In the photo above you'll see two files at the top along with an awl in the lower left and a small flat file. I picked all those up at an estate sale. I really got them for the handles more than anything - something about a brass ferrule and old-fashioned turning that does it for me. Also, I've found that you can never have too many handles. Less than $5 bucks so super cheap.
The rest was found at my favorite junk shop and probably most of you would have passed on the bulk, especially the mechanic's tools.
The Husky 1/2" ratchet caught my eye as it was so well made - I've found you can never have too many of these - seems like I lay them down and can't remember where I've left it, so having extras is a good thing. This one has an interesting rotating direction lock - not sure of the era but before they were available at Home Depot for sure.
I'm a sucker for good quality Craftsman tools (interestingly, it's my understanding that much of the mechanics tools marked and sold by Sears as Craftsman were produced by Husky so there's a theme here) - these box-end wrenches are great for tight areas and were too cheap to pass up. The nut driver at the top is MAC and the little punches are great for tiny pins or nails - also too cheap to pass up.
The last thing I found was the Millers Falls tempered rule - it has a little edge corrosion but should clean up fine - this is another one of those things you can't have too many of - a good accurate rule with easy-to-read marks - invaluable in the shop.
I've found just a handful of other things which I'll roll forward into another post.
-- John
