I served 20 years in Navy Aviation (1972-1992) with about 3 years running the Squadron Tool Control Program in my final years, and 18 months calibrating torque wrenches, pressure gages and cable tensiometers. I learned a bit about inspecting and caring for tools used on aircraft.
Now, that's a gift. He clearly appreciated those screwdrivers himself in that mint condition. Whether he realised Adam would appreciate them more, or whether it was out of appreciation for all Adam has done, giving these away was a sacrifice.
I appreciate any driver that doesn't shred itself bc made from crummy metal. So many chinesium driver points out there! All 100% disposable after first use. How did we get here??
Most of the best carpenters I've worked with has had a high respect for their tools, but all of the bad carpenters I've met treated their tools like shit.
As an electrician, this is a lesson I learned early even in my apprenticeship. The guys who kept a clean van and took care of not only their tools, but borrowed tools as well, were the ones you wanted to ~really~ learn everything you could from, while the dudes with trashed vans and busted tools were the ones you never let borrow so much as a hammer. Suffice to say, I now keep an immaculate van, care for my tools, and clean borrowed tools off before handing them back to their owner's hand directly.
Unfortunately, bastards like that don't care. When i was a kid, my father and i went into a kmart for some stuff and on the way out he won a Tasmanian Devil plush from a vending machine. We stopped at a gas station, it was mid day, lots of people around. We went in, come out, only to find someone broke into his truck to specifically steal the Tasmanian devil plush he won. Granted, with his luck and skill it only costed him 25 cents. But he was seething over the concept of breaking into a vehicle to steal a kids toy.
probably got sold to someone not long after it was stolen, it's out in the world somewhere, perhaps in an unused tool box in a garage gathering dust. The chances of ever finding it again are so tiny but it would be crazy if one day it re-appeared with the identifying blue paint on the end.
I had a half pound hammer like that a few years back. When it was gone I bought the most similar looking one I could find and spent a few hours sanding the handle and head to the same size and shape. It's not the same but it's close enough.
There is nothing more satisfying then giving something to someone, be it gift or donation etc and seeing the genuine pleasure and enjoyment that person gets from it. Knowing you did right, chose right is just such an awesome feeling. I bet that's how the gentleman who gave these to Adam feels just top of the world seeing Adam make a video to show it off and thank him.
And in say 40 years, Adam's descendants can travel to THE REPAIR SHOP and ask those descendants of the current crew of craftspeople to restore the cardboard that is holding the units. Those folks are absolute masters when it comes to bringing things back to life.
Times are very odd in America and I keep coming back to your channel as a reprieve from the outside world. You bring solace and balance to a difficult to navigate globe. Thank you.
Family story: way back when, my parents loaned a wooden-handle screwdriver to some friends, didn’t get it back for years (and Mum probably used it at much as Dad did). One year, those friends returned it as a Christmas gift. Ever since then, that screwdriver has been a Holiday decoration. We’d put it under the Christmas tree each year, and pack it away with the ornaments in January.
@@lanzer22 Yeah, but it wasn’t odd, that was the dynamic of the friendship. Joking around, oddball gag gifts, stuff like that. And my parents kept that screwdriver separate to remember those friends, have a chuckle over it years later. Trust me, they found it funny.
@@thebitterfig9903 without context it certainly sounded weird but with the background that the screwdriver had probably been an in joke between the two then it all makes sense!
Conrad, I’ve never met you, but on behalf of all of Adam’s fans, I’d like to say what you did is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time! Bravo!❤
I have the same Stanley #2 Phillips from my dad. I'm 57 and recall seeing Dad's hands using that screwdriver from the late 70s through the 80s as a kid. It's the best handle and feel of any screwdriver ever. It's my favorite.
Lol, that was great! I was afraid something interrupted Adam (it actually happened yesterday on a sports stream,lol. Two guys talking from different states, and an ad just started talking over them!)
My husband's most treasured possession was a huge Craftsman tool box complete with tools. His grandfather (an engineer) gave it to him on his 18th birthday in 1975.
My late father was a foreman engineer and had a myriad of tools, the favourite of both his and mine were a set of Stanley Yankee ratchet screwdrivers. He died nearly twenty years ago and my stepmother (who inherited all property and possessions) never spoke after that. I'm now 54, and have been tinkering with my own megre tools, aiming to enlarge my inventory. Every time I see a Yankee driver, I think of him and the times I was his little helper in the workshop. Thank you for the upload, I'm certain that your story will ring true with nearly everyone.
My Dad had 2 of those, one larger, and one smaller. He loved that thing so much, he dropped it of his boat docked at Edgewater Marina in Cleveland into Lake Erie. Off came the shoes, pocks emptied and over he went after it. You bet he found it. I got my own about 15 years later and still have it.
I had a Yankee gave it a away a few years back as it was never used, worked in buildings as an electrician and as I worked on a tower screwing in saddles for conduit of trunking I used a jubilee clip on the shaft to stop it from rolling off the tower.
DUDE!! I have 2!! One was my dad's and is older than me and I am almost 63. Once had to send it back to Stanley for repair. Love my Yankee Drill - ratcheting screwdriver.
@@lotuselise4432I’ve got two large Stanley ratchet screwdrivers from the seventies one with a jubilee clip on it so it would not roll away 😂I will never part with them even though I never use them
I loved this video. I'm 63 and feel the same way about my old Craftsman screwdriver. My three kids (now all in their 30's) all got Craftsman screwdrivers from me when they were young kids. They all still love them. Even my 30 daughter. When their mom got remarried my then, 6 year old daughter proudly proclaimed."I have more tools than my new stepdad." Thanks again fro the heart warming video.
Conrad is a Legend. My sons bought be TWO brand new 1982 stanley 25 foot tape measures for Christmas. One to use, one to keep in package. Good young men I have
I used my dad's screwdrivers (old craftsman) for a few years after he passed. I was on a job one day and misplaced one and I spent the afternoon tearing the building apart I was working on to find this screwdriver, which put me way behind schedule. Before this, I didn't realize how much they ment to me or what it ment losing one. I retired the set and they are in my home tool kit which never gets used. My first father's day gift from my kids was a set of craftsman screwdrivers. Not the same but still have meaning to me. Thank you for the content.
Same here, though it was Gedore, which is a massive seller, and while the new sets do not come in a steel box any more, they are still sold. Also have a set of Chinese sockets my father bought, brand new, for around $2, because the one size they did not include in the set was the 13mm socket, the most used one. So all he did was add one from his collection of odd sockets, and I still use it as well.
When I was 16 and Christmas came my mother gave me a 300 piece Craftsman Mechanics tool set with a 3 drawer chest to commemorate me getting my license and a car. Im 57 now, and I still have that set and the chest. Although they have been aged and worn as you would expect 40+ years to do. I covet them like few other of my possessions, both for the memories of my mother but also for the vast amount of repairs that they have given me. I took it to heart so well that I did the same for my own children when they hit that milestone. May your blue tipped screwdriver find its way back to you
@@chogidog I bought the 174-pc Craftsman socket/wrench set at Sears in late 1995. If I had known what was going to happen with those brands, I'd have saved my pennies and splurged on the biggest set!
Being addicted to my phone, its hard to stay focused on just someone talking. But Adam speaks with passion about theses things and I always find myself tuning in. Thank you
The level of appreciation you have for such tools despite so many of us overlooking them for just another screwdriver is kind of crazy. The fact they're in still in the original packaging is something else.
