Paris- Bordeaux race 1895

Above a Roger-Benz (#12) and Emile Levasseur in his Panhard et Levasseur at the start of the 1989 Paris-Bordeaux race. 22 cars started the 732 mile race, only 9 finished. Emile Levasseur finished first but did not win the race as the rules specified a 4 seater, his was only two. Below, the Comte de Chasseloup-Laubat in his Dion-Bouton steam brake starts the race. Unfortunately a drive shaft broke, and he did not finish. 

The lack of safety measures at this event is appalling, the bystanders would be in grave danger as the cars raced off, but one wonders if the bicycles below are outpacing the car. 

 

5/32" wrench

 This might be the smallest wrench I've ever seen.  5/32"  or (4 mm), it's an unneeded high-torque 3" long. If I can find a nut that small, I'll experiment with twisting it off.  And for scale, I include a new "Chuck buck"- a one dollar coin- and a quarter with King Charles III's head on it.

Hercules Gunpowder

Hercules Powder was set up in 1912 as a result of the breaking up of the Dupont explosives monopoly. They were a supplier to the US army during WW1 and were number 65 in value of military contracts during WW2. The company struggled through the 1980s, and was sold in the early 90s.

Includes core charge...

 I replaced a couple of brake calipers the other day, they didn't want the old ones, no one rebuilds them any more...

One of my vices is vises; Another Smart

Just another run-of-the-mill exposed-screw, 3 inch utility vice from James Smart of Brockville. We've covered that Brockville, Ontario company that closed in 1967 after casting and forging everything metal for a lot of years. Their vises appear all the time around here. This one is only marked with the cryptic 7-11. Apparently, the name Smart was on a decal on the front of the moving jaw. The method of attaching to a bench is unusual, but perhaps it's the interface for a missing rotating locking base. Just doesn't look finished.

 

Tramontina hatchet

 This is a tool that looked good and hefted well, the name is unusual but it turns out that Tramontina is a Brazilian company with a long history of making quality housewares, pots and pans, kitchen knives and accessories and some garden and yard tools. I guess the hatchet would fit into the yard tool category. The company started as a balcksmith in 1911, their first product was a popular pocket knife. The coampny grew they expanded to the US in the mid-eighties and seem to be alive well as an international manufacturing company.

 Company website here.

Sky wrench

 When I first saw this logo, I wondered if it was somehow related to Husky tools- maybe a bit of a play on the name. We have seen these tools available at Canadian Tire, they're made in India and certainly nice and chrome-y, maybe a little bit too shiny. I haven't used them to comment on the quality. Thanks, Inno!

Australian Woodsmen Show

Pre-chainsaws...men with axes and saws...Don't miss it!

 This reminds me of a joke. An Australian axe-man applies for a job in the Pacific Northwest. HR asks him skeptically.. "Where did you get your experience?"

 "Well", he says, "I worked in the Outback Forest." 

HR says, "But the Outback is a desert."

 Woodcutter says, "It is NOW!"

HMM Ltd 6" square

Here we have a somewhat flimsy square made by HMM Ltd in England. it comes with a patent number- 497450, awarded to Harry Millward in December 1938 for "Improvements in or relating to mechanics and like squares". Patent here. 

I've looked at that patent and there are either pieces missing or I'm missing something.

Beautiful Chrysler in 1954