Newbie Post & My Sargent Collection

[Tim Brosnan]

Hi All - I'm a new member here at the Creek and for my first post I thought I'd jump in with some photos of my budding Sargent Tool Collection. Although probably 90% of the projects I do involve powered tools, I have a love and fascination of old tools and have been collecting Sargents for awhile now. Active in the late 19th century and early-to-mid 20th century, Sargent was based in New Haven, CT and made some excellent tools for industry and serious hobbyists and craftsmen.

It all started when I inherited a Sargent Tool Chest (Chest #1 from 1910) that had about half of the tools intact. Over the past few years, with the help of detailed reprints of their 1894, 1910, and 1922 catalogs and some online research, I started filling in the "gaps" in the collection to make a complete set as advertised. With just a few more pieces to go I'm almost there!


For those of you who are fans of old hand tools these are wonderfully made things. Rosewood handles, brass fittings, and very fine craftsmanship. The catalog I acquired advertised my full set (the cabinet and 28 selected tools) for $20.00. The oak cabinet without the tools would set you back $8.50.


I've posted some photos at the Tested.com site here:


Tim Brosnan
Metuchen, NJ

[Maurice Ungaro]

Tim,
Welcome to The Creek! What a fantastic start to the hand tool slippery slope! I'd be collecting Sargents if I was gifted that box too! I think you'll find it a good community here, and if you have any questions regarding tools and their use, don't hesitate to ask.

[Stew Denton]

Hi Tim,

As Maurice said, Welcome! I enjoyed looking at the tool chest. It made me think how blessed we are now in this country, as I would guess that in it's day that would have been a very nice set of tools.

I did have a question, however. What is the tool that is to the left of the brace and spokeshave? Is it a saw set? I really have no idea what it is.

Again, thanks for posting the link to the photos.

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[Alfred Kraemer]

Tim,

Thanks for sharing the pics. Are the tools small but real-size tools, or are they smaller sized e.g. for kids.
The sliding bevel looks smaller than any that I have seen.
I hadn't looked for Sargent tools until last year an oddly shaped but very effective all steel plane caught my attention. It handles far better than the Stanley all steel block plane.
Didn't Sargent also produce for hard ware chains?


Alfred

[Jim Koepke]

Howdy Tim and welcome to the Creek. Your profile doesn't list your location. If you are in the Portland, Oregon area there are a few used tool dealers who might have some of the items you are seeking.

What is the tool that is to the left of the brace and spokeshave?

That looks like some kind of nipper. Not sure what it is. The 1911 catalog picture shows an oiler in that spot:

Sargent VBM Tool Cabinet.jpg

This catalog came as a .pdf from Rose Tool.

jtk

[don wilwol]

Hi All - I'm a new member here at the Creek and for my first post I thought I'd jump in with some photos of my budding Sargent Tool Collection. Although probably 90% of the projects I do involve powered tools, I have a love and fascination of old tools and have been collecting Sargents for awhile now. Active in the late 19th century and early-to-mid 20th century, Sargent was based in New Haven, CT and made some excellent tools for industry and serious hobbyists and craftsmen.

It all started when I inherited a Sargent Tool Chest (Chest #1 from 1910) that had about half of the tools intact. Over the past few years, with the help of detailed reprints of their 1894, 1910, and 1922 catalogs and some online research, I started filling in the "gaps" in the collection to make a complete set as advertised. With just a few more pieces to go I'm almost there!


For those of you who are fans of old hand tools these are wonderfully made things. Rosewood handles, brass fittings, and very fine craftsmanship. The catalog I acquired advertised my full set (the cabinet and 28 selected tools) for $20.00. The oak cabinet without the tools would set you back $8.50.


I've posted some photos at the Tested.com site here:


Tim Brosnan
Metuchen, NJ

Hi Tim
I'm a bit of a Sargent collector myself, but I focus mainly on hand planes, although if it says Sargent at a flea market or antique shop and I can negotiate a good deal, it comes home with me. Here's my site

[Chris Hachet]

Welcome to the creek!

[Tim Brosnan]

Hi Stew - That's a wire nipper. That became a big business specialty for Sargent in later years. I think I picked it up on eBay for $5.00 a couple of years ago.

Hi Tim,

As Maurice said, Welcome! I enjoyed looking at the tool chest. It made me think how blessed we are now in this country, as I would guess that in it's day that would have been a very nice set of tools.

I did have a question, however. What is the tool that is to the left of the brace and spokeshave? Is it a saw set? I really have no idea what it is.

Again, thanks for posting the link to the photos.

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[Tim Brosnan]

Thanks for all the words of welcome. I didn't realize links to outside forums wasn't permitted so that has been deleted by the moderator. I've posted a couple more here although the rest won't seem to load. Enjoy....
s1a.jpgs2a.jpg

Hi All - I'm a new member here at the Creek and for my first post I thought I'd jump in with some photos of my budding Sargent Tool Collection. Although probably 90% of the projects I do involve powered tools, I have a love and fascination of old tools and have been collecting Sargents for awhile now. Active in the late 19th century and early-to-mid 20th century, Sargent was based in New Haven, CT and made some excellent tools for industry and serious hobbyists and craftsmen.

