Thorsen Manufacturing

History and Development

Table of Contents

Introduction

Thorsen was a well known brand of tools in the latter half of the 20th century, with roots going back to the founding of Thorsen Manufacturing in the 1920s. We recently (2009) found sources of information on the company's early history and later development, and have now expanded the section on the company's history.

Company History

Thorsen was founded in 1929 by Edward A. "Ned" Boyd, Sherm Haskins, and Pete Mortensen, all recently ex-employees of P&C in Milwaukie, Oregon. Ned Boyd had been the manager of P&C Tools, the sales and distribution organization for the P&C Hand Forged Tool Company, and left after a dispute with the company's owners. (See our article on the P&C Hand Forged Tool Company for more information.)

Boyd managed to hire away two key P&C employees to start the new venture, Sherm Haskins as the production manager and Pete Mortensen as the tool-and-die maker. This first organization is believed to have been called the Thorsen Manufacturing Company and was located in a factory building at 5321 Horton Street in Emeryville, California, now a part of Oakland.

Since none of the founders were named Thorsen, the question naturally arises as to the origin of the company name. An interesting story on this is related by John C. Derville Sr., Ned Boyd's business associate at P&C Tools and a lifelong friend. According to John Derville, when Ned Boyd named the company, the name Thorsen was "picked out of thin air" because Thorsen was a Swedish name, and Swedish steel was famous for its high quality.

Before proceeding further we should mention an apparent discrepancy in the founding date for Thorsen. Most later Thorsen documents cite 1926 as the founding date; for example, a 1967 catalog displays a logo showing "Fine Mechanics Hand Tools Since 1926". However, we have fairly solid evidence that the company founders all remained at P&C in Oregon until sometime in 1929. This evidence includes a newspaper article from August 1 of 1929, with the owner of P&C complaining about recent rumors and events pointing to the founding of Thorsen. There's even a much later trademark registration for the name "Thorsen" that lists the first use date as July of 1929.

There are a number of possible explanations for the use of the 1926 date. For example, it's possible that Ned Boyd et al might have acquired an existing operation and chosen to retain its starting date. It's also possible that Ned Boyd might have planned his move well in advance, possibly securing a lease or business license in 1926.

But an even simpler explanation might be that the founders wanted to give the impression of an earlier start, in light of the somewhat awkward departure from P&C, and that the 1926 date is just a company myth. Whatever the date, it should be possible to do a search of city records for business licenses and property deeds to resolve the question. (If any of our readers happen to be in the Oakland area and want to do a little research, please let us know of your findings.)

The Thorsen Tools Distributorship

By the early 1930s Ned Boyd had recast Thorsen into the mold of his old employer P&C Tools, with both a retail and distribution organization as well as the manufacturing operation. The catalogs from this time are ambiguous about the company structure, with the name "Thorsen Tool Company" appearing to apply to both the retail and factory operations.

However, from a later account it appears that after 1931 Ned Boyd was primarily (or exclusively) occupied with running Thorsen Tools Incorporated, the retail and distribution company, with Sherm Haskins continuing to manage Thorsen Manufacturing, the production company. At some point Pete Mortensen had left Thorsen to return to P&C in Oregon.

A 1931 catalog lists the main office at 1475 Bush Street in San Francisco, along with a branch sales office at 2521 South Hill Street in Los Angeles and the factory at 5321 Horton Street in Emeryville. This catalog shows a "Thorsen Tools" logo consisting of the letters "TT" in a circle, a mark that can be found on some older tools. The catalog also notes the Thorsen "Techniheat" process, which it claims was perfected in April of 1931.

By 1935 the Thorsen Tool stores were operating as full service suppliers of automotive tools, offering sockets and wrenches made by Thorsen, plus a wide variety of tools from other manufacturers. A catalog printed in 1935 (without copyright) lists the Thorsen socket tools and wrenches, noting the "Techniheat process" used for heat treating.

However, the major part of the catalog (probably more than two-thirds) is devoted to listings for tools by other makers, particularly Herbrand. Other brands mentioned (or recognizable) in the 1935 catalog include Bonney, Champion DeArment, Diamond Calk Horseshoe, Kennedy, Rimac, Utica, and Wilde.

This 1935 catalog was undoubtedly published by Boyd's retail operation, yet continues to show the ambiguous treatment of the company structure. The inside cover shows Thorsen Tool Company in bold type, with the "General Sales Office" at 1475 Bush Street in San Francisco, and with E.A. Boyd as "General Manager".

New Ownership

By 1940 Thorsen Manufacturing was struggling as a business and the owners were interested in selling. Thorsen had only five employees at this time, including Sherm Haskins, the manager and one of the company's original founders. Harry Peet, a local engineer and entrepreneur, was interested in purchasing the company, and with additional money raised from family members was able to acquire the company in December of 1940. The new owners became Harry Peet, his brother-in-law Roy Shurtleff, and Roy's son Lawton L. Shurtleff. Harry Peet and Lawton Shurtleff were actively involved with running the company, while Roy Shurtleff remained as a limited partner backing the venture.

The new owners had undertaken a significant challenge, as Thorsen was pretty run down by this time. The production equipment was from the World War I era and in need of repair or replacement, and monthly sales were less than $3,000, with a comparable amount required for replacement of broken tools.

In addition to the production problems, Thorsen's sales were being hampered by pre-existing sales agreements granting exclusive territories to each of four distributors, apparently without any minimum sales commitment. Ned Boyd's Thorsen Tools had northern California, California Tool had southern California, General Tool of Portland, Oregon had Oregon and Washington, and the Quality Tools Corporation, makers of Old Forge tools, had the east coast rights. (The General Tool Company had an older association with Ned Boyd -- see our article on P&C Hand Forged Tools for more information.)

