Proto 5449 Ratchet Marking

[Cruiser808]

I hope you Proto experts can help me with a mystery. I have a Proto 1/2 ratchet that has a different marking than the normal Proto 1/2 offering. Granted, it’s an older ratchet and wouldn’t have been labeled “Professional”, but I’ve never seen a Proto ratchet with “IHN” on it. My guess is that it has something to do with International Harvester, but I don’t know. Any ideas what IHN stands for? Thanks.

[Davethorik]

I've seen IH ratchets made by Wright, but never Proto

[bmwrd0]

I have a couple Proto's that are marked with different/unusual things. A Vogel duel head (one marked Proto, the other not.) Also, a long-handled 3/8 marked A/F. I also have some Chevron marked drivers and sockets. I'm betting Proto marked it special for someone.

[Cruiser808]

Hi bmwrd0 - I agree, Proto had many tools with different markings,  mostly contract tools like the Vogel ratchet you mentioned. I did an internet search and came up empty on what IHN means. I hope Scout weighs in on this mystery as I suspect International Harvester may have been a client. It's my best guess so far.

[skfarmer]

i will defer to the wisdom of scott when he chimes in but my best guess would be no.

older stuff would have been marked ihc for international harvester company. later it would be known as  cih for case-ih  and last but not least cnh for case-new holland.

[Cruiser808]

Thanks Harlan, I'm sure you're right, but that still leaves us with the mystery of what the letters mean. 

[highland512]

Its not International Harvester, all IH part numbers started IHC. Tractors, trucks, appliances, tools, and rifles all start with IHC.

[Cruiser808]

Thanks highland, the search for answers continues.

[3bay]

What about this kind marked IH? Not mine, pics of a recent ebay auction. There are a decent number of these out there.

[J.A.F.E.]

Not seen one that new before. I wonder if that was done for cost or to keep them from going home in lunch boxes. Pretty cool thing to have.

[oldnslo]

PROTO says:

"I am unable to locate any information regarding the suffix IHN.

Thank you

Candy R
SB&D Customer Service"

Communicated via email.....10/19/18

[highland512]

I doubt SB&D wanted Candy to spend the time it would have taken to look at micro film to get a answer 

[skfarmer]

i know a guy who  sharpens disc blades on farm machinery. well, he really doesn't sharpen them, he uses a machine that  turns the disc on the implement. it squeezes the blunt edge back to a point  by rolling it between two hardened rollers.

anyway, all of the adjustment to the  the small gas powered machines he uses  are done with  a plug style ratchet like the one shown above.

[ScoutDriver]

Late to the party as usual, but from what I have been told, the Proto 1/2 ratchets marked with the "IH" were an adjustment tool for some piece of equipment.  I picked one up years back.  They are not super hard to find.

That said, I have also been told by one of the premiere IH tool dealers and collectors that Proto did make a few prototype ratchets for IH when bidding to make tools that International would sell.  Wright ended up making the hard-line tools for them. 

As far as part numbers, the IH tools sold by the dealers in the later decades of International had a "999" at the beginning of the part number.

Scott