Vintage 1935 Cabinet of NOS Bolts - Lamson & Sessions. Any Suggestions?
 

I have something that might be an interesting thing to list somewhere for sale - maybe on Bring a Trailer? In case anyone has any ideas or connections.

This metal sales cabinet of Lamson and Sessions bolts was in my grandfather's workshop for over half a century. He was born in 1905 and passed in 1991. He was a classic handyman. (I do have his 1971 Lincoln Continental) This is his untouched, original, Lamson and Sessions box of nuts and bolts that would have been used for stock at a hardware or auto repair shop in 1935. My grandfather may have used some of these nuts and bolts over the decades but it appears that almost all the boxes are intact and have their full number of nuts and bolts inside. The fully loaded cabinet weighs 83 pounds as it sits, with all its contents.

FYI: During World War II, Lamson and Sessions was one of the largest single manufacturer of nuts and bolts in the United States. During the war, all of its output went to military supply for the war effort.

Whether this is sold to a vintage automotive tool collector as a collectible in and of itself, or for someone who is restoring a 1930's vintage vehicle like a Duesenberg or a even a WWII military vehicle and needs original New Old Stock, date-correct hardware, this would be the thing to have. All the boxes are dated as 1935 and the contents are all in pristine original condition.

Here's some photos. (similar Parkerized finished cat included for scale)

Who knows, maybe Jay Leno wants it for use in his Duesenberg restoration shop? Anyone got his contact info?

Steve

Wow. I have no ideas on marketing, but you are probably correct; it would likely be most desirable to someone who restores 30s and 40s autos or aircraft. Looks like the company is still in business, but no longer manufactures fasteners. This is the kind of thing I can spend a lot of time looking at and appreciating. They obviously took a lot of pride in their work, not just the fasteners, but the metal drawers for display. Just so cool.

Here's some close ups of the drawer contents listings:

Any idea what the "25" line references?

Tucson Fire Foundation restores old fire trucks from that era. They are always looking for old hardware. You could contact them online. They raise funds for the health and welfare of retired firefighters. I could put you in contact with them if you wanted to donate the hardware. Larry

No idea. I initially thought it said 25 cents but then I put my reading glasses on and saw that it was quotation marks. I know that the "1035" is the type of steel used.

Some more photos. Oh and I weighed it and the actual weight is 83 pounds!

That’s pre-Atomic Age steel which is a very fascinating subject to read upon if you are unaware.

Wow! I never even considered that. I remember seeing something about that in an art forgery documentary. I think it was about a pre-war Picasso painting. One of the ways they determined it was a forgery made after WWII was that the elemental testing of the pigments showed the radiation signature of being created after 1945. Here's a similar article: https://www.livescience.com/43178-nu...-painting.html

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Contact these guys. They have been doing Pebble Beach quality restorations of pre-war automobiles for many decades. They now do other work as well as demand for pre-war restorations isn't what it used to be.

Jim