One of the first changes made by the new management was to terminate these exclusive sales arrangements, which fortunately were not binding terms in the contracts. This displeased the distributors, but paved the way for future improvements in sales for Thorsen.

The beginning of WWII in 1941 brought a much needed increase in business for Thorsen. Lawton Shurtleff was able to land a number of war-related contracts in 1941, before leaving to join the navy in 1942. During the war a number of family members filled in to help Harry Peet run the company, which had expanded to three shifts of operations to keep up with the orders. Sales rose from $40,000 in 1941 to $154,000 in 1944, with profits increasing from $8,000 to $41,000 over the same period.

As an aside, the Thorsen Tools, Incorporated distributorship under Ned Boyd remained in operation until at least the mid 1940s. The Thorsen Tool catalog M from around 1946 shows a modest selection of Thorsen tools, plus a much larger selection of tools from numerous other makers. The list of companies carried as a distributor included Bridgeport Hardware, Champion DeArment, Cleveland Twist Drill, Diamond Calk Horseshoe, Duro Metal Products, Fairmount Tool & Forging, Heller Brothers, Kennedy, Lisle, Reed & Prince, Ridge Tool, Utica Drop Forge & Tool, Vlchek Tool, and many others.

Although the distributor catalog continued to show "Thorsen Tool Company" on the front, Ned Boyd is believed to have had no further involvement with Thorsen Manufacturing after the change in ownership. However, some tools such as Speed-Hed wrenches are known to have used an anomalous "Thorsen Tools" marking in the early to mid 1950s, suggesting the possibility that the distributor company continued to use the Thorsen name on tools.

Expansion During the 1950s and 1960s

The overtime work and stressful conditions during the war had taken a toll on both the equipment and management at Thorsen. When Lawton Shurtleff returned to California in 1946, he found that Thorsen desperately needed new investment and upgraded equipment. After some discussion with Harry Peet, Shurtleff and a new business partner bought out Harry Peet's interest in the company, with the intention of building Thorsen into a major national tool company.

The following years were difficult as Shurtleff invested to improve production while trying to keep the company solvent. By the mid 1950s, production efficiency had been greatly improved and an aggressive new sales team was in place, and Thorsen was well on its way to becoming a major player in the tool market.

During the 1950s Thorsen Manufacturing registered a trademark with the text "Thorsen Hot Forged Tools" combined into a distinctive logo, and this logo appeared prominently on the company's catalogs and toolboxes. Somewhat later Thorsen registered "Action Hot Forged Tools" as a trademark and began using "Action" as the brand for a second (economy) line of tools. During this period Lawton Shurtleff received two design patents for tool displays, showing the company's new emphasis on sales ability.

By the time of the 1967 catalog AJS-120, Thorsen was offering a wide selection of sockets and drive tools in drive sizes 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, and 3/4, wrenches in combination, open-end, and box styles, chisels and punches, and a few miscellaneous tools. Production still took place in Oakland, but at an upgraded facility, and the catalog includes an illustration of a modern-looking factory with "Thorsen Manufacturing Company" on the front.

Acquisition by Hydrometals

In 1968 Lawton Shurtleff agreed to sell Thorsen Manufacturing to Hydrometals, Incorporated, an industrial conglomerate. The intended acquisition was noted in the August 15, 1968 issue of The New York Times. The transaction was structured as a stock swap and appears to have closed in early 1969, based on the information in an SEC News Digest from April 14, 1969, which notes that Hydrometals had filed to register securities for a secondary offering.

The Thorsen Tool Company

After the acquisition by Hydrometals, Thorsen continued in operation as a division of the parent, then at some point the company moved to Dallas, Texas and was renamed to the Thorsen Tool Company. (This was the old name for the Ned Boyd distributorship, which we assume had closed by this time.)

Shurtleff remained as the CEO until 1977.

Fig. 1. 1976-1977 Directory Listing for Thorsen Tool Company. [External Link]

Fig. 1 shows the entry for the Thorsen Tool Company in a 1976-1977 directory listing published by the Hand Tools Institute, included here as part of congressional hearings. The company address is noted as 2527 Willowbrook Road, Dallas, Texas.

This listing is quite helpful, as it shows that the company was already in Dallas and had changed its name to the Thorsen Tool Company while Lawton Shurtleff was still the CEO.

The plant noted at 6210 Denton Drive is the "modern manufacturing facility" sometimes referred to by Thorsen, and an illustration can be seen in Fig. 2 below. Online references were found for Thorsen Tool at this location from as early as 1972.

Also disclosed is the existence of a second production plant, the Cameron Manufacturing Company in Emporium, Pennsylvania.

One further inference is that the Oakland facility must have been closed by this point, since it is not listed. (An earlier listing in the Hand Tools Institute for 1973-1974 also did not list the Oakland plant.)

Giller Tool

Hydrometals had previously acquired the Giller Tool Corporation of Dallas in 1963, with the acquisition noted in the November 15, 1963 issue of The New York Times. Giller appears to have operated primarily as a defense contractor, and the February 19, 1966 issue of The New York Times notes that the Giller division of Hydrometals had received $1.9 million in new defense contracts. After the 1969 acquisition of Thorsen, Hydrometals reorganized its subsidiaries to make Giller Tool an operating division of Thorsen Manufacturing.

It's not known whether Giller Tool had its own manufacturing facilities or made use of contract manufacturers; however, as a division of Thorsen, Giller would have had access to Thorsen's manufacturing equipment. This helps resolve a long-running mystery concerning the close resemblance of many Giller-marked tools with the corresponding Thorsen model.

Acquisition by Wallace Murray

In 1977 Hydrometals was acquired by Wallace Murray, another industrial conglomerate.

