identifying antique levels and squares

Doug Ahern

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Mar 5, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/5/98

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I received some many good web pointers and advice last week when I
posting asking about my Stanley #1 and #42, I thought I might post
again concerning the rest of my antique tools and see what origins
they come from.

Tratton Brothers level. 15"x2"x1" wood with brass edge moldings.
2 vials for level and plumb. brass cover over the level vial
as stramped the words "TRATTON BROTHERS" "GREENFIELD" "SS" the
"SS" could be the end of a word, I can't make out if there is
any other letters. Where was this made? When?

The L.S. Starrett Co. Athol Mass No. 94 12" combination square
with a movable handle the locks in place with a thumb knob.
lelvel vial in handle. Not very ornate. Who was the L.S.
Starrett Co. when was this made?

Stanley No.20 8 inch Square. When was this made?

Thanks again!
Doug

AndyBake

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Mar 11, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/11/98

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Sorry I can't help with the Tratton or Stanley.

L.S. Starrett is currently making 12"combination squares. Yours could
be only days old. They cost about $50 new, I think. They don't have a
website, but one of their distributors does so you can try Starrett on
yahoo and get plenty of info.

Andrew Barss

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Mar 12, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/12/98

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Doug Ahern <do...@cosell.cosmic.uga.edu> wrote:

: The L.S. Starrett Co. Athol Mass No. 94 12" combination square

: with a movable handle the locks in place with a thumb knob.
: lelvel vial in handle. Not very ornate. Who was the L.S.
: Starrett Co. when was this made?

L.S. Starrett is a premier machinist-tool company, based in Athol, MA.
They have been in continual operation since the late 1800s, I believe. To
properly date your item, you'll need to either contact the company, or
contact a machinist tool collctor (Karl Sanger, who is a denizen of the
oldtools list, can help you here). A lot of their tools are of
essentially the same form as they made decades ago, but there have been
changes in logo, etc.

Whatever its age, it's a very high-quality tool. (For the yuppie tool
collectors: they beat Bridge City by
a looooong country mile in constant availability of tools, and match or
beat them in accuracy.)

: Stanley No.20 8 inch Square. When was this made?

The #20 try square is listed by John Walter, in his epic *Stanley
Tools: Guide to identity and value* as having been made from 1888-1984.
However, he doesn't list an eight-inch version, just 3, 4.5, 6, 7.5, 9,
10, 12, 15, 18 inch. If this is really an eight-inch model, you may have
something pretty rare there.

: Thanks again!
: Doug

--
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Andrew Barss
Graduate Advisor, Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona
Communications 314A, 621-2201 or 621-6897
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Dave Keith

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Mar 12, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/12/98

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In article <350729...@cyberhighway.net>, fake...@cyberhighway.net says...

>
>Sorry I can't help with the Tratton or Stanley.
>
>L.S. Starrett is currently making 12"combination squares.

Didn't Mr. L.S. Starrett invent and patent the combination square ?
I belive it was the start of his now world famous business.

>Yours could
>be only days old. They cost about $50 new, I think. They don't have a

>website ...

http://www.qualitymag.com/starrett/index.html

dave