My dad had a bunch of tools. Most of them, by default, went to my youngest brother after dad passed away. A point of contention because I was never even asked by my mother if I wanted any of them. They just sort of became my brothers. The exception, is a screwdriver that dad gave me years ago when he was still alive. It is a Craftsman 41294 which is a #1 Phillips. Clear, but now yellowed clear, handle with a blue band around the base of the handle, mostly now worn off. I had asked dad if I could borrow a phillips years ago to do some work on a computer. I was probably 14 at the time. He handed me this one and told me to keep it. It had been obviously most recently used to stir a can of blue paint, lol. This was probably ~1994 if not a year or so prior. It's one of the only tools dad ever gave me as I was not the "mechanic" in the family I was the computer guy. This screw driver is everything to me. It has been involved in every desktop PC, laptop, server, piece of network gear, or any other electronics hardware that has a phillips screw in it. And just a few days ago putting the rack mount ears on my new 2.5gbt network switch for my home lab. I keep this screwdriver close to me. I don't loan it out, I don't even use it outside that often and it never leaves my hand except for my pocket. I don't lay it down. So I can very much relate to you having at least some of your father's tools. My dad was a jack of all trades, master of none type but was very much a DIY'er. Something that all of us brothers inherited to some degree. Thank you for sharing your story! Your career and your talent never ceases to amaze me, especially as I have zero artistic talent. lol. Again thank you for sharing everything that you do, Adam.
I love the craftsman screwdrivers handles those are my favorite, all Philips have a blue band and if I remember correctly the flat heads have a red band, torx heads are a black band, the nut drivers have a grey handle with bands different colors for sizes
My grandfather had a full set of Workmaster screwdrivers in his garage. He tinkered on all sorts of things. We bought him a new set of tools for Christmas one year, and he seemed excited at first, but we later realized he put the new screw drivers in a junk drawer and kept the other wrenches and tools he wanted out of the kit.
I still have my dad's old Sears tools in his old Sears tool box that he had purchased before I was born, I'm 60 years old now and I will always keep that the rest of my life, there's something truly special about those old original tools❤
I certainly understand having the two precious screwdrivers and not wanting to open them. I could see a one day build of a display case on the horizon!
A true gift is something that has sentimentality about it, you can't find anywhere, and was given in the knowledge the joy it will bring the recipient. This qualifies.
As a collector, I'm hardcore about keeping stuff brand new. But knowing that you are someone who tinkers with everything and seeing you keep something sealed is impressive. Respect
When I was 16 (1976), I purchased a few tools to call my own, and one was a 65-302 Workmaster #2 Philips. I still have it, the two Stanly straight blade screwdrivers, adjustable wrench, vise grips and slip joint pliers I bought that day. From Jamesway discount department store. For Christmas, my parents gave me a Wards Powerkraft socket set, and Proto metric combination wrenches, which I still have and use.
YES! I have the "4 way reversible shaft" driver. It is one of my favorite tools. I have never found another that fits my hand so well. It feels less like a tool and more like an extension of my hand that can do such amazing things. As a historic home renovator, I end up doing a bunch of trades (often in the same day!). Plumbing, electrical, framing, drywall, finish carpentry, ductwork.... This is the ONE tool that travels between all my tool bags/belts. Thank you for highlighting these simple but profound tools.
Adam, thanks for making this video, my father worked for Stanley tools for many years and passed away when I was young. I still have a few of these as well and they mean a lot to me but they are all just the best tools of the trade.
It's a shame that the once proud New Britain manufacturing is all but gone now. I still remember the Stanley TV commercials during football games back in the 70's..
In the early 1990s I complained to my Dad that I didn’t have a single good screwdriver in my toolbox. He bought me a set of Craftsman professional screwdrivers, the black handle ones. I still use that set to this day, although carefully. Dad has been gone for 18 years and I remember him every day using tools like this.
I have such a deep appreciation for well-made tools, thanks in no small part to you and the other makers I follow here. My grandfather (a mechanical and automotive engineer) recently passed and I have inherited a significant portion of his equipment, and it is an incredible honor to task myself with the maintenance, curation, and of course practical usage of them all! I am currently working on restoring his 1940s Craftsman mini-lathe to working condition, as it has sat neglected and rusty for a couple decades, following Hand Tool Rescue's restoration process on a nearly identical model. Thank you, Adam, for inspiring my curiosity and creativity ever since I first saw Mythbusters as a child. I hope to shake your hand one day.
Unless craftsman turn against corporate profiteering, or thrift vs quality, and make the tools they want to use. Why resign yourself when you can excel?
I remember the factory we moved to new britain in the 90s and the factory was already shutting down piece by piece I remember sneaking in and finding drums of steel balls didn't know after the time what they where for
If somebody asked me to close my eyes and picture a screw driver -- the Stanley Workmaster #2 Phillips would instantly appear in my mind. That was our family's primary screwdriver as I grew up in the 80's.
I agree because when I envision an electric guitar, the Fender Stratocaster comes to mind. Same for tools, I grew up with Stanley tools in Singapore so I envision a Stanley screwdriver with that yellow / black handle.
Definitely a trip down memory lane, I’m 50 now and I distinctly remember my dad having a whole set of these, one big flat head in particular was his paint stirrer lol.
Several years after Stanley transitioned from wooden to plastic handles for their ratchet screwdrivers, I stumbled across a long wooden handled version 8,000 miles away in the Falklands. It was thankfully not amongst the many (mostly) antique apprentice tools that were later stolen and even now, 40+ years later evokes memories every time I use it. Hand tools have a very, very personal history and I will never forgive those who steal them.
I recently have been purposely buying hand tools that are not made of rubber. Dipped handles are okay. Rubber eventually goes back to goo and this is a prime example of tools lasting with no rubber. Beautiful.
My father had a set of Stanley screwdrivers when I was a kid in the 90s. The one with the black handle and yellow in between. It was the first set of screwdrivers I ever used when my father was teaching me about repair and woodworking. He is the reason why I am a maker today. Unfortunately he got rid of all his tools, but I'm slowly building my own setup since I've been using big box sets and they get the job done but I do want to have a really nice set of tools in my workshop.
Dad always cheaped out on tools, but had inherited a number of good old stuff. Probably a lot that would go back to 1910's, and he fixed bicycles and accordions so there was a number of tools that I never learned the names for. I've a few Stanley stubby drivers with that colour scheme that I forget where came from, but when I started building up my tool collection, it was mostly for doing electronic repairs so it's a very mixed bag of brands. It's quite mixed between sets and individual too. A red a black Britool PH1 with a 25cm shaft got a lot of use when working on ghettoblasters with deeply recessed screws. It's also an unusual tip that has done ph0 and ph2.
I've got a 66-196 that I got from my dad that is always within reach when I'm at my desk. Never know when I'll need it. And I've needed it a lot over the years for various things. Thanks, dad.
My favorite screwdriver is my General standard muti-set. It us black and the bottom is a magneticly closed sliding tool carousel with 14 of the standard torque, Philips, flat and square double sided bits. The grip feels great and the little plastic bit around the shaft spins so when you are tightening things down you can maintain your grip. The...pommel?/ tool carousel also spins for when you want to maintain pressure while twisting. When a bit isn't in place, the shaft is a 1/4" socket. I've had it for over 10 years and it is invaluable
The pure, genuine, joy and excitement Adam has for simple tools like an old screwdriver set is just so amazing and charming. I, too, understand the joy and nostalgia of certain screwdrivers, but for me it's the late 70's and early 80's Craftsman ones. With the Clear and Red handles that have the squished ball on the top. I still remember playing with them while I "helped" my dad in his workshop as a 6 or 8 year old kid, and my excitement when I got my own set for Christmas one year. I still have those screwdrivers, and I probably always will.
