Originally Posted by
onetrack
MJ - A strong principle I follow is never to use a hardened item as a drift.
"Buck" knives used to advertise their blades being tapped with a hammer and cutting a bolt. They would do this because the blade was harder than the bolt, and with the gentlest of 'taps' and enough patience the bolt was severed and the blade wasn't hurt. One single 'tap' too hard and the blade got a huge chip taken out of it. They replaced a few knives under warranty before disallowing this kind of warranty claim. Driven very gently a hardened drift is OK, but driven that gently the hardening isn't needed and the consequences of a mistake too much to risk, so I agree- no hardened drifts!
They are "Wright" brand, and I understand they were made by Proto, and "Wright" was the brand name chosen for their military line. The quality of these 3/4 drive sets is of a level that is difficult to find today.
Wright was made by Proto but I'm not sure it was military-only; they're somewhat common in the tool boxes of us older folks here and some recall buying them retail (if you can trust their aging memories)! The Snap-On/Blue Point relationship is better known. Blue Point made a wide range of tools (carpentry, plumbing, etc) while Snap-On focused only on tools for mechanics. Proud to have all these brands in my box because they never let me down
Though it won't work for the OP's purposes, seeking these great "lesser-known" brands on the used market can net some great bargains because not everyone knows their true worth
