As a reminder for those who are already familiar, or for those who aren’t, here is what they look like:
One tiny problem with the Bonney 585 series – the tiniest, in fact, has been that nobody has ever seen let alone had the 3/8 x 7/16 wrench. Those collectors who do own the rest of the set usually substitute a Bonney alloy steel “723”. That little critter has been so rare, we didn’t actually know if they existed or not (shades of Arcturus), and of course, without being seen, nobody even knew what the correct model number suffix was!
Well, I am happy to report that these questions have now been…. ANSWERED!
The date code on this example is K:T (November 1942).
And, when you have finished putting your eyes back in your head, note that my estimate was wrong.
Bonney must have not made one of the smaller wrenches, which put the ISN 723 at 585-4 instead of 585-5 as I had figured.
If you’re still with me, you may have noticed that the other Bonney wrench, an ISN 723A (3/8 x 1/2), with an oxide finish, has its Federal Standard Stock Catalog number (41-W-991-50) stamped in its shank, with a “Z” prefix. My guess is that this is a contract wrench, and the “Z” (like the Navy’s “R” prefix) is the agency. But the most interesting aspect of this wrench is the forged-in BONALOY marking on the flip side. Bonney did not start making BONALOY DOE wrenches until after the war. So the date code on this wrench, EDIT: E:O, is most likely EDIT: May 1951. (<- Thanks to sharp-eyed Mr. X for clearing this up.)
* I don’t own these wrenches. A 1930’s tool collector, and not a G503.com guy, known mainly in P&C and Thorsen circles on other tool forums (Garage Gazette, Jalopy Journal, etc) saw my “585” posts here and elsewhere in an internet search and he kindly contacted me.
