Tools of the Past Ep 01: Belzer

In a new segment, Tools of the Past, we take a look at defunct German Tool brands of the past. Today we look at some Belzer Tools made in the 60s/70s time frame. Belzer tools were known for their high vanadium content and used the "Vanadium-Extra" trademark on most of their tools.
We take a look at some of the Belzer tools I have and rebuild a 3/8" ratchet.
Links:
Cronenberg Tool Maker History: stadtgeschichte...
Cronenberger Weekly Article on Belzer Tool Factory: www.cronenberge...
Simple Green Aircraft Cleaner (for sonic cleaning): amzn.to/2lDdMYP

[@Victor-gn9eh]

I recently bought a tool cart from Belzer. I paid 40 euros. Now using it to store my old tools. Love it

[@howardpayne4128]

great German, I enjoyed working with Belzer tools the most comfortable and best spanners I ever worked with.

[@Die_Apeschrauber]

Belzer is quite famous in germany, great tools that last forever. Another interesting brand for this series would be " VBW Waggon"(Vereinigte Beckersche Werkzeugfabriken) Tools. They are now Part of the Stahlwille Group and still producing pliers today but they used to be a great brand for all kinds of tools back in the day.

[@GermanToolReviews]

Yeah I have heard of the old time VBW water pump pliers that are highly regarded. I do have some VBW hex keys. A lot of people think that Belzer had some of the best quality steel in their wrenches. May be some day I can take some to a lab and get tested along side some modern equivalents.

[@OjStudios]

Nice little resto and always glad to see some older quality tools. This TotP thing is great addition to your videos.

[@smsking2]

Bought a Belzer screwdriver around the year 2000 when I was an apprentice. We used them at work and I was so impressed by them, that I bought one for myself. It's still my go to philips, and now of course has some sentimental value attached as well.

[@GermanToolReviews]

Awesome, that would have been around the time that they were bought by Snap-on. I think new ones are only available in the south American market now.

[@sonofedmund5004]

I've got a Belzer Phillips screwdriver with a red resin handle picked it up for £1 at a flea market. Best screwdriver I've ever owned, period.

[@chriscas-ToolAficionado]

Entertaining video, especially the first segment. I love seeing old advertisements so, thanks for showing that. I know that at Knipex's own tool museum, they have a few items that once belonged to Belzer, like large neon signs. I don't think the Belzer factory lasted very long after Snap-on took over Sandvik-Belzer.

[@GermanToolReviews]

I think I saw an article that Knipex was going to take over one of the old Belzer buildings, not sure if it ever happened. Need to go see the Knipex musem, that would be awesome.

[@paulbrimble8204]

I like your generous attitude towards German things and the language. It's important to remember that there was, and is, a Germany before and after that horrible period of history.

[@sonorex]

Belzer tools are indestructible. They are designed and manufactured so well to meet the user's demand they still make high prices on German 2nd hand market sources after all the years. Belzer occasionaly may have bought from Swiss suppliers but mostly produced itself. The Belzer "back catalogue" of tools has been purchased by Swedish company Bahco and is being proceeded with even the old model numbers. However I don't know of their quality nowadays. If you see "Vanadium-Extra" on some old stuff, give it a closer look - it may be a precious Belzer tool. Dovidat - you find this spelling in the book of Hinrich Heyken and the channel says it, too - is actually written Dowidat, which also is a common toolmakers' name in Germany and may be of Czech origin (Czech also have a great toolmaking history!). They later renamed as Gedore which is abbreviating for GEbrüder DOwidat REmscheid (Dowidat Bros. Remscheid). Nowadays, Gedore also produce outside Germany so double-check the manufacturing specs if you look out for German toolmaking tradition.

[@Hawk74]

You're doing great. All of your reviews, tear downs, and refurb videos are top notch. I love the subject matter and your attention to the details - weight, feel, hrc, material, cost, etc. Keep going. I'm in the KC metro and I can't wait to hit KC Tool up and it's your videos that have drawn me to them, now they just need to drop the banker hours, 9-5 M-F...

