Stanley Yankee

[alton1911]

I found a pretty cool little screw ratchet thing. I really like it. It has a no.1 Phillip head, and a no. 2 on the other side. It has a reverse switch, but mine was broken. I have a newer type that takes hex bits by Xcelite.



Not sure of the vintage but they are USA marked.
Thanks
alton1911

 

[bonneyman]

I've got a few. One is dual standard bits, another dual phillips bits, and a third takes hex bits. I'm thinking 60's.

Though the Chapman bit set and driver is far nicer and does the job of all three.

https://chapmanmfg.com/

 

[alton1911]

I've got a few. One is dual standard bits, another dual phillips bits, and a third takes hex bits. I'm thinking 60's.

Though the Chapman bit set and driver is far nicer and does the job of all three.

https://chapmanmfg.com/

I have a few different types of bit drivers and limited space screwdrivers some look very much like the Chapman ratchet.
Love the video.
Thanks
alton1911

 

[bonneyman]

Glad the vid helped!

I know I have one or two General Tools versions of this wrench. not nearly as stout as the Chapman, not as old and cool as the Stanley's.

 

[MikeRock]

Re the vintage: Wikipedia says that Stanley owned the Yankee brand from 1946 to the early 2000's.

 

[gungatim]

I've got 3 of those, all flat head. I don't use them often, but when I run across flat head screws on older stuff, mainly small engines, they are a real time saver. they will break a tight screw lose much easier than trying to use a hex-bolstered screwdriver with a wrench. only thing better is a hand impact. wish I had the Phillips versions, but I have other ones that take changeable bits so I'm good there.

The Stanley Yankee's are my favorite though.

 

[bonneyman]

I was searching thru a tool box for something, and found my two Yankees. Figured I'd post pics for posterity.

 

[d42jeep]

Here are a pair that have been in my toolbox a long time, obviously. The bottom one is pre Stanley from my WW2 Navy NAF set.
-Don

 

[Dave455]

Most woodworkers, and many GJ'ers will know this, but...

'Yankee' was a trademark (to use the English term) of the North Brothers Manufacturing Company.

They were an innovative company making high quality tools before the war. As I understand it, they invented the 'spiral ratchet' screwdriver. When you refer to a 'Yankee screwdriver' here in the U.K. it's a spiral ratchet screwdriver that most folks think of, but the name was applied to all manner of ratcheting screwdrivers.

The original North Brothers tools were of the highest quality. I have 3 that my grandfather bought in I think the 1930's. Despite extensive use, they still work flawlessly!

I assume Stanley bought the rights to the design and the name. They made these tools for decades, in the U.S. and the U.K. but with every design change the quality got poorer. The last tools are a poor epitaph for a classic design. Didn't know that Stanley don't own the mark any more!

In the end it was the cordless drill / driver that killed these, though I still use mine!

 

[d42jeep]

After Dave's comments above, I didn't hesitate in grabbing this North Bros. Yankee screwdriver at an estate sale this morning.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I recently came across this 9/32 socket bit for a yankee 130/30

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Does anyone know if North Brothers used the "YANKEE" trademark on tools other than screwdrivers? Such as this well-made awl (brass ferrule, heavy steel end cap), for instance?

 

[DadsTools]

Does anyone know if North Brothers used the "YANKEE" trademark on tools other than screwdrivers? Such as this well-made awl (brass ferrule, heavy steel end cap), for instance?

Yes. "Yankee" was the standard brand name for North Bros for other items. There is even an Art Deco Christmas tree stand well known among collectors in that category made and patented by North Bros in the 1930s bearing the YANKEE name. Search 'Yankee 5A'. Don't know about the awl, though. I think I read somewhere that another mfr also used Yankee brand name prior to North Bros.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It's hard to see in the photo I posted, but do you see the forged-in star beneath the screw head? I have several North Brothers screwdrivers (flat head, cabinet, etc, non-ratcheting), but I have never seen that star before. Is it possible this is something else? Or are your North Brothers instincts tingling on this one too?

 

[DadsTools]

It's hard to see in the photo I posted, but do you see the forged-in star beneath the screw head? I have several North Brothers screwdrivers (flat head, cabinet, etc, non-ratcheting), but I have never seen that star before. Is it possible this is something else? Or are your North Brothers instincts tingling on this one too?

Every "Yankee" marked item I've ever seen also had either the earlier North Bros name or the later Stanley. However, as I've pointed out before, really old tools are hard to find in Florida, so what I personally have or have not seen may be of little consequence.

 

[RTM]

Lots of stuff besides screwdrivers. I have a Yankee collectors book, can poke up more details later. Household tools, ice tools I think, etc.

