 8 shows a full-page ad for the Billmont "Junior" sliding Tee handle, as published on the inside cover [External Link] of the November 4, 1920 issue of Motor Age.

In addition to showing the "Junior" handle, at the left the illustration provides an expanded cross-sectional view of a drive socket, offering a clear view of the spring retainer clip used for securing an inserted socket.

The second paragraph of the ad notes "twenty-four different sizes of interchangeable sockets", another example of the phrase "interchangeable sockets" in the context of service tools. The last sentence of the ad then further reinforces the importance of interchangeability.

The bottom of the illustration displays the new No. 500 "Mechanic's Kit" set in its metal tool box.

Fig. 9. December 1920 Ad for Billmont Ratchet and Extensions.

Billmont continued to highlight the important new tools with a full-page ad for the ratchet and extensions.

The scan in Fig. 9 shows the ratchet and two extensions, as published on the inside cover [External Link] of the December 2, 1920 issue of Motor Age.

The text touts the features of the ratchet and notes that the pawl and gear are made of heat-treated steel, and that the handle is drop-forged.

The most outstanding features were the very fine action (we counted 76 clicks in one revolution!) and the generous 12 inch handle, which gave the ratchet unprecedented performance for its time.

The illustration includes a brilliant magnifying-glass view of the ratchet components, showing the fine interlocking teeth of the gear and pawl.

The text "Wrenches with Interchangeable Sockets" in a bold font at the bottom emphasizes that all Billmont tools worked with a range of socket sizes.

The bottom of the illustration shows another of the new Billmont sets, identified by a later ad as the No. 400 "Carrying Kit".

The No. 500 Set

By November of 1920 Billmont was offering its expanded selection of tools in the No. 500 "Mechanic's Kit", the company's largest set.

Fig. 10. January 1921 Ad for Billmont Mechanic's Kit.

Billmont continued its ad blitz with a placement for the No. 500 set on the inside cover of Motor Age, a prominent location that must have been quite expensive.

The scan in Fig. 10 shows a full-page ad for the Billmont "Mechanic's Kit", as published on the inside cover [External Link] of the January 6, 1921 issue of Motor Age.

The illustration shows the company's Mechanic's Kit set, with the visible tools including the angled universal driver, a sliding Tee handle, two fixed Tee handles, two speeders, an offset handle, a ratchet, two extensions, and a collection of 24 sockets in the back.

Note that many of the drive tools resemble socket wrenches — because they are socket wrenches! In order to drive the 3/4-male hex drive sockets, each drive tool had to terminate in a 3/4-hex socket.

The text "Wrenches with Interchangeable Sockets" at the bottom is a reminder that each of the drive tools could be used with any of the 24 sockets.

Fig. 11. January 1921 Notice for Billmont Tool Line. [External Link]

Fig. 11 shows the start of a two-page article on Billmont tools, as published beginning on page 48 of the January, 1921 issue of American Garage & Auto Dealer.

The article begins with the same illustration of the No. 500 Mechanic's Kit as in the previous advertisement.

Fig. 12. April 1921 Ad for Billmont Socket Sets.

The scan in Fig. 12 shows another full-page ad for the new Billmont sets, as published on the inside cover [External Link] of the April 28, 1921 issue of Motor Age.

The main part of the illustration shows a close-up of a Billmont socket, and the text notes that it was machined and broached from S.A.E. 1020 carbon steel.

The upper illustration on the right shows a No. 250 set consisting of a ratchet, extension, and sockets in a wooden box. The No. 250 set had a $6.50 list price.

The lower illustration on the right shows the larger No. 400 "Carrying Kit", which consisted of two speeders, two Tee handles, an offset handle, a screwdriver bit, and 10 sockets. This combination had a $13.25 list price.

The "Carrying Kit" set would have appealed to mechanics who usually worked with fixed socket wrenches, as all of the drive tools would have been familiar. In addition, this combination of tools was similar to the five tools and ten sockets being promoted by the Snap-On Wrench Company with the slogan "5 Do the Work of 50".

The text "Wrenches with Interchangeable Sockets" at the bottom had by this time become another slogan for the company.

