Stanley USA Plastic Handled Screwdrivers 1932- Present

[Lesserstore]

For the past several days I have been working on this history of Stanley USA plastic handled screwdrivers from the earliest catalog I can find that lists them, the 1932 catalog, all the way up to today. I was going to originally have wood handled screwdrivers too, but that would have just been too overwhelming, and the plastic handles were overwhelming enough. With all the different models Stanley made through the years, I'm sure I missed some, so I if you have one I missed post it up. Also, if anybody has a Stanley catalog from the 1960s-70s, and from 1990-2001, that you can send me pictures or scans of the screwdriver section, it would be much appreciated. I'd like to also give a shout-out to Stuart in MN for access to the 1977 and 1989 catalogs.

Part I: Mid Tier and Handyman Lines: https://docs.google.com/document/d/194Q_ZCWmcz8uDz1spR-dQnp31aqlYG5aRhayA4wXn2E/edit?usp=drivesdk
Also includes Defiance and Hercules.

Part II: Low End Screwdrivers: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OfcW-ZjjP-waMvd0nKAKpDwCdAaDens6vBE-Rfj-3UE/edit?usp=drivesdk
Includes Thrifty, triangular fluted, and quadlobular fluted drivers.

Part III: High End Screwdrivers:https://docs.google.com/document/d/161xGigSfGKoLBP6RhKN1lQ2dmPUv8H6D-iQ4quWiUvE/edit?usp=drivesdk
Includes Lastex, Stanloid, Victor, Yankee, Cushion Core, 100 Plus, Workmaster, Professional, and vinyl grip (Jobmaster and Contractor Grade).

Appendix A: Contract Production:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q7iN1hFT20QUw5ZaneDcqZ4Jq2Sv6gWvV0koTRQAq5E/edit?usp=drivesdk
Includes Wizard, Powr Kraft, Bonney, John Deere, Penncraft, J.C. Penny, and Bell System.

Appendix B: Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mEgn49VdrvB2GJZs6arINKE2VGaCgayX_30AQzHUwH4/edit?usp=drivesdk

Appendix C: Unknown Screwdrivers:

Stanley USA Plastic Handled Screwdrivers Appendix C

Stanley USA Plastic Handled Screwdrivers 1932- Present Appendix C: Unknown Screwdrivers 1999 Torx Screwdriver I came across this screwdriver on ebay as well in April 2022. It has a copyright date of 1999, but it doesn't appear in the 1998 or 2003 catalog, so sometime between 1999-2002 is when t...

docs.google.com

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Glad to see this too. I just picked up a bunch of the black/clear handles at the pawn shop the other day. I have some red and yellow plastic handles too and some of the others as well.

 

[woody 73]

Some info for you op:

Tips & Tricks 101 The Stanley 100 plus line of screwdrivers.

Some special notes: 1) This tip for the most part is for buying used screwdrivers, although you can still buy them new through the amazon web-site. 2) Please keep in mind that the Stanley Company had many different lines of screwdrivers, starting with their economy lines from Wally World that...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Lesserstore]

Some info for you op:

Tips & Tricks 101 The Stanley 100 plus line of screwdrivers.

Some special notes: 1) This tip for the most part is for buying used screwdrivers, although you can still buy them new through the amazon web-site. 2) Please keep in mind that the Stanley Company had many different lines of screwdrivers, starting with their economy lines from Wally World that...

www.garagejournal.com

The 100 Plus screwdrivers are some of my favorites, although 2/3 of mine are branded Wizard. The other one is branded Stanley, and was originally a #1 phillips but somebody bent the blade 90° and when I tried to bend it back broke. So then I took it to the bench grinder and with a file tried to make it as close to a hollow grind as possible.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Here is my Stanley 100 Plus. Just picked it up at the pawn shop. I believe it’s a number 4 Phillips it’s pretty big. Model number 2754. Says 8 inch made in USA.

 

[CoogarXR]

Here's a couple oddballs for you. I sold these a while back, but I thought they were neat:

 

[Lesserstore]

Here's a couple oddballs for you. I sold these a while back, but I thought they were neat:

Thanks I will add them to Part II. I wasn't able to find a NOS one with the package that I could get a date off of, but luckily Stanley registered Hi Glow, so I was able to get a first used date off of that; 10/10/1992. They also used the name Neon, which I guess is later.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I appreciate all the time you take to research this stuff Lesserstore. I really enjoy reading about it all.

 

[CoogarXR]

Thanks I will add them to Part II. I wasn't able to find a NOS one with the package that I could get a date off of, but luckily Stanley registered Hi Glow, so I was able to get a first used date off of that; 10/10/1992. They also used the name Neon, which I guess is later.

