Wow John you did a nice job on my late parents 'coal hammer'. You managed to retain the shape very well. The ballpein donor handle suits it well. It was used for breaking up coal, and has lived in the coal bucket since 1980 when they bought that bungalow. I do not know where they got it from, it may even have been in the coal bunker when they moved in ? As far as I can remember it always looked like that ! Until now that is ! Thanks again for an excellent restoration. It has gone to a good home.
My folks had a "morthwyl glo" (coal hammer) too! Except theirs was almost identical to the ball pein one in the video (not the one with the pick end on it). Brought back memories reading your comment. Although by the time I was born they had gone over to gas heating, I still remember that large ball pein hammer (complete with mandatory loose handle) being called the coal hammer, or morthwyl glo as it is in Welsh.
Hi Gary and Scoutcrafter, restoration looks fantastic. The "coal hammer" actually looks like a slaters hammer. I'm a slater to trade and have a few of them that date from the late 1940's . The pointed end is for putting a nail hole in the slate once it's cut to size (no prizes for what the flat face bit is for)you can buy modern versions of them (cheap crap) . That one is a keeper ,excellent restoration again,best wishes from Scotland 🏴
Detroit Ball Bearing, Grainger, McMaster Carr, and a dozen other smaller companies lined the shelves in my offices at the companies where I was a Maintenance/Facilities Manager/Supervisor. Each one had tabs on the pages where common items were found. There was a world of knowledge in them.
LIKE YOU, I LOOOOOOOVE working in my little workshop/garage!!!!!! I wasn't a Marine like you (Thank you for your service to our country) but I live by the motto, ADAPT, IMPROVE and OVERCOME the situation!
We really like the hammer redo! We enjoy your videos! We're originally from Kentucky. For many years, I have been collecting Belknap & Bluegrass tools. I don't have many, but a few. I did buy a Bluegrass boy's 26" bicycle frame, red & white, which came with few extras, but enough to get me started. And I've picked up a few $5 & $10 bicycles, at yardsales, hoping to get the crank, pedals, etc., that would fit and be period correct, but haven't gotten a-round-to-it yet. Need wheels, crank assembly, and fenders. Then I got a Belknap catalog (can't remember what year), to help me with the bike, and just to look through. Belknap (like a lot of old time companies) had salesmen, who would travel their area, selling to hardware stores. My favorite hardware store sold Belknap & Bluegrass, and loved looking through their catalog. Memories. Happy Thanksgiving, to you and your's.
Such a nice job on that hammer Scout, no two ways about it that was a lot of work. Imagine a 4500 page catalog and not a single “ made in China” to be seen. Back then nothing was made to a price it was made to a quality. Cheers Stuart 🇦🇺
Hammer came out beautifully! That Belknap catalog is amazing. They had everything including the kitchen sink. No kidding when you were thumbing thru on page 841 there is a dual compartment sink. Wish there were companies that had half of the products they had. Great video!
I also love old catalogs . One of my favorites is my 1972 Gun Digest . The older photography was just more colorful etc. I've been looking at this one and many others since I was a kid . HAPPY THANKSGIVING !
Another entertaining mosh! That hammer is beautiful. Unbelievable before / after. The Belknap catalog is also unbelievable. As you were flipping through, I kept thinking "I remember that". My mother and grandmother both had the old wall-mounted can opener. Also caught a glimpse of the old round, plaid pattern picnic cooler that we had. I really miss going through those catalogs.
My two work benches are always covered in stuff and being lazy I use a small folding bench with the wooden adjustable top. I open the wooden top wide and clamp a 2 foot by 2 foot piece of plywood as a work top, and when I am using heat have a 2 foot by 2 foot 1/8th piece of sheet steel I put on top of the plywood. You do not need much space to work but you need space to put all the stuff one hoards.
The pen and ink artwork of the old catalogs is wonderful. This artwork was done by hand. The photographs were done using film. Many of the photos, the white backgrounds were done by hand using an X-Acto knife. Those old catalogs were created using a lot of talented labor.
I grew up in Louisville. It's "Bell-Nap" hardware and they were giants in hardware. Never went into their HQ in downtown Louisville, but you could get their stuff at the local hardware stores.