Competitive Position

By the spring of 1921 the Guthard company appeared to be in a good position. In only two years it had gone from launching its first product, the Billmont No. 1 "Master Wrench" set, to offering a full set of mechanic's tools in the No. 500 "Mechanic's Kit". The No. 1 set had turned out to be something of a best-seller, with likely tens of thousands of units sold.

Billmont's sockets were machined and broached, the dominant standard at the time, and the Billmont No. 500 set was comparable to the largest sets available from industry heavyweights Blackhawk and Walden-Worcester. In some aspects Billmont was superior: Billmont was the only set offered in a metal toolbox, and the Billmont ratchet was better than anything on the market.

From the beginning the Guthard company had conducted an extensive advertising campaign, including a number of full-page ads on the inside cover of Motor Age, and the Billmont brand would have had a lot of name recognition. In addition, Billmont tools were carried by a number of major industrial distributors, including Cragin & Company, Ducommun, Harron Rickard & McCone, C.W. Marwedel, and Pittsburgh Auto Equipment.

From its extensive advertising Billmont had mind share, but could that translate to market share? The market for socket tools had changed dramatically in the two years after the company's founding. Initially there had been only two minor companies selling machined and broached socket sets, Will B. Lane and R.F. Sedgley, and their products were intended mostly for light-duty use.

But in May of 1919 Blackhawk launched its product line with five models of heavy-duty socket sets, and in 1920 Walden-Worcester entered the market with a comparable line. In addition, a small start-up from 1920 called the Snap-On Wrench Company was starting to make waves in 1921.

To summarize the competition for the Billmont No. 500 set, we have compiled a comparison of the Billmont set with the closest offering from the top three competitors. It's not a perfect comparison, as there are a number of differences between the chosen sets, but the table below captures the tradeoffs customers would have made when making a purchase decision.

We have to add a few caveats to the table:

• The Billmont ratchet was far and away better than any of the competitor's products.
• The Billmont set didn't really have a general-purpose universal, just a specialty tool for some cases.
• The Snap-on set chosen for comparison is from 1923, and their earlier sets were not as complete and did not have a metal case.

Despite the imperfect comparisons, one fact should be extremely clear: the Billmont set was dramatically more expensive than the others. Its price was more than than twice as high as the very capable Blackhawk and Snap-on sets, and almost twice as high as the Walden set.

The three listed competitors all produced high-quality socket sets, and all three enjoyed substantial success in the early 1920s. With the great disparity in price, it's apparent that Billmont had simply priced itself out of the market now being defined by these three leaders.

Apart from price, Billmont had another disadvantage that was more of an intangible. The three competitors all used 1/2 square drive for their sockets, which even in the early 1920s was already recognized as the standard, especially among professional mechanics. Potential customers would have felt that standard tools were a safer choice, and that their purchased tools would remain useful even if the maker went out of business.

Failure in 1923?

In searching for information on Billmont and the Edgar C. Guthard Company we found many published references from 1919 through 1921, a smaller number in 1922, and very few beyond that time period. This suggests that the company had probably failed by around 1923, although no public documents have been found to indicate how and when the company closed.

To provide finer granularity on the timing of advertisements, the last ad we found was in July of 1921, with nothing later in that year or in 1922. This suggests that the company was having financial problems as early as the summer of 1921.

The Billmont No. 1 socket set was listed on page 116 of the 1924 Ford Owners' Supply Book (Eastern edition) catalog from Western Auto Supply, at a special $2.35 price. This very low price was likely a close-out sale of remaining inventory.

The Lincoln Products Company

One clear sign of trouble at Billmont was that by March of 1922 the founder and president Edgar C. Guthard had established another company, the Lincoln Products Company.

Fig. 13. 1922 Notice for Lincoln Products Company. [External Link]

Fig. 13 shows a notice of the founding of the Lincoln Products Company, as published on page 410 of the March 18, 1922 issue of Automobile Topics.

The text notes that the company would be a manufacturer and dealer in automobile parts and accessories. The capital was stated as $1,000, and the incorporators were Edgar C. Guthard, Homer C. Pogus, and M.C. Gilmartin.

Fig. 13B. 1926 Ad for Lincoln Balloon Shock Absorbers.

In the early 1920s shock absorbers were a popular auto accessory, and the new company was able to license some patents for shock absorbers, including the 1921 Cross patent RE15,197. The company's first product then became the Lincoln shock absorber, and it proved to be highly successful.

