Good quality Jewellers screwdrivers.

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

I am looking for a good quality jeweller’s screwdrivers set, including cross heads and straight blades. All the ones I can find seem to be nasty Asian products. I paid good money for one set and they turned out to be rubbish. Any recommendations would be gratefully accepted.

Andrew.

[Steve Skelton 1Participant @steveskelton1]

I use Wera drivers, assuming they are small enough for your needs. Not cheap but they are high quality.

 

[Steve Skelton 1Participant @steveskelton1]

The link failed trying again, in inverted commas

“https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wera-Screwdriver-electronic-applications-05118152001/dp/B0001P18PK/ref=asc_df_B0001P18PK?mcid=f86a55903097382ab4998c794ea31740&th=1&hvocijid=12466938455373277532-B0001P18PK-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12466938455373277532&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9193840&hvtargid=pla-2281435178098&gad_source=1”

[peak4Participant @peak4]

I’ve been using a set for probably 25 years+, branded as International Tools, which seem to still be working OK.
After a long absence from the UK market, they seem to have re-appeared under CK’s banner, but I’ve no idea if they will be as long lived.
I do have a set of the yellow CK ones, which seem very similar to the original red Internationals

https://cktools-superstore.co.uk/CK-Precision-Electronics-Screwdriver-Slotted-PH-TX-Set-Of-7-T4896

They seem to be about £19 on ebay etc.

Bill

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

Thanks Guys, I like Wera kit, but I would like some even smaller drivers. The CK tools look ok and I may well give them a punt.

It looks as though the old fashioned ribbed jewellers screwdrivers are defunct, except for poor Asian clones.

Andrew.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

No, I think CK still ‘do’ that style in some types, er, look at RS! – apologies – must go back to work!

[Andrew Tinsley]

On Andrew Tinsley Said:

Thanks Guys, I like Wera kit, but I would like some even smaller drivers. The CK tools look ok and I may well give them a punt.

It looks as though the old fashioned ribbed jewellers screwdrivers are defunct, except for poor Asian clones.

Andrew.

I guess it depends on how small you need to go.
The smallest things I work on are electronics and DTI sized stuff, for which the original International ones seem suited. The CK ones look identical, barring the colour, but I can’t vouch for the steel.
For more conventional ribbed ones, I would think suppliers like Cousins might be worth investigating, but a single Bergeon might cost more than a CK set.

https://www.cousinsuk.com/category/screwdrivers-blades-sharpeners-allen-keys

p.s. Keep your eye on the Middle of Lidl, as some of theirs seem to be better than others.

Bill

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

What about the Eclipse set on RDG for circa£15, one handle and half a dozen inserts.

[Roger WoollettParticipant @rogerwoollett53105]

HS Walsh have a number of screwdrivers, some very expensive but should be good.

HS Walsh – screwdrivers

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Have a look at https://www.hswalsh.com/horological-tools-equipment/watch-clock-making-tools/watchmakers-screwdrivers

They stock Bergeon who are the rolls-royce. The price reflects this £130 + VAT for a set….
They have lower cost tools as well.

Robert.

[Andrew Moyes 1Participant @andrewmoyes1]

I have some excellent ones by Vessel, made in Japan.  They’re not cheap but you get what you pay for.

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Roger types faster…

 

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

Thanks everyone. Lots of good suggestions which I need to follow up.

Andrew.

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

I have a comprehensive set of wera micros Which I like a lot.

For even smaller stuff a vintage set of Starrett jeweler’s screwdrivers. I think these are the same as the Moore and Wright ones.

[Trevor Drabble 1Participant @trevordrabble1]

Having served my apprenticeship at James Neil ( Eclipse ) I obviously bought a set when the need arose . They were supplied  in a very nice round wooden box.  Sad to say they were the biggest load of ……. I’ve ever bought . In utter disgust the screwdrivers went straight in the scrap and the wooden box was used to help light that years’ bonfire .

