I’ve been talking about tools here on ToolGuyd for nearly 8 years now, and do you know what one of the best feelings is? When I discover a new tool that I just HAVE to talk about. Tools that I feel an almost inexplicable urge to tell others about.
I become even more impassioned when there’s a name and face behind a new product – an individual seeking to fill a need.
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I didn’t discover this Volcanic Tool Co. screwdriver, it found me. Or rather, Jeremy Robertson, the knifemaker behind Calavera Cutlery, reached out and told me about his new tool brand and USA-made screwdriver.
I expressed interest, and Jeremy sent over a pair of these screwdrivers. This all happened right before my daughter was born, and so it took me some time to get around to testing them.
When we first spoke, I mentioned that the price could be a potential criticism, but I feel the price is appropriate for what you get, and definitely affordable. After seeing, feeling, and using the screwdriver in person, I think it’s a steal for what you get.
Okay, so this is the Volcanic Tool Co. 1/4″ hex screwdriver bit holder, which you too can own for just $24.
The handle is made from aluminum, which won’t break down over time like plastic or wood might. It’s also impervious to many solvents and oils. It’ll take a beating and keep on turning.
The shaft is made from 17-4 stainless tool steel. This is what a datasheet I found (PDF) says about it:
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AK Steel 17-4 PH® is a martensitic precipitation-hardening stainless steel that provides an outstanding combination of high strength, good corrosion resistance, good mechanical properties at temperatures up to 600°F (316°C), good toughness in both base metal and welds, and shorttime, low-temperature heat treatments that minimize warpage and scaling. This versatile material is widely used in the aerospace, chemical, petrochemical, food processing, paper and general metalworking industries.
In other words, this is an all-metal screwdriver made from some pretty tough materials. I wouldn’t be surprised if the handle were made from aircraft grade aluminum.
Sorry, “aircraft grade aluminum” has been generalized into relative meaninglessness. How about this: I’m willing to bet this isn’t the cheap general purpose stuff you can find at the hardware store. Whatever alloy was used, it was beautifully machined and anodized.
But there ARE aluminum alloys that are more commonly found in aircraft frames and components, and other high performance applications, such as 6061-T6 and 7075.
The screwdriver is made in the USA from USA-sourced materials. The exception is the 2 Wiha screwdriver bits that it’s packaged with, but who’s going to argue against the decision to go with Wiha? With this being a 1/4″ hex bit holder, you can use any bits of your choosing with it.
Yes, the hex socket has a magnet for bit retention.
So what do I think about the screwdriver? It’s freakin’ amazing! I was hesitant about it, for several reasons.
Would an all-metal screwdriver be too heavy? Would it slip in my hand? Would it be comfortable to use? Would it be well-machined?
A while back I received a USA-made precision screwdriver from another small tool maker, and I didn’t like it. It looked great in pictures, but in my hand the tool felt unfinished and had residual metal shavings. The same with their machined swappable-head hammer. I put them in a box, with the intent to clean them up for testing, but never got around to it.
I have also ordered and returned several Starrett tools over the past few years, because they simply don’t care to clean tools up before selling them either.
I’ve got nothing against dirty tools, but with lots of the types of things I work on, loose metal shavings could pose a HUGE problem.
That all said, I’m extremely pleased at the build quality, which I would describe as being phenomenal.
Every surface is smooth to the touch.
Is it a heavy screwdriver? Yes. But manageable.
It’s got a great grip, and it hasn’t slipped in my hand yet. I haven’t yet dunked it in oil though.
There are lots of finer points that I appreciate, such as the bevelled tip and eased edges. The anodizing is also perfect. There was some white schmutz on the handle, but it cleaned off.
Do NOT use this screwdriver anywhere near high voltage sources, circuit breaker panels, or anywhere else an electric voltage might be present.
Price: $24
Shipping is $8 via USPS Priority, making the price $32 to your door for one. Adding 2 to my cart results in the same $8 shipping fee. You can probably buy a couple without having to pay more than $8 for shipping.
Buy Now(via Volcanic Tool Co.)
It wasn’t my intent to review this screwdriver in this manner. But with my camera out of commission and so much on my plate, I wanted to make sure I didn’t let this screwdriver slip my attention. I quickly posted about it to our ToolGuyd Instagram account, and that lit a fire under me to tell you more about this screwdriver, pronto.
This is a freakin’ amazing screwdriver, and while it’s not inexpensive, it’s not very pricey either. $24 for a USA-made 1/4″ hex screwdriver isn’t too bad.
