rivett608
Diamond
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2002
- Location
- Kansas City, Mo.
One of the pieces in my collection that I don’t think I have ever posted, well really there is a lot of them! This is a neat little thing that was in the late AntiqueMac’s collection for years. I tired every trick in the book, buy, trade, swap, argue why I should own it instead of him, etc. Anyway in 2009 it became mine! He finally decided to sell it to me.
So what we have is a tiny, 6” x 2 3/4” x 1” pocket sized tool box carved from mahogany in the shape of a book. It also has on the lid and in the inside a piece of either ebony or dark rosewood inlaid with strips of lighter wood. The workmanship on the outside is much nicer than that on the inside, why?
The tools are a Standard Tool Co. 3” rule, a H. Boker divider, a Bemis & Call double caliper and a shop made square. The tools are all stamped 11 03 which I assume is Nov. of 1903 which would match the age of the tools and look of the box.
Now the sad part, who ever made this did not sign it or leave clues to his, we assume, identity.
There are also 3 tools missing and I have never figured out what they were. I don’t believe they commercially produced, I own a large collection of machinist tools and nothing I have fits the cut out places. In the lid was something 4 1/2” long, 1/2” wide and 1/8” thick. First thought would be a rule, but no one made a 4 1/2” one or a 1/8” thick one. Maybe base for a depth gauge but no cut out for a locking knob. Next is across the back, it has a big end, like a ball or hinge. Maybe a drafting style divider? But the way the cut outs ar won’t let one fit. Maybe a scribe? Or the rod with a ball for the depth stop? The last thing is the short item in the middle. I thought center punch but again the cut out was for something oval in section?
So what, if you were making this a 114 years ago would have you put in the box?
So what we have is a tiny, 6” x 2 3/4” x 1” pocket sized tool box carved from mahogany in the shape of a book. It also has on the lid and in the inside a piece of either ebony or dark rosewood inlaid with strips of lighter wood. The workmanship on the outside is much nicer than that on the inside, why?
The tools are a Standard Tool Co. 3” rule, a H. Boker divider, a Bemis & Call double caliper and a shop made square. The tools are all stamped 11 03 which I assume is Nov. of 1903 which would match the age of the tools and look of the box.
Now the sad part, who ever made this did not sign it or leave clues to his, we assume, identity.
There are also 3 tools missing and I have never figured out what they were. I don’t believe they commercially produced, I own a large collection of machinist tools and nothing I have fits the cut out places. In the lid was something 4 1/2” long, 1/2” wide and 1/8” thick. First thought would be a rule, but no one made a 4 1/2” one or a 1/8” thick one. Maybe base for a depth gauge but no cut out for a locking knob. Next is across the back, it has a big end, like a ball or hinge. Maybe a drafting style divider? But the way the cut outs ar won’t let one fit. Maybe a scribe? Or the rod with a ball for the depth stop? The last thing is the short item in the middle. I thought center punch but again the cut out was for something oval in section?
So what, if you were making this a 114 years ago would have you put in the box?
