Stopped by an estate sale today and picked up this little box. I like it when the family runs the sale because you sometimes get a little history lesson with your purchase. The brothers I bought these from looked to be in their late seventies and were very friendly. The older of the two saw I had picked up this toolbox and said I needed to take good care of it as it had belonged to his dad and had quite a history. I told him I like history, and asked him to share the story. He told me that before the war his Dad made a living as a milk-man, but that beginning in 1942, he did his part for the effort by working at the shipyards in Portland for Kaiser as a welder building Liberty ships. This is a military style box, originally O.D. green. This is the first one I've owned that's stamped with a manufacturer's name: "J.H. McAleer & Co., Philadelphia" All of the sockets and extensions are Plomb, as is the breaker-bar. The ratchet is Herbrand from 1941-42. The screwdrivers are Irwin.

When his boys asked him what he wanted for his 100th birthday, he said "a letter from the President" Perl lived just long enough to get his wish and passed away 17 days following his birthday.

Cool story, cool tools & box.

Nicely done!

Outstanding!! That is a story to be remembered.

Whatever the price, the story makes it worthwhile. 

What a sturdy WW2 box! Love the patina.

Some great history there, an exceptionally good find, congratulations.

I happen to know exactly where a machine sits that makes those lead labels, and a few rolls of the lead too.

What a treasure! You don't often get the history of the piece from beginning to now. Print that story and keep it with the box.  Great find.

nice! looks like a coffee table piece to me!

Great story, thanks for sharing!

I specifically ask for the back-story on tools before I buy them. You find out all sorts of jobs people did, what they were like, etc, and you can use their tools now knowing where that tool has been.

That box is outstanding....and I'm surprised nobody has mention the perfect condition Perfect screwdrivers! drool!

bonneyman, It is a bit strange that some of the tools are used very little, but period correct. The Plomb sockets have sizes that include up to three multiples, some well worn some not even used. I have a little problem in that the ratchet would go much better in my Herbrand box but I can't take it out of Perl's box, it just wouldn't be right. I think I will take out the Easco flex ratchet and the Mac drivers though, they don't fit in my opinion.

   I have already put the story in the box along with Perl's obituary I found on line. I hope when I die that whoever gets this box will keep it together also. The Kaiser ship yards were an important part of our history and one that not many young people know. Just imagine building a ship today in two weeks start to finish, just the environmental study would take two years, I could say more but will stop here.

Quote from: stormking on March 02, 2013, 08:05:31 PM
bonneyman, It is a bit strange that some of the tools are used very little, but period correct. The Plomb sockets have sizes that include up to three multiples, some well worn some not even used. I have a little problem in that the ratchet would go much better in my Herbrand box but I can't take it out of Perl's box, it just wouldn't be right. I think I will take out the Easco flex ratchet and the Mac drivers though, they don't fit in my opinion.

   I have already put the story in the box along with Perl's obituary I found on line. I hope when I die that whoever gets this box will keep it together also. The Kaiser ship yards were an important part of our history and one that not many young people know. Just imagine building a ship today in two weeks start to finish, just the environmental study would take two years, I could say more but will stop here.

awesome.....my hat is off to you sir. the par-x is not period correct either though.

Krusty, I kind of thought that, but I know nothing about Par X other than it is somehow linked to Snap-on.

Quote from: stormking on March 03, 2013, 09:39:29 AM
Krusty, I kind of thought that, but I know nothing about Par X other than it is somehow linked to Snap-on.

the RHFT flex head ratchet is also out of place and much newer too, and would look much better in my tool box.
I would like to see more of it, is it an EASCO?