He's right. I have several of these and they are the best. I also have one of my dad's old, paint-splattered, chipped screwdrivers. A 10" flat that was on his bench for decades.
I was working on organizing all the tools my dad and I have when we built our new workshop and I stumbled upon an original set of Vice Grip pliers, the OG's from the 90's that were still US made and the heads were heat treated to allow the teeth to withstand wearing down. I vaguely remember my dad buying them and didn't realize what they were then, but I do now. I used them on a project one day to remove some rusted pins on some tractor jacks and I simply could not believe the difference between them and the cheap sets we had. They gripped hard, didn't slip and got my project done with little hesitation. They will forever live with our tools and I have to make sure they don't disappear.
When I was 8 years old, my father bought me a kid's tool kit. That was 61 years ago, so they were real, but smaller tools. I still have the wooden handled flathead screwdriver. The shaft is slightly bent from trying to pry something open once upon a time, but I will keep it as long as I live. A couple of years later, I used the tool kit to completely disassemble my father's wind-up alarm clock. He came home from work and saw the clock parts spread all over his bed cover. He said, "You better be able to put that together the way it was." And I did. That was when I fell in love with taking things apart and putting them back together again. I eventually got a job with IBM, fixing PCs, printers, and laptops.
Was that one of those tool kits that had the blue paint at the butt end of the wooden handles? Yes! They were real tools, I still have a flat blade screw driver and small claw hammer after over 50 years, myself!
@@randallrun It sounds like it might be the same, or at least similar, tool kit. There was a small claw hammer and other tools I can't remember. I can't vouch for the original paint color as it wore off many years ago from use.
I'm so glad I found this video. I thought I was nuts for searching out long lost tools that I used to have that I really liked. I don't know what it is. You have the tools you take them for granted then they're missing and all of a sudden you want the same thing back but they haven't made it in 15 years.
When I was young I never knew screwdrivers had actual Sizes. When Dad needed me to fetch one he gave me 3 Parameters: Head Type (Phillips or Flathead), Length (Long or Short), Tip Size (Small, Regular, Large). and generally if it didn't quite fit you just Pushed harder. Watching at the 4:11 moment I see that driver has a flat tip. now I'm curious why so I am going to go do some googling and expand my screwdriver knowledge.
My dad has a set of old craftsman screw drivers. He's had and used them before I was born(1990). It's always wonderful to go over and get to use them. Brings be back
I too have a set of old screwdrivers that were given to me by my grandfather when I was 15. They’re Craftsman but old school, and the two Phillips ones are still my go-tos … 45 years later!
Thought I was the only one who is really attached to these screwdrivers. Have 4 in my tool belt and have been there for decades. your right, they just fit the hand. When I go to estate sales and yard sales I always search for these. Thanks....
My dad passed away in '98. I was in college and didn't have anywhere to keep his tools, so my mother gave them a way. I was lucky enough, though, to find a few of them later on and still have them: A Mack ratchet that was my grandfathers from sometime in the 50's, with his initials scratched into the handle. A pair of Crescent waterpump pliers. A tape measure with all the numbers worn off. And a set of pipe clamps. I treasure all of them and use them frequently. I'd be heartbroken if they were ever taken.
I am blessed to have some of my great-grandfathers tools. Naturally, I have tools from my father and grandfather. I am a tool freak, so I am so proud to have tools that other people don't know what they are. Circumference wheels, spoke shaves, etc.
The tool nerd in me (which is pretty much all of me) really enjoyed this. I'd like to say: those are some pretty tough screwdrivers. They served as pry bars in a lot of drum brake jobs. They served as pry bars in a LOT of applications. Hell, I think they were pry bars more than they were screwdrivers in my family's usage. If I'm not mistaken, we even used those to do some demolition! But the tri-lobe or triangular handles are something to appreciate. Also, the sheer quality of the steel. Generally, I have always used the Craftsman screwdrivers to turn screws, but those Stanleys definitely have a place in my heart and toolbox.
Tools we like became kind of augmented with a part of our soul. This is why father's tools give us feeling of father, even if he passed away long time ago. Thank you Adam!
I love these short vignettes! My favorite screwdriver is a blue handle screwdriver that converts from a #2 Phillips to a Flathead that I bought from Radio Shack when I went to work for them in 1980. The tips fit screw heads so they don't slip and round out screw heads and the handle allows me to get enough torque to undo most screws I come in contact with.
It’s a shame so many companies these days often don’t go to the trouble of naming a particular design for their tool sets apart from the model numbers, it definitely had a certain charm that adds to the nostalgia.
@@thedangerzone9399 I could have been more clear, I wasn’t suggesting a lack of model numbers that every modern product has, just that they don’t seem to have common names that are immediately recognizable like “Workmaster” as often anymore. It’s much easier to know what someone is talking about when they say they own a Stanley Workmaster or Handyman screw driver set as opposed to the Stanley set “STHT60025” without looking it up. Of course, the modern naming convention is there if you look and way more useful for managing stock and searching for the exact product you are looking for, it’s just not as fun!
I like that you acknowledge the sentimentality of certain tools. I too, have a tool that could be replaced with a much better version, but the memories it evokes cannot be replaced.
"I've always been garbage adjacent" If there's any phrase that ever deserved to be on a savage industries shirt... that's it. I would so wear that shirt. 😂 Chefs kiss. Perfect.
I have never heard a more acurate description of how a tool feels in ones hands than this one. In my early years, Stanley screw drivers were a part of my growing tool collection in the mid to late 70's and this video brought back the younger version of me doing backyard car repair with only enough tools to fit in a lunch box sized tool box. Among them were four of these very screw drivers. This brought back the wonder of that time and the appreciation of a well built tool. Thank you.
Our grandpa had a Rolls Royce on his bedroom dresser, we didn't learn it was an Avon aftershave bottle until years after he passed. Like you said: The smell (you know it) has deep emotional resonance.
I have a full set plus of these screwdrivers. i have had them since new in the 70s. Along the way I have picked up extras. Besides the ones you have shown there is also the, what I call the "flip" screwdriver with small and large Phillips and flat blade screwdrivers. when my father-in-law recently passed away I also received more, not a complete set, but more. I have loved these screwdrivers for all these years. The smaller Phillips do show wear on the tips as many phillips screwdrivers usually do after some time. By now I have more than two full sets. The triangular grip, I agree its my hand perfectly. I have other screwdrivers of various brands but these Stanleys are my go to drivers. Thank you for showcasing them.
Adam's coverage of these has certainly given me a new appreciation for the bare handful we have in my household, inherited from grandparents' workshops.
I absolutely love your videos. Like many I was a HUGE fan of Mythbusters and your work on that show. I restore and repair Pinball machines for a living now and I too have a favorite screwdriver. My grandfather, who taught me how to use tools, was an electrician. He always carried a set of Proto, wood handled screwdrivers in his kit. When I started working with my hands, he gave them to me. To this day, 35 years later, I still have one of those in my tool bag. The rest have been lost to time and this last Phillips head, a Proto 9784, goes everywhere I go. I lost it too once, while repairing a pin out of state. When I got back and it was gone, I was devastated! I called the client and they couldn't find it. I left him my address and said I would happily give a reward if he could locate it. Two weeks later, I got a package from him. It was y beloved screwdriver and a note telling me how proud he was of my work on his machine. This screwdriver just feels right in my hand, plus it always feels like my grandfather is right there, guiding my hand.
