Blackhawk Bullet/Bomb Shaped Tool Boxes

[Lewill2]

There are 2 of the Blackhawk bullet or bomb shaped tool boxes up on ebay at the moment. These always draw my intrest. I noticed on these 2 that they are different. One has a hinge and clasp arrangement on the lid and one has a removeable lid that is locked in place by the tail piece on the base. Which one is older? They have slightly different shapes too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Great-Old-1940s-Blackhawk-Bantam-Porto-Power-Torpedo-Tool-Box-/160968652876?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item257a7ab84c

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VTG-ART-DECO-STREAMLINE-MODERN-ART-GAS-STATION-BLACKHAWK-BULLET-NUGGET-TOOL-SET-/121060533963?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2fc526cb

My guess is the first link shown is the older style with the twist lock tail cone. I can imagine someone putting the top on his tool box twisting the tail cone, picking it up, only to have the lid come loose and dumping the contents on the floor or ground.

Of course the second one is a little pricey but the complete set of tools comes with it.

[Branson]

Hmmm... I don't think I will buy one this month...  The eyes and teeth on the one appeal to my sense of whimsy.   The other is drop dead gorgeous!

[rusty]

The bomb crews used to paint  faces on the ends of bombs during the war.....
Wish there was history with that thing, I bet it has a story to tell...

[Nolatoolguy]

I remember when I first started collecting(just a few years ago) i saw one complete with tools an then some more misc tools at a flea market for two hundred fifty bucks. I thought that was crazy. Now if I could IDE go back an get it in a second.

[Plyerman]

Those are fantastic! Way too cool (and pricey) for me though.

[Aunt Phil]

You look at those stampings a little and it's obvious they were originally stamped as vacuum cleaner housings and got reworked into tool boxes.  Blackhawk wasn't the only company that did it.

Electrolux produced some too as awards for managers meeting quotas.

[Papaw]

Not so obvious, and I'm not sure I agree that they were vacuum cleaner housings. I find nothing about Electrolux producing or sourcing such a box, either.

I might be wrong!

[johnsironsanctuary]

This may explain things. Scroll down to the 'Commander'

http://www.1377731.com/museum/sears.htm

[Bill Houghton]

Vacuum cleaner museum?  Well, I guess everything's got somebody who's interested in it.

[rusty]

OK, I have to say it.....all the stuff in the vacuum cleaner museum sucks....

**ducking**

But, yes, Vacuum cleaner was the first thing I thought of when I first saw the toolbox.
The question would then be,
did someone have a bunch of vacuum cleaner housings left over and need something to make out of them?
Or did some mechanic want a rolling toolbox, and scoffed a dead vacuum cause it had wheels, and get copied by blackhawk.....

hmmm

[RedVise]

That first one listed could sit up on my shelf where I could see it, just makes me laugh to look at it !!


Brian L.

[EVILDR235]

A now deceased coworker of mine had one that was full of hydraulic body working tools. He got it from his late grandfathers estate.


EvilDr235

[geneg]

If you notice, the first listing is labeled as PortoPower.  I assume that this would have had the hydraulic tool set in lieu of the socket set.  Who knows which is rarer.  I just want one of each.

[krusty the clown]

i would love to have the one with the tools. the ol lady is even willing to move the longaberger baskets out of the living room to display it........now where do i come up with the scratch?

[jimwrench]

 Saw one sell at auction this AM. Brought $155 and it was pretty crusty but not rusted out.