It all started when I inherited a Sargent Tool Chest (Chest #1 from 1910) that had about half of the tools intact. Over the past few years, with the help of detailed reprints of their 1894, 1910, and 1922 catalogs and some online research, I started filling in the "gaps" in the collection to make a complete set as advertised. With just a few more pieces to go I'm almost there!


For those of you who are fans of old hand tools these are wonderfully made things. Rosewood handles, brass fittings, and very fine craftsmanship. The catalog I acquired advertised my full set (the cabinet and 28 selected tools) for $20.00. The oak cabinet without the tools would set you back $8.50.


I've posted some photos at the Tested.com site here:


Tim Brosnan
Metuchen, NJ

[Stew Denton]

Tim,

I enjoyed looking at the tool set again, but it got me to thinking about the set again, as to what the intended use and advertised purpose of the tool set would have been.

Do you know from your study of the catalogs, etc., whether this was a set intended as a farmers woodworking tool set, was it a gentleman hobby tool set, would it have been intended as a homeowners home set for repairs and maintenance around the house, or perhaps some other purpose?

The tool set looks like it was intended to be used for a multitude of general woodworking tasks rather than for being an in depth set for any sort of specific task. A really good craftsman could repair and make a lot of things using only the tools in that set, and at the same time it also has tools that would seem suited for a number of tasks such as the pliers, and some things wouldn't seem especially targeted at woodworkers, such as the wire nippers.

Clearly, the tools are in great shape, and with the tool chest, it makes a really neat tool collection. Since the tools are in such nice shape, to you still use the tools from the chest every now and then?

I guess my curiosity has the best of me.

Stew

[Jim Koepke]

I enjoyed looking at the tool set again, but it got me to thinking about the set again, as to what the intended use and advertised purpose of the tool set would have been.

I guess my curiosity has the best of me.

Stew

Stew,

This is the wording from the 1911 catalog for the No. 1 tool set:

The twenty-eight Tools, which are furnished with the Cabinet, are of a hight grade and warranted. The Tools have been selected with great care in order to insure a comprehensive set.

The write up for the No. 2 tool set is a touch longer:

The thirty-eight Tools in this Cabinet are equal to any on the market in quality. The fact that the Cabinet is Sargent V-B-M speaks for itself. The selection includes every tool that would be required in an ordinary way by a carpenter or amateur. This Cabinet in design and finish is not only a receptacle for the Tools but is an attractive piece of furniture. The fixtures for holding the Tools are of brass. The lock has a brass bolt.

I imagine they were happy to sell them to anyone of any trade that felt these tools would be a good set to have whether it be the son of a farmer or the building maintenance person working in a bank.

jtk

[Stew Denton]

Jim,

Thanks for the information, as I was really wondering who the target marketing group was.

Based on the number of tools that can be seen, and Tim's statement that this is a #1 set, there must have been some small tools in the small drawer, based on the number of tools that you list as being in the #1 set. There clearly are a very small number of tools missing, as Tim mentioned, because of the empty tool holders in the chest, that he is still trying to track down. Still, the number of missing large tools, based on the number of empty holders left, is such that there almost had to have been a few small tools in the drawer.


I do think your are right as to the target group, based on the description, it looks like this must have been a general purpose set aimed at anyone that would be interested in buying it.

Tim, again I think it must be pretty neat to have a set like you have there. I would be temped to mount it on my shop wall, if I had a shop, and use them whenever I needed one. Since you inherited them, knowing a little about the family history makes them all the better.

Stew

[Tim Brosnan]

Based on the catalog excerpts and the provenance below, I think this set was more likely used by the gentleman hobbyist. I'm still missing a few tools (including the oiler that goes in the upper left) and I've been on the lookout for a small wooden folding rule that I have yet to see listed anywhere yet.
The inheritance matter unfortunately isn't a direct line. I inherited them from my uncle. He was a doorman at a small but very high-end apartment building in NYC. One of the tenants' husband's had passed and his widow gave my uncle the tool set when she was cleaning out the apartment. They sat in a closet in my uncle's apartment for about 10 years and when he passed, my mom gave them to me. That's the end of that trail.
I've added perhaps 6 or 7 items over the years and still keep an eye out for others when I can. Interestingly, the drawer at the bottom of the left side was empty except for an old paper bag containing 8 or 8 old padlocks and assorted keys. I don't know much about padlocks but these look to be late 19th / early 20th century. A mystery for some rainy day for sure.

[Jim Koepke]

I've been on the lookout for a small wooden folding rule that I have yet to see listed anywhere yet.

Will send a PM about one for sale.

jtk

[Tim Brosnan]

Jim - Thanks for the lead. I bought it this morning! It should be here by Friday and I'm like a kid at Christmas with this kind of thing