Tool check tag

Richie
Richie Senior Contributor
edited December 2013 in HUDSON
This is really cool. A friend sent me a Christmas card and in it was a triangle shaped metal tag, like a dog license tag would be a good comparison. One side it is stamped TOOL CHECK and below that is a stamped number 16104, and below that in small letters it says Hudson Motor Car Co. On the other side it says "penalty for loss twenty five cents".
I had never seen one of these. Richie.
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Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I think Ken Poynter had a bunch of those at one time.
  • cpr3333
    cpr3333 Expert Adviser
    When my dad gave me 'my' Hudson (I still consider it his car), the keys came with one of those. on it.

    He didn't remember exactly where he got it but he thought it might have been a 25th (20th maybe?) HET membership commemoration.

    Does that ring a bell with anyone?
  • ESSX28-1
    ESSX28-1 Senior Contributor
    They've got as far as New Zealand but are tricky to get in a good photo. Four bucks on eBay 3 or 4 years ago>
  • faustmb
    faustmb Senior Contributor
    Those are cool, I want 1
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    edited December 2013
    At one time, in the beginning of recognizing multi-year memberships, these tool checks were given out as 20 year membership tokens. I still have mine. It's a nice keepsake.
    Mine is on a key fob, with my spare car keys, that features the Coast Guard emblem. One of the boys that worked for me gave it to me back in the early 1970's - his dad made a bunch of them. The Coast Guard emblem is pretty well worn down now so I don't carry it with me as often as I used to.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • Richie
    Richie Senior Contributor
    edited December 2013
    Great pics, that is the same as the one I have except for the #. So now I know the history, nice. Richie.
  • Uncle Josh
    Uncle Josh Senior Contributor
    edited December 2013
    These tags were used by the tool-makers to reserve a machine he needed to do a job on. Such as a particular lathe, milling machine, grinder, shaper etc. They were usually kept on a snap-ring in your tool box. We had 10 of them. I still have all of mine. If you found one on a machine you wanted to use, you either moved on, or found the owner and negotiated for machine use.

    We made these during the first few days of our toolmaker apprenticeship. (After you finished the first project of hand filing a 1 1/8 rough cast iron cube to 1 inch, flat and square within .001 (one thousandths of an inch) only using a vice, flat file, square and micrometer. Took me 3 days. One poor guy took 3 weeks and his block wound up 1/2 x 3/4 x 1)

    The large number is your employee serial number. Sorry I had to crop it as I still use the number on company websites. The small number was assigned by the apprentice course and is engraved on all my tools.

    The Hudson ones above, must have been from retired employees.

    How many thousandths in an inch? As one guy said, 'Millions of em'


  • oldhudsons
    oldhudsons Senior Contributor
    had a couple of them laying around for decades; took them to San Mateo & gave them to friends
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    edited December 2013
    I had forgotten, until I came across it the other evening, that in addition to the tool check that was given out for 20 year memberships there was also a very nice little certificate suitable for framing.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • jjbubaboy
    jjbubaboy Senior Contributor
    Those are pretty cool! Wouldnt mind gettin one myself.
    Jeff
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    Jeff, drop me an email @ NEChudsontech09@yahoo.com (Drop the NEC)

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • jjbubaboy
    jjbubaboy Senior Contributor
    Will do!

    Jeff
  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    I bought one of them. Will make a nice key chain for the convertible, I'm thinking.
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    Glad you scored one of them Russell - from the one I looked at they appear to be in reasonably good condition. Maybe just a good cleaning. You're right - will make a good key chain ornament.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
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