Although it probably didn't affect Thorsen Tool directly, in 1981 Wallace Murray was gobbled up by Household International, another hungry conglomerate. (We're mentioning this here because it may have a bearing on some later corporate reorganizations.) Wallace Murray continued operating as before, but some documents may refer to it as a "Household International" company.

During this period Thorsen Tool appears to have devoted more resources to tool engineering, as the only known tool patents assigned to Thorsen were filed in the early 1980s. There was also a resurgence of interest in trademarks, with a number of applications being filed around this time.

The TD 1008-10 catalog from 1983 shows that Thorsen Tool was still a division of Wallace Murray at that time.

Fig. 2. Illustration of Thorsen Factory from 1983 Catalog.

The scan in Fig. 2 shows an illustration of the Thorsen factory, as published on the inside back cover of the 1983 TD 1008-10 catalog.

A check of Google Maps shows that this building is the same as the current (2022) building at 6210 Denton Drive in Dallas, which from other references is known to have been used by Thorsen since 1972 or earlier.

Fig. 3. 1983 Catalog Illustration of Thorsen "Positive Eject" Ratchet.

The scan in Fig. 3 shows an illustration of Thorsen's new "Positive Eject" ratchet, as published on page 2 of the 1983 catalog TD 1008-10.

This ratchet would have been based on the 1981 Konecny patent 4,261,233. References to this ratchet design have been found from as early as 1980.

Fig. 4. 1983 Catalog Listing for Thorsen Beam-Style Combination Wrenches.

In 1978 Thorsen began producing combination wrenches in a distinctive style featuring a V-shaped depression in the shank with a raised dart-like center panel.

The scan in Fig. 4 shows a catalog listing for these "beam-style" wrenches, as published on page 34 of the 1983 TD 1008-10 catalog.

Note that the listing states that the "style may vary" for sizes 1-5/16 and up, suggesting that these may be sourced differently. (This is an important detail and we'll refer to it elsewhere in the text.)

Reorganization into GC Thorsen

In the mid 1980s Thorsen may have run into financial trouble, and we've seen rumors that the company was sold to the National Hand Tool Corporation, although we haven't found any published references to document this. But something happened, and we'll come back to this point shortly.

By 1985 there are published references to GC Thorsen, a merger between GC Electronics and Thorsen Tool. GC Electronics was a maker of supplies and tools for the electronics industry, which had started as General Cement during the 1930s. We recently discovered (2022) that in the early 1980s GC Electronics was a subsidiary of Wallace Murray, possibly by way of Hydrometals.

With this knowledge we can assume that the creation of GC Thorsen was just a reorganization within the extended corporate structure of the multi-conglomerated parent company. There could have been some synergies with being a supplier of both electronics and mechanic's tools, and the joining of GC Electronics and Thorsen Tool to form GC Thorsen probably made sense from a business standpoint.

GC Thorsen operated in Rockford, Illinois, the original home of GC Electronics, and the company was a subsidiary of Elgin National Industries within the overall corporate structure.

So far this seems like a typical reorganization, but what about the Thorsen factory in Dallas? Does it really make sense to run a tool company a thousand miles away from its factory? We'll come back to this question shortly, but first let's look at the tools provided by GC Thorsen.

The 1991 GC Thorsen catalog is currently our earliest product reference for the reorganized company. The catalog shows "Thorsen Pro-Line" on the front cover, with the company address at 1801 Morgan Street in Rockford on the the back cover. The front cover also has illustrations of various tools, including a "beam-style" combination wrench, so there is at least some connection with the earlier Thorsen production. But the catalog is shorter and has fewer products, with a much more limited selection of socket sets, no "Positive Eject" ratchet, and no 3/4-drive tools.

Fig. 5. 1991 Catalog Listing for Thorsen Beam-Style Combination Wrenches.

In 1991 Thorsen was still offering "beam-style" combination wrenches, perhaps the only sign of continuity of production with the 1983 catalog.

The scan in Fig. 5 shows the listing for these wrenches as it appeared on page 17 of the 1991 GC Thorsen catalog.

The illustration shows the same "beam-style" design (see Fig. 4 for reference), but the table of sizes is now split into two parts, with sizes 1-5/16 up clearly labeled as import only. (The same import notice applied to metric wrenches 26mm and up.)

The 1995 GC Thorsen catalog also lists the company address as 1801 Morgan Street in Rockford, and notes that Thorsen had been providing tools since 1926, with more than 2,000 tools in their current product line.

The catalog offers sockets and drive tools in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, and 3/4-drive, plus a variety of wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, air tools, and some specialty tools. The catalog illustrations show sockets with highly polished chrome finishes, ratchets with knurled handles, and one "Euro-style" cushion grip ratchet.

There are no "beam-style" combination wrenches — instead, all of the wrenches have oval shanks with raised oval panels, and there are styles like flare-nut and flex-box wrenches that were not offered in earlier Thorsen catalogs.

There is no statement regarding country of origin, but the tools resemble generic imports of that time, and none of the tools match the known prior production from Thorsen. Thus it appears that by this time Thorsen had outsourced all of its production to other manufacturers.

Thorsen Goes Virtual!

In the previous section we've seen that Thorsen Tool had gone from making tools in its own factory to 100 percent outsourcing in scarcely more than a decade. In short, Thorsen had gone virtual.

The transformation of a company with a long history of manufacturing into just a marketing shell appears to be unprecedented — at least we can't recall a comparable example in the tool industry. So how did this come about?

We don't have all of the details yet, but our hypothesis is that sometime between 1983 and 1985 the National Hand Tool Corporation (NHT) made a deal to acquire all of Thorsen's production equipment and tooling and then supply Thorsen with a full line of tools, at substantially less unit cost than what Thorsen was currently incurring.

