59Sled
Well-known member
Found at the flea market this last weekend. They are unbranded but the patent number comes up as Duro Metal Products issued 1933
Show your Indestro and Duro-Chrome tools
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Oldtuleguy
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Probably supplied to wards
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ Yes. Duro Metal Products patent 1902878 - that one with that "paintbrush" handle was made for Wards for their "Riverside" brand.
No markings other than patent number and (maybe) "Chicago".
deep-dive thread on the Duro/Indestro "Pressed Flange" ratchet (patent 1902878)
(* see posts #46, #61, #83 - not sure what the set was we found that had that ratchet in it that clinched it, but that one was Ward's "Riverside". I am not able to post photos right now... or can I? Images are from ebay listings, showing that odd ratchet included in "Riverside" branded sets.)
No markings other than patent number and (maybe) "Chicago".
deep-dive thread on the Duro/Indestro "Pressed Flange" ratchet (patent 1902878)
(* see posts #46, #61, #83 - not sure what the set was we found that had that ratchet in it that clinched it, but that one was Ward's "Riverside". I am not able to post photos right now... or can I? Images are from ebay listings, showing that odd ratchet included in "Riverside" branded sets.)
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59Sled
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That’s great. Thanks for the info.
four.cycle
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Picked up this Indestro 3223 Swing Head Handle at the flea market this morning. The trapezoidal shape (reminiscent of a rattlesnake) of the hinged drive piece is unmistakable on these and the Duro models. I was hoping for a Duro 669D, but this will do. These 18-inchers were very late war adds to the GMTK. Early- to mid-war, 10-1/2-inchers. It could be wishful thinking, but it has an old cad look. Either that or just the dull, aged appearance of very thin and peeling chrome. Shown with a baby brother in the last photo. 
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four.cycle
Well-known member
could very well be cad plated.
lucky you scored the pin handle with it!
they got away from that "trapezoid shaped" yoke design just a bit later - I think about mid-50s.
lucky you scored the pin handle with it!
they got away from that "trapezoid shaped" yoke design just a bit later - I think about mid-50s.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Nah! I cheated and pulled that out of the orphan crossbar stash.
(Cue the sappy 1978 Peaches and Herb "Reunited" song!)
torontotools
Member
2001ZR2
Well-known member
Industro kit I picked a couple of weeks back. Needs sorting as the breaker is Plomb.
Outlawmws
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Does it have the female end so it can be used as an extension?
GemState10ER
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2001ZR2
Well-known member
Some Indestro goodies in FBMP score...
Half Moon 9/16 - 5/8
Some Steel Select Open/Box End
5/8 down to 7/16"
A double open End 3/8- 7/16"
Sorry Outlawmws the Plomb breaker doesn't have the female end but an SK one I have does.
four.cycle
Well-known member
That would be a model 3215 Indestro
But those haven't been manufactured for decades. YOu might find an old one at a swap meet or garage sale.
You can order brand new ones from KC Tool in Kansas City:
Flathead_Fred
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Got lucky and scored the the five missing sockets for my #1536 Indestro set. I only have the sockets but they fit nicely in the tray of my E.J McALEER tool box. These are a double hex set and compliment my complete 6 point set.
That’s a sweet score for sure. CongratulationsGot lucky and scored the the five missing sockets for my #1536 Indestro set. I only have the sockets but they fit nicely in the tray of my E.J McALEER tool box. These are a double hex set and compliment my complete 6 point set.
d42jeep
Well-known member
These 1/4” drive Duro-Chrome sockets arrived in the mail today. I put them into this nice box. 
-Don
-Don
Flathead_Fred
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Very nicceThese 1/4” drive Duro-Chrome sockets arrived in the mail today. I put them into this nice box.
-Don
four.cycle
Well-known member
1942 Hardware Age Indestro ad pp 70
* interestingly, they are showing "S-shaped" service wrenches in the illustration at the bottom - part numbers 761, 762, 763, 764, and 765. These appear in both the 1935 and 1937 catalogs, but do not show up in the 1948 catalog.
59Sled
Well-known member
3/8 drive Indestro Select speed handle I recently acquired.
