Dating craftsman tools

How do you date Craftsman tools?

To date your craftsman tools, you need to look at several different parts of the tool. Each part has a certain number, which tells you when your tool was made. Here are some ways you can do so: Most of the time, these tools have no date stamped onto their metal handles or other parts of their bodies.

How old are Craftsman tools?

The Craftsman modern era extends for many decades from its start in the mid 1940s, and the design of the tools has remained relatively unchanged over this span. With few production changes to rely on, its therefore difficult to estimate the production date for many of the tools from this period.

What do the codes on Craftsman tools mean?

One well-known but undocumented aspect of Craftsman tools is the presence of a manufacturers code marking on most (although not all) tools. These codes have served as a source of heated debate and endless speculation, as people interested in Craftsman tool history attempt to determine which company made a particular tool.

How can you tell what year a tool is made?

The Craftsman symbol can be found underneath their nameplate and is the most reliable way to determine when a tool was produced. For example, if you see the craftsman symbol followed by an ‘S,’ this could mean that your hand tool is from between 1954 and 1972. LX – from 1975 to 1979.

Do Craftsman tools have a date on them?

Craftsman, however has had so many people manufacturer things for them, that they dont have a standard. It is different for each manufacturer and product, as power tools may have a date on them somewhere, but you would have to know who manufactured what, to figure out if that hand tool company, placed some kind of a date mark on it or not.

How do I identify a craftsman tool?

Tools from the 40s through today are easy to identify because they all have two unique IDs stamped onto them: A model number/company ID and a part number /serial number. The model and company IDs look similar to this: R8100318LH, for example. These numbers were used until Craftsman was bought out by Sears Roebuck and Co..

When did Craftsman start marking model numbers on tools?

This particular wrench is believed to have been purchased new in the late 1960s to early 1970s, a time before Craftsman began marking model numbers on its tools. The next figure shows a similar wrench with a Craftsman model number.

How can I tell what year my Craftsman drill was made?

On my older drill, circular saw, and saber saw it just provide the model number and theres nothing there that would indicate the years that I bought those. Craftsman model numbers are usually in a 3 x 5 number format, with the first three numbers indicating the contracted or source manufacturer and the last five numbers the exact model number.

How do you identify a tool?

Obviously looking up a registered design will identify a tool. The same is true of patents. They were not commonly marked on goods until the 19th century. but if a tool carries a patent number, identification is easy.

How can you tell if a tool is real or fake?

Check any residue in or on the tool. For instance, if there is sawdust in the cracks, it is probably a woodworking tool. Sources of information: One of the features of tools – and this is true of many tools – is that the form hasnt really altered in hundreds of years.

How can you tell if a tool is for metal work?

Look at the action of the tool: If it saws, it is for hard material – wood, ivory, sheet metal. The finer the teeth, the harder the material, so a very fine toothed saw is likely to be for metal work. Fig. 4.

When did patent numbers start being used to identify tools?

They were not commonly marked on goods until the 19th century. but if a tool carries a patent number, identification is easy. Generally, British patents do not carry a date; American ones do – which is helpful for research and identifying the source of a tool.