Alloy Steel: The Armstrong-Vanadium Era
Armstrong was one of the earlier tool makers to make use of alloy steels for their hand tools.
Their catalog B-20 of 1920 lists a line of "Aero" tappet wrenches made of chrome-nickel alloy steel,
and the ABHB states that the tappet wrenches were first offered in 1919.
The 1919 date would make Armstrong the first to produce drop-forged wrenches using alloy steel.
(Cornwell appears to have used molybdenum steel for hand-forged wrenches from its founding in 1919.)
However, Armstrong appears not to have expanded its selection of alloy tools beyond the Aero tappets
until around 1925.
By 1927 Armstrong was offering a substantial selection of double-open and tappet
wrenches made with chrome-vanadium steel.
These early alloy tools were marked with "Armstrong-Vanadium" forged into the shank,
typically with "Drop-Forged Chrome Vanadium Steel" on the back side.
The line of alloy tools was soon expanded to include obstruction wrenches
and a line of thin single-open wrenches with 30-degree offset heads.
The Armstrong-Vanadium wrenches were also offered in collaboration with Blackhawk Manufacturing
as the Blackhawk-Armstrong line.
(See our article on
Blackhawk-Armstrong Tools
for more information.)
Armstrong box-end wrenches were probably first offered in the late 1920s,
but we don't have a catalog reference until 1935.
However, the Armstrong line of single-offset box wrenches closely resembles
those offered by Blackhawk in the late 1920s,
and even have the same 29xx model numbers.
Given the known connection with the Blackhawk-Armstrong wrenches,
it's almost certain that Armstrong was the manufacturer of these single-offset wrenches as well.
In this section we'll look at the early alloy tools of the Armstrong-Vanadium era,
spanning the period from the mid 1920s to the early 1930s.
Open-End Wrenches
By 1927 Armstrong was offering a wide selection of open-end "Engineer's" wrenches,
marked with a bold "Armstrong-Vanadium" brand forged into the shank.
Some early versions of these tools are marked with the older U.S.S. or S.A.E. sizes,
suggesting that these tools may have been available somewhat before 1927.
Other manufacturers —
notably Bonney and Williams —
are believed to have switched to fractional sizes beginning sometime in 1927.
Armstrong-Vanadium 1023 13/32x1/2 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 22 shows
an Armstrong 1023 13/32x1/2 open-end wrench,
marked "Armstrong-Vanadium" in forged raised letters on the shank,
with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the back side.
The faces are stamped with the fractional sizes,
and back side faces are stamped with the model number and "Armstrong Chicago, U.S.A.",
although the latter marking has been partly obscured by grinding.
The overall length is 6.0 inches.
This wrench demonstrates that the change to fractional size markings came before the
"Armstrong Chicago U.S.A." marking was replaced by the Standard Armstrong Face Marking.
Armstrong-Vanadium 1725-A 7/16x9/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 23 shows
an Armstrong 1725-A 7/16x9/16 open-end wrench,
marked with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the shank,
with "Armstrong-Vanadium" forged into the back side.
The model number is stamped on the left face,
with "Armstrong" and "Chicago, U.S.A." on the right face,
and with the fractional sizes on the back side faces.
The overall length is 6.5 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating,
with losses due to rust.
The middle inset shows a close-up of the small "Armstrong Chicago, U.S.A." stamped on the right face,
without the Strong-Arm logo.
This is believed to indicate earlier production than the more common
Standard Armstrong Face Marking with the
Strong-Arm logo.
This wrench demonstrates that the change to fractional size markings came before the
"Armstrong Chicago U.S.A." marking was replaced by the Standard Armstrong Face Marking.
Armstrong-Vanadium 1727 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 24 shows
an early Armstrong 1727 9/16x5/8 open-end wrench,
marked with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the shank,
with "Armstrong-Vanadium" forged into the back side.
The left face is stamped with the model number,
but the right face has been ground down and the markings have been lost.
The back side faces are stamped "3/8 CAP 3/8 S.A.E." and "7/16 CAP 7/16 S.A.E.",
references to the older
Hex Capscrew and S.A.E. Size Conventions.
The overall length is 6.9 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating,
with losses due to wear.
The use of the Hex Capscrew and S.A.E. size conventions indicates an early production date
for this wrench.
Armstrong-Vanadium 1027C 9/16x11/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 25 shows
an Armstrong 1027-C 9/16x11/16 open-end wrench,
marked with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the shank,
with "Armstrong-Vanadium" forged into the back side.
The faces are stamped with the model number and "Made in U.S.A." plus the
Strong-Arm logo,
and the back side faces are stamped with the fractional sizes.
The overall length is 6.8 inches.
The finish appears to be chrome plating,
but with some losses due to wear.
The use of the Strong-Arm logo in the face indicates somewhat later production than the previous
figures.
Early Armstrong-Vanadium 1027 19/32x11/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 26 shows
an early Armstrong 1027 19/32x11/16 open-end wrench,
marked "Armstrong-Vanadium" in forged raised letters on the shank,
with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the back side.
The faces are stamped "5/16 NUT" and "3/8 NUT",
references to the older USS size convention.
The overall length is 7.0 inches,
and the finish is plain steel,
with pitting due to rust.
The use of the U.S.S. size convention indicates an early production date for this wrench.
