H D Smith Tool

[lptools]

Hello, All. I found this at the local flea, my guess is a valve spring compressing tool? The vendor told me it was a pickle fork, but the end seems too thin?  I was also told that you rarely see this with the other piece & chain attached. Both have in raised letters  H D SMITH & CO MADE IN PLANTSVILLE CONN USA. The attached piece also has DROP FORGED and the tool handle also has PERFECT HANDLE PATENTED. Thanks, Lou

[gibsontool]

Good find. The complete unit is hard to come by.

[Bill Houghton]

Pickle fork?  And the chain was for?

Or maybe he meant tie rod end/ball joint removal, but even so, it's a silly mis-ID.

[Papaw]

It is an H D Smith valve spring tool, and is seldom found complete. As a matter of fact, yours is more complete than the three I have, since you have the "S" hook for the chain.
HDSmith Valve Spring Lifter by Noel Hankamer, on Flickr

In my quest to acquire as many H D Smith items as possible, I often see the bar for this tool, but don't often see the hook and chain. the chain is usually lost. In 2010 I got a complete(minus the little S hook for the chain) unit, and now I have three variations of the hook, and three complete tools!

[mikeswrenches]

Thanks for posting those pictures papaw, I didn't know there were three types of hooks.  I've only ever seen the one on the left.

I did manage to ger a hammer and a draw knife this summer, and a couple of the open end wrenches.

Mike

[Aunt Phil]

Pickle fork?  And the chain was for?

Or maybe he meant tie rod end/ball joint removal, but even so, it's a silly mis-ID.

Good manners dictate hanging the hook on the rim of the pickle barrel so the chain can be used to pull the fork out when some kid lets it fall in.
Sheesh, where were you raised that you didn't know that?

The small hook is for crocks!

I learned this from reading an Emily Post book of table manners.

[lptools]

Hello, Thanks for the info!!!!!!!  I was a little concerned about the bend/angle of the hook, but it seems to line up with Papaw's photo. Thanks again, Lou

[Bill Houghton]

Pickle fork?  And the chain was for?

Or maybe he meant tie rod end/ball joint removal, but even so, it's a silly mis-ID.

Good manners dictate hanging the hook on the rim of the pickle barrel so the chain can be used to pull the fork out when some kid lets it fall in.
Sheesh, where were you raised that you didn't know that?

The small hook is for crocks!

I learned this from reading an Emily Post book of table manners.

We just threw the offending kid into the barrel to get the fork out.  Added some piquant overtones to the pickle flavors, especially if the kid hadn't yet bathed that week.

[mvwcnews]

Pickle barrel stories reminds me of the story of the farm family that found a pickled kitten at the bottom of a 25 gallon crock after they'd consumed all the sauerkraut.

Wonder how kraut juice would do a rust remover?

[Aunt Phil]

Pickle barrel stories reminds me of the story of the farm family that found a pickled kitten at the bottom of a 25 gallon crock after they'd consumed all the sauerkraut.

Wonder how kraut juice would do a rust remover?

Obviously you never packed kraut or you'd know the only was a kitten got at the bottom of the crock would have been deliberate human action.

Kraut juice is salt brine, and an excellent Rust MAKER, not a remover.

I'm still amazed I love kraut given the tons I cut and packed in kid prison.
"Oh, we're so fortunate this year boys, Farmer Insert Name is bringing us a truck load of cabbage" was a strobing alert for Phil to be lost.  Somehow, they always hunted the retarded kid up who walked the damn troth in the new winter boots set aside just for Kraut packing.   

[Bus]

and now I have three variations of the hook, and three complete tools!

Papaw, The unmarked ones probably came with one of several all metal type levers I have seen. I think all the H. D. Smith ones are marked.

[bunger]

Nice  find Lou.
I have a good size HD Smith collection, including at least 3 of those tools but none of mine have the chain/hook (yet).
I have never seen a chain/hook in the wild, only pictures and I live in Plantsville.