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

I believe the smallest Wera Kraftform Micros are:

Slotted: 1.5mm

PH: PH000

Torx:TX1

Hex: 0.7mm

Vessel do smaller than this in slotted and PH. The Weras have slightly more substantial handles than the Vessels, but the latter have a removable rotating sleeve in the middle, which you may or may not find useful.

[PeteParticipant @pete41194]

For slotted head jeweler’s or fine instrument screws, what you want to search for would be known as flat ground or parallel ground tips. Unfortunately that requires quite a few screw drivers or tips to actually fit the various screw slot sizes. The correct tip size is really required to almost slip fit for width, then sized for the full slot length, and capable of reaching the depth of the slot. I’d also guess there’s slightly different industry standards for both imperial and metric instrument screw slot dimensions, as well as specials. Manufactured from the correct alloy, hardened, tempered, and finish ground to size. Andrews point about “not cheap but you get what you pay for” is all too true.

Today and what passes as a screw driver with any tapered tip is a literal abomination of ridiculous tool design and manufacturing choices. There much faster and cheaper to manufacture and that’s it. How well they might work seems to be not considered at all. It’s impossible with any tighter screws to not damage the slots, and if they were to even fit, the torque is applied right at the top and therefore weakest area on the screw head. And yes I did my share of damaging fine screw slots before I finally learned why I was. But you may already know all this. At best, any of those larger tapered tip screwdrivers are just about good enough to open a can of paint. The cheaper sets of jeweler/instrument sized all seem to be using what they call hollow grinding that rarely work without doing at least some damage.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Surely Trevor if they were that bad why did you not return them as unfit for purpose??

[bernard towers]

On bernard towers Said:

Surely Trevor if they were that bad why did you not return them as unfit for purpose??

It sounds to me like Trevor made a Grand [and entirely reasonable] gesture of disgust, at the end of his apprenticeship.

Simply returning them would not give the same frisson

MichaelG.

[Pete]

On Pete Said:

…

Andrews point about “not cheap but you get what you pay for” is all too true.

…

Whilst I agree with everything Pete said, can I warn against the ‘quality’ myth.  The idea that one should buy the best available is wrong. Adages, price, brand-names and country of origin are all unreliable factors.  Instead tools should be bought to meet requirements, therefore purchasers are advised to think about what their requirements really are before buying.     As all tools are disposable, don’t waste money on high-end gear that’s rarely used and might end up in a skip when we die.

I have three sets of Jewellers screwdrivers.

• Very cheap, plastic handles yuk, bought on a Sunday to tighten a loose screw on my specs.   Job done to perfection, no complaints, so the set passed my ‘value for money’ and ‘fit for purpose’ tests.  Doesn’t mean the set is good for much else.  The bits are soft and they don’t fit much other than spectacles!
• Two inexpensive mid-range sets bought from tool-shops.  An ordinary selection of 6 tips aimed at the simple repair market, which is what most purchasers want.  The first is Japanese and about 50 years old.  Second set probably Chinese,  bought recently after the Japanese set went walk-about.   The mid-range sets are very similar, differing mainly from the very cheap set by having metal handles and hardened tips.   Both are good enough for what I do, and anyone recommending me to buy Bergeon needs shooting!  Advice that wastes other people’s money is all too common, and those who give it aren’t accountable.

My screwdriver requirement would change radically were I to switch to clockmaking / repair.  (Once a real possibility.)   Now I have to go up market because many screws are worked on and it’s important not to graunch them!  An ordinary Jewellers set is no longer ‘fit for purpose’.  New requirements include:

1. Hard wearing tips, to take a lot of action.
2. The large number of different slot sizes found in timekeepers means a large number of screwdrivers are needed, and they have to be hollow ground.
3. Smooth low friction bearings in the handles.
4. Good grip and other ergonomics.  As feel is a personal thing, best to choose after handling the tool!
5. Two sets: one magnetic, the other anti-magnetic.
6. A large number of screwdrivers in constant use have to be organised.  Colour coded handles, ideally stored in a carousel, not a box or rack.  Carousels vary from rough and ready to expensively smooth.

