Glaser blue handle?

[Mike Stephens]

Hello creekers.

I lucked out today and bought 3 older glaser tools from an eBay auction. A spindle gouge a bowl gouge and a skew. They look to have been used very little. The kicker, I only payed $135.00 including shipping.

My question is what did the different colored handles represent with these older tools. I'm guessing the steel the tool was made out of? Anyone know for sure?

thanks

281994281995

[Russell Eaton]

I'm not sure about the older tools, but that was a heck of a deal on the tools. Congrats on the new tools.

[Mike Stephens]

I believe they had just been listed with a buy it now. I didn't hesitate.

[Wally Dickerman]

I have 2 of Glaser's old tools. A black handle and a red handle. The black handle came on the first tools they marketed. The red handle came in their next generation of tools. I'm not sure about this but I think that the blue handle was their premier grade of steel. Harder than the others. I've had these tools since the late 80's.

[Mike Stephens]

Thanks for chiming in Wally. I'm grateful to have the opertunity to own these tools.

Cheers

[robert baccus]

I still have several of the old model Glasers. Memory correct the red was 10% vanadium--blue was 5% vanadium and black was 15% vanadium. Never got a black one darn it. These were all powder steel with vanadium % responsible for wear resistance which is great. Glaser was friends with Bob Stockdale in the old days and was a metalugist? by education. Supposedly Bob convinced him to apply his skills to upgrading tools with high dollar alloys and powder steels. High vanadium and steel cannot be blended by melting and must be formed by grinding to finepowder and impacting it into a mold. Extensive heat treating follows this converting it to a solid. He was many years ahead of his time and his tools are probably still unsurpassed. Several of the modern tools are similar--some with cold treatment as well. Thompson comes to mind but there are several others as well. Hang on to those heirloom tools--lucky guy.

[Russell Eaton]

Those tools were meant to be used. I have a few in my collection and they preform really good. Enjoy!

[Mike Stephens]

Trust me I'm going to use them. Can't wait to get my hands on that skew.

Cheers