I’m very interested to see how this one screwdriver evolves. Maybe a future model will have a hex bolster. Stainless handle? Grooved handle? Different anodizing colors? But please, no fine knurls that glitter up my hand with shavings.
Here’s an idea… maybe we can talk about an official ToolGuyd screwdriver? Who’d be up for something like that?
Thank you to Volcanic Tool Co for providing the review samples unconditionally!
Cr8ondt
Not kidding would love an official ToolGuyd screw driver, or other cool useful tool!
Bruce Hand
Hello as of Jan24/20 he appears to be closed, no contact response
Stuart
I sent him an email, hopefully he’s just extremely busy, which unfortunately happens to me a lot.
Bruce
I sent him an email back in Nov/19
No response
eric schneider
It’s not cheap at all!
fred
If it is that good – it might be a frugal investment.
The Wiha 38030 sells for about $29 plus shipping at KC Tools – and I found that the plastic handle on it has some rough spots where it presumably came out of the mold.
And if you need insulated – the Wiha 38025 sells for $27 on Amazon and the C.K. 4559S used to sell for about the same price when it was available at Jensen.
My point is that $32 at you doorstep it will not compete on price with something you might see turn up at HF – but it si not be out of line for a high quality made in the USA tool.
Nathan
my stahlwhile bit holder retails for around 20 or so and it’s got a plastic handle.
it does however hold 7 bits and the bolster has a hex on it if you want to use that.
but it’s also mass produced and german/spanish.
If there was a custom made toolguyd driver that has some customer input – I’m buy one. (take that same thing and put a hex bolster on it and a 1/4 drive square receptacle in the handle)
Curtis Hibbs
A word of caution…
I just ordered one. You have to pay via PayPal and the order automatically goes to whatever address you have on file with PayPal. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize my PayPal address was very old.
So, I used the order confirmation email to request corrected shipping address or, failing that, cancel the order so I can re-place the order after correcting my PayPal address. When I did that, I got an automated reply saying that his shop is currently closed until Jan 2017.
I’m not sure what I should do now.
Curtis Hibbs
Please ignore my comment above. The owner answered my email and assured me that he would ship to my current address. He also said the auto-reply saying that his shop was closed until January just meant he was not accepting custom orders. He is still shipping from stock on hand.
skfarmer
nope, not cheap at all. problem is, you can buy a set of williams (snap-on hard handle style) or felo drivers for not much more. seems like a rather premium price for a no frills driver from a rather unknown mfg.
for that price i would expect some knurling on the shaft, hex bolster or 1/4 square female drive in the handle.
it looks well made but just not worth the cost.
fred
You might want a vintage Williams M-110 spinner handle – nicely chrome plated – 1/4 square female at the top, 1/4 square drive male at the tip. Handle releases to act as a rotating collar for use with a ratchet. Mine looks a lot better than this one on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Williams-Convertible-Handle-Extension-NM-110-1-4-Drive-W-Diamond-Logo/272400301835?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D39007%26meid%3Dc7645d901bdc4c1a86d93e26ed86a938%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26sd%3D111365518159
Nathan
notice on their site it mentioned wila and apex for the bits.
apex I can get behind a little better since those are also made in america – which goes more with their theme.
and sort of like their precision driver – little pricey but I like it. anodize the ball red, or something.
fred
I cannot take issue with anybody’s thinking and personal conclusions. Beauty and value after all is in the eye of the beholder and for some a single screwdriver/bit holder handle does not have enough utilitarian value to be worth $32.
I think, however, there is another issue being demonstrated by this tool and its price. That issue relates to what it costs to make a high quality tool in the USA and whether the selling of it can be profitable enough for the maker to stay in business. Clearly some manufacturers seem to be doing this – Lie-Nielsen (planes and chisels) – come to mind. But many of these are not producing high volume tools with mass-market appeal (Apex bits cited above is an exception). Perhaps like Lie-Nielsen this screwdriver maker can produce and sell enough to stay in business – keep production in the USA – and not become victim to a need to grow the business so much that the only way to do it is to shift to mass manufacturing in China.
We (lots of commenters on ToolGuyd) rail at the Petersen family having sold Vise Grip to Irwin – only to see production move from Nebraska to China. While it doesn’t need to be all of us, some of us should be able to accept the fact that the cost of a USA-made high quality tool will likely be more than that of lower-end items made in Asia or other regions. Otherwise to paraphrase the Walt Kelly’s immortal Pogo – we may find that “we have met the enemy and he is us.”
