The first few years of the s used several odd symbols, but by the date codes had been standardized on the use of stylized numeric digits. In this arrangement each decade was given a particular "theme", with the digits transformed according to the theme. For example, during the s the numbers had rounded tops or bottoms, or both. Snap-on peridiodically published charts of its date code system, and scans of the chart are widely available online.
The actual stamped symbols sometimes vary from the idealized form shown in the charts, and for this reason it's helpful to study the actual markings. At some point we'll provide a table of "As Used" date code markings.
Photographs and observations of particular tools are based on items in the Alloy Artifacts Collection. Information on Snap-on's development was found in an online article on Snap-on Company History.
Additional information was obtained from a Snap-on internal publication called "The Snap-on Story". Product information was obtained from a number of Snap-on catalogs, as summarized in the table below.
Blue Point had offered box wrenches since the s in two styles, the long single-offset and short double-offset models. During the s the selection of box wrenches expanded significantly, first with addition of the XD-series of angled box wrenches, then later with the X-series of long double-offset wrenches. Blue Point introduced the X series of single-offset box wrenches in , and these models were among the first double-box wrenches available from any vendor.
The X-series wrenches continued in production into the s, with one additional model X being added during this period.
But toward the end of the decade this style had fallen out of favor, and the series was discontinued by The overall length is The original finish was chrome plating, but only a few traces remain now. The patent notice for the Blackmar patent 1,, on this example is one of the last latest known such markings. The reverse is marked with a "Pat. The inset has been rotated for readability. The finish is now plain steel, but some traces of an earlier cadmium finish can be seen near the box ends. The earlier model was substantially shorter, The reverse is marked with a non-standard "30" date code for , shown as a close-up in the lower inset.
The reverse is marked with date code symbol for , as shown in the inset. The finish is chrome plating. The reverse is stamped "Pat. The original finish was chrome plating, but most has been lost due to rust and wear. The patent notice for the Blackmar patent 1,, on this example is one of the latest known such markings. The shank is stamped "Blue Point Boxocket" with the size and model number, with "Pat.
The finish is plain steel. The shank is stamped "Blue Point Boxocket" with the size and model number, as shown in the lower inset for close-up detail. The middle inset shows the reverse markings, a "Pat. In addition, a "5" date code appears to have been overstamped to the right of the "4".
The finish is chrome plating, though most has been lost due to rust and wear. The Blue Point XS series of short offset box wrenches had its origins in the s, and this popular style remains in production to the present day. The overall length is 5. The original finish was probably chrome plating, but most has been lost due to wear. A" with a date code for on the reverse. The inset for the reverse markings has been rotated for readability. The inset for the date code has been rotated for readability.
An early example of this model can be seen as the Blue Point XS In the early s Blue Point introduced the XD series, a new style of double-box wrenches with straight shanks and angled heads.
This wrench is unusually short for the XD series, almost as though it was a special order item, but the markings indicate standard production. No date code was found on this wrench, but the particular patent notice was generally marked between and A" with a date code for The inset was rotated for readability.
A" with an "E" date code for The original finish was chrome plating, but much has been lost due to wear. For" and "Blue Point Boxocket" on one side, with "Pat. The last of the major box wrench styles offered by Blue Point was the X-series of long double-offset wrenches. These were introduced in in a number of sizes, and additional models were offered at later dates. A" with a stylized "6" date code for Blue Point first offered open-end wrenches in the mid s with a line of "Number Series" models, e.
This series continued into the s as the primary line of open-ended wrenches, at least until the introduction of the Blue-Point "Supreme" line. An earlier version of this model can be seen as the Blue Points Chicago No. The faces are stamped with the model number and a "1" date code for , with the fractional sizes on the reverse not shown. The lower inset shows a close-up of the "1" date code, with the normal curved bottom for missing or only very lightly struck.
The red paint was added by a former owner. In Snap-on introduced a new line of open-end wrenches under the "Blue-Point Supreme" name. According to the Snap-on catalog, the new wrenches were made possible by the development of a high-carbon alloy steel, which allowed a thinner and lighter design without compromising strength. The early production of the Supreme wrenches had the shank ground after forging, with the sides tapering to a flat strip in the center.
The flat strip was used for the marking "Blue-Point Supreme" and possibly a date code , and the wrenches were finished with nickel plating. This ground-shank style was soon superseded; by the Blue-Point Supreme wrenches were using a forged design with a raised rib in the center.
The top of the rib was then ground and polished, and the sides were left with their natural forged finish. By this time the standard finish had become plated chrome. The table below summarizes the Blue-Point Supreme open-end wrench models, and one of the columns reports the earliest year of production, based on catalog listings or known examples. Our catalog coverage is a bit uneven though, so it will take some time to refine the table.
No date code was marked on this wrench, but the plain steel finish indicates production during Note that the center rib has been made wider on this later model, providing more space for the markings. The original finish was nickel plating, but most has been lost due to wear and rust. Note that despite the signs of extensive use and wear, the jaw openings of this wrench remain in fine condition.
This second example is unusual in having a "Made in U. The marking for the USA origin is generally found only in and later, or possibly in late No date code was marked on this wrench, but the ground shank design together with a chrome finish suggests production around The overall length is 6. No date code was marked on the wrench, but the cadmium finish suggests production during In addition, the markings are stamped on the opposite side of the wrench, so that the wrench is oriented with the smaller opening to the left.
