Vintage Snap On help

[Jnmario]

I am pretty sure this is an old Snap On phillips. Can anyone confirm? I am referring of course to the wooden handled stubby phillips. I've included some pics of a couple other pieces as well. Thanks, you are all awesome and I appreciate this site so much.

 

[thehorse13]

The patent on that stubby belongs to the Philips Screw Company. That's not a SnapOn. The mid 30s wooden stubby SnapOn was made of maple with a rounded top. Yours is flat.

 

[Jnmario]

The patent on that stubby belongs to the Philips Screw Company. That's not a SnapOn. The mid 30s wooden stubby SnapOn was made of maple with a rounded top. Yours is flat.

Thank you. Looks like it says "Snap On" on the wood there, partially visible. That's why I was thinking it was Snap On. I appreciate the help.

 

[thehorse13]

I can see an, "O" and what appears to be a "P". If somehow you're able to uncover the rest of the word puzzle and it does indeed turn out to be a Snap-On, it will be the first I've seen like this one.

We have a resident Snap-On expert, SnapMom. If anyone can solve the mystery definitively, it's her.

 

[snapmom]

With that type of handle, color, it would probably have been a Blue Point.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Phillips did not make screwdrivers. They took licensing fees from manufacturers and assigned them a license number for the right to make screwdrivers with their patented cross-recess tip. You will see it stamped on the shank or ferrule, usually in abbreviated form, followed by a hyphen and a number (e.g., LIC-4, etc). If it is indeed a Blue-Point screwdriver, it should be a LIC-1. I have a little running tally going in a sort of flea market cheat sheet/guide I publish for WWII collectors, since sometimes we run into unbranded screwdrivers, or screwdrivers with a worn marking, in which case (like yours!), the License # can help identify the mfgr.

LIC-1: Stanley, Blue-Point
LIC-2: IRWIN, Apex
LIC-3:
LIC-4:
LIC-5:
LIC-6: Vlchek
LIC-7: BHM
LIC-8: Bonney

We're not sure why some mfgrs shared a license number. One theory is cooperative fees. Another is one mfgr who owned the license made them for another (i.e., Stanley for Blue-Point).

As a point of interest, in 1937 Phillips had 4 licensees. By 1942, there were 19!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

One more data point for you. Your screwdriver was made between 1936 and 1949. In 1950, Phillips was granted another patent (2,507,231). Screwdrivers with that patent number on the shank or ferrule were made after 1950.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

LIC-1: Stanley, Blue-Point
LIC-2: IRWIN, Apex
LIC-3:
LIC-4:
LIC-5:
LIC-6: Vlchek
LIC-7: BHM
LIC-8: Bonney

You might be interested in this thread.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=329052&highlight=phillips+lic