Note also the small "Armstrong Chicago U.S.A." face marking in the upper inset,
instead of the more common Standard Armstrong Face Marking used later.
Armstrong-Vanadium 1028-S 5/8x25/32 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 27 shows
an Armstrong 1028-S 5/8x25/32 open-end wrench,
marked with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the shank,
with "Armstrong-Vanadium" forged into the back side.
The faces are stamped with the model number and "Armstrong Chicago, U.S.A.",
and the back side faces are stamped with the fractional sizes.
The overall length is 7.9 inches.
The finish is nickel plating,
with some losses due to rust and corrosion.
The use of fractional sizes for the openings indicates somewhat later production than the previous
figures.
This wrench demonstrates that the change to fractional size markings came before the
"Armstrong Chicago U.S.A." marking was replaced by the Standard Armstrong Face Marking.
Armstrong-Vanadium 1731A 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 28 shows
an Armstrong 1731A 3/4x7/8 open-end wrench,
marked with "Drop Forged Chrome Vanadium Steel" forged into the shank,
with "Armstrong-Vanadium" forged into the back side.
The faces are stamped with the model number and "Armstrong Chicago, U.S.A." (see center inset),
and the back side faces are stamped with the fractional sizes.
The overall length is 9.5 inches.
The finish is plain steel,
as any former plated finish has been lost due to rust.
The use of fractional sizes for the openings indicates somewhat later production
than the previous figures.
This wrench demonstrates that the change to fractional size markings came before the
"Armstrong Chicago U.S.A." marking was replaced by the Standard Armstrong Face Marking.
Early Armstrong-Vanadium 1033A 7/8x15/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 29 shows
an early Armstrong 1033A 7/8x15/16 open-end wrench,
marked with "Armstrong-Vanadium" forged into the shank,
with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the back side.
The front faces are stamped "1/2 NUT 5/8 CAP" and "5/8 S.A.E.",
references to the older
USS, Hex Capscrew, and SAE size conventions.
The back side faces are stamped with the model number on the left and
"Armstrong Chicago, U.S.A." on the right.
The overall length is 9.5 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
The use of the USS and S.A.E. size conventions indicates an early production date
for this wrench.
Armstrong-Vanadium 1033-C 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 30 shows
an Armstrong 1033-C 15/16x1 open-end wrench,
marked with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the shank,
with the model number stamped on the left face and "Made in U.S.A." plus the
Strong-Arm logo on the right.
The back side is marked with "Armstrong-Vanadium" forged into the shank,
with the fractional sizes stamped on the faces.
The overall length is 10.4 inches.
The original finish appears to have been chrome plating,
but most has been lost due to wear and rust.
The use of the Strong-Arm logo in the face indicates somewhat later production than the previous
figures.
Armstrong-Vanadium 1077-B 1/2x9/16 S-Shaped Open-End Wrench
Armstrong also offered S-shaped open-end wrenches in alloy steel,
as the next figure illustrates.
Fig. 31 shows
an Armstrong 1077-B 1/2x9/16 S-shaped wrench,
stamped on the face with "Made in U.S.A." and the
Strong-Arm logo.
The shank is marked with "Armstrong-Vanadium" forged into the front,
with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the back side.
The overall length is 7.2 inches.
Tappet Wrenches
Armstrong's Vanadium series of tappet wrenches featured equal opening sizes with one opening straight
and the other offset by 22.5 degrees.
Bonney had used this same design for their early CV tappet wrenches, introduced in 1922,
and this style remained popular during the 1920s.
The Armstrong-Vanadium tappet wrenches were given model numbers in a 40x series.
The 40x tappet wrenches remained in production for a surprisingly long time.
These wrenches were still listed in catalog 700-A from 1966,
but price sheet L-10 of 1970 noted that they would be discontinued when stocks were depleted.
Armstrong-Vanadium 403 9/16x9/16 Tappet Wrenches
The next figures show two generations of the Armstrong 403 tappet wrench.
Fig. 32 shows
an earlier Armstrong 403 9/16x9/16 tappet wrench,
marked with "Armstrong-Vanadium Tappet Wrench" forged into the shank,
with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the back side.
The faces are stamped with the model number on the left,
with "Armstrong" and "Chicago, U.S.A." on the right,
and with the fractional size on the back side faces.
The overall length is 8.5 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
The "Armstrong Chicago U.S.A." marking indicates relatively early production before the
Standard Armstrong Face Marking came into use.
Fig. 33 shows
a somewhat later Armstrong 403 9/16x9/16 tappet wrench,
marked with "Armstrong-Vanadium Tappet Wrench" forged into the shank,
with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the back side.
The faces are stamped with the model number on the left,
with "Armstrong" and "Made in U.S.A." with an embedded
Strong-Arm logo on the right.
The overall length is 8.5 inches.
The finish is plain steel,
with some pitting due to rust.
Armstrong-Vanadium 404 5/8x5/8 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 34 shows
an early Armstrong 404 5/8x5/8 tappet wrench,
stamped "Armstrong" and "Chicago, U.S.A." on the face.
The shank is marked with "Armstrong-Vanadium Tappet Wrench" forged into the front,
with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the back side.
The overall length is 8.5 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
Armstrong-Vanadium 405 11/16x11/16 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 35 shows
an early Armstrong 405 11/16x11/16 tappet wrench,
stamped "Armstrong" and "Chicago, U.S.A." on the face.