Mt favorites, too. When I got mine in 1987 they were called Stanley Professional, IIRC. Flat blades have smoky green handles, Phillips are yellow. I chose them because of the color difference, then found that they fit my hand very nicely.
Mr Adam Savage. I swear every time I see one of your videos pop up I love every second of it no matter what it is man your videos make my day just that much better thank you.
Had six growing up, can verify. Sadly one production run they used a resin that over time would start to smell like rancid jock in the toolbox. Mother sold all my dads AND my hand tools when he passed so she could move out, didn't know she couldn't read my name on a couple toolboxes. All gone.
The tools I inherited from my father are some of my most priceless possessions. One is a dual box end wrench that he bent with a torch for a specific task. Miss ya dad.
I have some of my father's tools and some of my grandfather's tools. My father passed away last year and my grandfather passed away 20 years ago. Every time I use one of their tools, it brings a smile on my face. Fond memories.
My dad was effectively a banker and SCCA production class racer in the 70's. His tools were stolen. I am a semi retired mechanic who taught at the collegiate level for 5 years. I do have the bent coat hanger he used to adjust the valves on a BMW 1600 or 2002. Also as a semi retired gold and silversmith, I use a modified file to adjust the valves on my 1972 BMW 2002 club race car. My tooling far outstripped his. Lastly, I am now a semi retired building/house/domicile rejuvenator with even more tools. Some of us grew up.
Hi there. I owned a green and red Robertson long shaft Workmaster screwdriver. When I saw a screwdriver review in Consumer Reports about 1975 - 1980 +/- they put one through the break test. The grip is so well designed they broke the original Robertson screw head off. I've used perhaps 50,000 screws + since 1965. We started using The Cluthe brand wing mounted screwdriver shaft which I assume was an OEM Robertson tip pressed into the shaft end. These adaptors were wonderful. You could hold the Screwdrivers upside down and the precise screw and adaptor fit held the screw as if magnetic. I have found ground Robertson adaptors to be very soft and not as reliable so far. A later purchase of these screws was accidently not plated nor hardened and they fell off of the tip. The price per screw rose above the hex head, with slot screw and local wholesalers started transioning over sadly.
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I'd like to plead my case to Adam: tools are meant to be used, and you have plenty treasures in your hoard. You don't really need TWO unopened original vintage screwdrivers, especially not when one of them is the one you're missing from the set! Open that one, honor it by making use of it, as it was intended, and keep the duplicate in it's packaging for posterity. Trust me, it'll feel good. We're only here for a short while, you know this. Use it.
The sad thing here is it's not two of the same driver. One is slotted, and outher is Philips. I believe I had both been Phillips he may have done as you suggested 😮
Dude! I have a favorite screw driver with nostalgia too. A lot of my tools have nostalgia, a lovely record no. 2 bench vise given to me at 7-8yrs old, from a friend of my mothers, who’s husband passed. A glass cutter from my great grandfather’s estate. The only remaining flat blade trilobe handled Stanley from a set I was given for Christmas by my late father. These people’s spirit lives on in my shop.
@@Govanmauler Yeah, old Stanley are just like old Craftsman, back when America built the best. I grew up only a few miles from Stanleys old factory in New Britain CT. That city was once the hardware capital of the world churning out precision machined stuff like crazy, but now all the factories have closed down as production moved overseas.
Shout out to Stanley! I started working on cars with Walmart tools, they used to sell very good Stanley ratchets and sockets that no longer exist. Stanley is incredibly underrated
This is the type of stuff i need to see in 2024. I remember back in the day my neighbors and I would just randomly show up at each others garages with a beer and swap insignificant tools (but insanely significant to us) just for the friendship. Our youth is missing this type of comradorey and it's severely effecting this country in a negative way.
it makes me soo happy to see someone (Especially a person i grew up watching) appreciate things and nostalgia linked emotions, feelings and put it out to the world to see
He literally sent it to one of the few guys out there that will geek over a an old (but gold) screwdriver. Well done.
Exactly. He knew who he was sending it to.
Stuff like this makes me think there’s hope for humanity yet
@@petergentry9995 There isn't though.
I served 20 years in Navy Aviation (1972-1992) with about 3 years running the Squadron Tool Control Program in my final years, and 18 months calibrating torque wrenches, pressure gages and cable tensiometers. I learned a bit about inspecting and caring for tools used on aircraft.
I resell on eBay and I always buy vintage new Stanley screwdrivers when I find them. Lots of people want them and it's an easy flip.
Now, that's a gift. He clearly appreciated those screwdrivers himself in that mint condition. Whether he realised Adam would appreciate them more, or whether it was out of appreciation for all Adam has done, giving these away was a sacrifice.
I appreciate any driver that doesn't shred itself bc made from crummy metal. So many chinesium driver points out there! All 100% disposable after first use. How did we get here??
@@The-KPprofit over quality you know. You know how we got here. It’s too easy to import things and profit as the middle man than to make thing in-situ
My dad once told me: Never respect a man who has no respect for tools.... advice that has served me well my entire life.
Your dad's a good man. Mine taught me how to test for live wires by taste. He wasn't a great influence lol
this is very solid advice
That is a very accurate benchmark
Most of the best carpenters I've worked with has had a high respect for their tools, but all of the bad carpenters I've met treated their tools like shit.
As an electrician, this is a lesson I learned early even in my apprenticeship. The guys who kept a clean van and took care of not only their tools, but borrowed tools as well, were the ones you wanted to ~really~ learn everything you could from, while the dudes with trashed vans and busted tools were the ones you never let borrow so much as a hammer. Suffice to say, I now keep an immaculate van, care for my tools, and clean borrowed tools off before handing them back to their owner's hand directly.
Watching you geek out over such seemingly mundane things is a joy I cannot describe and will always cherish. Adam Savage, you are a treasure.
I'm so sorry for the loss of that original Stanley screwdriver of your fathers. It would be beautiful to see it returned somehow.
haha, yeah I randomly clicked this video, and now I'm just sitting here gutted thinking about that :(
I loved this video!
Unfortunately, bastards like that don't care. When i was a kid, my father and i went into a kmart for some stuff and on the way out he won a Tasmanian Devil plush from a vending machine. We stopped at a gas station, it was mid day, lots of people around. We went in, come out, only to find someone broke into his truck to specifically steal the Tasmanian devil plush he won. Granted, with his luck and skill it only costed him 25 cents. But he was seething over the concept of breaking into a vehicle to steal a kids toy.
probably got sold to someone not long after it was stolen, it's out in the world somewhere, perhaps in an unused tool box in a garage gathering dust. The chances of ever finding it again are so tiny but it would be crazy if one day it re-appeared with the identifying blue paint on the end.
I had a half pound hammer like that a few years back.
When it was gone I bought the most similar looking one I could find and spent a few hours sanding the handle and head to the same size and shape.
It's not the same but it's close enough.
There is nothing more satisfying then giving something to someone, be it gift or donation etc and seeing the genuine pleasure and enjoyment that person gets from it. Knowing you did right, chose right is just such an awesome feeling. I bet that's how the gentleman who gave these to Adam feels just top of the world seeing Adam make a video to show it off and thank him.
Working as an engineer in Sheffield UK in the 90's where Stanley has a factory, Stanley tools have always had a place in my heart.
