I bought this set of Brookstone screwdrivers for my Dad 40+ years ago...
He obviously used them, and kept them together all these years (although the styrofoam display case is gone... I know, hard to believe!)
And now they're back to me. A search of the interwebz finds nothing about them, which is quite amazing. They've stood the test of time, and will find a prominent home in my Dutch Tool Chest for sure. Just surprised there's no trace of them in cyberspace.
Anyone ever seen these before?
Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. - OldTools Archive -
Yes, that exactly. And most always a catalog would be in the seat pocket in front of you in the airplane. There used to be actual stores in many airports.
Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. - OldTools Archive -
I'm thinking gone are the days you would get such a set of screwdrivers that didn't create need for a mortgage adjustment. It was just about the 40 years ago timeline where that really happened. Seems a correlation to open trade with Chiner, and Americans becoming fond of throwaway junk at low low prices.
Brookstone when bankrupt quite a while ago now. I think that I saw that someone bought the name and uses it to market stuff on line. The never made anything themselves, their branded stuff was just stuff made by others with their logo on it so if you look for something similar, you may figure out who actually made it.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
I've come across a German manufacturer by the name of "Wiha" that currently offers a five-piece set with all the key traits of my Brookstone example: posi-drive shank, overall handle shape, Germany, etched tips on the slotted drivers, five piece. The assumption is Bookstone contracted mfgr of their screwdrivers to Wiha and applied their name, so a bit of variation is to be expected. Today's product is a bit fancier than mine, but hey it's been over 40 years. Gonna call this 'solved' unless something more compelling shows up someday.
Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. - OldTools Archive -
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a huge fan of what i have! The background research is just something I tend to do with tools I come across and decide to keep on hand.
Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. - OldTools Archive -
Screw drivers are a tough read as to quality. After their ability to properly fit a screw it comes down to metallurgy. Are they too soft so they round over and/or bend. or too hard where they snap off?
All the craftsman drivers I bought over the years were too soft but fortunately I took advantage of the warranty and kept swapping for new ones. Haven't found a proper brand, but I do have a miniature set of the Wiha for electronics work and they are excellent, even far better than my Xcelite (too soft).
Brookstone was a retailer that advertised "Hard to find tools." I still have several purchased in the 1970s. A set of carving chisels identical in every respect except color to the Millers Falls set. A set of needle files I used to duplicate a small key only yesterday. And a pair of offset, ratcheting screwdrivers.
Sadly, they moved into the artsy fartsy merchandise and went under.
