Just got some new toys...er...tools. EBAY is a dangerous place.

Here's the metal box they arrived in. (Note how its "beautiful" patena pairs well with the "seasoned" feel of my workbench.) Let's open the box and see what's inside!

Jeeeeezum! Look at all those shiny sockets (functional art - the best kind) 

You know, there are times when nothing works and every 20-minute job turns into a three-day ordeal. In times like that, the best thing to do is take a deep breath, crack a beer, have a seat and pick up one of these gorgeous old peices and ponder the intrinsic beauty of a fine crafted tool.

Ah...31/32nds...I'm sure I'll use this one every day.

In all seriousness, these sockets date from the early 20th century and were made in Worcester, Ma by Walden Worcester, now a forgetten name but, in its day, a pioneer of specialty autmotive tools. 

As a VW nerd, I always cringe when I hear that oft said phrase... "Oh, you're gonna need a special tool for that job..." Turns out the special tool hardships are as old as automotive history itself - maybe older - as Worcester Walden made a whole set of "special tools" for working on the Ford Model T, which I guess is kinda like America's Beetle. 

Anyway, illustrated in the photo below is a Walden Worcester socket atop a a bow-tie wrench of the same manufactor. 

Have fun and keep tinkering!