RTM
Well-known member
Wow, thread resurrection of my own thread, almost 5 years later.The label inside the lid claims its a 5818 1/2" drive 21 piece set w box, as found in the 1963 catalog, though I think the box is newer based on the label. It's supposed to be all 12pt sockets, but only a few are, and many are missing, and there are 6pt duplicates in the box. Didn't pay attention to that level of detail when I bought it, as I had a bunch of 1/2" drive sockets that covered the smaller size. Somewhere in its history the handle pulled off, and was re attached via screws. The drive tools were all missing. The box is 19 x 7-1/2 x 6-1/2". The sockets are all marked similarly, with the H's being 6pt, containing the standard marked in /32". The 16xx were what belonged in the kit.
6418, 6420, 1625, 1126H, 1632, 1134H, 1134H, 1634, 1136H, 1140H, 1140H, 1640
As I noted in the original post, I had a lot of wrong sockets in this set, they should have all been 16xx series, not 11xx. Today at an ES, I found the majority of a set, from 7/16 to 13/16 in 1/2" drive, which will almost complete the set of sockets.
Slowly chipping away at it.
d42jeep
Well-known member
No use rushing to get it finished.
My only find today was a pretty nice Indestro Super combo wrench destined for the Pacific Northwest.
-Don
My only find today was a pretty nice Indestro Super combo wrench destined for the Pacific Northwest.
-Don
Beerhippie
Well-known member
I had a 19/32" X 1/2" DOE hole in my road tool bag, so I filled it today:
Never leave home without one!
If anyone wants/needs one of these, let me know--there are about a dozen more where I got this one for nearly free.
Never leave home without one!
If anyone wants/needs one of these, let me know--there are about a dozen more where I got this one for nearly free.
d42jeep
Well-known member
I believe that the G in front of the ISN indicates manufacture in 1945.
-Don
-Don
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ excellent specimen, although it would be appropriate to note that they were not all "unmarked". (some had a bunch of stuff stamped on the shaft of the driver handle.)(I think I have at least five or six of those in various iterations.)
d42jeep
Well-known member
Yeah, I think this one ended up in your collection. 
I went through the Duro box today to add some fairly recent finds. Here are some completed Duro and D-I sets and many in progress.
-Don
I went through the Duro box today to add some fairly recent finds. Here are some completed Duro and D-I sets and many in progress.
-Don
four.cycle
Well-known member
Yes, I do have quite a few of those.
The most interesting ones are the wood-handled models, which were supposedly painted a yellow-orange color.
I have one that any normal person with halfway decent vision would call "RED".
The most interesting ones are the wood-handled models, which were supposedly painted a yellow-orange color.
I have one that any normal person with halfway decent vision would call "RED".
d42jeep
Well-known member
I have quite a few 1/2” drive spare D-I sockets and drive tools so when I saw this Duro box listed on eBay I thought that it would be fairly easy to complete the set. It came with one wartime 25/32” socket. 
I dug out the best sockets from my spares along with a ratchet and extension.
After checking, the less popular 19/32” and 25/32” sockets wouldn’t fit in the box. Here is the completed set.
I dug out the best sockets from my spares along with a ratchet and extension.
After checking, the less popular 19/32” and 25/32” sockets wouldn’t fit in the box. Here is the completed set.
d42jeep
Well-known member
Unfortunately there isn’t a wartime catalog to exactly determine what should be in the above box. The sockets were easy since I have some other wartime sets. I took a look at the 1940 catalog and it showed that the prewar set included a flex handle and crossbar. Since I had both of those pieces, I decided the make my set more resemble the ‘40 set. 
I replaced the extension with the Duro flex handle and crossbar.
-Don
I replaced the extension with the Duro flex handle and crossbar.
-Don
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Tom "Python" Aycock
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OK, so I won this off a sleezbay auction recently. I've just been loving all things hex drive recently. I see an add from 1930 showing a similar set (only bigger) with the same label. Not finding a 1930 catalog on ITCL, I turn to this thread for guidance. But, just not gonna sort through the 91 pages herein. Interesting that this set has a mix of 1/2" hex drive sockets, ell handle and ratchet and, some larger 5/8" hex drive sockets too. I'm not seeing anywhere about 5/8" hex drivers so I'm thinking perhaps there was some sort of 1/2" to 5/8" adapter? Bonus in this set was the double star 7-16 socket I needed to complete my 1937 #1235 set and a single oval drive socket. Hook me up with any 1930 Indestro knowledge yall have!
