Screwdriver - Handle

Handle

The handle and shaft of screwdrivers have changed considerably over time. The design is influenced by both purpose and manufacturing requirements. The "Perfect Handle" screwdriver was first manufactured by HD Smith & Company that operated from 1850 to 1900. Many manufacturers adopted this handle design worldwide. The "Flat Bladed" screwdriver was another design composed of drop-forged steel with riveted wood handles.

The shape and material of many modern screwdriver handles are designed to fit comfortably in the user's hand, for user comfort and to allow maximum control and torque to be applied. Designs include indentations for the user's fingers, and have a surface made of a soft material such as thermoplastic rubber to increase comfort and provide better grip, allowing more torque to be applied. Composite handles of rigid plastic and rubber are also common. Many screwdriver handles are not smooth and often not round, but have flats or other irregularities to improve grip and to prevent the tool from rolling when on a flat surface.

Some screwdrivers have an in-line nut at the top of the blade, adjacent to the handle, so that a ring spanner or open wrench can be used to increase the applied torque.

The offset screwdriver has a handle set at right angles to the small blade, providing access to narrow spaces and giving extra torque.

A screwdriver can be used indifferently in the left or right hand. There is no such thing as a "left-handed screwdriver"; to be sent to find one is a fool's errand, often used as a test of stupidity, or is used as a metaphor for something useless. The term "Birmingham screwdriver" (like "Glasgow socket set") is used jokingly in the UK to denote a hammer or sledgehammer.

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