Within a few years Lincoln was making a "balloon" shock absorber specially designed to work well with balloon tires.

Fig. 13B shows an ad for Lincoln balloon shock absorbers, as published on page 124 [External Link] of the March, 1926 issue of Automotive Merchandising.

The illustration shows an ad within an ad, with the explanation that the inner ad would be appearing regularly in the Saturday Evening Post.

The most interesting part of this ad (for us at least) is the company address, given as 2649 N. Kildare Avenue in Chicago. We hope that at least some of our readers immediately recognize this location: this is the address of Duro Metal Products!

From this we can infer that Lincoln Products was using Duro Metal as its contract manufacturer, and had apparently become important enough as a customer to start using Duro's address.

If we recall that earlier in this article we noted that Billmont's address at 361 East Ohio Street was the same as the earlier location for Duro Metal, it becomes clear that Edgar Guthard and Duro's president Harry Odlum must have been acquainted for a number of years.

With the discovery of this connection to Duro Metal Products, our hypothesis is that Lincoln Products actually used Duro as a contract manufacturer from the beginning. Lincoln's stated capital of $1,000 was not nearly enough to set up a manufacturing operation, so it's clear that the company was formed with the intention of using outside manufacturing.

The rapid success of the Lincoln shock absorbers was likely a major factor in Duro's decision to build its new factory at 2649 North Kildare. Despite much research into the history of Duro Metal, the mid 1920s period was a bit of a mystery, as there were no known Duro products that would have suggested the need for a new factory. It's now clear that Duro was busy supplying products for the rapidly growing Lincoln Products Company.

Patents

Trademarks

The Guthard company filed a trademark application for "Billmont" on July 9, 1919, and the trademark was issued as #130,182 on April 13, 1920. The application listed June 10, 1919 as the first use date.

References and Resources

Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in the Alloy Artifacts Collection.

Catalog Resources

Industrial Distributors

Billmont socket tools were available from some industrial distributors. We'll add references as time permits.

• Pittsburgh Auto Equipment 1920. The 1920 catalog No. 7 from the Pittsburgh Auto Equipment Company, a wholesale distributor, lists Billmont socket tools on pages 226-227. The listings include the "Master Wrench" sets Nos. 1, 100, and 300, the No. 200 "Garage" set, and Tee, speeder, and offset handles.

• Harron, Rickard & McCone 1920. The June, 1920 catalog No. 2 from Harron, Rickard & McCone, a distributor based in San Francisco and Los Angeles, lists Billmont "Master Wrench" sets Nos. 1, 100, and 300 on page 131.

• Cragin 1921. The 1921 catalog No. 2 from Cragin & Company of Seattle lists Billmont socket tools on pages 217-218. The listings include the No. 100 socket set, No. 200 garage set, No. 8 ratchet, extensions, a Tee handle, and individual sockets.

• Marwedel 1922. The 1922 catalog No. 11 from the C.W. Marwedel Company, an industrial supplier in San Francisco, lists Billmont socket tools on pages 302-303. The listings include the Nos. 0, 1, and 100 "Master" wrench sets, the No. 300 socket set, the No. 500 Mechanics' Kit, offset, Tee, and speeder handles, extensions, and individual sockets.

• Ducommun "G" 1926. The 1926 catalog "G" from the Ducommun Corporation lists Billmont socket tools on pages 247 and 248, including the "Master" wrench, Tee and offset handles, ratchet wrench, extensions, and speeder handles. Also listed are socket sets No. 100B and No. 300, as well as individual sockets.

  Note that by 1926 Billmont had probably closed, so these may be stale listings of leftover inventory.

Selected Tools

Billmont tools are fairly rare, but we are fortunate to have good examples of both the No. 100 set and the No. 500 "Mechanic's Kit" set.

Billmont No. 1 "Master Wrench" Socket Set

Fig. 14. 1922 Catalog Listing for Billmont No. 1 "Master Wrench" Set.

The scan in Fig. 14 shows a catalog listing for the Billmont No. 1 "Master Wrench" set, as published on page 302 of the Marwedel catalog No. 11 from 1922.

Two sets were available, beginning with No. 0 for the "Master Wrench" only, priced at $8.00.

The selection continued with the No. 1 set, which included the "Master Wrench" handle and five sockets in a wooden box for a $10.50 price.

