Imperial Spanners and sockets

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jayne_rimmer

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I met a friendly gentleman at an antique place and he suggested to use this website. My father passed and he has lots and lots of tools also which are his fathers etc which I am sorting though. So far I have intentified a good number of imperial spanners and sockets Are they worth anything to anybody - your advice would be appreciated. Also there are a load of tools i dont know what they are and whether to bin or sell or give away. What would be the best way to use this site. Your help would be appreciated
 

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sorry to hear - my condolences
dont through them away
worst case you could put on free websites , like freecycle or facebook market place for free

or if you can be bothered , maybe advertise on eBay

you may have a mans shed organisation near you , you could donat too

Some of the tools may be really sought after - I still have a lot of my dads , really good quality tools - brass inlay , hardwoods etc

and when my uncle passed away, a lot of people took the tools, and i was able to setup a friend whoh had just moved into her house and had NO basic tools - and she welcomed all the tools to make a basic home maintenance kit
 
hi Jayne…take some pics and let people on here see what you have..you can always take offers …I’d like to see what’s what ..🤔
 
Would there be a problem with posting pictures and members esimating what they think things are worth?
 
Would there be a problem with posting pictures and members esimating what they think things are worth?
No problem with this, as long as the thread doesn't turn into a sale platform.
 
My suggestion would be to not rush into anything.

When my father in law passed away my sister-in-law was really quick at off loading most of his possessions. My wife and her sister didn't resist, thinking that my SIL was grieving, but I was saddened at the speed. Much later my SIL said that material items didn't interest her and this was why it was done. So, so many things which, with hindsight, we would have liked to have kept.

My dad died last year and, while the stuff that we really didn't want was passed on, I have retained most of his tools. Trouble is, like you, he had stuff that he had acquired from deceased relatives. I have, for example, seven hacksaws now! I'm lucky in that I have space to keep his tools. Sadly, many don't attract much resale value and there are plenty of dealers who will sense a bargain. If you can, sort slowly and pass them on only when you are sure.

FWIW, I also have tool boxes full of imperial spanners and sockets. I can barely lift some of the boxes as there are so many. I even have stuff that I think my uncle acquired from British Rail - ideal for repairing those trains which often rock up on that virtual train line and need work done in my garage !
 
There are a few groups that make up toolkits to send to areas with no guarantee of electricity, eg. Indra and Africa. It lets people set up in business or do apprenticeships. "Tools for Africa" is one but there are others.
 
Sorry Mike I did not intend my comment to simulate a sales pitch….I thought people maybe just interested to see what was in the collection
 
Assuming they are all hand tools ...

Planes have some value, especially metal ones. Metal planes with wood infills might have more (or be junk). Wooden planes, not so much unless they are rare. Show us the planes for sure.

Chisels are a few pounds each at a car boot unless very big and heavy, long and thin, or tiny. Unless some are rare antiques, which means finding the maker's mark. Scooped chisels might be more valuable. Show us those which look different from the bulk.

Hand saws are mixed - some makes are sought after, others worth £5 or less.

Brace drills - meh, unless made of wood or unusually small.

Old flat head screwdrivers might get attention, that's all.

Vices can get people excited, sometimes.

I think most of the rest will have little value, but others will say what specialist stuff would be worth showing.

Can't help on spanners, but I see lots around so maybe they're like chisels.
 
Imperial spanners have little use except to people who work on vintage machinery or vintage cars/bikes.
There aren't a lot of us about these days as the cars, bikes and machines are becoming rarer (they rust and wear out faster than the tools) and the younger generations seem less likely to take up the interest.
I, like others, inherited most of what I need from my father.

