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VLCHEK – The Vlchek Tool Company was founded in Cleveland, Ohio on February 18, 1895 by a blacksmith named Frank J. Vlchek. The company continued to produce mechanic's tools at least until 1969. Sometime prior to 1965, the company became a subsidiary of Pendelton Tool Industries, Inc. The Vlchek Tool Company was then purchased on 6/30/69 by Flambeau Products and tool production was discontinued. Open end wrenches, hammers, screwdrivers, spark plug wrenches, 9" adjustable wrenches and pliers were supplied to Chevrolet by Vlchek. Prior to World War II, Vlchek also sold tools to Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac. They supplied tool kits for Chevrolets up until the year 1966. That was the year that Chevrolet discontinued offering tool kits. The tool kit was a standard item provided with each and every Chevrolet from the beginning of production in 1912 through the year 1948. In 1949, the tool kit became an optional accessory. Generally speaking, the tool kits included: one or two screwdrivers, a pair of pliers, a hammer and a spark plug wrench. The tools were usually housed in a tool bag. Cloth bags were used up until about 1955. After that date, a plastic tool bag was used. The only Chevrolet tools which were stamped with the company name "Vlchek" were some spark plug sockets which were made in the 1950's and 1960's. Many open end wrenches can be found at swap meets with "Vlchek" stamped on the tool, however, it is believed that these tools were sold at local hardware stores and were not included in the Chevrolet tool kits.
The following titles, take you to pages where drawings of each Vlchek tool are found. You will note that most of the tools have dates beside them as to when the specific tool was produced for Chevrolet. Most of the information on Vlchek tools has come from: Chevrolet Parts Catalogs, NOS tool kits from original unrestored Chevrolets and from talking with a Vlchek salesman who had worked at the Vlchek Tool Company from 1946 through the mid 1990's.