What is your oldest tool that you use frequently? Bonus points for a cool backstory.

The oldest tool on my main workbench is my vise. It is a Craftsman branded model 5184 which is a rebranded Reed 203R. The date stamp tells me that it was manufactured in June of 1944. A worker in Erie, PA set that date stamp a few days before or a few days after Allied forces stormed Normandy.

Unfortunately, I don’t know the history of this vise, but is has help up extremely well. There are some signs of hammering, sawing or grinding on the tops of the jaws, but the slide is in near perfect condition. It still has most of the original blue paint, with some platters of paint dripped off of some project long ago.



My oldest bike specific tool is my Park 3 sided SW2 spoke wrench. I am the original owner. If I had to estimate, I purchased it around 1985 to care for my abused BMX wheels. No great stories; I wished I used it more, but most of my current wheel sets use the smaller SW0 key.



So what is your oldest tool?