Let's show our wood (screwdrivers)

[Beerhippie]

Wow. I've hit a solid wall when it comes to finding any info on a Vessel 1983H wood ball-handle screwdriver.

 

[LesserSon]

So is it the company or just the wood-handled model you’re pondering? Looks to me that, founded in Japan in 1916, trademarks “Vessel” in 1933, still leaves a long window for producing wood-handled screwdrivers that are presumably no longer offered. Some of their plastic-handled ones look similarly ergonomic.
Are you looking to nail down a date range and catalog listing?

 

[Beerhippie]

So is it the company or just the wood-handled model you’re pondering? Looks to me that, founded in Japan in 1916, trademarks “Vessel” in 1933, still leaves a long window for producing wood-handled screwdrivers that are presumably no longer offered. Some of their plastic-handled ones look similarly ergonomic.
Are you looking to nail down a date range and catalog listing?

I had no problem finding the Vessel brand--but didn't even have a date range for when they were made. They still sell some wood-handle screwdrivers, and they sell "ball drive", but not both.

I'm just curious about how old this one is--and maybe how long it spent sitting in the rain barrel.

 

[RTM]

For reference, I got out my loupe and the screwdriver is a Vessel 1983H. There's a round logo mark above the model # with a 2 upper-left of the circle.

Looking at this page, your 1983H might not be the screwdriver, maybe the shank, or maybe a year / month code. Several different handle shapes here (use translate)

ベッセル ドライバーの落札相場・落札価格 - Yahoo!オークション

新品・未使用品・中古品の落札相場をYahoo!オークションで確認できます。

auctions.yahoo.co.jp

But other results turned up one with a handle like yours. Can't find that one again

https://jp.mercari.com/item/m94720600044?srsltid=AfmBOop46UYb-ZJYWVO28XrCSFVRleuE1FVH2uhtLeUsw6UQk8M6vgnM

Top row, second from right might be yours.

https://jp.mercari.com/item/m42985739045?srsltid=AfmBOoreKDN1eV2G7Nr16NqcASHjm2N6ZP_L43bqnIBp1SwJnQGJ5R-C

 

[Beerhippie]

Looking at this page, your 1983H might not be the screwdriver, maybe the shank, or maybe a year / month code. Several different handle shapes here (use translate)

....



Top row, second from right might be yours.

https://jp.mercari.com/item/m42985739045?srsltid=AfmBOoreKDN1eV2G7Nr16NqcASHjm2N6ZP_L43bqnIBp1SwJnQGJ5R-C

Yep. It's even listed as 1983H.

The number is stamped in the ferrule, not the shaft. It's extremely hard to get a picture of, being shiny, round and lightly stamped. I had to use my 10X loupe and play with lighting angles to read it.

 

[RTM]

Yep. It's even listed as 1983H.

The number is stamped in the ferrule, not the shaft. It's extremely hard to get a picture of, being shiny, round and lightly stamped. I had to use my 10X loupe and play with lighting angles to read it.

Oh heck, maybe just the ferrule then. The one pic with the 650 pasted over the handle might have had it there, but we'll never know

 

[rust in the eye]

These six FREE for anyone willing to pay for postage

 

[cody1325]

Irwin Perfect Handle.

Bought from the original owner (wish I'd bought the whole box, given what I recall reminds me of the military GMTKs posted here) in 2017--a former tank mechanic during the Korean War. From what I've seen, this is correct to the Korean War.

He abused the **** out of it, and I filed out a huge ding in the chip not long after I got it. As a staple of my hand box to this date, it still sees some pretty rough use--not a shelf queen at all. I have used it as a pry bar thousands of times. As a screwdriver--twice?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

From what I've seen, this is correct to the Korean War.

You are correct.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a wood handled ratcheting screwdriver I found at an estate sale yesterday and cleaned up. I’m having trouble finding any information about the company that made it.
Cleaned up and de-rusted.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

A few recent arrivals
A prewar Irwin perfect handle, a Federal perfect handle and a #4 Stanley Phillips.