Here we are another Monday wow that hammer was rough but Man it came up sweet love the catalogues it’s a slice of history The product drawings were so detailed better than the crap they Put out today god bless take care 👍🙏🗽🇺🇸🇳🇿🔨
Good night!!! that came out fantastic Mr. John! Hard to believe that beautiful handle was under there! I Laughed when you pointed at that hand can opener.. we had one like that since my wife and I married... well, its missing..lol.. we have looked everywhere.. and i have bought 2 different ones in the last week..breaking both.. that just ain't made like they use to be... I hope to find one at a antique store soon before I lose a pound or two..😁. enjoyed!
John with English weather hammers Lok like that after one season left outside !! I've pulled things out of sheds that look like that , great restore fantastic difference , what a great handle that turned out to be !
I have a Blue Grass pipe wrench and I was always curious about where it came from. Hammer looks great I need new projects but the flea market has been deserted 😐
That Belknap catalog... anyone who doesn't know the story of what happened to that company should find Jim Cory's article on the subject and prepare to be infuriated.
That's wild I live 5 minute outside of downtown Louisville. But that magazine is pretty awesome. Thanks for another great video. That hammer is awesome too.
Awesome hammer! I think you should put that ball peen together with that old handle. Almost looked like a perfect handle for it. Thanks for another awesome video!
M.t.A John Great video I love that hammer really neat. Ha Queens House's with meters in the basement lol. Floral park My Uncle's plumbing Shop meter in basement. Catalog real kewl lol Man wouldn't it be great to know if that building is still around & u could pick it.
Fantastic job on the hammer. You truly are a craftsman and a force to be reckoned with. You absolutely must start including more of the items in your house before you move. The wealth of information and knowledge to be gleaned from your collections would truly be a tragic waste. There is a whole community out here chomping at the bit to see more of the ScoutCrafter world. Thank you! Jim
Great job on the hammer, but I must say I throughly enjoyed those catalogs! I used to spend many hours looking through catalogs like that even though they were much smaller. BTW t have the exact “Hook and Ladder” pedal fire truck in that catalog hanging in my garage this very moment. I have had it since I was 2 years old in 1960! That was cools seeing that in your video. I’m also glad you called this video MIRACLE Monday! 😀
I'm living apartment but your work area quite good...Only problem is sound... and I'm night bird...Simplex jack is very interesting,sir...Law books thicker than this...😃
Hi John I work on bench vises and vintage tools. I would like to have a press to straighten out vise handles or a vintage tool. Do you think I can get away with buying the HB 6 ton press?
W0W that catalog (the big one) is way cool. I could spend hours looking through it. Great restoration of the hammer, very classic look. Thanks for sharing.
Great video as always Scoutcrafter, like you I could, well, I do, spend hours looking through catalogues, over here in the UK Buck and Hickman are good ones 👍🇺🇸🇬🇧
I enjoyed the restoration of the disaster hammer. I can just picturn the challenge calling out to you. I had a huge collection of manufacturers tool catalogs dating back to the 1940's and it was fun to browse through them. Unfortunately the flood in 2010 put 6 feet of water in my office and warehouse and destroyed the collection.
From the sea? John you make me laugh. Everyone knows how wet and rainy it is in the UK. That pitting really isn't that bad for over here. I've got at least half a dozen restoration jobs on my to do list that are worse than that. I'll pop a few of the worst ones on my Instagram to show you just how bad tools can get over here.
Great video as usual John. As a fellow ham radio operator I'll bet you remember the Burstein-Applebee, Allied Radio and Lafayette Radio catalogs of the 60's. I used to spend hours looking through those things! Happy Thanksgiving, 73, Bill.
Wow! I never heard of Belknap. I've always been impressed with McMaster Carr... They have a tremendous stock for industrial but do not include toys... Very nice.
S.C. another fantastic video as always.. What kind of hammer was that? Turned out beautiful.. And where do u find catalogs like that.. Over 4000 pgs.. Can u imagine buying out that company and their stock? List all the items separately on eBay.. lol. S.C. thx for taking us along..