The shank is marked with "Armstrong-Vanadium Tappet Wrench" forged into the front,
with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the back side.
The overall length is 8.5 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating.
Armstrong-Vanadium 422 1/2x9/16 Tappet Wrench
By the early 1930s (late in the Armstrong-Vanadium era) Armstrong had begun offering a 42x series of tappet wrenches
with unequal sizes and 15 degree head offsets.
This was the same design used by their original "Aero" tappet wrenches,
so the company had come full circle now.
Fig. 36 shows
an Armstrong 422 1/2x9/16 tappet wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face.
The shank is stamped with "Chromium Vanadium" and "Made in U.S.A." on the front,
with "Armstrong-Vanadium" and another
Strong-Arm logo on the back side.
The overall length is 7.9 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The stamped "Armstrong-Vanadium" marking suggests that this wrench was produced toward the end of the
Armstrong-Vanadium era,
after the forged-in markings had been discontinued.
The "Chromium Vanadium" marking indicates that this wrench was likely made as contract production
for Western Auto Supply,
which used "Chromium Vanadium" (the full element names) as a brand in the early to mid 1930s.
A number of other Armstrong tools have been found with similar markings.
Obstruction Wrenches
Obstruction wrenches were a specialized subset of open-end wrenches
designed for work in tight spaces.
These wrenches first became popular in the late 1920s,
and several different obstruction wrench designs were in common use.
Armstrong's design featured two different opening sizes placed at nearly right angles to the wrench axis,
a design very similar to that used by J.H. Williams.
Armstrong obstruction wrenches were assigned model numbers by adding 2000 to the
industry-standard number for the equivalent open-end wrench.
(See our table Industry-Standard Wrench Models for more information.)
For example, a wrench with sizes 19/32x25/32 would be an industry-standard model 28,
and therefore became a model 2028 obstruction wrench.
Armstrong was a manufacturing partner for Blackhawk and the corresponding Blackhawk-Armstrong
obstruction wrenches are basically identical to Armstrong's production,
except for the markings.
Examples include the
Blackhawk-Armstrong 2029 Obstruction Wrench
and
Blackhawk-Armstrong 2731 Obstruction Wrench.
Examples of obstruction wrenches similar to the Armstrong models can be seen in the
Billings M-2030 Obstruction Wrench
and
Williams 2021 Obstruction Wrench.
Alternate obstruction wrench designs were used by companies such as Bonney and Herbrand,
and examples of their production can be seen in the
Bonney 2031 Obstruction Wrench
and
Herbrand 1827 Obstruction Wrench.
[Armstrong-Vanadium] 2028 19/32x25/32 Angle-Head Obstruction Wrench
Fig. 37 shows
an Armstrong 2028 19/32x25/32 obstruction wrench,
marked "Armstrong Chicago, U.S.A." on the face,
with "Drop Forged Chrome-Vanadium Steel" forged into the shank.
The overall length is 7.7 inches,
and the finish is nickel plating with polished faces.
The back side of the shank has been ground smooth and has no markings.
However, the forged-in markings on the front place the wrench in the Armstrong-Vanadium era.
Box-End Wrenches
Armstrong probably introduced box-end wrenches with double-hex broachings
in the late 1920s or early 1930s,
a time when other tool companies such as Bonney, Herbrand, Snap-On, and Williams were
also introducing box wrenches.
However, due to limited catalog resources,
our first reference to these tools is in the Armstrong 1935 catalog.
Armstrong's earliest numbering system for box wrenches was a series of 2xxx model numbers
not based on industry-standard wrench numbers.
The 1935 catalog offered wrenches in a 24xx series for the angled box style,
a 26xx series for the standard double-offset style,
a 27xx series for the short double-offset style,
and a 29xx series for the single-offset style.
Blackhawk Manufacturing began offering box-end wrenches in the late 1920s,
and although these were not jointly marked as "Blackhawk-Armstrong" like the open-end wrenches,
it's highly likely that Armstrong was the manufacturer.
The Blackhawk box wrenches used the same 2xxx numbering system that Armstrong used in its 1935 catalog,
and the Blackhawk wrenches closely resemble Armstrong's later production.
Examples of Blackhawk's products can be seen in the section on
Early Blackhawk Box-End Wrenches.
As for why the wrenches were not jointly marked,
it may be that Armstrong had not yet decided to sell box wrenches when Blackhawk began offering them.
Box-end wrenches were very new in the 1920s and were not developed by the big tool companies.
The first offset box wrench was developed by APCo (later part of Mossberg),
and Snap-on's Blue Point division appears to have been the first to offer a line of box wrenches.
Armstrong-Vanadium 8727 9/16x5/8 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 38 shows
an Armstrong 8727 9/16x5/8 offset box wrench,
stamped "Chromium Vanadium" and "Made in U.S.A." on the shank,
with "Armstrong-Vanadium" and the
Strong-Arm logo on the back side.
The overall length is 10.7 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating.
Note the relatively thick oval shank on this early box wrench.
Later production in the 8000 series used a thinner, flatter shank.
The thick shank and "Armstrong-Vanadium" marking suggest production in the early 1930s.
The use of the full element names in the "Chromium Vanadium" marking was often found on
contract production for Western Auto in the early to mid 1930s.
