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RARE VINTAGE VLchek STAR S-WRENCHES • CIRCA LATE 1920s-1930s • MADE IN USA
Offered here is a three-piece group of exceptionally interesting vintage American S-shaped double open-end wrenches, consisting of:
* Vlchek 75B: 3/8” × 7/16”
* Vlchek 77B: 1/2” × 9/16”
* Vlchek 81B: 3/4” × 13/16”
All three are marked DROP FORGED and MADE IN U.S.A.
HISTORIC VLchek STAR SERIES
These wrenches are believed to be from the Vlchek Tool Company Star S-Wrench series, an early American wrench design dating to the late 1920s into the 1930s.
This is not simply a modern wrench with a vintage appearance. These are genuine examples of an early 20th-century American forged-tool design, produced during the period when Vlchek was one of America’s important drop-forging companies.
By 1918, Vlchek had become one of the “Big Nine” companies of the American forging industry, representing a major portion of U.S. drop-forged wrench production. The company went on to become an important supplier of automotive and industrial tools.
THE STAR S-WRENCH CONNECTION
The identification is particularly interesting because historical tool research documents a Vlchek “Star” five-piece S-Wrench Set consisting of:
75B • 77B • 79 • 81B • 83B
with the following sizes:
* 75B: 3/8” × 7/16”
* 77B: 1/2” × 9/16”
* 79: 5/8” × 11/16”
* 81B: 3/4” × 13/16”
* 83B: 7/8” × 1”
Your three wrenches are three exact models from that documented Vlchek Star series: 75B, 77B and 81B.
The historical examples are likewise marked “Made in U.S.A.” and “Drop Forged,” with the model numbers and fractional sizes forged into the wrenches.
One of the particularly interesting characteristics of these early Vlchek tools is the use of small forged-in production numbers. Your examples display these small forged markings as well, another feature documented on Vlchek production.
WHY THE S-SHAPED DESIGN?
The unusual curved shape wasn’t merely decorative.
The S-shaped shank was an early solution for working around obstructions and square nuts. The curve creates an approximately 22.5-degree offset, allowing the user to work with less swing clearance than a conventional straight wrench. This distinctive style became an important early American wrench design.
A PIECE OF AMERICAN TOOL HISTORY
What makes these especially desirable today is their combination of:
• Late 1920s-1930s vintage
• American manufacture
• Drop-forged construction
• Unusual S-shaped design
• Documented Vlchek model numbers
• Models 75B, 77B and 81B
• Connection to the historic Vlchek Star S-Wrench series
• Plain forged-steel appearance typical of early tools
Vlchek’s Star sets were offered in the company’s catalog around 1928, with period examples documented from the late 1920s and 1930s. Historical research also notes that the individual wrenches in these sets were often not marked with the Vlchek name, which is important when examining examples like these.
CONDITION
These are genuine vintage tools with considerable age and honest signs of use.
They exhibit surface wear, patina, scratches, discoloration and other evidence of decades of age and handling. The forged markings remain very clear.
Please study all photographs carefully. The photos are an important part of the description and show the actual three wrenches included in this listing.
IMPORTANT IDENTIFICATION NOTE
The markings, model numbers, sizes, construction and unusual S-shaped design are highly consistent with the documented Vlchek Star S-Wrench series. The individual wrenches themselves do not carry the Vlchek name, so I am describing them as Vlchek Star series / Vlchek-attributed rather than claiming an absolutely certain manufacturer identification.
That said, the combination of 75B, 77B and 81B, along with the corresponding sizes and Drop Forged / Made in U.S.A. markings, makes this an especially compelling group for collectors of early American tools.
A fantastic opportunity to own genuine early American forged wrenches dating back approximately 90-100 years.
These would make an excellent addition to a collection of Vlchek, early American, antique automotive, industrial or vintage hand tools.
Brand: Vlchek, attributed
Series: Star S-Wrench
Type: S-Shape Double Open-End Wrench
Models: 75B, 77B, 81B
Sizes: 3/8” × 7/16”, 1/2” × 9/16”, 3/4” × 13/16”
Construction: Drop Forged
Country of Origin: USA
Approximate Era: Late 1920s-1930s
Quantity: 3 Pieces
Material: Forged Steel
This is a particularly nice group because you’re not just selling three old wrenches. You’re selling three documented examples of an unusual early American wrench series that dates to the formative years of the American automotive and industrial tool era