The No. 1 set also included a 3/4 hex to 1/2 square adapter, so that standard 1/2-drive sockets could be used with the angled driver.

Billmont No. 100 "Master Wrench" Socket Set

Fig. 15. 1922 Catalog Listing for Billmont No. 100 "Master Wrench" Set.

The scan in Fig. 5B shows a catalog listing for the Billmont No. 100 "Master Wrench" set, as published on page 302 of the Marwedel catalog No. 11 from 1922.

The No. 100 set included the "Master Wrench" handle and 24 sockets, all contained in a wooden box with an insert to organize the sockets. The No. 100 set was available for a $20.50 price.

The set of 24 sockets in the wooden box could also be purchased separately (without the handle) as a No. 300 set.

Fig. 16. Billmont No. 100 Master Wrench Set, ca. 1920 to Early 1920s.

Fig. 16 shows a Billmont No. 100 "Master Wrench" socket set in its wooden box, consisting of an angled driver, a cross-bar, 17 hex sockets from 3/8 to 31/32, and seven square sockets from 7/16 to 3/4.

The set is marked with a label on the inside of the lid, with text at the top reading "Billmont Master Wrench" and "The Wrench That Spins 'em Off", with "Edgar C. Guthard Co." and "Chicago, U.S.A." at the bottom.

Although not mentioned on the label, the set uses sockets with a 3/4 inch male hexagonal drive tang, a design only known to have been used by Billmont.

The hex sockets in the front row have sizes, from the right, 3/8, 13/32, 7/16, 15/32, 1/2, 17/32, 9/16, 19/32, 5/8, 21/32, 11/16, 3/4, and 25/32. The back row continues from the left with hex sockets 13/16, 7/8, 15/16, and 31/32, followed by square sockets 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 19/32, 5/8, 11/16, and 3/4.

The sockets are marked only with the fractional size stamped on the drive tang. The finish is plain steel.

The set as shown also includes a 1/2-drive adapter visible at the lower right. This was an optional accessory available from Billmont to allow use of standard 1/2-drive sockets. However, the 1/2-drive stud lacks a friction ball to secure the socket, so using the adapter might have been a bit inconvenient.

The dimensions of the wooden box are 16.6 inches wide by 6.1 inches deep by 2.0 inches high.

As noted in the discussion above, the sockets in the set all have 3/4 inch hexagonal drive tangs. The smaller sockets (those 1/2 inch or less) appear to have been turned from 3/4 hexagonal bar stock, but the majority of the sockets would have started from larger diameter bars, and the drive tangs then had to be cut by some sort of milling process.

Apart from the drive tangs, the service end of the sockets exhibits the standard cold-broached construction of that time. The openings were drilled out and then a groove cut below the intended broaching, to allow for chip removal.

The No. 100 set was unusual for its time in that it offered an extensive selection of sockets, but only the single angled driver as a drive tool. In contrast, large socket sets such as the Mossberg No. 14 Socket Set or Walden-Worcester No. 12 Socket Set typically offered multiple drive tools and accessories including a ratchet, Tee-handle, offset handle, universal, and extensions.

The implicit assumption behind the Billmont set may have been that for cases where the angled driver was not usable, customers could turn the sockets using other tools such as an open-end or adjustable wrench, or even a Mossberg No. 350 Ratchet with a 25/32 pressed-steel socket inserted.

Billmont 3/4-Hex Drive "Master Wrench" Tee-Handle Angled Driver from No. 100 Set

Fig. 17. Billmont "Master" Tee-Handle Driver Wrench, with Inset for Marking Detail, ca. 1920 to Early 1920s.

Fig. 17 shows the Billmont "Master Wrench" angled driver from the No. 100 socket set.

The wrench is marked on the end cap with "Billmont Master Wrench" and "Patented" at the top, with "Mfd. By Edgar C. Guthard Co." and "Patent Pending" at the bottom.

The patent notice refers to patent 1,310,473, filed in 1918 by G.R. Fullenwider and issued in 1919.

The patent pending notice is believed to refer to patent 1,457,570, filed by E.C. Guthard in October of 1920 and issued in 1923.

The overall length is 13.7 inches, and the finish is polished nickel plating.