Although Armstrong didn't start using 8000 series model numbers until later in the 1930s,
this wrench was probably made as contract production and so was marked with the
industry-standard 8727 model number.
Armstrong-Vanadium "Buda" D-E-40137 7/8x15/16 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 38B shows
a rare Armstrong "Buda" D-E-40137 7/8x15/16 offset box wrench,
stamped with "Armstrong-Vanadium" and the
Strong-Arm logo on the shank,
with "Buda D-E-40137" and the fractional sizes on the back side.
The overall length is 10.7 inches,
and the finish is cadmium plating.
This wrench has a massive thick shank but is relatively short for the opening sizes,
suggesting that it was designed to work in a restricted space.
The "Buda" marking refers to the Buda Engine Company of Chicago,
a maker of gasoline and diesel engines for trucks, construction equipment, and marine applications.
The Chrome-Vanadium Era
By the early 1930s Armstrong had changed the marking style of its open-end wrenches,
dropping the forged-in markings in favor of simple stamped markings.
This was probably intended to reduce the cost of preparing the forging dies
and to simplify markings for contract production customers.
Although we don't have an exact timeline,
the change to C-V was probably underway by 1933,
and may have been phased in gradually as the Armstrong-Vanadium forging dies wore out and needed replacement.
We do know that the new production was available by 1934 for the introduction of Blackhawk's "HeXo"
line of lower-cost box-end wrenches,
plus a new line of combination wrenches.
After the Armstrong-Vanadium era,
alloy tools were initially marked with "Chrome-Vanadium",
but later with generic "Alloy Steel" or "Hi-Tensile" markings.
During the 1942-1945 wartime years it's likely that all explicit alloy markings
had been replaced by generic markings,
or no marking at all.
It's worth mentioning that Armstrong's catalogs continued to show illustrations with
"Armstrong-Vanadium" into the early 1940s,
and a few examples have been found of tools with (stamped) "Armstrong-Vanadium" markings
but later model numbers.
Thus the line between these two generations is somewhat blurred.
In August of 1946 Armstrong began to use "Armaloy" as the standard marking
for alloy steel tools,
which they registered as a trademark.
(The Armaloy tools will be covered in a later section.)
A-C-3 7/16x1/2 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 39 shows
an Armstrong 7/16x1/2 open-end wrench with a non-standard A-C-3 model number,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face.
The back side is stamped with "Chrome-Vanadium" on the shank,
with the fractional sizes on the faces.
The overall length is 5.3 inches,
and the finish is polished steel.
The non-standard model number suggests that this wrench was made as contract production
for a specific application,
but currently we don't have any further information.
A-1025 1/2x19/32 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 40 shows
an Armstrong A-1025 1/2x19/32 open-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face.
The back side is stamped with "Chrome-Vanadium" on the shank,
with the fractional sizes on the faces.
The overall length is 5.8 inches.
The original finish (if any) has been lost due to rust and pitting.
1727 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 41 shows
an Armstrong 1727 9/16x5/8 open-end wrench,
marked "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with "Alloy Steel" stamped on the back side shank.
The overall length is 6.8 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.
The "Alloy-Steel" marking and chrome finish suggest production during early postwar period,
prior to the adoption of the Armaloy trademark.
1728 9/16x3/4 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 42 shows
an Armstrong 1728 9/16x3/4 open-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face.
The shank is stamped "Chrome-Vanadium" on the front,
with "Armstrong" and another Strong-Arm logo on the back side.
The overall length is 7.9 inches,
and the finish is plain steel with polished faces.
The plain finish and "Chrome-Vanadium" marking suggest production during the earlier war years.
A1028-S 5/8x25/32 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 43 shows
an Armstrong A1028-S 5/8x25/32 open-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face.
The back side is stamped with "Chrome Vanadium" on the shank,
with the fractional sizes on the faces.
The overall length is 7.9 inches.
The original finish (if any) has been lost due to rust and pitting.
1730 (TKKX20) 5/8x13/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 44 shows
an example of one of the less common wrench sizes,
an Armstrong 1730 5/8x13/16 open-end wrench with a dual marking as a model TKKX20.
The face is stamped "Armstrong" and "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo,
and the shank is stamped "Hi-Tensile" on the back side.
The overall length is 7.9 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The "Hi-Tensile" marking suggests production during the 1942-1945 wartime period.
The "TKKX20" marking is believed to indicate a tool intended for a Dodge military truck,
although the documentation on this is not yet clear.
1029 11/16x25/32 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 45 shows
an Armstrong 1029 11/16x25/32 open-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with "Alloy-Steel" on the shank.
The overall length is 8.6 inches.
The "Alloy-Steel" marking suggests production during the later war years or early postwar period,
prior to the adoption of the Armaloy trademark.
1731 3/4x13/16 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 46 shows
an Armstrong 1731 3/4x13/16 open-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with "Alloy-Steel" on the shank.
The overall length is 9.4 inches.
The "Alloy-Steel" marking suggests production during the later war years or early postwar period,
prior to the adoption of the Armaloy trademark.
A-1731A 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 47 shows
an Armstrong A-1731-A 3/4x7/8 open-end wrench,
marked "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with "Chrome Vanadium" on the back side shank.
The overall length is 9.5 inches.