At this point some background on NHT would be helpful, and the reader can find more information with the above link. National Hand Tool had been founded in 1978 by Kirk K. Chow, a Taiwanese businessman with extensive tool production facilities in Asia. NHT's business model was to import partially formed tool blanks from Asia and then finish them in America, in order to avoid paying import duties. NHT built a factory in Dallas primarily for finishing tools, but with some manufacturing capability as well.

Our strongest evidence for this hypothesis comes from an examination of the alternate sourcing arrangement for Thorsen's "beam-style" combination wrenches. The 1983 Thorsen catalog included a footnote that "styles may vary" for the larger sizes of the wrenches, but without mentioning imports. The varying style is an obvious reference to an alternate source, and the nearby factory in Dallas bringing in wrench blanks from Asia would be the obvious alternative.

What likely happened was that in the early 1980s Thorsen realized that it was losing money on each unit of the larger sizes (and lower volume) of combination wrenches, when the costs of maintaining the tooling and making small production runs were factored in. Somehow NHT learned of this and offered to supply Thorsen with wrenches of comparable quality, at prices low enough to allow a profit.

At this time Thorsen was claiming that its tools were all made in the US and might have balked at selling imports. But in the early 1980s NHT was still operating on the fiction that "finished in U.S.A." and "Made in U.S.A." were the same. NHT could have even invited Thorsen managers to visit the NHT factory and watch the wrenches being made (finished). With these assurances, Thorsen outsourced the larger combination wrenches.

A few years later US Customs caught up with NHT and filed suit, and the trial court determined that NHT's finishing operations did not meet the standard of "substantial transformation" required to avoid import duties and country-of-origin labeling. After this NHT was required to label its tools as imported.

If we now look at the listing for "beam-style" combination wrenches in the 1991 GC Thorsen catalog, the same larger sizes that were flagged as "style may vary" in 1983 are now listed separately as "import only". We believe that this is strong evidence that NHT was the source of the larger wrenches.

From this initial supply agreement it's not a major leap to extend the argument. The mid 1980s were economically difficult, as the economy had entered a recession in 1983 after rapidly rising interest rates. (As we write this late in 2022, the year 2023 may turn out to be eerily similar to 1983.) It's quite plausible that Thorsen Tool could have experienced financial difficulties in this period and might have even been facing closure.

So if NHT offered to scale up their supply agreement to cover the entire product line, with unit costs low enough that a profit might be possible, Thorsen Tool (or it corporate parent) might have seen this as the lesser of evils. This appears to be what happened, and the deal was likely completed before Thorsen's corporate parent went ahead with the 1985 reorganization into GC Thorsen.

We hope to find additional evidence to support our hypothesis, and plan to look for older financial records of Wallace Murray to see whether the events are documented there.

One small snippet of information was found in the form of a 1988 reference to American Box and Crating Incorporated operating at 6210 Denton Drive in Dallas, the former address of the Thorsen factory. This seems to confirm that Thorsen was no longer there at that time.

Acquisition by Katy Industries

In 1995 GC Thorsen was purchased from Elgin National by Katy Industries. (As Katy is a public company, numerous records of this transaction are reported online.) Under Katy the Thorsen Tool operations were separated from GC Electronics, and a 1998 trademark filing for "Thorsen" with a Viking logo listed the company location as Carmel, Indiana.

The Katy annual report for 2000 listed Thorsen Tool as a value-added distributor, with tools sourced primarily from Asia.

Later History

In 2001 Thorsen was acquired by Olympia Group, a distributor of hand tools and related products. Olympia was reported to have gone bankrupt a few years later, and the operations of Thorsen (if any) after that are not known.

Patents

Only a few patents have been found for Thorsen, all of them filed many years after the company's founding. Two design patents from the 1950s describe specialized stands used for displaying merchandise, and a patent from the early 1960s covers a method of packaging. Several much later patents from the 1980s describe improvements for ratchet wrenches.

Trademarks

An early Thorsen catalog claims a trademark on a logo with the letters "TT" in a circle, but no registration has been found for this mark. Thorsen does appear to have used the mark on tools, however.

In 1957 Thorsen Manufacturing filed a trademark application for "Thorsen Hot Forged Tools" in a distinctive design, with the first use date listed as March 1, 1953. The trademark registration was issued as #665,346 on August 5, 1958. The design for this trademark places "Thorsen" in an inverted "V" shape above a rising sun, and we'll refer to this as the "sunrise" logo in the text.

In 1979 the Thorsen Tool Company filed a trademark application for the name "Thorsen", with the first use date listed as July of 1929. The trademark registration was issued as #1,147,068 on February 17, 1981. At that time Thorsen Tool listed its address as 2527 Willowbrook Road in Dallas, Texas.

Manufacturing Dates

Thorsen tools are not known to have any form of date code marking, and in general the tools have minimal markings and few (or no) decorative features. This lack of changeable markings makes it difficult to determine a manufacturing date for most Thorsen tools, except perhaps at a very coarse level.

Once we have better catalog coverage, we'll attempt to develop some guidelines for estimating manufacturing dates. The following list has some preliminary observations that may help estimate a production date for some tools.

• Plain or Cadmium Finish. Thorsen production from the 1930s and 1940s most likely had a plain or cadmium finish.

• Chrome-Plated Finish. By 1950 Thorsen was probably using a chrome-plated finish for its tools, as this was generally expected for a competitive tool product.

• Action Trademark. The Thorsen "Action" trademark was first used in 1957. Tools in the Action line had an "A" suffix appended to the model number for the corresponding standard tool.

• "MFD. U.S.A." Marking. By around 1962 Thorsen had started adding "MFD. U.S.A." to the markings on its tools.

