MAC / MATCO MC1 ( I think) 1/4dr box

[Hickory n Steel]

You guys may remember this little box of mine. Available as a MAC or MATCO and I believe they were called the Mc1.
Here it is as currently filled just to give an idea of size in case your not familiar.




It was the basis for my 1/4 set before growing out of it, then I ended up shifting it to my secondary 1/4 set I use at the gun / airgun / vintage fishing reel work station and just utilizing it without thought.

Anyways now that I've decided to adress the Craftsman set I keep in it and actually complete / improve it satisfactorily I started thinking about this box again in figuring out how I'll set it up.

I'm wondering about it's purpose and exact intention,I've looked online but can no longer find a trace of info on these things.


I'm thinking maybe a complete 1/4 set plus a basic ignition set in the bottom ?

[Uncle Buck]

I looked for one of those boxes for years never finding one that wasn't insanely high until last fall. I scored one for $5 in the flea mkt area at a local tractor show.

[Muddy]

Cool little box!

[Hickory n Steel]

I looked for one of those boxes for years never finding one that wasn't insanely high until last fall. I scored one for $5 in the flea mkt area at a local tractor show.

Great score, I payed $50 something on Ebay.

[Uncle Buck]

I am too tight to pay the going rate. The box had been repainted fortunately so unless you recognized it as MAC brand no clues remained.  I have yet to do anything with it. The plan is to bead blast it, repaint it, add liners to it and finish it with a new MAC decal before putting it to use.

If I just start using it I will  never refinish it.

[Uncle Buck]

I seem to recall that SK Farmer had really tricked one out if my memory is correct.

[Hickory n Steel]

I seem to recall that SK Farmer had really tricked one out if my memory is correct.

I think it's a Snapon Kra-65 b that he has.
Another cool box I wouldn't mind owning , but for what they command I'd have to have had experienced one in person and know exactly how I'd utilize it.

[Hickory n Steel]

I am too tight to pay the going rate. The box had been repainted fortunately so unless you recognized it as MAC brand no clues remained.  I have yet to do anything with it. The plan is to bead blast it, repaint it, add liners to it and finish it with a new MAC decal before putting it to use.

If I just start using it I will  never refinish it.

I wonder if yours would be newer or older than mine ?
The simple chrome drawer handle strikes me as an older thing, but I then companies don't often make products fancier over time and it would make sense if the cast MAC TOOLS handle on mine was older.

[Uncle Buck]

Mine has no fancy chrome handle. Mine has a plain Jane pressed flat steel handle. I suspect mine is older if I was guessing.

[Hickory n Steel]

Mine has no fancy chrome handle. Mine has a plain Jane pressed flat steel handle. I suspect mine is older if I was guessing.

I thought those were chrome plated.

Anyways yeah I bet you're right, those handles definitely strike me as being from an earlier era.

[Uncle Buck]

I think mine is older and looks cruder than yours.

[Hickory n Steel]

I think mine is older and looks cruder than yours.

I am starting to think that whenever mine was made this is the handle used for one of their larger chests or stacks...etc so they used it instead of having to make something especially for these even if it would just be cheap bent steel.


I was able to turn up a 1962 catalog page 118, and it turns out these are the MB-1 not MC-1.
https://archive.org/details/MacToolsCatalogNo62/page/n116/mode/1up

[Hickory n Steel]

I could have sworn it was called the MC-1, maybe it changed over time.
I'll have to keep looking.

Btw that MB-10 found just above it on the same page is cool too, a lot like the Snapon KRA-65.

[Uncle Buck]

I think mine is older and looks cruder than yours.

I am starting to think that whenever mine was made this is the handle used for one of their larger chests or stacks...etc so they used it instead of having to make something especially for these even if it would just be cheap bent steel.


I was able to turn up a 1962 catalog page 118, and it turns out these are the MB-1 not MC-1.
https://archive.org/details/MacToolsCatalogNo62/page/n116/mode/1up

My box is a twin to the mb-1

[Hickory n Steel]

I think mine is older and looks cruder than yours.

I am starting to think that whenever mine was made this is the handle used for one of their larger chests or stacks...etc so they used it instead of having to make something especially for these even if it would just be cheap bent steel.


I was able to turn up a 1962 catalog page 118, and it turns out these are the MB-1 not MC-1.
https://archive.org/details/MacToolsCatalogNo62/page/n116/mode/1up

My box is a twin to the mb-1

Yep, the basic bent steel handle is definitely older.