Heavy duty screwdriver
 

Most of you guys probably have one of these in you tool collection.
Tried a search with no results.
Does anyone know the heritage of this design ???

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

Think it was originally developed as a can opener for use by US troops in WWI;)

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

They are produced today and about the only screwdriver for use with a hammer.

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

As I recall some were designed and built in Germany by a few different companies.
Had a hammer of the same design and vintage (forged with handles applied)

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

http://datamp.org/patents/displayPat...214&typeCode=2

Google is your friend.

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

Most folks that have the HD Smith "perfect handle" tools keep them pretty close in their collections. They were around for a long time.

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

Interesting, but it looks like the patent fits the one with the square shank and the other three look like a different design.

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

Thanks for the name,looked them up on Alloy Artifacts.

http://alloy-artifacts.org/hd-smith-...y.html#history

Turns out I have their monkey wrench.
Anyone who has ever used one knows why they are named "Perfect Handle".

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

Odd, I have come across a few of these in my travels, and when I picked them up, they didn't fit my hand well, so I have ignored them since. Besides, my dad would probably come back from the dead and kick my ass if I used a hammer on any screwdriver. "That's what chisels are for".

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

My dad had one in his "collection" of tools which was pretty sparse indeed. I can't remember the last time I saw it or where it ended up.

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

I have one that I like to use for removing axle housing seals. I got this while helping a friend clean out an old machinists work shop after he had passed away. This has to be more than 100 years old. I use it for many different things, but not usually as a screwdriver.

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

i bought a set of three about 40 yrs. ago (new) from a speciality catalog (brookstone?) they were called hundred year screwdrivers and work will for beating on. Mark

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

Available here as a set of four.
https://www.garrettwade.com/extra-he...er-set-gp.html
dw

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

I have one of those as well, use it for adjusting dovetails on doors. Love the aged wood handles, especially in this day and age of plastic.

I almost had a second one, a kid at work had one, and I was going to ask to buy it from him. I was disheartened when I found that he had ground a deep notch in the blade for doing brake springs! :(

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

I still have the long large one the gov issued in 54,it has a bent shank from using it to pry & the strap on the end is a bit flattened from beating on it. I sure wish I would have taken better care of it. I would like to find the smaller version one.

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

I had a lot of them at one time. My dad was a pack-rat and had lots of everything! They were all sold in garage sales when my parents sold their house. I see them around at sales often.

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

Yes They Were of German Origin. Sollingen I believe was the first of that type

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

Solingen steel also makes the best knives, I have a few. So those screwdrivers were well made.

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

The second one from the top appears like my two and both are marked "Irwin-USA" on the shank.

Re: Heavy duty screwdriver
 

The one on the bottom of the top photo looks like the one in the patent application.

I have seen them before, but I don't have any. This may prompt me to look for one.

Not the same, but I have a draw knife that my father had. It is quite ancient. My great grandfather was a wagon maker and I wonder whether it came from his tool set? I should look at the inventory from his estate and see what is there? It would probably just say: wagonmakers tools.