This wrench is not marked with a date code, but the cadmium finish suggests a manufacturing date of This wrench is unusual in having the "Made in U. A previous figure also noted the early "Made in U. Currently we do not have a catalog reference for this model. The rough surface and cadmium finish suggest production during the wartime years.
No date code was marked on this tool, but the cadmium finish suggests a wartime manufacturing date. The model number is stamped on the reverse face see inset. No date code was marked on this tool, but the plain finish suggests a wartime manufacturing date. The finish is chrome plating with polished faces. The original finish was appears to have been nickel plating, but most has been lost to wear. The original finish was chrome plating, but most has been lost due to rust.
The wrench is stamped "Supreme" on the raised rib, with "U. This wrench is not marked with a date code, but the slightly raised rib and chrome plating suggest a production date in the late s. The size combinations on this wrench are unusual, and currently no catalog reference for this model has been found. The Blue-Point Supreme line extended to tappet wrenches as well, and the next set of figures will show examples.
The overall length is 7. This example is not marked with a date code, but the ground shank indicates production in the years The overall length is 8. The date code initially posed a bit of a mystery here, as the digit style and trailing dash suggested manufacturing during the s. However, this style of tappet wrench doesn't appear in the catalogs until the mid s, and the construction style of this wrench is consistent with production in Hence the "8-" date code likely indicates a manufacturing date of In later years Blue Point adopted a simplified design for its tappet wrenches using equal offsets for both ends, thereby obviating the need for paired models.
The face is stamped with a stylized "7" date code for Blue Point Tool first offered brake wrenches in the late s in a 51xx model series, and examples of these models can be seen in the section Bluepoint Early Brake Wrenches in an earlier article. The shank is also stamped with a stylized "9" date code for , possibly with an overstamp for another year. This wrench is not marked with a date code, but the "Made in U.
This next figure is a bit of a mystery, but is believed to be a Blue Point specialty brake wrench, probably from the early s. The panel has the characteristic forged-in "arrowhead" symbols found on Blue Point wrenches, but the name between the symbols has been ground off. One face is stamped with a "7" date code for Blue Point's distinctive "water pump" wrenches were introduced in an earlier article, and the reader may want to check the section on Bluepoint Waterpump Wrenches for additional examples.
The waterpump wrenches are generally marked with either "Patent Appl'd For" or "Patd. Normally when a patent applied or equivalent notice is marked on a tool, we would expect the production date to lie between the filing and issue dates of the patent.
However, estimating the manufacturing date for the waterpump wrenches has turned out to be a bit more difficult than expected. The problem is that Blue Point appears to have continued using the "Patent Appl'd" forging dies for long after the patent was issued, possibly because the production volume was relatively low and the dies didn't wear out.
The patent application notice refers to the reissue patent RE17, , issued in and assigned to Blue Point. The original patent 1,, had been issued to B. Gillett in This example has a narrow handle with an approximately rectangular depressed panel in the shank. The next figures show examples of the Blue Point model, but made with different forging dies. This example was made from an older forging with the patent applied notice for patent RE17, The chrome plating and polished faces indicate later production, so the finished wrench was likely made from a blank forged some years before.
The reverse is also stamped "Chev 36" not shown , probably referring to a specific application. The patent number forged into the handle indicates that the forging dies for this example were updated sometime after the reissue date for patent RE17, Blue Point is known to have used its earlier forging dies for long after the patent date, so this example is probably from the mid s. Date codes were applied in and later without regard for the socket marking style. In its early years the date code system had a very specific function: tool warranties were of limited duration at the time, and the date code determined the start of the warranty period.
As a result, date codes were applied more consistently at this time than in later years, after Snap-On had started offering a lifetime guarantee on its tools. The photographs and observations in these pages are of items from the Alloy Artifacts collection. Product information was obtained from the Snap-On catalog "A" reprint of , and from the and catalogs of the Motor Tool Specialty Company, Snap-On's distributor in Chicago. Double-hex point and double-square 8-point broachings were introduced in The very earliest socket markings were certainly minimal: according to folklore, the first Snap-On sockets and drive tools had only size markings, or no markings at all!
Such sockets would be difficult to identify and authenticate if found, but could be compared to known marked examples for an indication of possible Snap-On origin. The earliest standardized marking for sockets consisted of an "S" and "O" overstrike to indicate Snap-On, together with the socket size in fractional notation. This marking style was used up until about Snap-On also introduced a socket numbering system at about the same time, which consisted of the abbreviation "NO.
Sockets marked in this fashion will have the model number, Snap-On logo, and fractional size, all on the same side of the socket. The above numbering scheme was simple and useful, but apparently it was not implemented consistently, as some sockets continued to be marked with only the Snap-On logo and fractional size.
This state of affairs wasn't just a temporary delay in adding the model numbers, but persisted through to the end of the s, so that examples of both styles can be found with late date codes. Even this is a bit of an oversimplification; in a large collection of early sockets, there may be a number of other recognizable changes in design and marking.
Standard Sockets. Introduction Snap-on Tools is one of the largest and best known makers of hand tools today. January, Notice for Snap-On Wrenches. Trademarks The table below lists the various trademarks registered by the Snap-On Wrench Company or its Blue Point subsidiary during the s.
Renewed January 24, Renewed March 4, Renewed May 6, Tool Identification Snap-On tools are generally clearly marked and consistently numbered, but the tools from the s are the exception to this rule. Manufacturing Dates Beginning in Snap-On introduced a system of date codes and started marking sockets and other tools as well with the codes.
References and Resources The photographs and observations in these pages are of items from the Alloy Artifacts collection.
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