The head of the wrench has a hole to accept a 3/8 diameter cross-bar, with a friction ball to hold the bar in place. The cross-bar (not shown) has a length of 9 inches.

The "Master Wrench" is basically a Tee-handle universal socket wrench permanently mounted in a drive tube, with the drive end held at a 45° angle. The knurled section of the drive tube offers a firm grip, and a cross-bar inserted in the drive cap provides leverage for turning a nut.

The "Master Wrench" operates smoothly and was probably an effective tool for many applications. However, the limitations of the tool are obvious: the relatively long length meant that nuts with limited overhead clearance would have been inaccessible, and the spindly cross-bar would not have been capable of delivering much torque. Also, in most cases the tool would have required both hands to operate, which is sometimes inconvenient.

Billmont 3/4-Hex Drive Large Hexagonal Sockets from No. 100 Set

Fig. 18. Billmont 3/4-Hex Drive Hexagonal Sockets, with Inset for Top View, ca. 1919 to Early 1920s.

Fig. 18 shows three of the large Billmont 3/4-hex drive hexagonal sockets from the No. 100 set.

The socket sizes are, from the left, 13/16, 7/8, and 15/16. The sockets are unmarked except for the fractional sizes stamped on the drive tangs.

The top inset shows the interior of the sockets, illustrating the machined and cold-broached construction. Note that a recess has been bored below the broached area, allowing the sheared metal ("chips") from the broaching to be removed.

A close look at the drive tangs shows transverse lines from the milling operation used to create the facets of the hexagonal tangs.

The outer walls of the sockets show irregular grinding marks at the service opening, apparently an attempt by the former owner to provide better clearance.

Also note that the drive tang of the 15/16 socket (at the right in the photo) has rounded corners, suggesting that an open-end or adjustable wrench had been used to turn the socket. This would not be surprising given the limitations of the drive tool in the set, which was too long to fit some locations and had insufficient torque for some applications.

Another detail to note is that the ends of the drive tangs have a shallow milled groove, which engages with a circular spring in the base of the drive socket in order to hold the socket in place.

Billmont 3/4-Hex Drive Small Hexagonal Sockets from No. 100 Set

Fig. 19. Billmont 3/4-Hex Drive Small Hexagonal Sockets, with Inset for Top View, ca. 1919 to Early 1920s.

Fig. 19 shows three of the smaller Billmont 3/4-hex drive hexagonal sockets from the No. 100 set.

The socket sizes are, from the left, 15/32, 1/2, and 17/32. The sockets are unmarked except for the fractional sizes stamped on the drive tangs.

The top inset shows the interior of the sockets, illustrating the machined and cold-broached construction. Although not clearly visible in the photo, a recess has been bored below the broached area, which was probably a challenging operation on these small sockets.

The facets of the drive tangs reveal a significant difference in the machining operations required to make these sockets. The facets for the leftmost two sockets are relatively smooth, without machining marks, indicating that these sockets were turned from 3/4 hexagonal bar stock.

In contrast, the facets for the socket at the right have circular traces from a milling cutter, indicating that this socket was machined from round bar stock. The extra milling operation required to make the six facets of the drive tang would have increased the production costs for sockets 17/32 and larger.

Note that the ends of the drive tangs have a shallow milled groove, which engages with a circular spring in the base of the drive socket in order to hold the socket in place.

Billmont No. 8 3/4-Hex Drive 12 Inch Ratchet

By the fall of 1920 Billmont was offering a ratchet and extensions for their growing collection of tools.

Fig. 20. 1921 Catalog Listing for Billmont No. 8 Ratchet.

The scan in Fig. 20 shows a listing for the Billmont No. 8 ratchet and two extensions, as published on page 218 of the 1921 catalog No. 2 from Cragin & Company of Seattle.

The ratchet had a 3/4 inch hexagon opening to fit the Billmont sockets directly, or it could be used with the 6 or 11 inch extensions.

Other pages of the same catalog listed a No. 200 "Garage Set" with two speeders, two Tee handles, and an Ell handle, as well as the older Billmont "Master Wrench" set. The No. 500 Mechanic's Kit was apparently not yet available when the catalog was being prepared.

Fig. 21. Billmont No. 8 3/4-Hex Drive Ratchet, with Insets for Back Side and Marking Detail, ca. Early 1920s.

