How old is a screwdriver?
Did you know that the screwdriver is a relatively new tool? While hammers and saws have been known for thousands of years, the screwdriver didn’t emerge until the 15th century. This is also due to the fact that screws had a late breakthrough. The principle of using screws for power transmission was known at least since 234 BC, when Archimedes described an irrigation system. Archytas of Tarentum is credited with inventing the screw as a system for connecting two objects that can be easily removed, dating back to 400 BC. However, the breakthrough of screws and screwdrivers came much later.
Illustration from Housebook of Wolfegg Castle, ISBN 3-7913-1839-X, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3527409
The first recorded mention of a screwdriver dates back to between 1475 and 1490, in the medieval house book of Wolfegg Castle, where it was used to connect and disconnect armor parts. By the way, it was a flathead screwdriver. The major breakthrough, however, came with the mass production of screws around 1800. Mass-producing screws was no easy task; even Leonardo da Vinci had attempted to build a screw manufacturing machine.
Why are there so many screw drive versions?
The screwdriver had some competition. It’s not uncommon to use wrenches, hex keys, and even coins to tighten screws. There are reportedly over 360 screw drive versions.
The flathead screwdriver had some drawbacks in terms of handling and safety.
By User:Saforrest – Taken by User:Saforrest on 9 October 2007, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2888264
The first person to establish a new variant on a large scale was Robertson,whose square screw was used in the Ford T, for example.
By en:User:Cburnett – Own work. Canon Digital Rebel with a 100mm macro lens., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1113557
However, the Phillips screw became the standard screw, thanks to its use in World War II.
By Michiel1972 at nl.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3218570
A further development is the Torx screw, introduced around 1967, which aims to prevent the screwdriver from slipping out of the screw head.
By Junkyardsparkle – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24375940
There are also security screws, such as the pentalob used in Apple products or the tri-wing used in Nintendo products. These screws are designed to prevent users from opening and repairing their legally purchased products. Personally, I think they’re called security screws because they secure income.
Fun Fact
By John Phelan – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18466293
And last but not least there is also a drink, called screwdriver. Orange juice, mixed with vodka. The legend says it got it’s name because it was stirred with a screwdriver.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Good_Turn_(Rybczynski_book)
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes%27_screw
4) https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/4250C631061794E70DDF02883CFB1EC6/S088376940003935Xa.pdf/the-manufacture-of-screws.pdf
5) https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentalob
6) https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-Wing