Stanley Yankee age estimation

[TomiRosso]

Hello,

I have wondered, how old my Yankee rachet screwdrivers are. I have coulpe of 131A models marked Made in Sheffield, England. Some are under Stanley Works and others Stanley Tools. From which era those could be? British made stanleys have quite few info in web.

BR,
TR

 

[Rhyolith]

I think post 1950 as thats roughly when Stanley got the designs from North Bros of Philadelphia. I don't know anything that could pin it down further.

 

[Vann]

Stanley bought out North Bros. in 1946 (18th April I believe) and continued to manufacture a lot of the "Yankee" range in the States. When they shifted production of the "Yankee" screwdrivers to Sheffield I don't know.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Vann]

...I have coulpe of 131A models marked Made in Sheffield, England. Some are under Stanley Works and others Stanley Tools. From which era those could be? ...

Following your question, I've looked a quite a few websites looking for an answer - with no success. So here is what I know:

I bought a number of basket-case "Yankee" 130 screwdrivers for parts, a few years ago (when Stanleytoolparts.com stopped selling parts to the general public). I now have ten 130A models, in various states of disrepair, and a single 130B.

One is a North Bros model, made in Philidelphia, USA, and apparently pre-Stanley (i.e. pre-1946). The other 130As are all marked either "Yankee"/Reg Trade Mark/Made by/Stanley Tools Ltd/Sheffield, England or "Yankee"/Reg Trade Mark/Made by/Stanley Works (GB) Ltd/Sheffield, England.

My original 130A, purchased new in 1973, is one of the Stanley Tools Ltd screwdrivers. The Stanley Works (GB) models look older (less or no paint on the handles) but that's not necessarily proof that they are older.

The sole 130B is marked Stanley/West Germany. I find this interesting because, to be marked West Germany, it must have been manufactured before reunification towards the end of 1990, yet several websites suggested that they were still being made in Sheffield until the 2000s (I believe the last Stanley planes came out of Sheffield in 2004 - maybe that's when Stanley shut down UK production?). Were they producing the 130 in UK and Germany simultaneously?

Anyway, to sum up: I don't know when Stanley UK commenced production of the 130, 131 and 135 spiral ratchet screwdrivers, but I believe the earlier ones were marked Stanley Works (GB) while by 1973 they had changed to Stanley Tools Ltd. I don't know if Stanley UK changed to the 130B model, or continued to produce the 130A model until the end of production - rumoured to be in the 2000s.

Hopefully others can contribute to this discussion. In particular it would be good to hear from anyone with a British 130B.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Rhyolith]

Vann, you probably already seen this. There is a fairly good article on Spiral Screwdrivers on wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_screwdriver

 

[AndyT]

This sort of question comes up fairly frequently - alongside queries about the dates when Stanley started and stopped production of various tools in their Sheffield factories.

I reckon I have a fairly good collection of bookmarked sites on tool history, but I don't know of any useful study of what was made by Stanley in England, when.

I can easily find that the huge factory at Rugby Street is used to host ghost hunts and Zombie Days and one of those sites tells me it closed as recently as 2008, having been Chapman's until 1937.

Does anyone know of any useful studies online or elsewhere? Or is this something where all the published information is American and nobody in the UK has got round to doing anything publicly available?

 

[Boringgeoff]

I am very interested in James Chapman, less so Stanley, and have to agree, Andy, that it's very hard to get any information on either company in the UK. I find it quite surprising that Chapman being such an important manufacturer in Sheffield that they could attract a takeover by Stanley USA, as outlined by Vann, and yet hardly rate a mention in UK publications.
A very good piece of advice I was given by a member of the Kelham Island Museum was "if it looks like it was made by Chapman it probably was" I use that point of view all the time and have managed to get myself into the occasional argument with it.
The timeline overlap with braces marked J Chapman by Stanley Works (GB) is this Stanley phasing themselves onto the UK market or phasing Chapman out? Sorry this has nothing to do with Yankee screwdrivers, more a denunciation of you British chaps and chapesses for your lack of dedication to your history.
Cheers,
Geoff.

 

[TomiRosso]

I have both, Stanley Tools and Stanley Works screwdrivers and those are 131A and 130A models all. Also one 130B was and also made in West-Germany. Chuck construction was little bit different than those A models. And handles was plastic. I haven't seen British made B model either yet.

I have noticed too that information is very hard to find. I have made same conclusion based on what tools looks like that Stanley Works drivers are older. But this is only ques. They looks like have more wear and handles painting looks little bit older. One Stanley Works 130A looks that it's pretty much same conditoin as my only North Bros screwdriver 30A is.

I think that all information about British Stanleys are interesting. Not only yankee ones.

There I found that one man has try to do some type stydy of English Stanley Planes. It can be found at timetestedtools page. I can't paste links here for some reason.

BR,
TR

 

[RogerP]

.............. Sorry this has nothing to do with Yankee screwdrivers, more a denunciation of you British chaps and chapesses for your lack of dedication to your history.
Cheers,
Geoff.

We've so much history stretching over the last two millennium that the past of a few types of tool gets lost in the melee,

 

[Boringgeoff]

Sorry Roger I should have known better, as I was pulled into line by a English work colleague some years ago who informed me that "we've got doors that are older than any buildings in Australia".
Now back to the subject, could the date of Britain entering the ECC in 1973 (?) give us a starting date for Stanley manufacturing in West Germany? Or did the West German connection come from USA?
In examples of braces made by Stanley Australia they are the Stanley UK design and share the British model numbers with an "A" prefix rather than the American designs/ numbers.
Cheers,
Geoff.

 

[Rhyolith]

Sorry Roger I should have known better, as I was pulled into line by a English work colleague some years ago who informed me that "we've got doors that are older than any buildings in Australia".

I believe the Autrailia has some of the oldest geology on the planet, possible oldest rock on the surface and not recycled by tectonics. So in terms of natural history, Australia has Britain outclassed

I have a E. preston brace than seems basically Identical to some chapman ones, is there a link there too?

 

[Boringgeoff]

Yes Rhyolith, I've seen a brace branded Edward Preston with James Chapmans Reg' No 239718, which I doubt that could have been made by any other than Chapman.
Completely off topic again, you are quite right about the age of the geology here in Aus'. The aboriginal rock art which in the Pilbara region of WA is rock pecking or carving, as opposed to painting, is extremely ancient. (Google: Burrup Peninsular Rock Art) The surface colour of the rock is deep brown/red but inside it's grey. The fact that those carvings have weathered and oxidised points to their age.
Cheers,
Geoff.

 

[TomiRosso]

In particular it would be good to hear from anyone with a British 130B.

I saw just one day Made in England by Stanley Tools 130B model. That was unused, with plastic handles. Construction looked at same than that 130B made in West-Germany, that I previously owned. That was with plastic handles too.

Did Stanley changed plastic handles to wood before they closed production? Or do I remember right?

BR,
TR

 

[TomiRosso]

Okei, now I got hard fact about one screwdriver age.

Previous owner father has bought it as new. He has marked date of buying and price under the box. That screwdriver is bought at 16.06.1956. It says "Yankee" No. 130A/Reg Trade Mark/Made by/Stanley Works (GB) Ltd/Sheffield, England. That is at really good gondition. Box had some wear, but it is natural. There was also this kind of paper inside.

 

[JohnPW]

Is the handle made from wood?

 

[TomiRosso]

Is the handle made from wood?

Yes it is.