[Greg Hyduke]

Hi all,

Does anyone here know anything about these PHILCO tool-sets?

They pop up from time to time at flea markets, CL, eBay, etc, but nobody in the vintage tools community knows much about them. They are 1/4-inch hex drive. The sockets are 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", and 7/16". The tools are not marked. The only marking is the "PHILCO" on the lid and the reference to the US Patent and Trademark Office.

What was their purpose? General radio repair? Were they supplied with radios, akin to Singer Sewing Machine tool-sets, for home use? Or were these in Philco repair shops? Lastly, when? Do these date to the 1930's? 40's or perhaps early 50's? 

Basically, if anyone knows anything about these cool little mysterious PHILCO tool-sets, please chime in.

Thanks

Greg

PS - If this is the wrong place, or if you think it would get a better response on a different board, please let me know.

[Radioroslyn]

Check out pg 25 abt 1/2 way down.
https://philcoradio.com/library/download...201936.pdf

[Greg Hyduke]

Thanks, Terry! Great to see it in a Philco document.

Would you happen to know if Philco ever published anything like a manufacturers-part number index, or anything that correlated all their part numbers to manufacturers or suppliers? We in the hand tools community have some educated guesses on who made these tools for Philco based on their physical and construction characteristics, as well as a good understanding of which hand tool mfgrs catered to the electronics and radio industry. Vim, Thorsen, and Bridgeport are all on the short list. But any Philco documentation that might help us identify the supplier would be terrific.

Thanks, again for the tip and link.    

Greg

[Radioroslyn]

Don't know anything about the manufacture.You might have a look in these catalog but I kinda doubt there is going to be any manufacture info.
https://philcoradio.com/library/index.php/parts/

How did you make out with your 91B? I you want to take another go at it I'd be happy to help out.
New rule add your state and town to your profile. It's just so all of us on the Phorum can have a general idea of users locations in regard to each other. As far as I know they are not sold or used to spy or anything nefarious.

[Greg Hyduke]

Thanks. The 91B is still sitting on my workbench in the same condition it was in 10 years ago, unfortunately. Looking good, but not functional.   (Maybe one of my children will do better than me.) Ironically, the tool-set is sitting right next to it. 

I just went to my UserCP and also to my Profile and I don't see a place for location. I added my location to my signature block - if that suffices.

[klondike98]

I will fix that address later today. Thx

[radiorich]

Hello Greg,
I also have that set .
I am missing most of the pieces but I do have a nice wooden box

[radiorich]

Hello Greg,
I bet if you started digging around and looking at sockets and tools from the same time period you could find similar sockets like maybe the company that made sears tools .
like a company like western forge who made tools for a lot different brands but never under their own name .
I have some old black hawk sockets from this same period that was my grandfather's he owned a car dealership during this time period .

Sincerely Rich

[Greg Hyduke]

Hi Rich,

We have found Vim and Thorsen tools that are very similar if not identical. Vim and Thorsen are West Coast mfgrs, though, so it's strange that Philco would contract with them given the mfgrs on the east coast. But maybe a third party made them for Vim and Thorsen. That was very common. I have a driver marked "American Swiss", which is American Swiss File & Tool in Elizabeth, NJ, but they are not likely the OEM, either.

Thanks.

[radiorich]

Hello Greg,
I will have to look at some of my Thorsen tools that I have .
Far as this set I wonder if this was a set that was sold to a Repair shop that sold and service Philco radios like My business which was started in the 40s .
I am the 3rd owner and when bought the business in the 1980s there were original OEM Philco,RCA,Zenith,Sony,Motorola,GE and few others in parts that came with the shop also including A Bell awarded by Ford for the warranty work done on their radios .
Sincerely Rich