Xcelite 99SMN Industrial Hand Mixed Tools Sets Sockets - Professional Grade Socket Wrench Kit for Automotive, Machinery & Home Repairs - Perfect for Mechanics, DIY Enthusiasts & Industrial Use

My cargo trailer was broken into and my entire toolkit (~$6,000 worth of tools) was stolen. My prized Xcelite 99SM (which I purchased in 1967 while working for an electronics parts distributor and an Xcelite dealer) was gone. Though I have insurance, I was not very hopeful that I would find a suitable replacement.I found this 99SM tool set and it looked like it was going to be the equivalent. Unfortunately, it isn't quite the same as the original. The light blue roll-up case is not as sturdy as the original dark blue canvas case (not a show stopper, but still not as anticipated). Of more concern is the fact that they swapped out some of the tools with substitutes that are not the same as the ones included in the original tool set (and not the same as the numbers actually printed on the case).The 52CG pliers were replaced with the larger 51CG. The 46CG Crescent wrench was replaced with the much larger (and heavier) 48CG. The #811 straight blade screwdriver bit was replaced with a stubby straight blade bit. The X10 extension was replaced with the shorter X5 extension. Also, the overall quality of the 99 blades feels of lower quality and fit than my familiar original tool set.So, just to bring this kit back up to the base level, I have had to order a #811 blade, a smaller set of pliers, an 6" Crescent wrench, and an X10 extension.Now, to some, these may sound like minor complaints, but to someone who used and properly cared for their tool set for the better part of 55 years, it IS a pretty big deal. I have been a life-long customer and promoter of the Xcelite brand ever since I worked in sales for that distributor way back in 1967. Now I realize that the world has changed and that lots of companies are having supply chain problems, and I should probably consider myself lucky that the company was able to throw together a reasonable approximation of the original 99SM so that they could ship SOMETHING useful to me instead of just putting me on back order, but that still doesn't quite take the sting out of it.This is a minor hiccup in the overall scheme of things, and I will survive it, but it does seem to be just one more indicator of the slow decline of yet another once-formidable U.S. manufacturer of quality products that is giving way to the downward pressures of a global economy requiring sacrifices in quality in exchange for economic survival.I have used this service roll for nearly fifty years. I started working for my father as a teenager in the 1960s and this was one of my early tool sets. My father used Xcelite tools quite extensively. The original roll material wore out and I bought a replacement about ten years ago. When I retired, I decided it would be handy to have more than one set, so I’d have one handy no mater where I was. The roll material itself has changed, but the contents are still a nice selection of common tools. I add a few pieces to tailor the set to my specific needs.These are expensive, but they last and they are very handy.