Allard's/A.F. Howard 1870s vintage, spiral (Archimedean) antique screwdriver

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P LEASE NOTE I ONLY SHIP TO THE UNITED STATES. This listing is for an antique Allard Spiral ( Archimedean ) Screwdrivermanufacturedby F. A. Howard of Belfast, Maine. This item was reported to be the first patented spiral screwdriver. The patent dates of the label of this one are Aug. 1, 1868 and Nov. 24 1874. At that time the price was reported to be $3.00. Isaac Allard (1822-1884) began work as a watchmaker in 1840. F. A. Howard (1830-1903) was a machinist working in Belfast, ME who with partner Hollis M. A. Poor, operated as The Howard Mfg. Co. from 1865 to 1876. These were the predecessors of the once popular "Yankee" screwdrivers that enjoyed popularity for many years, finally loosing the market to electric powered devices. The photos of this one tell most of it's story, considering it's age, it's in pretty good condition and works well. The wooden handle has shrunk some and is a little loose on the mechanism, if that is a chuck holding the driver bit in place it is reluctant to move, no effort was made to loosen it without being more familiar with it. The brass was polished enough to find and read the labels. This is a fascinating piece of 1800's American manufacturing.Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have before bidding, and comments are always welcome. Thanks for your interest. Local pick-up can be read more

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