Wow that Belknap is impressive!! Great transformation on the hammer! I've got one of those new gasmeters, the first one broke and if that happens they're "guessing" how much you've used in gas. That must have cost me a couple of hundred at least. Rather write it down old school. Hope you'll have a great week!!
I have to thank you for turning me on to Miller's falls. I was of course familiar with the brand, but I did not know they were the predecessor to both Pratt and Rand. I had always thought of Millers falls as being on a par with Stanley. Oh boy was I wrong! That was the case much later, but they really were incredibly good quality. I collect levels, just treated myself to a 24-in cast iron Miller's falls level. I have quite a few decorative iron levels, they are all quite similar. The Millers falls one is completely different though, very art deco. It was a series of circles, very much similar to a camelback straight edge. I have been handling this all day, it is the most lovely casting, oddly it is much finer than a Goodell Pratt
Grandma's House had some meters in the basement but I remember wires running from them to an external display they could read from the outside.........Lot of "Patina" came off that hammer head, would have been a good one to check the before and after weight on.
If you’re paying by the pound $40 for that Belknap catalog is really that bad. My problem with old tool and hardware catalogs is I’d spend too much time perusing through them and not getting anything done. Nicely done on the hammer Sir.
I dislike the fact that RU-vid has discontinued the Dislike button. It was always a good way of recognising bullshit videos. And it let the producers of said video know they were producing crap.
John I have a large collection of hammers myself. But I have never done the restroation on any of them. After watching this...... I may have to give it a shot. Thank you for sharing those catalogs with us !!!! WOW !!! Another favorite of mine as well.
The hammer looks great Scoutcrafter! That Belknap catalog is incredible. I had no idea that was such a big outfit. The politicians that sent all our manufacturing overseas should be prosecuted. Makes me mad every time I think about it. Take care.
I really enjoyed the video today but can’t figure out how you know I have an uncle named Bob and from Louisville 😆 I like poking around in old hardware stores and we still have a couple 👍🏻
Leave it to John to take a Sow's ear and and turn it into a silk purse. Great catalog, I remember the Sears and Eatons catalogs when I was a kid. All the cool stuff to hint to my parents at Christmas time. As I got towards my teen years, I liked those catalogs for "other" reasons. Ones that usually came in pairs.
That hammer looks great. The new handle fits the style well. Old catalogs are great. What’s not great is this country’s willingness to essentially wipe out all of American companies that made and offered such fine quality merchandise. Greed played a significant part in that. America’s industrial days are gone forever. .
That hammer restaurations are great work. Thanks. And-yes-you are right saying there is no need for a big workshop. My shop is a small one and I do have fun enough in this room.
That hammer went from real crap to a china bowl of ice cream. A great save and a very nice restoration. I have a hardware catalog from the early 60s. I know there’s fishing gear in it. I also love to look through them. Sometimes I even identify a tool that has boggled my brain. Thanks for sharing and have great thanksgiving.
I understand you don’t need a big shop ( mine is a 12 x 10 shed ) but I can see the advantages to a big shop 😂. Great job on the hammer and I agree that is one big catalog with a lot of information! Thank You for sharing
That was my hammer I used as a coal miner in1812 the bottom was chipped by me so I could Identify my hammer. I loaded 15 tons of number 9 coal and the straw boss said well bless my soul.
They don't make can openers to last anymore I remember my grandma had the same one my whole childhood. Now my wife and I seem to break them every couple of months. The best can opener in my house is either my Leatherman or victornox Swiss army knife.
Also, how did they go about making those catalogs? Did someone have to type up all that information? Hard to imagine doing that today on a laptop, even harder to imagine that back then
That hammer looks a little like the one that Yukon Cornelius used in Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. He would lick the tip after using it to look for silver and gold and mutter "nothing".
When i stopped receiving the craftsman tool catalog from sears it was the end of and era and i didn't even knew , now all the sears stores have closed around here
Excellent restoration of the hammer, which looks like a masonry hammer to me. The Belknap catalog is unbelievable. If it isn't in that catalog, it doesn't exist. The only book larger than the catalog I can remember is a 1948 edition of the Oxford English Language dictionary in my school library. Why do you have two gas meters and two electric meters? Did your house have an apartment at one time? I have one meter each for electric and gas.
