I just picked up a Plomb #1145, 1x15/16th box. It's marked Los Angeles which I think is pre-1939? But it has a date code of 7C which should be 1947.

Examples on Alloy Artifacts show 5A as 1935, 8B as 1938, and 1C as 1941.

Am I reading the date codes all wrong? If so, what year is a Los Angeles stamped wrench with 7C?

If it's from 1937, shouldn't the date code be 7B?????

I think the 7 is the year and C is the month (i.e., March).  During WWII it seems they changed their scheme to the second character being A,B,C,D,E for 1941-1945, and the first letter the month.  I have a fair number of B's and C's but have not seen any D's or E's myself.  toolarchives.com has some research:  http://toolarchives.com/node/232

Bill

D's and E's might be scarce, having been replaced by WF's during the later war years.

Thanks MrBill, that's the link I needed to see, I'm good with it being March 1937.

Quote from: Northwoods on July 03, 2017, 09:58:09 PM
D's and E's might be scarce, having been replaced by WF's during the later war years.

The WF series was an entirely different contract than the one with the War Dept.  WF tools were for the Wright Field contract, whereas the A-E scheme was put on tools sold to the public or general War Dept.

Quote from: Twertsy on July 04, 2017, 03:49:05 AM

Quote from: Northwoods on July 03, 2017, 09:58:09 PM
D's and E's might be scarce, having been replaced by WF's during the later war years.

The WF series was an entirely different contract than the one with the War Dept.  WF tools were for the Wright Field contract, whereas the A-E scheme was put on tools sold to the public or general War Dept.

That is what I was (evidently ineffectively) trying to say.  Thanks for filling in all my missing words.