• Stylized Thorsen Name. At some point Thorsen switched to a stylized form of the "Thorsen" name for tool markings, with a font using angled sections for the letters instead of the older block style. The change is most noticeable on the letter "T", composed with angled descenders from the top bar, and the letter "S", composed of angled sections rather than a smooth curve. The stylized name is believed to have been in use by the mid 1970s or before, although the exact date is not yet clear. (Examples can be seen on the Thorsen 77 Ratchet and Thorsen 522M Socket.)

• "=" Marking on Sockets. At some point Thorsen changed the markings on sockets to add an "=" symbol on each side, as for example the marking "=22M THORSEN MFD. U.S.A. 522M=" on a 1/2-drive 22mm socket. This marking change has been observed on sockets made using hot-forged construction, indicating that the change was probably in place by the mid 1970s. This "=" marking style for sockets remained in use at least until 1991.

• "Beam-Style" Combination Wrenches. In 1978 Thorsen Tool began offering "beam-style" combination wrenches with a V-shaped depression in the shank and a dart-like raised center panel. (See Fig. 4 for reference.) The introduction date is documented in price list HDLR5178 from 1978.

  From 1983 onward combination wrenches in sizes 1-5/16 and up were sourced in a different style. "Beam-Style" wrenches in smaller sizes continued to be offered until at least 1991, but by 1995 had been discontinued.

• Cold-Formed Sockets. Sometime in the late 1970s Thorsen began using a cold-forming process to make sockets. Catalog TD 1008-8 from around 1980 notes "Cold Extruded" sockets on page 1.

• Five-Digit Model Numbers. A 1991 catalog from GC Thorsen shows a recent transition from the older legacy model numbers to a new five-digit system. For example, a model 10M 1/4-drive 5/16 socket became a model 10210 socket. Note though that by this time some Thorsen tools were already using five-digit model numbers, and for some odd reason the model 80M 1/4-drive handle remained as a model 80M.

References and Resources

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

Information on the early history of Thorsen and P&C is based on recollections of the Derville family, as passed along by another tool collector. The Derville family are the owners of the General Tool Company of Portland, Oregon, a tool distributor (in 2009, the time of our original writing) in its 80th year of operations.

Information on the development of Thorsen Manufacturing from the 1940s onward was obtained from a family history The Shurtleff and Lawton Families Genealogy and History by William R. Shurtleff and Lawton L. Shurtleff. Lawton Shurtleff was one of the owners of Thorsen from 1940 through the 1970s, and this book provides a wealth of detailed information about the company.

Catalog Coverage

The table below shows our current catalog resources for Thorsen, spanning a time range from around 1931 to 1995.

Note that the early catalogs from Thorsen were all published by the distributor arm of the company, and accordingly offer tools from other companies in addition to Thorsen manufacturing.

Early Production

Thorsen's early production can be distinguished by the use of plain or cadmium finishes, together with a rough forged or machined surface.

Early 79 3/4-Drive Ratchet

Fig. 6. Thorsen 79 3/4-Drive Ratchet, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1930s.

Fig. 6 shows an early 3/4-drive Thorsen 79 ratchet with a push-through plug, marked with just the company name and model.

The overall length is 19.0 inches, and the finish is plain steel.

Early 514 1/2-Drive 7/16 Socket

Fig. 7. Thorsen Early 514 1/2-Drive 7/16 Socket, with Insets for Broaching and Marking Detail.

Fig. 7 shows an early 1/2-drive Thorsen 514 7/16 socket, stamped "Thorsen" with the size and model number.

The finish is plain steel with a rough surface.

The drive end of the socket has a dimple in one wall (not shown) to help secure the detent ball of a drive stud.

Early 532 1/2-Drive 1 Inch Socket

Fig. 8. Thorsen Early 532 1/2-Drive 1 Inch Socket, with Insets for Drive End and Broaching.

Fig. 8 shows an early 1/2-drive Thorsen 532 1 inch socket, stamped "Thorsen" with the size and model number.

The finish is plain steel with a rough surface.

The drive end of the socket has a dimple in one wall (not shown) to help secure the detent ball of a drive stud.

Early 632 1/2-Drive 1 Inch Deep Socket

Fig. 9. Thorsen Early 632 1/2-Drive 1 Inch Deep Socket, with Inset for Broaching.

Fig. 9 shows an early 1/2-drive Thorsen 632 1 inch deep socket, stamped "Thorsen" with the size and model number.

The finish is plain steel with a rough surface.

The drive end of the socket has a hole drilled for a cross-bar, a typical feature for spark plug sockets.

Early 428J 3/8-Drive 7/8 Universal Socket

Fig. 10. Thorsen 428J 3/8-Drive 7/8 Universal Socket, with Insets for Broaching and Marking Detail.

Fig. 10 shows an early 3/8-drive Thorsen 428J 7/8 universal socket, stamped "Thorsen" with the size and model number on the drive end.

The finish is plain steel with a rough surface.

Early 7/16x7/16 Ell-Shaped Double Socket Wrench

Fig. 11. Thorsen Early 7/16x7/16 Ell-Shaped Double Socket Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1929 to Early 1930s.

Fig. 11 shows an early Thorsen 7/16x7/16 Ell-shaped double socket wrench, stamped with "Thorsen" and the fractional size on the shank.

The overall length is 8.1 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.

1622 11/16x25/32 Offset Box Wrench

Fig. 12. Thorsen 1622 11/16x25/32 Offset Box Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 12 shows a Thorsen 1622 11/16x25/32 offset box wrench, stamped with the Thorsen name and fractional size at one end, with the model number and other size on the back side.

The overall length is 11.8 inches, and the finish is cadmium plating.

A comparison of this wrench with a similar P&C model such as the P&C 2222-E Offset Box Wrench shows the great resemblance between the two brands. In particular, note the tapered walls of the box ends, a somewhat unusual feature common to P&C and Thorsen but rarely seen elsewhere.

The Middle Period

Thorsen's production from approximately 1950 onward brought chrome-plated finishes along with minor changes in the markings.

