Bonney Tools - Company History & Lore

This video chronicles the history of Bonney Tools, from their start as C.S. Bonney & Son in Philadelphia, to their move to Allentown, eventual buyouts, and untimely demise.

We'll also take a look at Gray-Bonney tools, a joint-venture formed with Gray Tools in Canada.
As well as Bonney Forge, a company created during one of the mergers & dissolutions, that still survives today.

Then we'll find out who really invented "off corner engagement" 12-point sockets and wrenches.
Spoiler alert: it wasn't Snap-On's Flank Drive.

Moar Bonney History:
http://alloy-artifacts.org/bonney-forge-tool.html
https://www.google.com/books/edition/History_of_Lehigh_County_Pennsylvania_an/4XsrAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=bonney+vise+%26+tool+works&pg=PA1045&printsec=frontcover

Bonney Forge History:
https://bonneyforge.com/about/history.php

Old Bonney Catalogs:
https://archive.org/search?query=bonney+tools&and%5B%5D=mediatype%3A%22texts%22

Outside Factory pictures 1963
https://archive.org/details/bonney-tool-catalog-no-63-1963/page/n1/mode/2up

Inside factory pictures 1957:
https://archive.org/details/bonney-tools-catalog-57-s-1957/page/n3/mode/2up

1898 Vise Ad & early factory addresses:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Iron_Age/reI-AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=bonney+vise+%26+tool+works&pg=RA22-PA42&printsec=frontcover

1898 Gipsy Vise Ad:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Chicago_Journal_of_Commerce_and_Metal_In/FoVRAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=bonney+vise+%26+tool+works&pg=RA3-PA11&printsec=frontcover

1899 Champion Vise Ad:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Metal_Worker/XIlCAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=bonney+vise+%26+tool+works&pg=RA26-PA43&printsec=frontcover

Joseph Durham Biographies:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Historic_Homes_and_Institutions_and_Gene/b88wAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=joseph+durham+allentown&pg=PA289&printsec=frontcover
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Encyclopedia_of_Pennsylvania_Biography/PWHQ8QPD0fYC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=bonney+vise+%26+tool+works&pg=PA1659&printsec=frontcover

Masterpiece ad 1914:
https://archive.org/details/BonneyCatalog181914/page/n9/mode/2up

Hercules Socket Set:
https://archive.org/details/bonney-wrenches-no-630/page/n9/mode/2up

1921 Company Name Change:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Associated_Automotive_Journal_and_Garage/K5NCAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=bonney+vise+%26+tool+works&pg=RA2-PA16&printsec=frontcover

Gulf & Western Buys Miller:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Investigation_of_Conglomerate_Corporatio/rzbZv00Z_AYC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=miller+manufacturing+company&pg=PA372&printsec=frontcover

Kelsey-Hayes Loc-Rite Patent:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US3125910A

Snap-On Flank Drive Patent:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US3273430A

1963 Loc-Rite Ad:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/American_Aviation/7dUMAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=loc-rite&pg=RA13-PA177&printsec=frontcover

Snap-On Flank Drive (page 40):
https://archive.org/details/snap-on-tools-mar-1980/page/40/mode/2up

Bonney Trademark Transfers:
https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=71476003&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch

Old PA Map:
https://media.davidrumsey.com/MediaManager/srvr?mediafile=/Size4/RUMSEY~8~1/171/11483002.jpg

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:22 Early Years
01:37 Odd Early Products
02:17 Chrome Vanadium & Zenel
03:06 Gray-Bonney Canada
04:06 Miller Acquisition
04:53 Gulf & Western Acquisition
05:36 Kelsey Hayes Acquisition
06:11 Loc-Rite v Flank Drive
07:52 Triangle & Cooper
08:19 Snap-On?
08:45 Outro