SCREWDRIVER VARIATIONS

[Chuck Lutz]

Mark....an excellent idea!

However...even if there were no 6" IRWINs bought from WWII until after 1950 ...then all we need is to find out WHEN they actually WERE introduced with the 41 marking.

Hmm....were there any screwdrivers in the 1947-1951 repacks?

If so, did they have the 41 marking on them? At least those have a date stamped on the boxes as to WHEN they were packed....and that is the kind of info that would be very valuable in this search.

[lt.luke]

Mark, that's a good row to hoe, but I only partially agree with you. I am willing to bet that tools were produced under contract for the Army after WWII. Maybe in lesser quantities, but the military still needed tools for the motorpool. The vehicles obviously didn't vanish, they just didn't make any more new ones.

[Mark Tombleson]

Mark, that's a good row to hoe, but I only partially agree with you. I am willing to bet that tools were produced under contract for the Army after WWII. Maybe in lesser quantities, but the military still needed tools for the motorpool. The vehicles obviously didn't vanish, they just didn't make any more new ones.

The tools used during WWII didn't vanish either... but the amount of men in service did. This is what I'm trying to get across... they had plenty of new and used equipment, tools & parts... so much so they were selling surplus left and right. Why buy new tools when you have so much inventory you are selling?

[lucakiki]

Mark, in favor of what you say, one could think of the many unused tools among the repacked tools. They had plenty. And at least for jeeps, the postwar manuals required a very thinned down kit.

[lt.luke]

It's a good argument. Don't forget that the Government and by extension, the U.S. Military are not organizations that rely as much on common sense as one would think. I can fathom that they were buying new tools at a lesser quantity while at the same time selling off brand new tools on the surplus market.

From personal experience, I have seen items ordered to replace "lost" items which were later found. I've also seen plenty of new and serviceable stuff thrown away.

Don't forget, they had to order all new screwdrivers after 1950 to get ones that met the spec with the part number.

[MB399579]

And what about these variation ?
Ryan tools screwdriver : correct design, correct lenght. I keep it considering it for a motorpool kit.

[lucakiki]

I was reading again this thread , while searching for IRWIN information.
I found it interesting enough to make it worth reviving.

Apparently, the Irwin information is far from exhaustive, at the present day.
The only kind that cannot be questioned, at the moment, is the IRWIN stamped on wood.
It appears in an unmolested Dodge kit, in the " Ford" picture of JAN 15 44 SNL G-503, and also in www.g503.com/tools
Far from me the idea of questioning the other kinds, but the stamped on Wood get my vote as top choice.

[Roger]

This is the second one I have found lately! Glad I kept the rabbits foot close!

[lt.luke]

Hi Chuck,

It seems that all varities of the "Perfect Handle" type screwdriver have their own unique charicateristics. Although similar from across the room the individualism shows when looking close up

From the top view, very similar. Irwin may be a tad larger diameter shaft. The Torbrin has the "triangle 6" showing the length of the blade. (at least on the model I have) But very similar to the Vlchek. More differances show when viewed from the side in the wood. (as you have suggested). Not sure, but I think there are different logos for Torbrin. Mine is the barber pole scroll in block letters. (soon to be restored)


Some +/- length variations show

Barber pole logo

[lucakiki]

I revived this thread because it is still good reading.
Nice pictures, to boot, that some newcomers might have missed.
The knowledge about jeep screwdrivers has not improved, to my knowledge so the whole thread appears to me as fairly updated.
Enjoy!

[Chuck Lutz]

....and a very interesting one!
I have compared my two screwdrivers that are otherwise used and appear unmarked with the three in Roger's pic....one of them is a dead ringer for the TOBRIN after comparing the TOP and the SIDE view.....the other is a dead ringer for the IRWIN.

So while I still would like to know what the hell a FAIRMOUNT looks like, until MORE guys post pics of the Perfect Handle screwdrivers they have so we can add/eliminate mfgers on a LIST....I think I have an Ink-Stamped IRWIN and an early TOBRIN that is NOT marked on the tip or has the barber-pole marking on the shank.

I want to bring up the contention that more than just the IRWIN were initially produced with an ink-stamped marking that gave way to the roll-stamped shank....the Vlchek marked one is stamped into the wood....the FEDERAL screwdrivers are found with roll-stamping OR with a stamping on the wood so this may be how it was done early on....while we have no FAIRMOUNT example to inspect...yet...I am of the opinion they may have been ink-stamped and the markings are long-gone...with several examples that do not have roll-stampings on them....it is possible one of the FAIRMOUNTs is in someone's pile and is currently identified as an IRWIN or FEDERAL or ?

[Wingnutt]

I'm not sure if this is of any value, Chuck, but here are the four (4) 11" hvy duty integral handle type III screwdrivers that I own:

Top to Bottom:
(1) IRWIN MADE IN USA ink-stamped handle
(2) IRWIN-USA machine-stamped shank
(3) Unmarked (Dead Ringer IRWIN with no ink-stamped handle, in my opinion...)
(4) IRWIN-USofA GOV. STOCK #41-S-1076 machine-stamped shank


Same order on their sides


Shanks view


Same order left to right, butt ends

[Chuck Lutz]

Based on the design elements the two roll-stamped shank IRWINs share with the one ink-stamped IRWIN, I would identify the #3 in your list as yet another ink-stamped IRWIN.

Now if we can get some others to post the SAME angled photos you just did of any they have, be they marked or un-marked.....we could start to confirm if in fact the design of the IRWIN is unique and confirm your #3 is an IRWIN ink-stamped model.

Thanks for contributing!

[lucakiki]

Up to the top again! Three pages of interesting reading, including some between the lines reading that is also very useful, for those who are versed in this kind of exercise.
Unfortunately some pictures are not visible any more, but some interesting and useful images are there, including recent ones.
Thanks, Wingnut!

[lucakiki]

BTT one more time merely to reunite this thread with the other that has been revived by Jeff B.:it would be a nice thing if anyone concerned, including any newbie who might have joined the game in recent times, could have a look at the concepts rather than at the authors.
Personally I still own quite a bunch of Irwins of the three kinds,as shown above, so I claim a fairly unbiased status.
OK?