Fig. 21 shows a rare Billmont No. 8 3/4-hex drive ratchet, marked with "Billmont" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the front, with "Edgar C. Guthard Co." and "Chicago" forged into the back side.

The overall length is 11.9 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

The ratchet is also marked with a forge mark resembling two "S" letters joined at right angles, seen as a close-up in the middle inset. The drop-forge operator associated with the forge mark is not yet known.

Although not marked with a patent notice, the ratchet is covered by patent 1,455,147, filed by W.J. O'Neill in 1920 and issued in 1923, with assignment to Edgar C. Guthard.

This ratchet has a very fine action and very low backdrag, both desirable features for any ratchet but remarkable in a ratchet from the early 1920s. Since the ratchet is permanently sealed (unless the flush rivets are drilled out), we couldn't open it for examination and instead turned to the patent illustration to understand the operation.

The addition of this ratchet would have greatly improved the usability of the No. 100 "Master Wrench" set, which otherwise had only the long angled driver as a drive tool.

Billmont No. 500 "Mechanic's Kit" Socket Set

Fig. 22. 1922 Catalog Listing for Billmont No. 500 Mechanic's Kit.

The scan in Fig. 22 shows a full-page display for the Billmont No. 500 Mechanic's Kit set, as published on page 303 of the Marwedel catalog No. 11 for 1922.

The No. 500 set is a substantial collection consisting of 10 drive tools, 17 hexagonal sockets, seven square sockets, and a screwdriver socket, all contained in a heavy toolbox with a lift-out tray.

The sockets in the set are designed with 3/4 hexagonal male drive tangs, an unusual configuration only known to have been used by Billmont. The 17 hexagonal sockets have sizes 3/8, 13/32, 7/16, 15/32, 1/2, 17/32, 9/16, 19/32, 5/8, 21/32, 11/16, 3/4, 25/32, 13/16, 7/8, 15/16, and 31/32. The seven square sockets have sizes 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 19/32, 5/8, 11/16, and 3/4.

The drive tools in the set consist of a No. 0 "Master Wrench" angled driver with cross-bar, a No. 2 "Junior" wrench with cross-bar, a No. 3 short Tee handle, a No. 4 long Tee handle, a No. 5 offset wrench, a No. 6 rim brace, a No. 7 speeder, a No. 8 ratchet, a No. 9 6 inch extension, and a No. 10 11 inch extension.

All of the drive tools have a 3/4 hexagonal opening to accept the male-drive sockets. In order to secure the sockets, the drive tools (except for the ratchet) have a circular spring at the base of the opening, which snaps into a milled groove at the end of the drive tang of the sockets.

The ratchet has a bowed flat spring on one facet of the opening to secure the socket.

Our set was acquired in nearly complete condition and is missing only the screwdriver socket and the handle for the toolbox.

Billmont No. 2 "Junior" Tee Handle and Cross-Bar from No. 500 Set

Fig. 23. Billmont No. 2 "Junior" Tee Handle and Cross-Bar from No. 500 Set, with Insets for Construction and Marking Detail, ca. 1921 to Early 1920s.

Fig. 23 shows the Billmont No. 2 "Junior" Tee handle and cross-bar from the No. 500 set.

The rotating hand grip is stamped with "Billmont Junior Mfd by" and "Edgar C. Guthard Co." plus "Made in U.S.A.", as seen in the upper composite inset.

The left inset shows the interior of the drive socket. Note the groove with a spring retaining clip visible below the broached area.

The right inset shows a close-up of the Tee head, with a detent ball to secure the cross-bar visible in the center.

The length of the Tee head and drive shaft is 11.5 inches, and the length of the cross-bar is 9.0 inches. The diameter of the cross-bar is 7/16 inches, but this was obviously insufficient, as the cross-bar has been bent during during use.

The finish is black oxide, with nickel plating for the hand grip.

Although not marked with a patent notation, this design for a Tee head with a spring-loaded ball is described by patent 1,457,570, filed by Edgar C. Guthard in 1920.

Billmont apparently intended this tool as a higher-torque alternative to the "Master Wrench", by omitting the universal and increasing the diameter of the cross-bar to 7/16 inches. It was a step in the right direction, but it still fell a bit short on both design and execution.