Stanley is the world's toolbox.
Was that the one on Rutland Road?
And in say 40 years, Adam's descendants can travel to THE REPAIR SHOP and ask those descendants of the current crew of craftspeople to restore the cardboard that is holding the units. Those folks are absolute masters when it comes to bringing things back to life.
They took over the Titan Chisel foundry in Tasmania; I've got a box of some of the last Tassie-made Stanley chisels in my shed.
@@hoilst265
Are they the solid red handled ones ?
Times are very odd in America and I keep coming back to your channel as a reprieve from the outside world. You bring solace and balance to a difficult to navigate globe. Thank you.
Family story: way back when, my parents loaned a wooden-handle screwdriver to some friends, didn’t get it back for years (and Mum probably used it at much as Dad did). One year, those friends returned it as a Christmas gift. Ever since then, that screwdriver has been a Holiday decoration. We’d put it under the Christmas tree each year, and pack it away with the ornaments in January.
Wait, did the friend gave only the screwdriver back as a Christmas present? That's... an odd move. I'll leave it at that. :)
(and Mum probably used it as much as Dad did) 😏
@@lanzer22 Yeah, but it wasn’t odd, that was the dynamic of the friendship. Joking around, oddball gag gifts, stuff like that. And my parents kept that screwdriver separate to remember those friends, have a chuckle over it years later. Trust me, they found it funny.
@@thebitterfig9903 without context it certainly sounded weird but with the background that the screwdriver had probably been an in joke between the two then it all makes sense!
It may be as simple as the friends finding it in a drawer one day and realizing that they had never returned it😮
It's amazing to me the amount of joy I get from watching a 4 minute video of a man discussing a screwdriver and telling stories.
Conrad, I’ve never met you, but on behalf of all of Adam’s fans, I’d like to say what you did is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time! Bravo!❤
I have the same Stanley #2 Phillips from my dad. I'm 57 and recall seeing Dad's hands using that screwdriver from the late 70s through the 80s as a kid. It's the best handle and feel of any screwdriver ever. It's my favorite.
The commercial at the end was the cherry on top!!!
Right?
Oh man that was a thing of beauty. I had read your comment and was still pleasantly surprised when I found out what you were talking about about.
Lol, that was great! I was afraid something interrupted Adam (it actually happened yesterday on a sports stream,lol. Two guys talking from different states, and an ad just started talking over them!)
Added with love by somebody who clearly probably not seen a 70s commercial
Yes, that was really great. Fooled me for a moment. What fun!
My husband's most treasured possession was a huge Craftsman tool box complete with tools. His grandfather (an engineer) gave it to him on his 18th birthday in 1975.
I still have my set, a Christmas gift from my parents circa 1970. I completely understand why it is so meaningful.
Love to see Adam get excited over something so simple as a new old stock screwdriver, it’s the little thing that makes you happy
My late father was a foreman engineer and had a myriad of tools, the favourite of both his and mine were a set of Stanley Yankee ratchet screwdrivers. He died nearly twenty years ago and my stepmother (who inherited all property and possessions) never spoke after that. I'm now 54, and have been tinkering with my own megre tools, aiming to enlarge my inventory. Every time I see a Yankee driver, I think of him and the times I was his little helper in the workshop. Thank you for the upload, I'm certain that your story will ring true with nearly everyone.
My Dad had 2 of those, one larger, and one smaller. He loved that thing so much, he dropped it of his boat docked at Edgewater Marina in Cleveland into Lake Erie. Off came the shoes, pocks emptied and over he went after it. You bet he found it. I got my own about 15 years later and still have it.
I had a Yankee gave it a away a few years back as it was never used, worked in buildings as an electrician and as I worked on a tower screwing in saddles for conduit of trunking I used a jubilee clip on the shaft to stop it from rolling off the tower.
DUDE!! I have 2!! One was my dad's and is older than me and I am almost 63. Once had to send it back to Stanley for repair. Love my Yankee Drill - ratcheting screwdriver.
@@lotuselise4432I’ve got two large Stanley ratchet screwdrivers from the seventies one with a jubilee clip on it so it would not roll away 😂I will never part with them even though I never use them
I loved this video. I'm 63 and feel the same way about my old Craftsman screwdriver. My three kids (now all in their 30's) all got Craftsman screwdrivers from me when they were young kids. They all still love them. Even my 30 daughter. When their mom got remarried my then, 6 year old daughter proudly proclaimed."I have more tools than my new stepdad." Thanks again fro the heart warming video.
Conrad is a Legend. My sons bought be TWO brand new 1982 stanley 25 foot tape measures for Christmas. One to use, one to keep in package. Good young men I have
I still have my dad's old Stanley tape measure. About ready for its third tape change.
I used my dad's screwdrivers (old craftsman) for a few years after he passed. I was on a job one day and misplaced one and I spent the afternoon tearing the building apart I was working on to find this screwdriver, which put me way behind schedule. Before this, I didn't realize how much they ment to me or what it ment losing one. I retired the set and they are in my home tool kit which never gets used. My first father's day gift from my kids was a set of craftsman screwdrivers. Not the same but still have meaning to me. Thank you for the content.
My dad gave me a craftsman wrench set when I was 16
Still have it
And use the wrenches daily.
Same here, though it was Gedore, which is a massive seller, and while the new sets do not come in a steel box any more, they are still sold. Also have a set of Chinese sockets my father bought, brand new, for around $2, because the one size they did not include in the set was the 13mm socket, the most used one. So all he did was add one from his collection of odd sockets, and I still use it as well.
That's the thing with good tools: buy once, cry once. If you treat them well, it is an investment, not a purchase. Tools can easily last a lifetime.
When I was 16 and Christmas came my mother gave me a 300 piece Craftsman Mechanics tool set with a 3 drawer chest to commemorate me getting my license and a car. Im 57 now, and I still have that set and the chest. Although they have been aged and worn as you would expect 40+ years to do. I covet them like few other of my possessions, both for the memories of my mother but also for the vast amount of repairs that they have given me. I took it to heart so well that I did the same for my own children when they hit that milestone.
May your blue tipped screwdriver find its way back to you
@@chogidog I bought the 174-pc Craftsman socket/wrench set at Sears in late 1995. If I had known what was going to happen with those brands, I'd have saved my pennies and splurged on the biggest set!
@@leftedgemethod Do you all still have the 10mm sockets and 3/16" wrenches? Those suckers disappear from every set I've ever had.
What a nice,kind gesture to send you those.
Being addicted to my phone, its hard to stay focused on just someone talking. But Adam speaks with passion about theses things and I always find myself tuning in. Thank you
Never have i thought that i would enjoy a 5 minute video of a man talking about his screwdrivers 😂
The level of appreciation you have for such tools despite so many of us overlooking them for just another screwdriver is kind of crazy. The fact they're in still in the original packaging is something else.
