Just found this NOS 8-piece set of K-D full polish combination wrenches.  Really pretty nice looking set.  Any guesses as to who made them?





jack vines

Danaher.

Quote from: lbgradwell on February 01, 2013, 06:39:11 AM
Danaher.

yuuup.....and depending on what year it was made either armstrong division of danaher or danaher tool group.

Quote from: krusty the clown on February 01, 2013, 07:27:33 AM
yuuup.....and depending on what year it was made either armstrong division of danaher or danaher tool group.

Do you know the date ranges, krusty?

And was that simply a name change or did actual production shift from one facility to another?

Quote from: lbgradwell on February 01, 2013, 07:53:32 AM

Quote from: krusty the clown on February 01, 2013, 07:27:33 AM
yuuup.....and depending on what year it was made either armstrong division of danaher or danaher tool group.

Do you know the date ranges, krusty?

And was that simply a name change or did actual production shift from one facility to another?

i do not know the specific date. it was just a name change and possibly done to make it easier to set up the apex tool group.

From what I've seen here and on the other two sites, these can be Armstrong, K-D, NAPA, Allen or Craftsman Professional.  They're being widely discounted as closeouts, making them the best buy I've ever seen on USA wrenches.

jack vines

What did you pay for them,,,,that is really the question now????

$20, because I'd never seen a NIB set before - Turns out they were not nearly as rare here as they were to me.

jack vines

Packard,

I have a few of the K-D long pattern full polish combo's in large (1"+) sizes.  I picked them up at a garage sale for about a $1 per wrench.  I've never had second thoughts about buying them.  They look great and feel good in your hands.  And I could never have afforded them at their retail price.

There are probably people who would scoff at the K-D brand, but they probably wouldn't know a good wrench if they saw one.

I don't think K-D made these kind of wrenches until they were acquired by Danaher and integrated into the larger family of brands.

No combo wrenches in the 1986 catalog (An Easco Operating Co)

Combo wrench sets in the 1992 catalog - but no 8pc set only 6, 11, 14pc (Danaher Tool Group)

Same as 1992 for 1996 catalog.

BTW, does anyone know what the KD acronym stands for????



IMWTK...


DM&FS

>BTW, does anyone know what the KD acronym stands for????

From AA:

Presumably, Kulp & Dellinger, from Harry W. Kulp and Martin C. Dellinger, two inventors ...likely the company founders...

(AA implies there is some history fuzziness ...)

Just in case someone's interested, here's a catalog update.
The 2000 catalog does not show and 8 piece set.
So it has to be a newer manufacture.