Requirements 1 to 4 are unlikely to be met by a set of 29 screwdrivers selling for £9.99 on the web.   Though a cheap set might come closer than expected.   Listening to a recent radio programme about wrist-watches, a retailer mentioned markup on quality watches was up to 34 times the manufacturing cost.  Sadly spending £5000 on a watch made for £150 does not add quality; instead the owner is paying £4750 for the brand and ‘reassuringly expensive’ bling.   The link between cost and ‘quality’ is far from guaranteed.

Requirements 5 and 6 take us into another game entirely; making best use of tools.   A well-insulated workshop with a large north facing window would be nice!  If seriously into clock and watch work, then screwdrivers are the tip of an iceberg.   Dozens of other expensive tools needed!

Choosing tools is no exception to the rule that Engineers should never solve the wrong problem.  Purchasing criteria are ‘fit for purpose’ and ‘value for money’.  What they mean depends on each purchasers requirements, not oversimplified assumptions.

How good does a tool need to be?  There is no simple answer unless one has plenty of spare cash.  Compromise is necessary, at which point generalisations like ‘buy cheap buy twice’ fail miserably, at least if we’re on a budget.  So it pays to be clear about what tools are for, why they are needed, how often, and what the constraints are.  Then take internet advice  and decide after thinking.

Not criticising Pete’s post at all – his clearly explained observations are easy to peer review, and make sense to me!

Dave

 

[Trevor Drabble 1Participant @trevordrabble1]

Michael G , As usual , got it in one !

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Get the Handbags out boys!

[PeteParticipant @pete41194]

I live in North America and I’d guess most of the members here are in the UK. Brands and who to check prices with that I know are trustworthy aren’t of much use to most others here. The high shipping costs alone wouldn’t be worth it. But previous posters in this thread have already mentioned who’s jeweler screw drivers they’ve been happy with. And I didn’t imply at all to buy at the highest price. What I do is some research, find out what tool suppliers and brands are known to be excellent. Price should be secondary since the performance, durability and design is what Andrew seems to be looking for. Buy what others experience has proven will work.

A mid level price might or possibly could be just as good as the highest cost one’s are. Trusted brands seem to add a surcharge to ensure they can afford to keep doing so and get at least some reward for that trust. After all, they’ve done what it takes to earn that brand reputation. But it’s not uncommon today for corporate bean counters and management to suddenly  lower there quality and just keep cashing in on that once trusted name. Jacobs drill chucks would be just one example of many. Quality, durability and performance has almost a locked in X dollar / pound price level no matter what country any product is being produced in. While I can count on one hand the number of times that very low price has turned out mostly ok, it would take a lot of hands to add up every time it didn’t. I’ve got a set of the larger than jeweler sized replaceable tip screw drivers with 1/4″ hex drive hollow ground tips. Anything even fairly tight permanently twists the tip simply because the metal is junk. Heat treating makes the metal durable, it adds little to almost nothing for any real additional strength or rigidity.

I’ve made a few larger un-harded and just milled to size parallel tips for a few specialty cheeze head screws on my older machine tools from decent steel that have never once done that. I’m also not saying all the cheap sets would do the same as my first ones did. But the odds aren’t great that they wouldn’t. High quality steels, proper heat treating, finish grinding to a precise size, and the quality control to ensure that all adds to the manufacturing costs for those trusted brands. If I really wanted to be 100% sure, I’d be checking the watch and clock forums. Actual watch & jewelry tool suppliers do seem to be the most over priced places to buy from though.

For the larger parallel tip screw drivers, I did my research on the gun forums. $100,000+ custom shotguns and rifles aren’t all that uncommon today, and most commercial gunsmiths aren’t going to be buying there lifetime tools based on price as there only criteria.

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