My dad had a bunch of tools. Most of them, by default, went to my youngest brother after dad passed away. A point of contention because I was never even asked by my mother if I wanted any of them. They just sort of became my brothers. The exception, is a screwdriver that dad gave me years ago when he was still alive. It is a Craftsman 41294 which is a #1 Phillips. Clear, but now yellowed clear, handle with a blue band around the base of the handle, mostly now worn off. I had asked dad if I could borrow a phillips years ago to do some work on a computer. I was probably 14 at the time. He handed me this one and told me to keep it. It had been obviously most recently used to stir a can of blue paint, lol. This was probably ~1994 if not a year or so prior. It's one of the only tools dad ever gave me as I was not the "mechanic" in the family I was the computer guy. This screw driver is everything to me. It has been involved in every desktop PC, laptop, server, piece of network gear, or any other electronics hardware that has a phillips screw in it. And just a few days ago putting the rack mount ears on my new 2.5gbt network switch for my home lab. I keep this screwdriver close to me. I don't loan it out, I don't even use it outside that often and it never leaves my hand except for my pocket. I don't lay it down. So I can very much relate to you having at least some of your father's tools. My dad was a jack of all trades, master of none type but was very much a DIY'er. Something that all of us brothers inherited to some degree. Thank you for sharing your story! Your career and your talent never ceases to amaze me, especially as I have zero artistic talent. lol. Again thank you for sharing everything that you do, Adam.
I love the craftsman screwdrivers handles those are my favorite, all Philips have a blue band and if I remember correctly the flat heads have a red band, torx heads are a black band, the nut drivers have a grey handle with bands different colors for sizes
My grandfather had a full set of Workmaster screwdrivers in his garage. He tinkered on all sorts of things.
We bought him a new set of tools for Christmas one year, and he seemed excited at first, but we later realized he put the new screw drivers in a junk drawer and kept the other wrenches and tools he wanted out of the kit.
I still have my dad's old Sears tools in his old Sears tool box that he had purchased before I was born, I'm 60 years old now and I will always keep that the rest of my life, there's something truly special about those old original tools❤
I certainly understand having the two precious screwdrivers and not wanting to open them. I could see a one day build of a display case on the horizon!
Nothing better than getting to share Joy.
Thank you both for creating this moment.
A true gift is something that has sentimentality about it, you can't find anywhere, and was given in the knowledge the joy it will bring the recipient. This qualifies.
This is the best of Adam right here :)
As a collector, I'm hardcore about keeping stuff brand new. But knowing that you are someone who tinkers with everything and seeing you keep something sealed is impressive. Respect
When I was 16 (1976), I purchased a few tools to call my own, and one was a 65-302 Workmaster #2 Philips. I still have it, the two Stanly straight blade screwdrivers, adjustable wrench, vise grips and slip joint pliers I bought that day. From Jamesway discount department store. For Christmas, my parents gave me a Wards Powerkraft socket set, and Proto metric combination wrenches, which I still have and use.
YES! I have the "4 way reversible shaft" driver. It is one of my favorite tools. I have never found another that fits my hand so well. It feels less like a tool and more like an extension of my hand that can do such amazing things.
As a historic home renovator, I end up doing a bunch of trades (often in the same day!). Plumbing, electrical, framing, drywall, finish carpentry, ductwork.... This is the ONE tool that travels between all my tool bags/belts.
Thank you for highlighting these simple but profound tools.
I know it's TH-cam cliche but this is the content I'm here for
Yeah, this was cool and made me think of my dad :)
Adam knows we’re as excited as he is about some old screwdrivers, lol
@@DoctorX17 way more excited than I had any right to be 😂
Totally agree! It's crazy how much crap there is- and people watch it! But this is THE destination. We have arrived😃😉
@@goosenotmaverick1156 especially since we’re not the ones holding them XD but I’m so happy for him! Envious, but happy
Adam, thanks for making this video, my father worked for Stanley tools for many years and passed away when I was young. I still have a few of these as well and they mean a lot to me but they are all just the best tools of the trade.
It's a shame that the once proud New Britain manufacturing is all but gone now. I still remember the Stanley TV commercials during football games back in the 70's..
In the early 1990s I complained to my Dad that I didn’t have a single good screwdriver in my toolbox. He bought me a set of Craftsman professional screwdrivers, the black handle ones. I still use that set to this day, although carefully. Dad has been gone for 18 years and I remember him every day using tools like this.
I have such a deep appreciation for well-made tools, thanks in no small part to you and the other makers I follow here. My grandfather (a mechanical and automotive engineer) recently passed and I have inherited a significant portion of his equipment, and it is an incredible honor to task myself with the maintenance, curation, and of course practical usage of them all! I am currently working on restoring his 1940s Craftsman mini-lathe to working condition, as it has sat neglected and rusty for a couple decades, following Hand Tool Rescue's restoration process on a nearly identical model.
Thank you, Adam, for inspiring my curiosity and creativity ever since I first saw Mythbusters as a child. I hope to shake your hand one day.
Hard hittin New Britain.
RIP Stanley Works. If you know, you know. We will never see quality at scale like that again.
Unless craftsman turn against corporate profiteering, or thrift vs quality, and make the tools they want to use.
Why resign yourself when you can excel?
I remember the factory we moved to new britain in the 90s and the factory was already shutting down piece by piece I remember sneaking in and finding drums of steel balls didn't know after the time what they where for
I love how genuinely thankful and happy he is that this was sent to him
If somebody asked me to close my eyes and picture a screw driver -- the Stanley Workmaster #2 Phillips would instantly appear in my mind. That was our family's primary screwdriver as I grew up in the 80's.
I agree because when I envision an electric guitar, the Fender Stratocaster comes to mind. Same for tools, I grew up with Stanley tools in Singapore so I envision a Stanley screwdriver with that yellow / black handle.
Definitely a trip down memory lane, I’m 50 now and I distinctly remember my dad having a whole set of these, one big flat head in particular was his paint stirrer lol.
Several years after Stanley transitioned from wooden to plastic handles for their ratchet screwdrivers, I stumbled across a long wooden handled version 8,000 miles away in the Falklands. It was thankfully not amongst the many (mostly) antique apprentice tools that were later stolen and even now, 40+ years later evokes memories every time I use it. Hand tools have a very, very personal history and I will never forgive those who steal them.
I recently have been purposely buying hand tools that are not made of rubber. Dipped handles are okay. Rubber eventually goes back to goo and this is a prime example of tools lasting with no rubber. Beautiful.
Im so upset snapon got rid of the plastic handle.
My father had a set of Stanley screwdrivers when I was a kid in the 90s. The one with the black handle and yellow in between. It was the first set of screwdrivers I ever used when my father was teaching me about repair and woodworking. He is the reason why I am a maker today. Unfortunately he got rid of all his tools, but I'm slowly building my own setup since I've been using big box sets and they get the job done but I do want to have a really nice set of tools in my workshop.
Dad always cheaped out on tools, but had inherited a number of good old stuff. Probably a lot that would go back to 1910's, and he fixed bicycles and accordions so there was a number of tools that I never learned the names for.
I've a few Stanley stubby drivers with that colour scheme that I forget where came from, but when I started building up my tool collection, it was mostly for doing electronic repairs so it's a very mixed bag of brands. It's quite mixed between sets and individual too.
A red a black Britool PH1 with a 25cm shaft got a lot of use when working on ghettoblasters with deeply recessed screws. It's also an unusual tip that has done ph0 and ph2.
I've got a 66-196 that I got from my dad that is always within reach when I'm at my desk. Never know when I'll need it. And I've needed it a lot over the years for various things. Thanks, dad.
Thank you once again for my morning grins. Always a joy to enjoy your jubilation🌻😊🌻
It is very wholesome. I love it.
I too have an affection for these Stanley Workmaster screwdrivers; my collection resides just over my work bench ready for service. GREAT video!
