Friday, December 15, 2017

Plomb 8161 offset wrench (before & after)





Plomb 8181 offset wrench (before & after)



This wrench is made of a very different material than the other Plomb wrenches.  When cleaned (with a wire brush wheel), the surface became very shiny and bright...  Looked almost like it was chrome plated.



Plomb 1214 combination wrench (before & after)






Proto 1216 combination wrench (marked "Los Angeles")





Sometime in the 1950s, Plomb had to change it's name to Proto, due to a trademark fight with a tool company called "Plumb" who were well known for their hammers.  Plomb lost & had to change it's name...

Has "pebble finish" just around the size markings.  A remnant of the days when Proto was Plomb and they had pebble finish all through the middle of the wrench.

A simple stamped "spanner" (before & after)



Plomb 1216 combination wrench "Warn Finish" (before & after)





Plomb made tools during WWII with a very utilitarian finish using slightly inferior materials.  The idea was to not waste any time, energy and materials on anything that wasn't utilitarian so that all resources can go towards the war effort...  Most of the Plomb tools from this era are marked "WF" for War Finish.  This is the only wrench that I have that is actually marked with the words "WAR FINISH."
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