 

[RTM]

Looking at my "North Brothers' Manufacturing Company Product Guide" By Joe Ward, 2000 edition, I don't see an Awl or an Ice pick in the book. Unfortunately, it doesn't have an index or TOC, and the tools are arranged in numerical order. (What number is the tool? rhetorical ?)

Did find this on another page, going with Ice Pick. Do a "Ctl F" for Yankee. There are other versions marked "Gilchrist" on the ferrule, but I couldn't read them in the pix.

http://www.icetoolcollection.com/1p3cappedhandles.htm

 

[DadsTools]

Looking at my "North Brothers' Manufacturing Company Product Guide" By Joe Ward, 2000 edition, I don't see an Awl or an Ice pick in the book. Unfortunately, it doesn't have an index or TOC, and the tools are arranged in numerical order. (What number is the tool? rhetorical ?)

Did find this on another page, going with Ice Pick. Do a "Ctl F" for Yankee. There are other versions marked "Gilchrist" on the ferrule, but I couldn't read them in the pix.

http://www.icetoolcollection.com/1p3cappedhandles.htm

Nice find! Sure does look like Lugz' tool. Same markings. Unfortunately, no indication on that one as to who actually made it. The adjacent similar example with the same end cap markings and also marked Gilchrist seems a strong indication that Gilchrist was the actual mfr.

I'm still leaning toward it not being a North Bros or Stanley, since again, I don't recall ever seeing any of their Yankee-marked tools without also having the NB or Stanly name on it as well, and nothing with a star like that.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Agreed. I was already interrogatively leaning toward a different "Yankee" back in post #14 due to the star.

Thanks for the legwork, RTM. I'm happy with it being a Gilchrist icepick. I had the cap off to clean it. It's heavy. And not only is it secured with a screw, it has two little wedges on the inside that dig into the wood to prevent it from twisting.

 

[gnpenning]

Most woodworkers, and many GJ'ers will know this, but...

'Yankee' was a trademark (to use the English term) of the North Brothers Manufacturing Company.

They were an innovative company making high quality tools before the war. As I understand it, they invented the 'spiral ratchet' screwdriver. When you refer to a 'Yankee screwdriver' here in the U.K. it's a spiral ratchet screwdriver that most folks think of, but the name was applied to all manner of ratcheting screwdrivers.



When I saw the heading the ratcheting screwdriver is what I was thinking. Clearly not the only thing they make, but for my area the most common.

 

[RTM]

Quick list of big categories they made

Sets of the below items, with bits,
Ratcheting Screwdrivers
Push Drills
Eggbeater Drills and Drill presses
Braces and Push Braces
breast drills
Pocket non ratcheting screwdrivers w changeable tips
screwdrivers
tap wrench w ratchet
vises and swivel vises
Drill chucks for braces
Right angle ratchet screwdrivers, and an allen wrench version

Non Tool things
Cream beater
ice chippers, but not Lugz's
whisks
cake pans
candle holders
ice shave
scales
fluters and plaiters
Christmas tree stands
tobacco shave and cutter
grinder (with a haggis recipe Wanda!)
Ice cream makers and ice breakers

 

[d42jeep]

I thought that I would resurrect this old thread to show my new Stanley Yankee push drill found at an estate sale yesterday. It doesn’t seem to have been used very much and has a nice selection of bits in the handle
-Don

 

[WisJim]

The Stanley Yankee 41Y that I got this weekend had 10 bits in the handle, and 4 of them were spiral drill bits, rather than fluted like ordinary Yankee drill bits, but they are made to fit the Yankee push drills. The interesting thing is that they are number sizes rather than fractional inch sizes. One is #30, and three are #33. I checked them against my number drill bit stand and they are sized as marked.

 

[bonneyman]

I thought that I would resurrect this old thread to show my new Stanley Yankee push drill found at an estate sale yesterday. It doesn’t seem to have been used very much and has a nice selection of bits in the handle
-Don

Was the name of the estate sale "Time Capsules R Us"? That tool looks outstanding!

 

[Beerhippie]

I thought that I would resurrect this old thread to show my new Stanley Yankee push drill found at an estate sale yesterday. It doesn’t seem to have been used very much and has a nice selection of bits in the handle
-Don

That was the cordless drill of my youth! I learned to sharpen those straight-flute bits at about 10 years of age.

Except that the one my father had was never that nice....

 

[d42jeep]

I found another Stanley Yankee push drill with bits at a Tahoe yard sale today.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I don’t seem to be able to leave nice examples of these behind when I see them at sales. This one came with a good complement of bits and looked lightly used.
-Don