[@GermanToolReviews]

Thanks for the kind words! Yeah if I'm ever in the KC area it would be cool to visit the KC Tool brick and mortar location. I've been all over the country/world for work but I've never been out to the midwest.

[@andreadejesuscruzportela1031]

Just fouund one of those at a scrapyard, its missing the pin but I have a pin from a DeWalt, very nice to have this video available, greetings from Sonora Mexico

[@JohnRmk1]

Hello. Do you mind if i ask which dewalt ratchet you used the pin from? I also have a Belzer 7750 with a missing pin. Kind regards, John

[@billweimers7645]

Great video as always. You really need to get back to making videos again.

[@TheMickvee]

I have a set of Belzer spanners, and I think they are nicer than my Stahlwille spanners. Super quality!

[@integritymotorcar2334]

Great job as usual!

[@UCpMA19LPZI]

Ah Belzer - I have got some Belzer Streamline Wrenches. By far my favourite looking Tools, they are just so sexy haha (and still are in perfectly fine working condition, despite the age)

[@GermanToolReviews]

Yeah they do have a nice design. Do you happen to know if there is a difference between the streamline and super block wrench versions?

[@UCpMA19LPZI]

To me the difference simply seems to be that the Streamline are always open ended on both sides and the Blocks have one or both ends closed. At least I couldn't find pictures to prove that wrong....

[@chriscas-ToolAficionado]

That's my understanding as well. The Superblocks are shallow offset combination wrenches. They resembly closely to Williams combination wrenches from a similar period in time. The current Gedore 1b wrenches seem to pay homage to this design.

[@jcrt1]

There was a Belzer distributor in downtown Hollywood c. 1979. I still have my 600 gr cross peen hammer and Metric Hex Key Set.

[@davidweston9115]

I heard that some of the Bahco stuff is/was made with old tooling from old Belzer stuff. This may have been the last Bahco made in Europe I don;t know

[@harveysmith100]

Nice tools. Always worth stripping them down and giving them a good clean. I once got a Kamasa ratchet for nothing, it slipped all the time, after a good clean it worked perfectly and still does. I grease my ratchets just because I have followed others, why do you say not to? Good video as usual, excellent historical work,

[@GermanToolReviews]

I've heard that grease will pick up dirt and debris if you don't have a sealed ratchet. There are some ratchets that actually have an O-ring seal on them where grease would be appropriate. Once you start getting debris in there, it could cause the teeth to bind depending on the clearances. I suppose it would depend on how often it is used and how often it is cleaned to really matter.

[@harveysmith100]

Thank you, that makes sense

[@chriscas-ToolAficionado]

Personally, if I'm using grease, I only use it sparingly and only onto the contact points where the pawl meets the gear. I think the problems arise from people not knowingly pasting the internals with grease, causing skipping, stuck in one direction, and other problems. I prefer to use just light oils, like 3-in-1 oil that GTR uses.

[@gokturk232]

Great video and i like the history info very much. Thanks

[@davidweston9115]

The adapter might be a 9/32's adapter. There were 9/32 drive sockets in the old days.

[@jusb1066]

the ratchet is very similar indeed to the elora design

[@udowillkomm1173]

I have a fair amount of Belzer tools. Not even one failed on me. Some of them, i have since the late 60s to early 70s. I would group the with other brands like Hazet, Stahlwille, Gedore, Dowidat from that time. Top notch quality. But i only use my tools as a hammer, if they look like a hammer :-)

[@GermanToolReviews]

Love the Belzer tools. They are getting harder to find though it seems.

[@paulbrimble8204]

What do you think about people who use ratchets to loosen bolts? It's interesting for me, for me expensive ratchets are a time saving device to speed up the removal/tightening of fasteners...after they have been intially loosened, or up to be point they need to be tightened. Thoughts?