A later version of this model can be seen as the
Armaloy 1731-A Wrench.
1734 (TKKX4B) 7/8x1-1/8 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 48 shows
an Armstrong 1734 7/8x1-1/8 open-end wrench with a dual marking as a model TKKX4B.
The face is stamped "Armstrong" and "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo,
and the shank is stamped "Hi-Tensile" on the back side.
The overall length is 10.4 inches.
The finish is plain steel with a thick coating of cosmoline.
The "Hi-Tensile" marking suggests production during the 1942-1945 wartime period.
The "TKKX4B" marking is believed to indicate a tool intended for a Dodge military truck,
although the documentation on this is not yet clear.
1033C 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench
Fig. 49 shows
an Armstrong 1033-C 15/16x1 open-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with "Alloy Steel" stamped on the back side shank.
The overall length is 10.4 inches.
The original finish was chrome plating,
but due to extensive rust and pitting,
only a few traces of plated finish remain.
The "Alloy Steel" marking suggests production during the later war years or early postwar period,
prior to the adoption of the Armaloy trademark.
The traces of chrome plating on this example make 1945-1946 the likely production range.
1705 13/16 Single-Open Wrench
Armstrong also produced alloy-steel single-open wrenches,
as the next figure illustrates.
Fig. 50 shows
an Armstrong 1705 13/16 single-open wrench,
stamped "Chrome-Vanadium" on the shank,
with "Made in U.S.A." and the
Strong-Arm logo on the back side face.
The overall length is 8.2 inches,
and the finish is cadmium plating,
with losses due to wear.
C-V Tappet Wrenches
By the early 1930s Armstrong was offering tappet wrenches with 15 degree offset angles
and unequal openings,
the typical design used for modern tappet wrenches.
(This was the same design used for Armstrong's original "Aero" tappet wrenches.)
These new tappet wrenches were numbered in a 42x model series.
Armstrong continued to offer the older 40x series tappet wrenches in their catalogs
throughout the C-V era and well into the Armaloy era.
424 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 51 shows
an Armstrong 424 5/8x11/16 tappet wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
and with "Alloy Steel" on the back side shank.
The overall length is 8.4 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating,
with losses due to wear.
The "Alloy Steel" marking suggests production during the later war years or early postwar period,
prior to the adoption of the Armaloy trademark.
The traces of chrome plating on this example make 1945-1946 the likely production range.
[Blackhawk-Armstrong] 426 3/4x7/8 Tappet Wrench
Fig. 52 shows
an Armstrong (Blackhawk-Armstrong) 426 3/4x7/8 tappet wrench in the modern style,
with each opening offset at a 15 degree angle.
The face is stamped "Armstrong" and "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo,
and the shank is stamped "Made in U.S.A." and "Chromium-Vanadium" on the front,
with "Blackhawk-Armstrong" on the back side.
The overall length is 9.0 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating,
with some losses due to wear.
The Armstrong markings on this wrench are significant,
as they show that by this time tools labeled "Blackhawk-Armstrong" were just standard Armstrong production
with an added marking.
Also very significant is the "Chromium-Vanadium" (with the full element names) marking on the back side,
which was used by Western Auto Supply as a brand in the early to mid 1930s.
The accidental presence here (on a tool going to Blackhawk) suggests that Armstrong
had its marking machine set up to handle contract production for Western Auto,
and didn't bother changing the back side for Blackhawk!
This provides evidence that Western Auto was a much more important customer for Armstrong than
had been previously realized.
C-V Obstruction Wrenches
Angle-head obstruction wrenches were first offered as part of the Blackhawk-Armstrong line
and then continued as part of the Armstrong-Vanadium and C-V lines during the 1930s.
Catalog B-35 of 1935 offered 34 sizes in a 2xxx series based on industry standard numbers.
By 1939 the selection had been reduced slightly,
with Catalog C-39 offering 29 sizes.
2029 11/16x25/32 Angle-Head Obstruction Wrench
Fig. 53 shows
an Armstrong 2029 11/16x25/32 obstruction wrench,
stamped with the
Strong-Arm logo plus
"Armstrong Bros. Tool Co." and "Chicago, U.S.A." on the shank,
with "Chromium-Vanadium" on the back side.
The faces are stamped with the fractional sizes on one side,
with the model number and "Armstrong Chicago U.S.A." on the back side.
The overall length is 7.7 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished faces.
The smooth shank with stamped markings suggests a mid 1930s production date for this example.
The "Chromium-Vanadium" marking indicates that this wrench was likely made as contract production
for Western Auto Supply,
which used "Chromium Vanadium" (the full element names) as a brand in the early to mid 1930s.
A number of other Armstrong tools have been found with similar markings.
C-V Box-End Wrenches
Armstrong probably introduced box-end wrenches with double-hex broachings
in the late 1920s or early 1930s,
a time when other tool companies such as Bonney, Herbrand, Snap-On, and Williams were
also introducing box wrenches.
However, due to limited catalog resources,
our first reference to these tools is in the Armstrong 1935 catalog.
Armstrong's earliest numbering system for its box wrenches was a series of 2xxx model numbers,
not based on industry-standard wrench numbers,
but matching some of the model series used by Blackhawk for box wrenches.
(This is not surprising since Armstrong was the supplier of Blackhawk's forged wrenches at the time.)