Neat!

 

[Lesserstore]

I appreciate all the time you take to research this stuff Lesserstore. I really enjoy reading about it all.

I enjoy doing it and it's a good way to kill time.

Update I have added the Hi-Glow/Neon drivers, and also Hi Visibility drivers that I stumbled across, to Part II. If you are on a computer, the pictures and text maybe wonky until I get on my computer and fix them, but my wifi has been slow, so it may be a while.

 

[Bubba Fett]

Fantastic work, Lesserstore!

I have a few of the cheap yellow and black drivers. Extremely uncomfortable handles, but I use them as beaters.

I have a few of the 100-plus drivers, which are among the toughest you could get. I recently got a 100-plus magnetic bit driver, mainly just because I thought it was cool. I also have a Hexamatic nut driver with the 100-plus style grip. Not the most comfortable drivers, but they last, that's for sure.

 

[d42jeep]

I checked my screwdriver drawer here and found a few Stanley drivers.
-Don

 

[Lesserstore]

I checked my screwdriver drawer here and found a few Stanley drivers.
-Don

Is that first stubby a Bell System?

 

[d42jeep]

I don’t think so but I’ll double check later today.
-Don

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Here is a Bell System screwdriver. I’m curious about the age.

 

[Bubba Fett]

It seems like stubby screwdrivers always last longer, probably because they are not used as much.

 

[Lesserstore]

It seems like stubby screwdrivers always last longer, probably because they are not used as much.

True that. I swear a lot of the interesting brand screwdrivers I have are stubbies.

Here is a Bell System screwdriver. I’m curious about the age.

Sorry I can't help you on the dates, besides it being from before 1984. That style of handle reminds me of a wood handled driver, I wonder why Bell specifically wanted that shape.

 

[d42jeep]

Is that first stubby a Bell System?

There aren’t any Bell System markings. It’s kind of a long stubby.
-Don

 

[Mintgrun]

The front two are STANLEY NO. 1009, but the back one is unmarked. The handle stock is slightly different between the two STANLEYs. They all have 1-3/4" long blades.

 

[Lesserstore]

There aren’t any Bell System markings. It’s kind of a long stubby.
-Don

It would probably have been made prior to ~1968. I haven't seen one in the catalogs that are available online, so it might be from the 1960s or even prior to 1940.

 

[Lesserstore]

The front two are STANLEY NO. 1009, but the back one is unmarked. The handle stock is slightly different between the two STANLEYs. They all have 1-3/4" long blades.

Nice stubbies. Those are the first Stanloids I have seen outside of a catalog. They're really hard to search for since they share the same number as the later 100 Plus screwdrivers.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is an early catalog image showing the 1009 stubby and a couple more screwdrivers including some chewed up Handyman drivers.
-Don

 

[Lesserstore]

Update: added the solid black handle thrifty variant, added better start/end dates for the dual durometer, "Stanley USA" marked Handyman, and "Stanley USA" marked Professional.

 

[LesserSon]

Thank you for doing this work, Lesserstore!
I saw Mintgrun’s pic, and thought I’d ask: These also Stanloids?

One is branded Stanley Victor, most just Stanley. Some are so worn I can hardly make anything out. I also have Bonney-branded contract versions of this era. 1930s into the early 1940s?

Here are two Bonney examples. From their 1934 catalog, I think the top one is the oldest form. Screwdrivers do not apear until that year. You can see the ribbed collar in the illustration. It seems odd that only wood-handled screwdrivers appear in the 1934 Stanley catalog, because they must have been producing the celluloid ones, or where else would Bonney have gotten them?

EDIT - encouraged by Lesserstore, located the “new tools” section of 1934 Stanley catalog, where there is a better image of this 1st generation of handle:

Bonney had a long run of Stanley screwdrivers.
The above example is interesting because there are no ribs in the flutes. I thought it was a characteristic of the clutch head drivers, but then I found a slot screwdriver with the same pattern, and a clutch head with the “regular” ribbed flutes.
EDIT - I now believe this type to have been manufactured by Forsberg.
I have assumed the plain yellow handles were earlier than the black striped one - 1950s, 1960s?
The handles changed from six sided to four sided while Utica-Bonney was Triangle - 1970s? 80s?
Bonney catalogs often did not update the illustrations as styles changed, so some catalogs can have illustrations of screwdrivers from multiple decades. Your work with the Stanley catalogs and illustrations is much appreciated.

 

[LesserSon]

“Daily drivers”

Stanley family reunion.

“Yankee” No92 has neither North Bros nor Stanley on it.

