Old Snap-On catalog

[rockfan4]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Haven't found a good one to print out yet, but there are charts online showing snap-on date codes...

This one looks good as any.
https://sites.pitt.edu/~blair1/snapon.html

I'm using my father's Snap-On ratchets. The 3/8 is from 1953, the 1/2 is from 1947. He also had a black oxide 3/8 that I had to trade with the snap-on guy because he didn't have a rebuild kit for it. My "new" ratchet is from 1987.
There's a couple more in the back garage. I imagine they're all the same vintage.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by rockfan4

This one looks good as any.
https://sites.pitt.edu/~blair1/snapon.html

I'm using my father's Snap-On ratchets. The 3/8 is from 1953, the 1/2 is from 1947. He also had a black oxide 3/8 that I had to trade with the snap-on guy because he didn't have a rebuild kit for it. My "new" ratchet is from 1987.
There's a couple more in the back garage. I imagine they're all the same vintage.

Thanks for this...I have an old valve adjusting tool of dad's..a roughly 5"long handle with a knob on top that controls a sliding flat screwdriver blade that is inside a 1/2" drive solid square with a spring loaded pin to lock a socket in place...now I know it was made in '47...boy, that's a tiny mark, used a magnifying glass to find it.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Found a Snap on Catalog I had in a pile here. Date on the accompanying price list was 2001.

One thing I found interesting was the tooth count on their ratchets was 36, only a 10 degrees arc swing. Many ratchets being sold today, even the cheap harbor freight stuff, brag in advertising about 72 to 90 tooth counts with tiny little arc swings.

This made me chuckle a bit...since my old USA made "Craftsperson" ratchets are 36 tooth. Yet, I can't really recall a time where a smaller arc swing would have made the difference of doing or not doing a project. They all still function well, so I'm not about to toss them and buy higher tooth count ratchets.

Golly gee, How did those guys wrenching at the turn of the century accomplish anything with such archaic ratchet technology?

I have been in situations where a smaller tooth count would have been nice. More modern vehicles occasionally have bolts in VERY tight spaces.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

...now I know it was made in '47...boy, that's a tiny mark, used a magnifying glass to find it.

I could not find the mark to define the date. Where is it??

[rockfan4]

The "E" between the on and off would be the mark, which means it was made in 1944 for the war. Please return it to the nearest government office.

On that note, my dad did have some 9/32 tools.

[pwd72s]

See the E between "on" and "off"? I'd guess yours as a war years "emergency"...not sure, but think that meant made for emergency personnel of some sort.. Just guessing from the chart linked above.

[A930Rocket]

Doh! I didn’t think to look there. 44 would make sense.

That would make it 79 years old.

My grandfather did work at the Charleston Naval Yard during the war. My dad also worked there during the summer, when school was out at Clemson.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

Doh! I didn’t think to look there. 44 would make sense.

That would make it 79 years old.

My grandfather did work at the Charleston Naval Yard during the war. My dad also worked there during the summer, when school was out at Clemson.

That explains it..the E for "emergency"...during the war years, our fortunately untouched industrial might was cranked up to full speed ahead. Everything connected towards the war effort was an "emergency"...including tool production.

Thinking about it, you don't just have your grandfather's old ratchet, you have a piece of WWII history. A period when thousands with your grandfather's hand skills and also thousands of "Rosie the Riveter" women, pitched in to aid in the war effort. This ratchet was purposely made to aid in that effort. It's marking shows this.