The 1935 catalog offered wrenches in a 24xx series for the angled box style,
a 26xx series for the standard double-offset style,
a 278x series for the short double-offset style (carefully chosen not to collide with the 2xxx obstruction wrenches),
and a 29xx series for the single-offset style.
By 1939 Armstrong had switched all of its box wrenches (except for the 24xx series) to
industry-standard based numbers,
using the same prefixes as J.H. Williams.
The numbering system used the 6000 prefix for short angled box wrenches,
the 8000 prefix for offset box wrenches,
and the 9000 prefix for short offset box wrenches.
Eventually the 24xx numbers were converted to a 7000-series with industry-standard numbers.
In 1935 Armstrong listed the standard finish for box wrenches as chrome plating over nickel,
but by 1939 the finish was listed as cadmium plating for all styles.
This is somewhat surprising,
as most other tools companies were using chrome plating at the time,
except for cadmium plating during wartime restrictions.
(And Armstrong continued to offer chrome finishes on other tools.)
The change in the standard finish for Armstrong wrenches means that we can't use
a plain or cadmium finish as a date marker for wartime production.
2415 7/16x1/2 Angled Box-End Wrench
Fig. 54A shows
an Armstrong 2415 7/16x1/2 box-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo on the shank,
with "Chrome Vanadium" on the back side.
The overall length is 7.4 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
2418 9/16x5/8 Angled Box-End Wrench
Fig. 54B shows
an Armstrong 2418 9/16x5/8 box-end wrench,
stamped with the fractional sizes plus "Made in U.S.A." and the
Strong-Arm logo on the shank,
with the model number and "Chrome Vanadium" on the back side.
The overall length is 9.3 inches,
and the finish is cadmium plating.
2426 3/4x7/8 Angled Box-End Wrench
Fig. 55 shows
an Armstrong 2426 3/4x7/8 box-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the shank,
with the model number and "Chrome Vanadium" on the back side.
The overall length is 11.4 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
2426 "Special" 13/16x7/8 Angled Box-End Wrenches
The next two figures show examples of the Armstrong 2426 "Special" box wrench.
The "Special" mark on these wrenches indicates a non-standard or special-order size.
In this case the
Standard 2426 Box Wrench had sizes 3/4x7/8,
so these wrenches were made as a special size based on the standard model.
Fig. 56 shows
an Armstrong 2426 "Special" 13/16x7/8 box-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo and fractional sizes on the shank,
with the model number and "Chrome Vanadium" on the back side.
The overall length is 11.4 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
Fig. 57 shows
another Armstrong 2426 "Special" 13/16x7/8 box-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo on the shank,
with the model number and "Chrome Vanadium" on the back side.
The back side shank also has a forged-in "S" visible at the right.
The overall length is 11.8 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
2429 15/16x1 Angled Box-End Wrench
Fig. 58 shows
an Armstrong 2429 15/16x1 box-end wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo and fractional sizes on the shank,
with the model number and "Chrome Vanadium" on the back side.
The overall length is 13.9 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
7731-A 3/4x13/16 Angled Box-End Wrench
Probably by the early to mid 1940s Armstrong's old 24xx models had transitioned to the 7000-series models,
using industry-standard numbers for size combinations.
Fig. 59 shows
an Armstrong 7731-A 3/4x13/16 box wrench,
marked "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo,
and with "Alloy Steel" on the back side.
The overall length is 11.6 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating with polished ends.
7725 7/16x1/2 Angled Box-End Wrench
Fig. 60 shows
an Armstrong 7725 7/16x1/2 box wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the shank,
and with "Hi-Tensile" on the back side.
The overall length is 7.8 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The "Hi-Tensile" marking indicates production during the 1942-1945 wartime years.
7729-A 3/4x25/32 Angled Box-End Wrench
Fig. 61 shows
an Armstrong 7729-A 3/4x25/32 box wrench,
marked "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo,
and with "Hi-Tensile" on the back side.
The overall length is 11.6 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The "Hi-Tensile" marking indicates production during the 1942-1945 wartime years.
This wrench was one of a small number of tools that were tested for alloy content using an XRF machine.
The results indicate that the wrench is made from a chrome-nickel-molybdenum alloy with a rather
high nickel content,
and with a substantial amount of titanium as well.
The interested reader can find more information at
Test Results for Armstrong 7729-A.
6725 7/16x1/2 Short Box-End Wrench
This next figure shows an example of the 6000 series of short angled box wrenches.
Fig. 62 shows
an Armstrong 6725 7/16x1/2 box-end wrench,
marked "Made in U.S.A." with the Strong-Arm logo,
and with "Chrome Vanadium" on the back side.
The overall length is 5.5 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
8025 1/2x19/32 Offset Box-End Wrench
Armstrong began using the 8000 model series for deep offset box wrenches some time after 1935.
Fig. 63 shows
an Armstrong 8025 1/2x9/16 offset box wrench,
stamped "Armstrong" and "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo and fractional sizes on the shank,
with "Chrome-Vanadium" and the model number on the back side.
The overall length is 9.6 inches,
and the finish is plain steel,
with traces of a painted finish.
8028-A 5/8x11/16 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 64 shows
an Armstrong 8028-A 5/8x11/16 offset box wrench,
stamped "Armstrong and "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo and fractional sizes on the shank,
with "Hi-Tensile" on the back side.
