Hello, I’m new to this group so thanks for letting me in. Retired auto mechanic of 40 years, so when I retired I decided to go through my tools which were scattered about in numerous tool boxes so I could find what I needed in my home garage. I never paid much attention to brands until then but I took notice of the different defunct USA made tools I accumulated. So now I’m looking for old and unusual hand tools at garage sales, estate sales and even pawn shops. It’s addictive. My question is on these 2 perfect handle style screwdrivers I picked up, any help on the maker of these is appreciated.
Perfect handle style screwdriver
- Thread starter cliffitz
- Start date
four.cycle
Well-known member
Hello @cliffitz and welcome to the site!
Your "Perfect Handle" screwdrivers were made by H.D. Smith
Smith / H.D. Smith & Co., 24 West St., Plantsville, CT (Henry D. Smith) / "Perfect Handle" / "Gettatit" (pliers) / patent D33468 Oct 30 1900 & 666029 Jan 15 1901 & Amos Shepard & D34136 Feb 26 1901 William S. Ward & D45919 Jun 4 1919 & 1216886 Feb 20 1917 William S. Thomson / http://alloy-artifacts.org/hd-smith-company.html / http://alloy-artifacts.org/hd-smith-company.html#history / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._D._Smith_Company_Building /
keep this link handy
and this one
Your "Perfect Handle" screwdrivers were made by H.D. Smith
Smith / H.D. Smith & Co., 24 West St., Plantsville, CT (Henry D. Smith) / "Perfect Handle" / "Gettatit" (pliers) / patent D33468 Oct 30 1900 & 666029 Jan 15 1901 & Amos Shepard & D34136 Feb 26 1901 William S. Ward & D45919 Jun 4 1919 & 1216886 Feb 20 1917 William S. Thomson / http://alloy-artifacts.org/hd-smith-company.html / http://alloy-artifacts.org/hd-smith-company.html#history / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._D._Smith_Company_Building /
keep this link handy
and this one
nadogail
Well-known member
The “Tuffy” screw driver made by Swallow Aircraft Company was very good.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Welcome to GJ. As a retired mechanic bit by the vintage tools bug, you'll want to hang out down on the Vintage Discussion board. We have no cure. But we can sure make it more fun while you're suffering. And get used to that A-Z Index that 4.c linked (it's at the top of the Vintage Discussion forum), because the forum moves quickly and there are a lot of major threads (by brand, and by type) buried on pages 2 through ***, which you can't see. Hence the easy Index.
Copied so much and so immaculately after the utility patent ran out, it's almost impossible to tell and too reckless for such an assurance without a marking, 4.c.
I don't know where you read that, but it was wrong. The "Federal" marking on these Extra Heavy Duty machinist type and regular screwdrivers with integral wooden scales (branded "Perfect Handle" by H.D. Smith and copied by several companies (Tobrin, Irwin, J.J. Ryan, etc, and a bevy of German mfgrs)) refers to the Federal Tool Company in Springfield, Massachusetts. Attached is my example, which also sports an Ordnance Dept so-called "taxi" number on the flip side, helping to doubtlessly date it to WWII. Also attached is a NOS box with a very clear label.
Like most behemoths, Irwin attracts a lot of misinformation from collectors who want to be right, hope they're right, and think they must be right, putting two (looks like an Irwin, must be an Irwin..., and Irwin had federal contracts) and two ('Federal' marking) together to make eleventy.
Happy to dispel it and be able to identify one of your screwdrivers for you.