[@flamingjoey]

3 in 1 is better than nothing, but its so thin you're gonna have to put more in all the time, atf works good too, but is also super thin. I would recommend superlube, you can buy it at HF and it works good for brakes, dielectric or anything that needs a light grease.

[@GermanToolReviews]

I don't know if I mentioned it in the video but there is a small port at the top of the rachet for adding oil. Yeah I will probably look at other lube if I have any issues.

[@JUSTINSTURGILLTRUCKING]

The rust marks on the side of the ratchet like that I think it's from Laying in the toolbox because the one that I restore they all have that they're the ones I've been looking at eBay they all got that two thing I could think of

[@GermanToolReviews]

Yeah I suppose that would be possible, didn't think about that.

[@flamingjoey]

The wear on the sides is from using the ratchet in tight places and it rubs the metal as it ratchets. I have a ratchet I bought new a couple years ago with the same wear. I've never heard of Belzer but that is a beautiful ratchet you've got there, it's pretty similar to the older snap on ones

[@felicianorivera2797]

keep up the good work

[@borisvd]

Can someone please help me find the "1967 add flyer" he is talking about in the video @ 3:10 ?

[@menthol-bonbon1726]

I got a box of old Belzer wrenches off of Ebay (polished chrome finish) and they're the most beautiful tools I have! They just don't mak 'em like they used to :-/

[@vlatkotasev6491]

Thanks for the entertaining videos, i like that oil tube you used for lubricating the ratchet. Can you tell me where can i buy it?

[@dziurrr9939]

i live in europe and most commonly used sockets that you use are 13 10 8

[@devinsmith4151]

Nice, never even heard of this brand. You might be able to wash the smaller old tools with a miniture ultrasonic cleaning machine.

[@GermanToolReviews]

Yeah I put everything through an ultrasonic cleaner, including the small ratchet parts. I have a 15L version so I'm not sure if a smaller capacity one would turn out any different.

[@ccmogs5757]

Belzer were a top brand , i think bought out by Bahco in "88.........own a nice set of their metric "Lilliputs" O/E mini"s :]

[@MrDakkyz]

Dont 'Bahco' Advertise Chromium Extra for there tools? certain ones like sockets/impacts and stuff. Same thing as this?

[@wearsjorge55]

You put the main piece in backwards then change it back? Not being a dick, just thought it was funny

[@andreadejesuscruzportela1031]

Being a dick as consecuence of paying attention

[@Precivilization]

Nice video, thanks for sharing. Are you by any chance on "Tools From the Old World" thread on GJ?

[@GermanToolReviews]

I've read a couple of pages on that thread, but I'm not an active member of that forum.

[@chriscas-ToolAficionado]

I was actually thinking of embedding this video on that thread as I know there are Belzer tools fans there, including myself.

[@GermanToolReviews]

Sure go right ahead and embed it wherever you want.

[@chriscas-ToolAficionado]

Just did: www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6321810&posted=1#post6321810

[@TheKoenNL]

Do you know anymore information about Saltus? I have got a socket set from them and some swivel head wrenches from the west-germany era.

[@GermanToolReviews]

Can't say that i have ever seen a Saltus tool. A lot of stuff made in the 1970s and 80s was rebranded so it was probably made by one of the big guys like Hazet, Gedore, Dowidat or Heyco.

[@astorkutya5870]

What a pity that not even a Wikipedia page exists about Belzer or Dowidat.

[@borisvd]

Make an episode on RAHSOL please.

[@johnnyasus86]

Model A fords are made from vanadium

[@hassanothman5932]

My company used to distribute Belzer tools mainly for aircraft industries in1985. We still have a big collection of tools, unused and in mint condition. For anyone interested, we can provide the inventory list. [e-mail]

[@VictorIndiaDeltaAlfa]

Do you have any socket sets with ratchets similar to the one on the video (all metal, not with plastic handle)?

[@davidweston9115]

It is so sad that Europe is being filled with homeless refugees. I guess it will be like NYC in 1970s when the US president told the City of New York to drop dead on the front page of the newspaper. There will be nothing left.