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alinc100
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Cruzan80
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Curious how much they are asking for the metric NOS stuff. 1/2" dr?
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ That is not a set I am familiar with at all, Tom. The ratchet is very odd - that's a 1/2" hex drive ratchet, right?
I don't know of any 5/8" drive made by Indestro, but I don't claim to know everything.
I have to wonder if perhaps the 5/8" hex drive stuff was made by another manufacturer?
Do the sockets all look alike lined up side by side?
The box is weird too - I have an early Indestro 1/2" square drive set with that exact same decal inside the lid, but my box is a bit shallower and has rounded corners and is set up to hold a speeder.
I have two sets of 1/4" drive metric sockets and a few sets of other drive sizes that are like that - mixed product from the factory. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, other than the sockets don't all look exactly alike.
I don't know of any 5/8" drive made by Indestro, but I don't claim to know everything.
I have to wonder if perhaps the 5/8" hex drive stuff was made by another manufacturer?
Do the sockets all look alike lined up side by side? The box is weird too - I have an early Indestro 1/2" square drive set with that exact same decal inside the lid, but my box is a bit shallower and has rounded corners and is set up to hold a speeder.
If you mean the manner in which the knurling is applied: some having plain band and some having a knurled band, OR if you mean that some of the sockets are stamped "DURO INDESTRO" and some of the sockets are stamped "INDESTRO SUPER", it's because Indestro was packaging sets made up of existing stock during their waning days - those sets were shrink-wrapped at the tail end of Indestro's run.
I have two sets of 1/4" drive metric sockets and a few sets of other drive sizes that are like that - mixed product from the factory. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, other than the sockets don't all look exactly alike.
four.cycle
Well-known member
I would be curious to see exactly what he has.
Any possibility of getting any photos?
Another member did that at a hardware store in Fremont, Ohio, and I got a mess of NOS punches and chisels from them.
alinc100
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13,000 SQ FT Warehouse sale in Redford, Mi. starts on 3/28/2026
View information about this sale in Redford, MI. The sale starts Saturday, March 28 and runs through Tuesday, March 31.
www.estatesales.net
Tom "Python" Aycock
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The sockets are all very "Indestro" in appearance and knurling. In relooking it over, I see one of the 5/8 drive sockets (the 7-8 square) has the five point stars to the sides of the size, definable as Indestro. Nothing in the set is branded but they're all correct for that 1920s-1930s style, perhaps even an early 20s set? The ratchet is 1/2" hex and looks the style of the Duro and Indestro but this one is 10 3/4" long. The hollow rivets near the working end look like they were filled.^ That is not a set I am familiar with at all, Tom. The ratchet is very odd - that's a 1/2" hex drive ratchet, right?
I don't know of any 5/8" drive made by Indestro, but I don't claim to know everything.
I have to wonder if perhaps the 5/8" hex drive stuff was made by another manufacturer?
The box is weird too - I have an early Indestro 1/2" square drive set with that exact same decal inside the lid, but my box is a bit shallower and has rounded corners and is set up to hold a speeder.
If you mean the manner in which the knurling is applied: some having plain band and some having a knurled band, OR if you mean that some of the sockets are stamped "DURO INDESTRO" and some of the sockets are stamped "INDESTRO SUPER", it's because Indestro was packaging sets made up of existing stock during their waning days - those sets were shrink-wrapped at the tail end of Indestro's run.
I have two sets of 1/4" drive metric sockets and a few sets of other drive sizes that are like that - mixed product from the factory. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, other than the sockets don't all look exactly alike.
nz44tool
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Got this deep-offset Duro-Chrome DBE at a flea market today. Nice condition.
I know zilch about Duro-Chrome - this one looks very recent.
I'll bet one of youse guys knows what era this is from. (Postwar?)
I know zilch about Duro-Chrome - this one looks very recent.
I'll bet one of youse guys knows what era this is from. (Postwar?)
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four.cycle
Well-known member
early raised panel with pointy ends: late 1930s - late 1940s (approximately)
those are NICE DBEs.... nice work around the rings.
those are NICE DBEs.... nice work around the rings.
nz44tool
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Thanks, four cycle - I don't see very much Duro - Indestro stuff around here, was pleasantly surprised by how classy this one is.