1240 3/4-Drive 1-1/4 Socket

Fig. 13. Thorsen 1240 3/4-Drive 1-1/4 Socket, with Inset for Broaching, ca. Mid 1950s.

Fig. 13 shows a 3/4-drive Thorsen 1240 1-1/4 socket, stamped with the Thorsen "sunrise" logo in between the size and model number. The drive end has a dimple in one wall (visible under the size marking) to help secure the detent ball of a drive stud.

The finish is chrome plating.

The drive end of the socket has a dimple in one wall (visible under the size marking) to help secure the detent ball of a drive stud.

The use of the "sunrise" logo on this socket appears to be quite rare, as this socket is currently our only example. According to the trademark records, this mark was first used in 1953, placing the likely production date for this socket in the mid 1950s.

77J 3/8-Drive Open-Style Ratchet

Fig. 14. Thorsen 77J 3/8-Drive Ratchet, with Insets for Back Side, Side View, and Marking Detail.

Fig. 14 shows a 3/8-drive Thorsen 77J open-style ratchet, stamped "Thorsen" with the model number.

The overall length is 7.3 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

53 1/2-Drive 5 Inch Extension

Fig. 15. Thorsen 53 1/2-Drive 5 Inch Extension, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 15 shows a 1/2-drive Thorsen 53 5 inch extension, stamped "Thorsen" and "MFD. U.S.A." on the drive head.

The overall length is 5.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

375 3/8-Drive Screwdriver Bit

Fig. 16. Thorsen 375 3/8-Drive Screwdriver Bit, with Inset for Marking Detail.

Fig. 16 shows a 3/8-drive Thorsen 375 screwdriver bit, stamped with "Thorsen" and the model number.

The overall length is 2.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

2120 5/8x11/16 Short Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 17. Thorsen 2120 5/8x11/16 Short Offset Box-End Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail.

Fig. 17 shows a Thorsen 2120 5/8x11/16 short offset box wrench, stamped with the Thorsen name and fractional size at one end, with the model number and other size on the back side.

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

2218 9/16x5/8 Offset Box-End Wrench

Fig. 18. Thorsen 2218 9/16x5/8 Offset Box-End Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 18 shows a Thorsen 2218 9/16x5/8 offset box wrench, stamped "MFD. U.S.A." with the Thorsen name, model, and fractional sizes. The shank also has a forged-in code "4" visible at the left.

The overall length is 9.1 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

3016 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 19. Thorsen 3016 1/2x9/16 Open-End Wrench.

Fig. 19 shows a Thorsen 3016 1/2x9/16 open-end wrench, stamped with the Thorsen name and fractional sizes on the shank, and with a forged-in code "3" visible at the left.

The overall length is 6.6 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

3018 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 20. Thorsen 3018 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench.

Fig. 20 shows a Thorsen 3018 9/16x5/8 open-end wrench, stamped "MFD. U.S.A." with the Thorsen name and fractional sizes on the shank, and with a forged-in code "5" visible at the left.

The overall length is 7.1 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

3019 19/32x11/16 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 21. Thorsen 3019 19/32x11/16 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 21 shows a Thorsen 3019 19/32x11/16 open-end wrench, stamped "MFD. U.S.A." with the Thorsen name and fractional sizes on the shank, and with a forged-in code "7" visible at the left.

The overall length is 7.4 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

3020S 5/8x11/16 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 22. Thorsen 3020S 5/8x11/16 Open-End Wrench.

Fig. 22 shows a Thorsen 3020S 5/8x11/16 open-end wrench, stamped "MFD. U.S.A." with the Thorsen name and fractional sizes on the shank.

The overall length is 7.8 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

3020 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench

Fig. 23. Thorsen 3020 5/8x3/4 Open-End Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 23 shows a Thorsen 3020 5/8x3/4 open-end wrench, stamped with the Thorsen name and fractional sizes on the shank, and with a forged-in code "V" visible at the left.

The overall length is 8.2 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

2012 3/8 Combination Wrench

Fig. 24. Thorsen 2012 3/8 Combination Wrench.

Fig. 24 shows a Thorsen 2012 3/8 combination wrench, stamped "Thorsen" with the fractional size on the front. The shank also has a forged-in code "V" visible at the left.

The overall length is 7.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

2014 7/16 Combination Wrench

Fig. 25. Thorsen 2014 7/16 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Back Side Detail.

Fig. 25 shows a Thorsen 2014 7/16 combination wrench, stamped "Thorsen" with the fractional size on the front, with "Made in U.S.A." and the model number on the back side. The shank also has a forged-in code "R" visible at the right.

The overall length is 5.1 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

2020C 5/8 Combination Wrench

Fig. 26. Thorsen 2020C 5/8 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 26 shows a Thorsen 2020C 5/8 combination wrench, stamped "MFD. U.S.A." with the fractional size and model on the shank. The shank also has a forged-in code "P" visible at the right.

The overall length is 6.2 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

2022C 11/16 Combination Wrench

Fig. 27. Thorsen 2022C 11/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 27 shows a Thorsen 2022C 11/16 combination wrench, stamped "USA" with the fractional size and model on the shank. The shank also has a forged-in code "B" visible at the right.

The overall length is 7.1 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

2024C 3/4 Combination Wrench

Fig. 28. Thorsen 2024C 3/4 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 28 shows a Thorsen 2024C 3/4 combination wrench, stamped "USA" with the fractional size and model on the shank. The shank also has a forged-in code "H" visible at the right.

The overall length is 8.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

2026 13/16 Combination Wrench

Fig. 29. Thorsen 2026 13/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 29 shows a Thorsen 2026 13/16 combination wrench, stamped "MFD. U.S.A." with the fractional size and model on the shank. The shank also has a forged-in code "R" visible at the left.