 

[Lesserstore]

Nice drivers LS. I originally was going to include Bonney, but the one I had was a 100 plus style, but had a phillips license #29 which belonged to Rosco, so I figured that's who made all of the drivers of that style, guess I was wrong. Those Bonney stubbies from 1934 sure do look like Stanleys.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is the Bonney stubby that is in my WW2 GMTK.
-Don

 

[Lesserstore]

Update: added section on Penncraft and JC Penney screwdrivers to Appendix A.

For the Bonney section I'm going to need some help because I only have one Bonney screwdriver and it's made by Rosco and not Stanley. What I have found out by looking at them on Worthpoint is that Stanley did make wooden handle ones, but I am unsure about the other types as I can't see the Phillips license number. Vlchek made at least some of the early plastic handled screwdrivers. So what I am asking is could y'all look at the license numbers on the Phillips drivers to determine which types were made by Stanley?

 

[LesserSon]

Like this? A wood stubby I have also says “Phillips - Lic. 1” - is that Stanley?

My Triangle-era 100+ look-a-likes are more problematic. The big guy is stamped circumferally (so I can’t get the handle style in the same frame with enough detail), and the little guy has a dark oxide pit right over the numeral. If you didn’t say Bonney had a different supplier for some of these, and if the handle wasn’t so deep an amber, I’d say confidently it was a “1” as well, but in certain lights it can resemble a 2, 4, 7, an A, or even appear to be the first of three digits.

 

[LesserSon]

I used to have more, but I sold a few to another GJer a few years ago. I had never thought to trace manufacturer by Phillips license numbers.
Is there a table of licensees?
I see my Bon-E-Con Phillips is NOT Stanley, but whoever was “2.”

 

[Lesserstore]

Thanks a lot LS. The Bon-E-Con with license number 2 is made by Irwin. Here's what I used to look up license numbers: https://forums.g503.com/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=216418&sid=98bccbc1e815fe001cd7cd78384a09ba

 

[MAD]

If you read that whole thread, you may notice that Irwin Phillips drivers were noted to have been found with at least three different license #s. I would not attribute Lic. 2 to Irwin on the basis of the chart early in the thread.

I don't know for sure which company held Phillips license 2, but I know the early Millers Falls Phillips drivers were marked with that one as well.

 

[LesserSon]

I read it. It’s more revealing of the WWII tool collectors’ standards and methodology than the screwdrivers themselves. I had hoped for a big reveal - someone posting an American Screw Corp document, delineating the 40-odd sublicensees, but the few match-ups are based on observations of the tools. More reasonable conjecture and deduction than facts. The underlying nature of the license agreements cannot be demonstrated by the tools, whether the branding on the handles consistently matches the LIC# on the shank or not. Were the agreements all identical, different numbers assigned to individual manufacturers - thus discrepencies show show contract production among companies? Or were the terms of agreements different, numbered to distinguish those differences, with sometimes multiple manufacturers assigned to individual numbers? The tools don’t explain this. Only documents can.

 

[LesserSon]

Or sometimes individual manufacturers assigned to multiple agreement numbers, too, because they might very well have renegotiated the terms from 1933-1966.

 

[LesserSon]

deleted

 

[LesserSon]

One assertion I disagreed with was that Stanley wouldn’t have supplied Snap-on with screwdrivers, under the Blue-Point label. People sometimes speak of Snap-on as if it were always as big and diversified as it is today. Snap-on was tiny when it started - dwarfed by Stanley. It’s early literature suggests other brands of tools it didn’t manufacture, which it later contracted and resold, and even later bought out (or in the case of Forged Steel Products, joined through personal union). I see no reason to think Snap-on manufactured its own screwdrivers at the time, and I’m skeptical about Bonney manufacturing theirs (8) either.

 

[d42jeep]

I have two Bridgeport #3 Phillips screwdrivers with Stanley shafts. The license numbers are interesting but that’s about all.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I’m not sure if this one is Stanley or Bonney
-Don

 

[LesserSon]

I have occasionally scrutinized those for so long, the seller became alarmed and a little beligerant. That was when I was buying Bonney only - now I’ll buy Stanley too when in the mood, and sort them out later.

 

[Lesserstore]

I guess I jumped the gun on the subject of Phillip's licenses, oops. But I do know that Stanley's license number was 1 because they mention it in their catalogs, but it's definitely possible from time to time that Stanley subcontracted blades out.
Concerning Bonney, after doing some comparisons of the spark plug testing screwdrivers, which are bit more unique than standard drivers, I do now think that Stanley introduced plastic handles in 1934. I think a reason why they weren't in the 1934 Stanley catalog is that they weren't introduced until after, or just before, that catalog was published in April. I've also come up with a timeline of Bonney drivers, but as LS mentioned previously, Bonney didn't update their images often, so it's pretty rough.