My favorite screwdriver is my General standard muti-set. It us black and the bottom is a magneticly closed sliding tool carousel with 14 of the standard torque, Philips, flat and square double sided bits. The grip feels great and the little plastic bit around the shaft spins so when you are tightening things down you can maintain your grip. The...pommel?/ tool carousel also spins for when you want to maintain pressure while twisting. When a bit isn't in place, the shaft is a 1/4" socket. I've had it for over 10 years and it is invaluable
The pure, genuine, joy and excitement Adam has for simple tools like an old screwdriver set is just so amazing and charming. I, too, understand the joy and nostalgia of certain screwdrivers, but for me it's the late 70's and early 80's Craftsman ones. With the Clear and Red handles that have the squished ball on the top. I still remember playing with them while I "helped" my dad in his workshop as a 6 or 8 year old kid, and my excitement when I got my own set for Christmas one year. I still have those screwdrivers, and I probably always will.
He's right. I have several of these and they are the best.
I also have one of my dad's old, paint-splattered, chipped screwdrivers. A 10" flat that was on his bench for decades.
Same here, a large flat bladed one with a clear red tinted acetal handle, which has not yet gone bad.
I was working on organizing all the tools my dad and I have when we built our new workshop and I stumbled upon an original set of Vice Grip pliers, the OG's from the 90's that were still US made and the heads were heat treated to allow the teeth to withstand wearing down. I vaguely remember my dad buying them and didn't realize what they were then, but I do now.
I used them on a project one day to remove some rusted pins on some tractor jacks and I simply could not believe the difference between them and the cheap sets we had. They gripped hard, didn't slip and got my project done with little hesitation.
They will forever live with our tools and I have to make sure they don't disappear.
When I was 8 years old, my father bought me a kid's tool kit. That was 61 years ago, so they were real, but smaller tools. I still have the wooden handled flathead screwdriver. The shaft is slightly bent from trying to pry something open once upon a time, but I will keep it as long as I live.
A couple of years later, I used the tool kit to completely disassemble my father's wind-up alarm clock. He came home from work and saw the clock parts spread all over his bed cover. He said, "You better be able to put that together the way it was." And I did. That was when I fell in love with taking things apart and putting them back together again. I eventually got a job with IBM, fixing PCs, printers, and laptops.
Was that one of those tool kits that had the blue paint at the butt end of the wooden handles?
Yes! They were real tools, I still have a flat blade screw driver and small claw hammer after over 50 years, myself!
@@randallrun It sounds like it might be the same, or at least similar, tool kit. There was a small claw hammer and other tools I can't remember. I can't vouch for the original paint color as it wore off many years ago from use.
I'm so glad I found this video. I thought I was nuts for searching out long lost tools that I used to have that I really liked. I don't know what it is. You have the tools you take them for granted then they're missing and all of a sudden you want the same thing back but they haven't made it in 15 years.
When I was young I never knew screwdrivers had actual Sizes. When Dad needed me to fetch one he gave me 3 Parameters: Head Type (Phillips or Flathead), Length (Long or Short), Tip Size (Small, Regular, Large). and generally if it didn't quite fit you just Pushed harder. Watching at the 4:11 moment I see that driver has a flat tip. now I'm curious why so I am going to go do some googling and expand my screwdriver knowledge.
My dad has a set of old craftsman screw drivers. He's had and used them before I was born(1990). It's always wonderful to go over and get to use them. Brings be back
I too have a set of old screwdrivers that were given to me by my grandfather when I was 15. They’re Craftsman but old school, and the two Phillips ones are still my go-tos … 45 years later!
Thought I was the only one who is really attached to these screwdrivers. Have 4 in my tool belt and have been there for decades. your right, they just fit the hand. When I go to estate sales and yard sales I always search for these. Thanks....
My dad passed away in '98. I was in college and didn't have anywhere to keep his tools, so my mother gave them a way. I was lucky enough, though, to find a few of them later on and still have them: A Mack ratchet that was my grandfathers from sometime in the 50's, with his initials scratched into the handle. A pair of Crescent waterpump pliers. A tape measure with all the numbers worn off. And a set of pipe clamps. I treasure all of them and use them frequently. I'd be heartbroken if they were ever taken.
what was her rush to get rid of them?
@@user-hd8ej8yx9p She couldn't afford the mortgage after he died.
I am blessed to have some of my great-grandfathers tools. Naturally, I have tools from my father and grandfather. I am a tool freak, so I am so proud to have tools that other people don't know what they are. Circumference wheels, spoke shaves, etc.
The tool nerd in me (which is pretty much all of me) really enjoyed this.
I'd like to say: those are some pretty tough screwdrivers. They served as pry bars in a lot of drum brake jobs.
They served as pry bars in a LOT of applications. Hell, I think they were pry bars more than they were screwdrivers in my family's usage.
If I'm not mistaken, we even used those to do some demolition!
But the tri-lobe or triangular handles are something to appreciate. Also, the sheer quality of the steel.
Generally, I have always used the Craftsman screwdrivers to turn screws, but those Stanleys definitely have a place in my heart and toolbox.
What do you use the numberless tape measure for? I am intrigued.
Tools we like became kind of augmented with a part of our soul. This is why father's tools give us feeling of father, even if he passed away long time ago. Thank you Adam!
Adam, you are so wonderfully, unapolegetically, nerdy. Never change.
I love these short vignettes! My favorite screwdriver is a blue handle screwdriver that converts from a #2 Phillips to a Flathead that I bought from Radio Shack when I went to work for them in 1980. The tips fit screw heads so they don't slip and round out screw heads and the handle allows me to get enough torque to undo most screws I come in contact with.
It’s a shame so many companies these days often don’t go to the trouble of naming a particular design for their tool sets apart from the model numbers, it definitely had a certain charm that adds to the nostalgia.
They did make a Stanley workmaster bit driver version I happen to own one so if you find one you can use your Robertson bits
Most of the tool makers number their tools. You just haven't been looking.
@@thedangerzone9399 I could have been more clear, I wasn’t suggesting a lack of model numbers that every modern product has, just that they don’t seem to have common names that are immediately recognizable like “Workmaster” as often anymore. It’s much easier to know what someone is talking about when they say they own a Stanley Workmaster or Handyman screw driver set as opposed to the Stanley set “STHT60025” without looking it up. Of course, the modern naming convention is there if you look and way more useful for managing stock and searching for the exact product you are looking for, it’s just not as fun!
@@thedangerzone9399 He said name the design not number. As in Workmaster in this case.
Wera names a lot of their tools.
I like that you acknowledge the sentimentality of certain tools. I too, have a tool that could be replaced with a much better version, but the memories it evokes cannot be replaced.
"I've always been garbage adjacent"
If there's any phrase that ever deserved to be on a savage industries shirt... that's it. I would so wear that shirt. 😂 Chefs kiss. Perfect.
If you are working in a shop, being garbage adjacent means you are doing work.
I have never heard a more acurate description of how a tool feels in ones hands than this one. In my early years, Stanley screw drivers were a part of my growing tool collection in the mid to late 70's and this video brought back the younger version of me doing backyard car repair with only enough tools to fit in a lunch box sized tool box. Among them were four of these very screw drivers. This brought back the wonder of that time and the appreciation of a well built tool. Thank you.
Inherited mine from my dad after he passed. The smell (you know it) has deep emotional resonance.
Our grandpa had a Rolls Royce on his bedroom dresser, we didn't learn it was an Avon aftershave bottle until years after he passed. Like you said: The smell (you know it) has deep emotional resonance.
I have an old Stanley Workmaster 4-in-1 that I cherish. The handles of those Stanley’s provide SO much grip and torque! Love these things!