The overall length is 10.1 inches, and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.

2030 15/16 Combination Wrench

Fig. 30. Thorsen 2030 15/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Side View.

Fig. 30 shows a Thorsen 2030 15/16 combination wrench, stamped with the fractional size and model on the shank. The shank also has a forged-in number "1" visible at the left.

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

"Speed-Hed" Ratcheting-Action Combination Wrenches

From 1948 to 1950 various notices appeared in the trade press for the Thorsen "Speed-Hed" wrench, a design with a cut-away open end that allowed the wrench to grip in only one direction, providing a ratchet-like action.

Fig. 31A. 1949 Notice for Thorsen Tools Speed-Hed Wrenches.

The composite scan in Fig. 31A shows shows a notice for Thorsen Tools Speed-Hed wrenches, as published on page 42 of the November 14, 1949 issue of Automotive News. (The text has been re-flowed to fit in a compact block.)

The notice describes the operation of the wrenches, and mentions their availability in three sizes, 7/16, 1/2, and 9/16.

Fig. 31B. 1952 Ad for Speed-Hed Ratcheting Combination Wrench.

The scan in Fig. 31B shows an advertisement for Speed-Hed wrenches, as published on page 258 [External Link] of the January, 1952 issue of Popular Science. (This was part of a larger ad for the Central Tool Company of San Francisco, possibly a surplus tool dealer.)

By this time the wrenches were available in seven sizes from 3/8 to 3/4.

Note that the text of the 1952 ad does not mention Thorsen as the maker, and the illustration closely resembles the wide-shank combination wrenches made by Vlchek up through 1952.

Background History

Open-end wrenches with a cut-away face to allow ratchet-like action have a long history, beginning with the Williams "Ratcho" wrenches described by the 1910 Amborn patent 956,259.

Then in the mid 1920s the Simplex Wrench Company began offering a series of ratcheting open-end wrenches based on the 1924 Cook patent 1,479,772, which described a wrench with stepped openings so that each end could handle two or more nut sizes.

The Speed-Hed wrenches were based on patent 2,652,735, filed by G.W. Wilder in 1949 and issued in 1953.

The Maker Mystery

Although the trade notices for Speed-Hed wrenches mention Thorsen as the maker, and some even discuss the specific machinery used in the production process, none of the wrenches we've seen appear to have been made by Thorsen Manufacturing. Instead, all of the examples have production characteristics that strongly suggest Vlchek as the maker. This suggests that Thorsen may have made the wrenches for only a limited period of time, then found that it was more cost effective to use Vlchek as the contract maker.

Another anomaly we can mention is that if a Speed-Hed wrench has a Thorsen marking (which not all do), the marking is "Thorsen Tools" instead of just "Thorsen". In the 1950s the Thorsen business entity was still named "Thorsen Manufacturing", and "Thorsen Tools" had previously been used only by the earlier distributor arm of Thorsen. This at least suggests the possibility that the production of Speed-Hed wrenches had been ordered by the Thorsen Tool distributor company.

With the lack of examples made by Thorsen, the anomalous markings, and the possible involvement of the Thorsen Tool distributor, we think it's legitimate to question whether the Speed-Hed wrenches were actually ever made by Thorsen Manufacturing.

If any of our readers have seen Speed-Hed wrenches that resemble Thorsen Manufacturing production, please let us know via email.

Thorsen Speed-Hed 784-1 3/4 Ratcheting Combination Wrench

Fig. 32A. Thorsen Speed-Hed 784-1 3/4 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Back Side and Side View, ca. Early 1950s.

Fig. 32A shows a Thorsen Speed-Hed 784-1 3/4 combination wrench with a ratchet-action open end, stamped with "Speed-Hed" and "Pat. Appl'd For" on the front, with "Thorsen Tools" and "Oakland - Calif" on the back.

The shank is also marked with a forged-in number "8" visible at the left.

The overall length is 9.8 inches, and the finish is chrome plating, with some losses due to rust.

The patent pending status refers to patent #2,652,735, filed by G.W. Wilder in 1949 and issued in 1953.

The design and construction of this example strongly suggest Vlchek as the manufacturer, as does the forged-in number "8" near the open end. Note in particular that both the open and box end have a fairly sharp grinding radius, and the box end is quite thin, only slightly thicker than the shank.

This example is made in Vlchek's wide-shank style, which was in production from the late 1940s until 1952. Since the early Speed-Hed wrenches were only available in sizes up to 9/16, this larger wrench is likely from the early 1950s.

An example of Vlchek's production in the wide-shank style can be seen as the Vlchek WBE22 11/16 Wide-Shank Combination Wrench.

Thorsen Speed-Hed 780-0 5/8 Ratcheting Combination Wrench

Fig. 32B. Thorsen Speed-Hed 780-0 5/8 Combination Wrench, with Insets for Side View and Marking Detail, ca. 1953 to Mid 1950s.

Fig. 32B shows a Thorsen Speed-Hed 780-0 5/8 combination wrench with a ratchet-action open end, stamped with "Speed-Hed" and "Pat. Appl'd For" on the front, with "Thorsen Tools" and "Oakland - Calif" on the back.

The shank is also marked with a forged-in number "9" visible at the left.

The overall length is 8.1 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

The patent pending status refers to patent #2,652,735, filed by G.W. Wilder in 1949 and issued in 1953.

The design and construction of this example strongly suggest Vlchek as the manufacturer, as does the forged-in number "9" near the open end. Note in particular that both the open and box end have a fairly sharp grinding radius, and the box end is quite thin, only slightly thicker than the shank. An example of Vlchek's production in this narrow-shank style can be seen as the Vlchek WBE20 5/8 Combination Wrench.