Koko the Talking Ape
A mite pricey for my own use, though I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it as a gift. I agree with the suggestions for a hex bolster and bit storage in the handle. Maybe a small LED light in the handle would be useful too.
Paul
Electrician here. I’ve gone through tons of screw drivers. Right now on my tool belt I have a Milwaukee demo flat head for the rough stuff but what gets the most use day to day is my Wera Kraftform Kompakt Ratcheting Screwdriver, 1/4″ Head. The ergonomic grip on the screw driver feels natural and can’t be beat. The ratcheting action keeps my impact gun in my tool bag most of the time. The hidden compartment for 6 other tips keeps the weight of 6 other screw drivers off of my hip. I don’t see this screw driver giving it much competition for my specific needs. No contest.
Steve
using 1″ impact bits in a multi driver makes a HUGE difference in tip longevity. Instead of the bits wearing out quickly, they seem to be lasting on par with a klein screwdriver
Openplanet
Oh My God…it’s a screwdriver, gentlemen.
It’s a device for tightening and loosening screws.
That’s it. End of story.
Nathan
indeed it is – but it’s pretty.
here’s the deal I used to also buy cheaper for tools as I oft didn’t see much point. But over the years I started to use and throughly enjoy things like the snap on ratcheting driver and the like.
it works better, comfortable to use, faster or stronger etc. and over time that becomes worth the money.
difference here – like those tacticool knives people buy (just like the ones made by the same company) – lots of extreme manufacturing – overly designed – and extreme materiels.
Ok so it might not need to be 17-4 passivated SS hardened and then machined for the shaft. I don’t know of another that is made that way – perhaps the medical stuff might be. It could however have been double platted forged steel like a 4130 tool steel – well that’s like everyone elses now. it would be a good bit cheaper too.
take the handle – nothing wrong with plastic – hell use wood I love the look of a wood handle driver, I have 3 my grandfather used. No let’s use some AL, milled from blank AL – not rough cast and cleaned – nope full on CNC milled from block.
well that takes time and money too. which AL and please stop calling it aircraft AL. please thanks. (longer rant than I want to get into). OK so 6165, 6050, 2024, which one. naw let’s use that newer hard to work with 7780 used on the 777 spars. I bet even money they did not.
so yes this is a show piece driver – as much as it is functional – it’s mostly for show. LIke that titanium handled 200 dollar knife some people carry.
If there was a toolguyd promotional version and the proceeds were for the site MX or some other reviews or charity – I’d buy one, maybe even 3.
Tony
Thanks for the review. I like the idea of a ToolGuyd screwdriver. I would just point out that one can still buy a USA made screwdriver (Klein) for almost half the price ($12.25) of the Volcanic one above:
https://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-32505-Combo-Screw/dp/B00OLBLUBM
The Volcanic Tool company’s website describes their tool as a “High Torque” Bit Driver. However, I don’t see where “high torque” comes into play anywhere in the design of the tool. Even the handle looks small in diameter. In contrast, Klein more accurately claims greater torque due to the wider diameter of their Cushion-Grip handles:
http://www.kleintools.com/sites/all/product_assets/documents/brochures/klein/KleinTools_Drivers.pdf
fred
USA-Made may be true about some Klein screwdrivers – but I just looked at this new one at HD and it was made in Taiwan:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-6-in-1-Ratcheting-Stubby-Screwdriver-with-Square-Recess-32594/300202387
It still looked nice.
Stuart
True, and I have bought a fair number of Klein multi-bit screwdrivers.
But sometimes you want or need something different.
There’s a reason why you won’t find a lot of smooth metal-handed screwdrivers, but I’ve found this one to be a joy to use for misc applications – removing the under-sink RO water filter to fix a leak, changing the batteries on some toys, securing some pocket hole screws, fastening together an aluminum-framed robot chassis, and putting together a quick jig from 2x4s.
I attached the cord wrap to a Festool dust extractor lately, but my Beta Phillips #2 kept slipping and camming out. I reached for a Klein heavy duty multi-bit screwdriver, and it powered through. I don’t know if this screwdriver would have had the handle grip to power through that task.
MikeakaFazzman
As a machinist, I feel the price is well justified. Not only do you have the machining process but also the plating and engraving and such,most shops dont do all that in house. USA manufacturers cant make small batch stuff cheap guys,just not how it all works.