I never thought a screwdriver could look comfortable. Those actually do!
I have a full set plus of these screwdrivers. i have had them since new in the 70s. Along the way I have picked up extras. Besides the ones you have shown there is also the, what I call the "flip" screwdriver with small and large Phillips and flat blade screwdrivers. when my father-in-law recently passed away I also received more, not a complete set, but more. I have loved these screwdrivers for all these years. The smaller Phillips do show wear on the tips as many phillips screwdrivers usually do after some time. By now I have more than two full sets. The triangular grip, I agree its my hand perfectly. I have other screwdrivers of various brands but these Stanleys are my go to drivers. Thank you for showcasing them.
Adam's coverage of these has certainly given me a new appreciation for the bare handful we have in my household, inherited from grandparents' workshops.
In-hand feel is a very overlooked aspect of almost everything nowdays. This was so cool!
The Stanley screwdrivers have a personality, they are like a trusted a family of friends who will always help.
Except for the ones now made in China
@@Billy-burner Ah yes...the yellow peril.
I absolutely love your videos. Like many I was a HUGE fan of Mythbusters and your work on that show. I restore and repair Pinball machines for a living now and I too have a favorite screwdriver. My grandfather, who taught me how to use tools, was an electrician. He always carried a set of Proto, wood handled screwdrivers in his kit. When I started working with my hands, he gave them to me. To this day, 35 years later, I still have one of those in my tool bag. The rest have been lost to time and this last Phillips head, a Proto 9784, goes everywhere I go. I lost it too once, while repairing a pin out of state. When I got back and it was gone, I was devastated! I called the client and they couldn't find it. I left him my address and said I would happily give a reward if he could locate it. Two weeks later, I got a package from him. It was y beloved screwdriver and a note telling me how proud he was of my work on his machine. This screwdriver just feels right in my hand, plus it always feels like my grandfather is right there, guiding my hand.
Adam needs to listen to the song “Dupe - Kontrolla” when he opens that, it will feel better 😅😅
You are a true builder/craftsman. I have many of my fathers tools. This made me smile! Thank you.
When you're amazing at gift giving. Way to go Conrad!
Mt favorites, too. When I got mine in 1987 they were called Stanley Professional, IIRC. Flat blades have smoky green handles, Phillips are yellow. I chose them because of the color difference, then found that they fit my hand very nicely.
I too have some tools in original packaging that will never be opened! 😮
Nothing more beautiful than passionate people sharing their joy and excitement
Would love to see you recreate the packaging of it
Mr Adam Savage. I swear every time I see one of your videos pop up I love every second of it no matter what it is man your videos make my day just that much better thank you.
Had six growing up, can verify. Sadly one production run they used a resin that over time would start to smell like rancid jock in the toolbox. Mother sold all my dads AND my hand tools when he passed so she could move out, didn't know she couldn't read my name on a couple toolboxes. All gone.
The tools I inherited from my father are some of my most priceless possessions. One is a dual box end wrench that he bent with a torch for a specific task. Miss ya dad.
Made in U.S.A. by U.S.A. workers with U.S.A materials
Another Connecticut company
Located in New Britain Connecticut
There are darned few screws out there anymore worthy of being turned with these.
@@peterpiper_203 Grew up in New Britain. My mom stll lives there. Im one town over.
@@johnlazlo1908
Gotta get out Connecticut
I have some of my father's tools and some of my grandfather's tools. My father passed away last year and my grandfather passed away 20 years ago. Every time I use one of their tools, it brings a smile on my face. Fond memories.
I swear I can smell a draw full of screwdrivers through the screen.
I recently received my grandfather's Workmaster screwdrivers, and yes, the feeling in the hand - and the nostalgia - is unmatched.
My home town is where Stanley used to be headquartered. I grew up a few miles from their old factory, with my family always having Stanley stuff.
!!!!!
I got Stanley stuff. Anyone with tools it'd be hard to avoid. The Stanley level and rule company.
My father had the same set! They indeed are excellent. It makes me smile to see your passion for these well made tools.
People don't understand the connection a man has with his father's tools.
My dad was effectively a banker and SCCA production class racer in the 70's. His tools were stolen. I am a semi retired mechanic who taught at the collegiate level for 5 years. I do have the bent coat hanger he used to adjust the valves on a BMW 1600 or 2002. Also as a semi retired gold and silversmith, I use a modified file to adjust the valves on my 1972 BMW 2002 club race car. My tooling far outstripped his. Lastly, I am now a semi retired building/house/domicile rejuvenator with even more tools. Some of us grew up.
Hi there. I owned a green and red Robertson long shaft Workmaster screwdriver. When I saw a screwdriver review in Consumer Reports about 1975 - 1980 +/- they put one through the break test. The grip is so well designed they broke the original Robertson screw head off. I've used perhaps 50,000 screws + since 1965. We started using The Cluthe brand wing mounted screwdriver shaft which I assume was an OEM Robertson tip pressed into the shaft end. These adaptors were wonderful. You could hold the Screwdrivers upside down and the precise screw and adaptor fit held the screw as if magnetic. I have found ground Robertson adaptors to be very soft and not as reliable so far. A later purchase of these screws was accidently not plated nor hardened and they fell off of the tip. The price per screw rose above the hex head, with slot screw and local wholesalers started transioning over sadly.
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I'd like to plead my case to Adam: tools are meant to be used, and you have plenty treasures in your hoard. You don't really need TWO unopened original vintage screwdrivers, especially not when one of them is the one you're missing from the set! Open that one, honor it by making use of it, as it was intended, and keep the duplicate in it's packaging for posterity. Trust me, it'll feel good. We're only here for a short while, you know this. Use it.
The sad thing here is it's not two of the same driver. One is slotted, and outher is Philips. I believe I had both been Phillips he may have done as you suggested 😮
Dude! I have a favorite screw driver with nostalgia too. A lot of my tools have nostalgia, a lovely record no. 2 bench vise given to me at 7-8yrs old, from a friend of my mothers, who’s husband passed. A glass cutter from my great grandfather’s estate. The only remaining flat blade trilobe handled Stanley from a set I was given for Christmas by my late father. These people’s spirit lives on in my shop.
Stanley are goat level
Once were. If you claim they are goat today, you know crap about tools.
They are not
@@JohnDoeGoGoGo😂😂...or you don't know how old my tools are
@@JohnDoeGoGoGo calm down its not that serious. Tools don't always have to be of quality for someone to be excited about nostalgia
@@Govanmauler Yeah, old Stanley are just like old Craftsman, back when America built the best. I grew up only a few miles from Stanleys old factory in New Britain CT. That city was once the hardware capital of the world churning out precision machined stuff like crazy, but now all the factories have closed down as production moved overseas.
Shout out to Stanley! I started working on cars with Walmart tools, they used to sell very good Stanley ratchets and sockets that no longer exist. Stanley is incredibly underrated
Is there is a cat in there?
This is the type of stuff i need to see in 2024. I remember back in the day my neighbors and I would just randomly show up at each others garages with a beer and swap insignificant tools (but insanely significant to us) just for the friendship. Our youth is missing this type of comradorey and it's severely effecting this country in a negative way.
Its this kind of click bait that flatly drives views.
Dad, stop it! :)
You’re stretching it for the puns, my friend😂
it makes me soo happy to see someone (Especially a person i grew up watching) appreciate things and nostalgia linked emotions, feelings and put it out to the world to see