The Federal needed some work on the tip.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Unless the handles are missing, I usually pick up perfect handle screwdrivers at estate sales. This abused example is one I found on Saturday. It has no remaining markings which leads me to believe that it well could have started life as a wartime ink marked Irwin, included in every Jeep onboard toolset, every GMTK and many other wartime sets. I sanded the handles enough to prevent getting splinters when I pick it up and added plenty of BLO as a preservative.
Some examples of how it could have looked earlier in its life. With use, the ink markings gradually disappeared.
-Don

 

[ararat]

Recently acquired from the Habitat restore. Yankee No 131A. The A models have a spring in the handle to automatically extend the driver. 27" long fully extended. Also came with an extra bit. Originally had 3 total.

Yankee Tools : 2nd Ed. : North Brothers Manufacturing Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

48 p., illus., 17.4 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

 

[RTM]

The A models have a spring in the handle to automatically extend the driver.

I didn’t think so. I thought the 1xx series had the springs, which is what your catalog shows.

@MisterEd else just posted that A was a change in case structure in the Spiral Ratchet screwdriver thread, which sounds right. Very late in the Yankee history 1924ish.

 

[Leviton]

WARRANTED STEEL?

I found this fine looking flathead screwdriver and am trying to figure out who made it. The only markings on it are “WARRANTED STEEL U.S.A.”. Any ideas?

Below the photos is a list of where I have searched.









Garage Journal and eBay have few mentions/listings for tools with “Warranted Steel” and, with the exception of a pair of cobbler’s pliers, they are all edged tools: plane blades, chisels and axe heads. Warranted Cast Steel is an older and more frequent term, but that does not seem to apply here.

Google Books has a circa 1909 “O&W” screwdriver in an H.C. Hansen Type Foundry catalog and a 1929 Electrical Contracting periodical has an insulated handle screwdriver that mentions Warranted Steel in the description (screencaps in the thumbnails below). However, these don't look to be related to my screwdriver.

A puzzler. Help!

 

[d42jeep]

I found this Champion marked screwdriver at a garage sale yesterday. Was it made by Winchester?
-Don

 

[JustVicingIt]

What's the process to rehandle perfect screwdrivers? I may need to address mine soon.

 

[d42jeep]

Whichever end of the rivet head is smaller punch with a small punch. Repair or replace handle. Reinstall rivet and peen end until the handle is tight.
-Don

 

[RTM]

Reinstall rivet and peen end until the handle is tight.

Buddy of mine uses thin rod from the hardware store, or knife handle rivets from Lee Valley, depending on what matches best, if the old ones are toast.

Brass Rivets - Lee Valley Tools

www.leevalley.com

 

[JustVicingIt]

Nice. The handles looked a little more complicated in their construcion but that should be easy to replace. That was more my concern Thanks!

 

[RTM]

Nice. The handles looked a little more complicated in their construcion but that should be easy to replace. That was more my concern Thanks!

There is Shape to the metal side of the handle scale that needs to be considered. And it's different between the brands so you can't just cut a scale for a Smith Perfect Handle and expect it to fit an Irwin or a German name handle


Here's a friend of mine and his collection of redone screwdrivers in the Perfect Handle family.

screwdrivers

 

[JustVicingIt]

My not so perfect screwdriver. My fault for useing it as a quick pry lol. Oh well.

 

[Beerhippie]

My not so perfect screwdriver. My fault for useing it as a quick pry lol. Oh well.

Nuthin' a little JB Weld can't fix!

 

[cody1325]

My not so perfect screwdriver. My fault for useing it as a quick pry lol. Oh well.

Honestly, I'm surprised how long mine has survived, given the guy whom it was issued to in the Korean War abused it; and when he sold it to me, I cleaned it up (including filing a big ding out of the tip) and continued to abuse it. That screwdriver has spent more time in its whole life as a pry bar than as a screwdriver.

Work/age hardening perhaps? I had the tip of a pretty darn old (at least 80) year old shovel snap off on a SMALL rock when digging.

 

[JustVicingIt]

Yeah, it almost looks like pot metal lol. I have no idea. It'll go on the wall as decoration and remind me to just get the easily used proper tool.

 

[RTM]

My not so perfect screwdriver. My fault for useing it as a quick pry lol. Oh well.

