K-D full polish combination wrench set - anyone ever seen one?

[packardv8]

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

[lbgradwell]

Danaher.

[krusty the clown]

Danaher.

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

[lbgradwell]

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?

[krusty the clown]

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.

[packardv8]

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

[mrchuck]

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

[packardv8]

$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

[lauver]

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.

[eddie hudson]

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.

[dimwittedmoose51]

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



IMWTK...


DM&FS

[rusty]

>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 ...)

[eddie hudson]

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.