Most useful hand tools that are no longer made

[Rhyolith]

Going round modern tool shops I am always struck by how gimmicky the hand tools are and how it would be much better if this was a tool shop from 50+ years ago. As such my hand tools are sourced nearly exclusively secondhand, more often than not they just do the job better.

So whats the most useful hand tool you own that is not longer made? Including ones that are still made, but not the the quality you would like.

----

My pick would be this classic, the 131 size Yankee screwdriver:

Yankee by Rhyolith, on Flickr
Spiral Ratchet, the Yankee Screwdriver by Rhyolith, on Flickr

I first discovered these while boatbuilding, and found them superb for dealing the delicate brass screws as they were fast but still had that full manual control drill/drivers lack. Since then my North Bros 131A (above) and my first Yankee, a Stanley 131 (below), have done an excellent job of keeping my electric drivers in their boxes

Stanley England "Yankee" No.131 by Rhyolith, on Flickr
Stanley England "Yankee" No.131 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

Note: I am specifically choosing the largest size (131) as I don't find the smaller ones quite as useful.

I have heard rumours that these are still made in Germany, but as yet no examples to prove it or confirm they are good quality.

 

[NazNomad]

What, no Jubilee clip around them? :-D

 

[Stanleymonkey]

I'm with you on the pump action drivers. So useful - but I normally end up with both my kids 'helping' drive every screw in because they are so much fun to use.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Add to the list a push drill. Great for starting or making screw holes. This is a Miller Falls ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Argus]

Stanley 82 scraper..... the older version.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=stanl ... jOmc1gM%3A


Hard to find in the UK.

 

[t8hants]

As a boatyard apprentice you weren't allowed a Stanley Yankee until you were out of your time, as the damage you can achieve with one on finished work is quite outstanding!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've two Spiralux 131s. I also have a snail countersink that has been honed on the inside that will take out a 1/2" countersink in one push. If was screwing down decking or anything I kept a screwdriver in one and the countersink in the other.

 

[bugbear]

Given how cheap they are at car boots, I own a Yankee, but I don't like it; I tend more to use a ratchetless brace to drive screws, access permitting.

As an aside to karlpolly10, I prefer ratchetless braces (where usable) since they're lighter, shorter, and have no wobble or lash in the head. A ratchet always has a little slack, and a poor ratchet has lotsa' slack.

If you can only afford one brace it has to be a ratchet, because sometimes you need a ratchet, but if (in the age of £1 s/h braces) you can afford multiple braces, you can probably use a ratchetless 80% of the time.

BugBear

 

[dickm]

As a boatyard apprentice you weren't allowed a Stanley Yankee until you were out of your time, as the damage you can achieve with one on finished work is quite outstanding!

+1 for that!
Years ago, I was chatting to a joiner who worked on the Royal Trains in Wolverton workshop, where apparently they used them all the time. Commented on the ease of trapping bits of finger between handle and bit holder and his comment was "yes, but you only do it once!".

 

[bugbear]

As a boatyard apprentice you weren't allowed a Stanley Yankee until you were out of your time, as the damage you can achieve with one on finished work is quite outstanding!

They're "OK" on Phillips/Pozi/Torx. Straight-slot, not so much.

BugBear

 

[CHJ]

As a boatyard apprentice you weren't allowed a Stanley Yankee until you were out of your time, as the damage you can achieve with one on finished work is quite outstanding!

They were very much frowned upon around Aircraft as well, the resultant dings and scratches in fuselage or wing skin being a good source of corrosion or start of a fatigue crack.

 

[bugbear]

As a boatyard apprentice you weren't allowed a Stanley Yankee until you were out of your time, as the damage you can achieve with one on finished work is quite outstanding!

They were very much frowned upon around Aircraft as well, the resultant dings and scratches in fuselage or wing skin being a good source of corrosion or start of a fatigue crack.

That must have been a later development; in footage (pathé films etc) of WWII aircraft being built, they're everywhere,

BugBear

 

[Argus]

Thank Gawd they invented the electric drill-driver, that's all I can say..... :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:

 

[CHJ]

That must have been a later development; in footage (pathé films etc) of WWII aircraft being built, they're everywhere,

BugBear

A few dings were not a major consideration in WWII were they,-----Average lifespan? Priorities? Airframe speed? Pressurisation?

If I or in later years any of my team servicing this and it's fellow trials aircraft had been seen with one they would not have been flavour of the day.
Putting your name to the Form 700 for flight clearance and design drawings for something like this makes you very conscious that peoples lives depend on being quality conscious.

History



Sorry for the thread Hijack Rhyolith, but it's a very rare occasion my pump drivers come out of the toolbox, some things just get drummed into you very firmly.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I understand your reservations about them in specialist applications like aerospace and boat building. Myself, doing general round the home carpentry, find them still really useful in any application where I still want to "feel" the tension on the screw to avoid over tightening. So I still use them in situation where having the National Grid driving the tool is overkill. I have 3 sizes, the monster, middle (most oft used) and a diddy one that I rarely use.

The bits are (obviously) kept in an Old Holborn tobacco tin

 

[CHJ]

The bits are (obviously) kept in an Old Holborn tobacco tin

No way,it's got to be one of Dads St. Bruno Flake tins.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

 

[CHJ]

Oh for a kit full of "Perfect Handle Screwdrivers" they have always been a thing of desire for me, unfortunately the ones that were in the family went walkabout many years ago.

 

[joethedrummer]

Good morning,, regarding the tobacco tins,, just had to go out to the shed and check a few,, and it sure is true that my forbears had no
allegiance to any particular brand and by the quantity they sure liked to smoke !!!
,,,joe,,,

 

[RogerP]

http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Per ... -of-4.html