That’s why the type study for PH type screwdrivers almost always included Beat to Hell as the typical type. They were tough, but that’s the first I’ve seen broken. Did you ever find a maker mark? Maybe not a US maker.

 

[JustVicingIt]

I'll take it fully apart and post what I find

 

[JustVicingIt]

No marks that I can see unfortunately.

 

[d42jeep]

This hard to find WW2 correct 11” ink marked Irwin screwdriver arrived in the mail from a “buy it now” eBay purchase. I have a constant search going for these and this is the first one I’ve seen in five years. It will likely end up in my onboard Jeep toolset.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I just watched Predator: Killer of Killers, a new adult animated movie from Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane, Prey) in which a predator fights a 9th century Viking warlord queen, a 17th century samurai, and an American WWII pilot, in three parts. The pilot, also a bit of a mechanic, whose father was a mechanic, climbs out on the wing of his stricken Hellcat with... wait for it...a perfect handle screwdriver...wait for it...between his teeth! This highly improbable but thrilling scene, which starts around 50 minutes in, also features a 15" auto wrench in place of one of the plane's missing controls. I won't ruin the movie by describing Part IV, but there are hints of what's to come throughout the first three parts. The movie is excellent, by the way. Highly recommended. Seriously. It's already one of my favorites in the entire franchise. EDIT: Streaming on Hulu.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I see a lot of PH screwdrivers at the flea. As I have said before, 9 out of 10 times I turn one over it's a "GERMANY" knockoff. The only ones I bring home are these little fellers.

 

[d42jeep]

I found an unmarked 11” Perfect Handle screwdriver at a sale on Friday. It looked close to my correct ink marked Irwin driver but there were slight differences leading me to believe that it was much more modern. Here they are together after I removed some paint splashes from the new one.
-Don

 

[Mintgrun]

I finally found another one of these odd-shaped screwdrivers yesterday. It's the only other one I've seen with that handle style. Neither one are marked and I have no idea who made them. It's got a lot of thick paint (and stuff) stuck to the handle. I'm calling it "character" for now.

​

I also found the tiny "Yankee" Handyman No. 2H ratcheting stubby. The one next to it was the closest match in my ratcheting screwdriver drawer. It's a North Bros. MFG. CO. "Yankee" Handyman No. 33. That one has the plunging feature, but the spring is no longer working (at least I assume it should have a spring). It's marked Made in United States of America, (not THE United States of America).

The other three Yankee drivers are No. 133 and the one on the right is an old FULTON example. I like that one.



The three No. 133s have a screw head in the **** end, but the others do not. They've all got wooden handles, so I figured I'd share.



Tom

 

[four.cycle]

^ that is certainly a different handle design!

 

[Old Radar]

(at least I assume it should have a spring)

North Bros. "Yankee" spiral screwdrivers were made with and without the spring feature.
Two digit numbers, i.e., No. 33, indicate non-spring models while models with a "1" in front of their two digit cousins, i.e., No. 133, included a spring.
The screw head on the **** is another way to tell it has a spring.

 

[RTM]

The screw head on the **** is another way to tell it has a spring

Or at least was born with a spring.

 

[pcrov]

Or at least was born with a spring.

Mine birthed its spring in a lovely arc into the next room when my curiosity got the better of that screw.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Picked up this tiny turnscrew with a no-roll handle at the flea today. Blade is a little pitted with boxrot, but I love it.

 

[RTM]

Picked up this tiny turnscrew with a no-roll handle at the flea today. Blade is a little pitted with boxrot, but I love it.

Here might be a clue to lineage.

Let's show our wood (screwdrivers)

I was at a friend's house/garage today and while he was replacing the rotors and pads on my Honda CRV I noticed this hanging on his tool rack. he knows how much I like old tools cause I usually give him newer stuff I find that I'd never use. after i asked him about it and he gave it to me. he...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Here might be a clue to lineage.

Thanks, Kirk. Antique hand plane kits and their accoutrement are well outside my area of collecting and expertise, but I agree, this bit from the book you're excerping from...

"Screwdriver supplied with plane is stained brown and has a straight flat blade or a blade with two scallops cut into the edges of the flat blade"

...sure sounds like a London pattern turnscrew from any turn of the last century era catalog.