Gray 212C Ball Pein hammer

These hammers made by Canada's quality tool maker should turn up more often than they do, but maybe everyone makes sure they keep theirs. This was another rescue, and has been rehandled.

1973 Catalog

Garrard Speke Sociable

Vintage Car Poster book by Colour Library Books Ltd. 1983

   Charles Garrard started his bicycle company in 1900, They started adding small 143cc engines from the French company Clément in 1902 but because they didn't have the capacity they contracted James Lansdowne Norton to manufacture the frames. A V twin was introduced the next year and they added a forecar to the line which in 1911 became this front engine 2 seater three wheeler.

 Coincidently 1911 was also the first year for the Morgan 3 wheeler. Garrard was out of business before the start of WW1, and very few of these sociables remain.

On the hunt...

  Found! On a wall of an old bar, a poster worth posting (ha ha). A little photoshopping and we have a tolerable image. But with the miracle of modern AI, can we make it better?

   At random, a possible candidate was discovered (Pixella.ai)) and with the instructions "clean up the red areas, clean up the white areas", the bottom image was produced. For 99¢ I can get it without the watermarks and for $49 per month I can get a subscription. Not going to happen. 

  I prefer the photoshopped version (with remaining patina)... or with a bit more care in taking the photograph maybe just a image of the original grungy framed bar ornament.

Artist; Hugo Koeke

 

Williams Superslim Spanners

  Found this British-made black finish wrench in my overflowing wrench drawer, it stood out from the rest, it's a nice tool. They were made by T. Williams of Birmingham and were apparently supplied in various vehicle tool kits, but the "superslim" name isn't just a trademark, it is indeed quite thin, about 7mm- when a standard 7/8" (across flats) nut is about 1/2" tall. It's a keeper.

Previous post on the company here.

 Below, a complete set still in box seen at a swapmeet some years ago. They're still available at http://www.smithfrancistools.co.uk/ though probably not at this price.

Ad from 1962

Cycle Guide, Feb 1970

 4 shillings in the UK... (that's the old money...)

Wow! The new 1990 Makita catalog is here!

 Like a kid in a candy store! Lots of money for cordless tools back then but I was making good use of the anemic and adequate 3.5 V B&D cordless screwdriver I had...

 

Aviation Meet, Los Angeles

1910 was a big year for airshows. 

"What should we feature on the poster?"

 "Everything! Everything you can find that flies. Or looks like it could fly!"

 

Sidecar Sunday

Sorry for the belated post,  gone fishing...

 

Basic tips for tool users

 

Masonry hammer

 

Just an old masonry hammer in for rehandling.This type of head is used to texture concrete or soft stone. I carved up the handle from a scrap of hickory left over from making an axe handle. Questions in the comments led me to disassemble it, driving out the tapered pin.