From a design standpoint, making a Tee handle with a long shaft means that two hands would be required for operation, with one hand holding the pivot point above the nut. In contrast, a sliding Tee handle with the socket kept close to the handle bar can sometimes be used with one hand. Since the company already offered extensions, it would have been better to keep the Tee head as short as possible, and then add an extension when needed.

In terms of execution, the 7/16 cross-bar still lacked sufficient strength, and a diameter of at least 9/16 inches would have been preferable. In addition, one end of the bar should have had some kind of a stop (e.g. a detent ball or pinched tabs), so that the head could stay at the point of maximum leverage without falling off.

Billmont wasn't the only company to underestimate the strength required for its tools — Blackhawk initially used a 7/16 bar for its sliding Tee head, then moved to 1/2 and finally 9/16 inches for this important tool.

Billmont No. 3 Short Tee Handle from No. 500 Set

Fig. 24. Billmont No. 3 Short Tee Handle from No. 500 Set, with Insets for Construction and Marking Detail, ca. 1921 to Early 1920s.

Fig. 24 shows the Billmont No. 3 short Tee handle from the No. 500 set, incorrectly stamped with "No. 4 Billmont" on the handle.

The lower inset shows the interior of the 3/4 hexagonal drive socket. Note the groove with a spring retaining clip visible below the broached area.

The cross-bar is permanently fixed in place.

The overall length is 6.7 inches, and the length of the cross-bar is 6.5 inches. The finish is plain steel and black paint.

Billmont No. 5 Offset Handle from No. 500 Set

Fig. 25. Billmont No. 5 Offset Handle from No. 500 Set, with Insets for Top View, Construction Detail, and Marking Detail, ca. 1921 to Early 1920s.

Fig. 25 shows the Billmont No. 5 offset handle from the No. 500 set, stamped with "No. 5 Billmont" on the handle.

The top inset shows a top view of the handle, revealing that the shank has been bent slightly near the socket, an indication of heavy use.

The lower inset shows the interior of the 3/4 hexagonal drive socket. Note the groove with a spring retaining clip visible below the broached area.

The overall length is 8.4 inches, and the finish is plain steel and black paint.

Billmont No. 8 3/4-Hex Drive Ratchet from No. 500 Set

Fig. 26. Billmont No. 8 3/4-Hex Drive Ratchet from No. 500 Set, with Insets for Back Side, Side View, Construction Detail, and Marking Detail, ca. 1921 to Early 1920s.

Fig. 26 shows the Billmont No. 8 3/4-hex drive ratchet from the No. 500 set, marked with "Billmont" and "Made in U.S.A." forged into the front, with "Edgar C. Guthard Co." and "Chicago" forged into the back.

The ratchet is also marked with a forge mark resembling two "S" letters joined at right angles, as seen in the lower inset.

The opening of the drive gear is fitted with a bowed flat spring retaining clip, as seen in the upper middle inset.

The top inset shows a side view of the ratchet, with trimming marks visible on the edge.

The overall length is 12.0 inches, and the finish is nickel plating.

Although not marked with a patent notice, the ratchet is covered by patent 1,455,147, filed by W.J. O'Neill in 1920 and issued in 1923, with assignment to Edgar C. Guthard.

Billmont No. 9 Short (6 Inch) Extension from No. 500 Set

Fig. 27. Billmont No. 9 Short Extension from No. 500 Set, with Insets for Construction and Marking Detail, ca. 1921 to Early 1920s.

Fig. 27 shows the Billmont No. 9 short (6 inch) extension from the No. 500 set, stamped with "No. 9 Billmont" on the shank.

The right inset shows the interior of the 3/4 hexagonal drive socket. Note the groove with a spring retaining clip visible below the broached area.

The overall length is 6.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel and black paint.

Billmont No. 10 Long (11 Inch) Extension from No. 500 Set

Fig. 28. Billmont No. 10 Long Extension from No. 500 Set, with Insets for Construction and Marking Detail, ca. 1921 to Early 1920s.

Fig. 28 shows the Billmont No. 10 long (11 inch) extension from the No. 500 set, stamped with "No. 10 Billmont" on the shank.

The right inset shows the interior of the 3/4 hexagonal drive socket. Note the groove with a spring retaining clip visible below the broached area.

The overall length is 11.5 inches, and the finish is plain steel and black paint.