If I were looking to buy, I'd watch ebay for the specific spanner or a set.
I would only buy a good example, and only a good name. They would have to be correctly described or they would never match the keywords in my saved searches. Terms like BSW, Whitworth, A/F (across flats), not just the size.
If they are chromed and not peeling, ring spanners or sets, name brand like britool, gordon, elora, and a few more, they may be of interest to someone.
Open end + non chromed or no name, I would give away or toss in the metal recycling at the tip. At a car boot sale, they might bring a few pence each and if you are lucky repay the cost of entry.
Anything that is visibly distorted (I can see at least one where the tips of an open spanner are flared out) I would assume to be made of poor steel and worthless. It may not be but as there are plenty to choose from, I wouldn't give it a second glance.
Steel has generally improved over the years so very old is not better. The quality of spanners peaked in perhaps the 80's or 90's. Nowadays there is less choice and most of the famous brands have declined through changes of ownership and cost cutting.

Financially it is best to accept the fact that most old tools have little or no value.
Many of us want to see the things our family leave behind be put to good use. It's a sad lesson to learn that generally people don't want them. Keep what is useful or sentimental, donate the rest to a local men's shed. There will be some older folk who will probably recognise anything of value and may take a table at a local steam fair to sell off the dozens of hammers they are given every year for 10p apiece.
 
Sorry for ur loss......
I aquired literaly tons of the old Whit spanners etc...even AF and metric......over the years........
I kept the best as Spectric describes the rest I gave away....what was left went for scrap.....

I have some modern made Whit spanners etc as I work on a lot of antique vehicles.....
They are less heavy, better steel and so much nicer to use.....

I keep all my odd spanners n sockets in one huge roll=away.....
my Dutch friend would ask to borrow some of my Queen Elizabeth spanners....lol....
 
Imperial spanners have little use except to people who work on vintage machinery or vintage cars/bikes.
There aren't a lot of us about these days as the cars, bikes and machines are becoming rarer (they rust and wear out faster than the tools) and the younger generations seem less likely to take up the interest.
I, like others, inherited most of what I need from my father.

If I were looking to buy, I'd watch ebay for the specific spanner or a set.
I would only buy a good example, and only a good name. They would have to be correctly described or they would never match the keywords in my saved searches. Terms like BSW, Whitworth, A/F (across flats), not just the size.
If they are chromed and not peeling, ring spanners or sets, name brand like britool, gordon, elora, and a few more, they may be of interest to someone.
Open end + non chromed or no name, I would give away or toss in the metal recycling at the tip. At a car boot sale, they might bring a few pence each and if you are lucky repay the cost of entry.
Anything that is visibly distorted (I can see at least one where the tips of an open spanner are flared out) I would assume to be made of poor steel and worthless. It may not be but as there are plenty to choose from, I wouldn't give it a second glance.
Steel has generally improved over the years so very old is not better. The quality of spanners peaked in perhaps the 80's or 90's. Nowadays there is less choice and most of the famous brands have declined through changes of ownership and cost cutting.

Financially it is best to accept the fact that most old tools have little or no value.
Many of us want to see the things our family leave behind be put to good use. It's a sad lesson to learn that generally people don't want them. Keep what is useful or sentimental, donate the rest to a local men's shed. There will be some older folk who will probably recognise anything of value and may take a table at a local steam fair to sell off the dozens of hammers they are given every year for 10p apiece.
well, Imperial spanners/wrenches (xx inches across flats rather than Whitworth sizes) are still useful for American machinery products, whereever they are in the world, as well as most British cars designed/built before the mid-70s. But I think there's a bit of a glut of them, and they're not that hard or expensive to buy. BTW I gave a load of similar stuff to WorkAid (in Chesham) about six months ago - they are a charity dispatch what's useful abroad for use there.
 
These can be handy a 1/2 inch whit is a 13 mm,fits an 8mm nut. File out the other end to 17mm and this will fit a 10 mm nut. Handy in construction for duct erectors, plumbers,and electricians.
Tony
 
These can be handy a 1/2 inch whit is a 13 mm
Sorry Tony, no, it is not! - a ½" Whit Nut / Hex Bolt head would be 0.82" A/F = 20.83mm.

I'm sure you actually mean a ½" A/F Spanner which is of course 12.7mm and could be 'adjusted' to make it 13mm - whether there would be enough 'meat' in the forging to open the other end out to 17mm is also questionable - - - if it were a 9/16" A/F then you'd have to remove 2.7mm
 

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