In contrast, Thorsen's production has a large grinding radius on the ends (almost flat), and the box end is about twice as thick as the shank, as can be seen in the Thorsen 2020C 5/8 Combination Wrench. Also note that the Thorsen 2020C wrench is only 6.1 inches long, compared to 8.1 inches for the Speed-Hed example.

The markings on the tool also point to a contract maker. Thorsen usually placed the company name along with "Mfd. U.S.A." and the model number on the same side, and generally did not mark its Oakland location on tools.

The narrow-shank style of this example indicates production in 1953 or later. Additional examples of Speed-Hed wrenches can be found in our article on Vlchek, all with production characteristics that strongly point to Vlchek as the maker.

The Action Line

In 1957 Thorsen began offering an economy line of tools under the "Action" brand.

Action 530A 15/16 Socket

Fig. 33. Action 530A 15/16 1/2-Drive Socket, with Insets for Broaching and Marking Detail, ca. 1957+.

Fig. 33 shows an Action 530A 15/16 socket, stamped "Action" with the fractional size and model.

The finish is chrome plating.

Action 2022A 11/16 Combination Wrench

Fig. 34. Action 2022A 11/16 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Side View, ca. 1957+.

Fig. 34 shows an Action 2022A 11/16 combination wrench, stamped "Action" with the fractional size and model, and with a forged-in code "4" visible at the left.

The overall length is 8.7 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

Action 2024A 3/4 Combination Wrench

Fig. 35. Action 2024A 3/4 Combination Wrench, ca. 1957+.

Fig. 35 shows an Action 2024A 3/4 combination wrench, stamped "Action" with the fractional size and model, and with a forged-in code "9" visible at the left.

The overall length is 9.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

Action 2028A 7/8 Combination Wrench

Fig. 36. Action 2028A 7/8 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Side View, ca. 1957+.

Fig. 36 shows an Action 2028A 7/8 combination wrench, stamped "Action" with the fractional size and model, and with a forged-in code "2" visible at the left.

The overall length is 11.0 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

Later Production

During and after the 1970s Thorsen's production changed significantly — production shifted to a new factory in Texas, and management changed as Thorsen moved from one conglomerate to another.

Giller 2020 5/8 Combination Wrench

Giller Tool was already part of the Hydrometals conglomerate when Thorsen was acquired in 1968, and under Hydrometals Giller became a subsidiary of Thorsen.

Fig. 37. Giller 2020 5/8 Combination Wrench, with Inset for Side View, ca. Late 1960s to 1970s.

Fig. 37 shows a Giller 2020 5/8 combination wrench, stamped "MFD. U.S.A." with the size and model number. The shank also has a forged-in "M" code visible at the left.

The overall length is 8.4 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

Thorsen Later Beam-Style Combination Wrenches

For much of its history Thorsen produced wrenches with flat shanks and a matte surface, devoid of any decorative features. But in 1978 the combination wrenches at least were given a distinctive new "beam" style featuring a V-shaped depression in the shank with a dart-like raised center panel.

Fig. 38. 1983 Catalog Listing for Thorsen "Beam-Style" Combination Wrenches.

The scan in Fig. 38 shows a listing for Thorsen "beam-style" combination wrenches, as published on page 34 of the 1983 catalog TD 1008-10.

The "beam-style" combination wrenches remained in production until at least 1991.

Currently we don't have any Thorsen wrenches in this style, but we have seen wrenches of this type marked with the "Dayton" brand.

Later 522M 1/2-Drive 22mm Socket with "=" Markings

Fig. 39. Thorsen Later 522M 1/2-Drive 22mm Socket, with Insets for Broaching and Marking Detail, ca. Mid 1970s.

Fig. 39 shows a later 1/2-drive Thorsen 522M 22mm socket, stamped "Thorsen" and "MFD. U.S.A." with the size and model number, and with "=" symbols bracketing the markings.

The finish is polished chrome.

The drive end of the socket has oval grooves cut in all four walls to help secure the detent ball of a drive stud.

The right inset shows the interior of the socket, with an annular ring of displaced metal indicating hot-broached construction. As Thorsen switched to cold-formed socket production in the late 1970s, this socket was likely made in the mid 1970s.

A close look at the "Thorsen" marking on this tool shows the stylized form of the name, with descenders on the "T" and angled sections for the "S".

Later 77 1/2-Drive Open-Style Ratchet

Fig. 40. Thorsen 77 1/2-Drive Ratchet, with Insets for Back Side and Side View.

Fig. 40 shows a later 1/2-drive Thorsen 77 ratchet in an open style, stamped "Thorsen" and "MFD. U.S.A." on the shank.

The overall length is 9.9 inches, and the finish is chrome plating.

A close look at the "Thorsen" marking on this tool shows the stylized form of the name, with descenders on the "T" and angled sections for the "S".

Thorsen was offering ratchets in this open-gear design as early as the mid 1930s, although this particular example is much later. No patent is known for the design, and other companies (notably Duro Metal Products) offered similar ratchets in later years.

Later 536 1/2-Drive 1-1/8 Socket with Cold-Formed Construction

Thorsen is believed to have switched to a cold-forming process for socket construction around 1978, although we don't have documentation for exact date of the change. However, catalog TD 1008-8 from around 1980 notes the company's "Cold Extruded" sockets, so the change was definitely in effect by then.

Fig. 41. Thorsen Later 536 1/2-Drive 1-1/8 Socket, with Inset for Broaching, ca. 1978+.

Fig. 41 shows a later 1/2-drive Thorsen 536 1-1/8 socket with cold-formed construction, stamped "Thorsen" and "MFD. U.S.A." with the size and model number, and with "=" symbols bracketing the markings.

The finish is polished chrome.

The drive end of the socket has oval grooves cut in all four walls to help secure the detent ball of a drive stud.

The right inset shows the interior of the socket to illustrate the cold-formed construction.