Also it depends where they can get materials from too,metal prices change all the time,sometimes within days of a quote. Aluminum is always relatively cheap but stainless steels are not always cheap.
17-4 PH by nature is not really all that easy to machine compared to other Stainless steels.
Jerry
Add a hex bolster and I’m on board. On board bit storage is nice but isn’t always executed properly, so I’m torn on that one.
Stuart
On-board bit storage would be interesting, but could potentially add a lot to the complexity and cost.
Metal-on-metal threading for a bit storage compartment wouldn’t be easy to get right.
fred
I could just imagine the mating threads on the storage compartment cap and in the handle galling – and the accompanying swearing that would go on as you tried to retrieve a stored bit
Jerry
Exactly why I’m torn on the idea of on board storage. For a lifetime driver, it would need to be lifetime quality. To truly do it right might be cost prohibitive.
M. D. Lewis
I ordered (2) to try out. I like all metal screwdrivers they are getting hard to find and will last a lifetime.
Eric
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the handle were made from aircraft aluminum”
What exactly is “aircraft aluminum”?
Stuart
Maybe aircraft grade aluminum sounds vague and cheesy, which I hadn’t intended. My point is that I’m sure this isn’t the cheap general purpose stuff you can buy at the hardware store.
MikeakaFazzman
“aircraft grade” is a bit misleading. Most likely they used 6061 alloy. its one of the most common types of aluminum used.
7075 is one of the stronger aluminum alloys.
Stuart
They don’t specify the aluminum alloy, and the use of aircraft-grade was my doing.
Aircraft aluminum has some meaning, but it’s been diminished over years thanks to thin-walled flashlights and things like that.
Maybe I fell prey to the aluminum description generalizations I encounter on a too-frequent basis.
fred
The spin gurus of the advertising-copy world have also done it with “titanium”. I guess Hastelloy, Incoloy, Zirconium and other costly metals and alloys are less likely to get their names slapped on flashlights, frying pans, drill bits and the like, as titanium has (sometimes even legitimately as in TiN coated etc.) But the advertising-copy spin doctors are probably searching for the next material they can hype until it too gets overused and the buying public becomes unimpressed.
Zack
Mine just arrived! It’s very nice. I’m especially impressed with how precisely the bits fit into the 1/4 socket.
Looking at where the shaft meets the handle, it appears that the aluminum is interference-fit around the steel. I wonder what kind of torque it would take to make it slip, and whether the shaft would simply shear off first.
The finish quality is so fine that I’m tempted to give this as a wedding gift to a friend of mine who works on exotic cars. An amazing deal at $32 shipped. No wonder they’re sold out.
Sam
I just got mine too. Good stuff.
Travis
I just purchased a couple of these and used one over the weekend for a few different projects around the house. The fit and finish is top notch. The worst flaw is not having any kind of bit storage. Today I’m back to using my Snap-On because having easy/quick access to different bits might be the single greatest feature of a bit holder (who knew?) For this price I could not honestly recommend it without having them address that issue.
Rick C
I’ve never been a fan of multi-bit drivers like this, but like a moth drawn to a porch light I do have some. I prefer dedicated screwdrivers above all, but I like my Klein Switch Drive with its very positive blade/shank engagement. The KSD is unnecessarily heavy though and there’s no current tool holder — other than a pouch — that works with it.
Now, if a Toolguyd version fit shorty impact driver bits and gave me confidence in bit retention, I might hafta look at one…
Don
Just got mine. Beautifully crafted and made in the USA! Looks like a tool I’ll be handing down to one of my sons… A couple of comments: the magnet is pretty weak so keep an eye out for lost bits. The aluminum handle is great, but using it bare -handed in cold weather is a recipe for frostbite!
Sam
I bought it to just have in my tool arsenal. I like it, it has been handy at times. But i love tools. Thing is these are out of stock now, an idk how long itll b around. If they are ever perm discontinued least ill have one.
Rocco
Are these guys still in business? I have been checking for months and zero product is in stock.
Kouroche Mohandes
Is this still available?
Stuart
I’m going to say no, as the maker hasn’t replied to any emails the last time I tried to check.
Kouroche Mohandes
Thanks for the quick reply, and if you know where else we can get it, it would be appreciated.
Greg
Stu you might want to put a post up on the main page but it appears to me that they are out of business or doing things differently.
The domain is no longer forwarding to a website although the ownership is retained by whoever had it.
Which sucks because I really wanted one of their drivers and the micro drivers. Oh well I’ll learn to order things quicker the next time.