The overall length is 10.6 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The "Hi-Tensile" marking indicates production during the 1942-1945 wartime years.
8729 5/8x3/4 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 65 shows
an Armstrong 8729 5/8x3/4 offset box-end wrench,
stamped "Armstrong and "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo and fractional sizes on the shank,
with the model number and "Hi-Tensile" on the back side.
The overall length is 12.2 inches,
and the finish is plain steel with some remaining black paint.
The "Hi-Tensile" marking indicates production during the 1942-1945 wartime years.
8033 13/16x31/32 Offset Box-End Wrench
Fig. 66 shows
an Armstrong 8033 13/16x31/32 offset box wrench,
stamped "Armstrong and "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo and fractional sizes on the shank,
with "Hi-Tensile" on the back side.
The overall length is 14.5 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The "Hi-Tensile" marking indicates production during the 1942-1945 wartime years.
9729-A 11/16x3/4 Short Offset Box-End Wrenches
The next two figures show examples of the 9729-A short offset box wrench.
Fig. 67 shows
an earlier Armstrong 9729-A 11/16x3/4 short offset box wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the shank,
with the model number and "Chrome-Vanadium" on the back side.
The overall length is 7.3 inches,
and the finish is plain steel with traces of cadmium plating.
Fig. 68 shows
a somewhat later Armstrong 9729-A short offset box wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the shank,
with the model number and "Alloy Steel" on the back side.
The overall length is 7.4 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
5037 1-1/16x1-1/4 Heavy-Duty Offset Box-End Wrench
In the mid to late 1930s Armstrong began offering a series of heavy-duty offset box wrenches,
recommending them "for the heaviest industrial and oil field work."
These were massively built wrenches with round shanks,
and were assigned model numbers in a 5xxx series with an industry-standard suffix.
(A separate 8xxx series provided regular-duty offset box wrenches.)
The 1939 catalog listed nine models ranging from 5035-A (1-1/16x1-1/8) up to 5053 (2-9/16x2-3/4).
Fig. 69 shows
an Armstrong 5037 1-1/16x1-1/4 offset box-end wrench,
marked "Armstrong-Vanadium" with the Strong-Arm logo,
and with "Made in U.S.A." and "Chromium-Vanadium" on the back side.
The overall length is 16.9 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
This wrench shows another example of a late "Armstrong-Vanadium" marking,
at a time when just the company name and Strong-Arm logo were more typical.
More surprising is the "Chromium-Vanadium" marking using the full element names.
This marking was typically used for contract production for Western Auto,
which is not known to have sold wrenches this large.
C-V Combination Wrenches
By 1935 Armstrong had begun offering four sizes of "Multi-Type" wrenches,
a style with open and box ends of the same size,
now known universally as "combination" wrenches.
The combination wrench had been first offered in the spring of 1933 by Plomb
and almost simultaneously by Bonney.
The scan in Fig. 70 shows
a listing for Armstrong's "Multi-Type" wrenches,
as published on page 174 of the 1935 catalog B-35a.
Although the illustration shows "Armstrong-Vanadium" forged into the shank,
the wrenches probably had stamped markings.
The table below the illustration shows four models,
3114 (7/16), 3116 (1/2), 3118 (9/16), and 3120 (5/8).
This is the same 31xx model series that Bonney used for their
Zenel "TuType" Combination Wrenches.
Armstrong had actually started production of combination wrenches by 1934 or earlier in order to supply
Blackhawk with wrenches for its new HeXo line,
first introduced in 1934.
Blackhawk offered combination wrenches (oddly called "Half & Half") in the same four sizes
as the Armstrong models,
and an example can be seen as the
HeXo 15350 Wrench.
By 1939 Armstrong had added two additional models,
3122 (11/16) and 3124 (3/4).
The wartime catalogs C-39a, C-39b, and C-39c continued to list the six 31xx wrenches.
In the post-war era Armstrong changed its model numbers for combination wrenches to the 11xx series
used by J.H. Williams.
(This was a less-rational system in which the last digits did not encode the size in 32nds.)
3114 7/16 Combination Wrench
Fig. 71A shows
an Armstrong 3114 7/16 combination wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face.
The shank is stamped with "Chrome-Vanadium" on the front,
with the model number on the back side.
The overall length is 4.9 inches,
and the finish is plain steel.
The plain finish and "Chrome-Vanadium" marking suggest production
in the earlier wartime era.
The longitudinal groove in the shank is a feature generally found in Armstrong's production for Blackhawk
during the 1940s,
but not in tools marked for Armstrong itself.
The presence of the groove here is probably due to the need to simplify production
during the wartime period by making just one version of the tool.
An example of a similar wrench marked for Blackhawk can be seen as the
Blackhawk 15650 5/8 Combination Wrench.
1164 5/8 Combination Wrench
Fig. 71B shows
an Armstrong 1164 5/8 combination wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face.
The shank is stamped with "Alloy Steel" on the front,
with the model number on the back side.
The overall length is 6.1 inches,
and the finish is chrome plating,
with losses due to wear.
The use of the "Alloy Steel" marking and chrome-plated finish suggest production
in the immediate post-war era,
prior to the introduction of the "Armaloy" trademark.
