I had the chance to briefly handle Lee Valley’s parallel-tip screwdrivers at a recent woodworking show. These screwdrivers are designed for driving slotted wood screws #4 to #10 in size.
Five years ago I didn’t know anything about parallel-tip screwdrivers. When I bought a couple of PB Swiss screwdrivers, including the long-ago-reviewed Insider, I was sold on the idea.
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Parallel-tip screwdrivers are shaped differently than regular slotted screwdrivers, which are often straight, flat, or wedge-shaped. Ordinary screwdrivers typically fit slotted fasteners alright, but not perfectly.
When dealing with softer fasteners, such as brass wood screws, parallel-tip screwdrivers engage a bit better and with less chance of damage. Regular screwdrivers with tapered tips usually engage at the top of the screw slot, where the tips are thicker, which can deform or damage the slot. Since parallel-tip screwdrivers instead have straight sides, the turning force is better distributed across the entire screw head’s slot.
Back to these particular drivers. They felt handle-heavy, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing given their intended usage. You can see from the image that the drivers do have more metal in the handle, contributing to the perceived weight.
These screwdrivers should be great for wood screws, but the weight, balance, and shape of their handles potentially make the drivers less suitable for general construction and repair work. I would consider these fine woodworking tools.
Buy Now(via Lee Valley)
The 5-piece set comes with 4 screwdrivers and a carbide burnisher for $39.59. The one-piece shafts are made from stainless steel.
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Similar to cabinet-tip screwdrivers, these drivers have straight shafts that allow them to fit inside counterbored holes.
fred
Am I correct in assuming that these bear Lee Valley’s “Chestnut Tool” brand – and are made in China?
Many screwdriver insert bits (e.g. those from Magna) are hollow ground in specialty thicknesses and widths for applications like gunsmithing. Brownells (been in the news lately beacuse they are a prominent supplier to gun enthusiasts) sells several different parallel tip gunsmithing screwdrivers – which I believe are manufactured in the USA
Stuart
These are not explicitly described as being made in the USA or Canada, so I presume that they’re made overseas.
HangFire
I’m a fan of made-in-USA brand Chapman. It’s a removable hex bit set, with parallel-sided straight screwdrivers. Recently they introduced their Master set which has every bit they make. I got on the waiting list and got one as soon as it came out. They are in a different class than the Lee Valley, but still fine tools.
m gaston
does not look like these are available anymore
Gary
I bought a set and was disappointed that all 4 drivers were ground the same thickness. Which seems too big for most common wood screws. I still have they are beautiful but nearly useless in the shop.