1166 3/4 Combination Wrench
Fig. 72 shows
an Armstrong 1166 3/4 combination wrench,
stamped "Made in U.S.A." with the
Strong-Arm logo on the face,
although difficult to read due to pitting.
The shank is stamped with "Alloy Steel" on the front,
with the model number on the back side.
The overall length is 7.9 inches.
The original finish was chrome plating,
but most has been lost due to rust and pitting.
A later version of the 1166 model can be seen as the
Armstrong Armaloy 1166 Wrench.
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 1023 13/32x1/2 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1316_1023_wrench_vanadium_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
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![[Armstrong-Vanadium 1727 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1820_1727_wrench_vanadium_b_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 1027C 9/16x11/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1822_1027c_wrench_vanadium_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 1027 19/32x11/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1922_1027_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 1028-S 5/8x25/32 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2025_1028s_wrench_vanadium_chicago_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 1731A 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2428_1731a_wrench_vanadium_chicago_b_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 1033A 7/8x15/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2830_1033a_wrench_vanadium_chicago_usssae_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 1033C 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe3032_1033c_wrench_vanadium_sa_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 1077-B 1/2x9/16 S-Shaped Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1618_1077b_wrench_s_vanadium_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 403 9/16x9/16 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1818_403_wrench_tappet_vanadium_chicago_2_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 403 9/16x9/16 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1818_403_wrench_tappet_vanadium_plain_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 404 5/8x5/8 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2020_404_wrench_tappet_vanadium_chicago_4_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 405 11/16x11/16 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2222_405_wrench_tappet_vanadium_chicago_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 422 1/2x9/16 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1618_422_wrench_tappet_vanadium_cv_sa_plain_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 2028 19/32x25/32 Obstruction Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1925_2028_wrench_obst_chicago_cropped.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 8727 9/16x5/8 Offset Box Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db1820_8727_wrench_offset_vanadium_cv_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong-Vanadium 8727 9/16x5/8 Offset Box Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_vanadium_db2830_buda_d-e-40137_wrench_offset_cad_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong A-C-3 7/16x1/2 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1416_a-c-3_wrench_cv_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong A-1025 1/2x19/32 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1619_a1025_wrench_cv_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 1727 9/16x5/8 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1820_1727_wrench_alloy_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 1728 9/16x3/4 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe1824_1728_wrench_cv_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong A1028-S 5/8x25/32 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2025_a1028s_wrench_crv_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 1730 (TKKX20) 5/8x13/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2026_1730_wrench_hitensile_tkkx20_f2_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 1029 11/16x25/32 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2225_1029_wrench_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 1731 3/4x13/16 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2426_1731_wrench_alloy_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong A-1731A 3/4x7/8 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2428_a1731a_wrench_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 1734 (TKKX4B) 7/8x1-1/8 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2836_1734_wrench_hitensile_tkkx4b_cosmo_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 1033C 15/16x1 Open-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe3032_1033c_wrench_alloy_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 1705 13/16 Single-Open Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe26_1705_wrench_cv_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 424 5/8x11/16 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2022_424_wrench_tappet_alloy_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 426 3/4x7/8 Tappet Wrench]](Photos/tools/blackhawk_armstrong_oe2428_426_wrench_tappet_cv_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 2029 11/16x25/32 Obstruction Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_oe2225_2029_wrench_obst_cv_sa_b_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 2415 7/16x1/2 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db1416_2415_wrench_cv_plain_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong 2418 9/16x5/8 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db1820_2418_wrench_cv_cad_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong 2426 3/4x7/8 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db2428_2426_wrench_cv_plain_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong 2426 Special 13/16x7/8 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db2628_2426_special_wrench_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong 2426 Special 13/16x7/8 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db2628_2426_special_wrench_cv_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong 2429 15/16x1 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db3032_2429_wrench_cv_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong 7731-A 3/4x7/8 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db2428_7731a_wrench_alloy_f_cropped_inset.jpg)
![[Armstrong 7725 7/16x1/2 Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db1416_7725_wrench_hi_tensile_plain_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
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![[Early Armstrong 6725 7/16x1/2 Short Box-End Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db1416_6725_wrench_cv_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong 8025 1/2x19/32 Offset Box Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db1619_8025_wrench_offset_cv_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong 8028-A 5/8x11/16 Offset Box Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db2022_8028a_wrench_offset_hiten_plain_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
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![[Armstrong 8033 13/16x31/32 Offset Box Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db2631_8033_wrench_offset_hiten_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong Armaloy 9729-A 11/16x3/4 Short Offset Box Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db2224_9729a_wrench_offset_cv_cadmium_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong Armaloy 9729-A 11/16x3/4 Short Offset Box Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db2224_9729a_wrench_offset_alloy_plain_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong 5037 1-1/16x1-1/4 Offset Box Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_db3440_5037_wrench_offset_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[1935 Catalog Listing of Armstrong Multi-Type Combination Wrenches]](Photos/tools/scans/armstrong_cat_b-35a_p174_multi-type_cropped.jpg)
![[Armstrong 3114 7/16 Combination Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_c14_3114_wrench_combo_cv_groove_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong 1164 5/8 Combination Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_c20_1164_wrench_combo_alloy_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)
![[Armstrong 1166 3/4 Combination Wrench]](Photos/tools/armstrong_c24_1166_wrench_combo_alloy_f_cropped_inset2.jpg)