Who Remembers These?
- Thread starter Sibyrnes
- Start date
GmpaJim
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2022
- Messages
- 1,107
Agreed, this could mean youāre old.Ohhh yes. Dad had one of those. I still have a 4 way Sears tool. Guess that makes me old.
Being really old, is when you remember a building being built, used and now is being torn down.
I can name several.
StuntDouble
Gold Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2004
- Messages
- 2,382
I see these at the antique mall from time to time. I seem to remember my dad had one as well, though I don't know that he carried it all that much. I think it pretty much lived on top of his dresser or on his bedside table.
Last edited:
No, being old is fondly recalling the 500 dollar VW you had as a high school kid, and now they are collectors pieces and are 20,000 to 25,000 dollars for a halfway restored one.
Being old is watching an old movie with your grandchild, and when the screen hero makes a phone call on an old rotary phone, your grandkid asks whats he doing, and why doesn't he just use his cell phone.
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2010
- Messages
- 4,176
This conversation has me looking thru all my stuff
My father passed away 2 weeks ago..today
I been looking for my 4 way screwdriver which I haven't been able to locate but I DID find 3 p38s that I had picked up over the years
That was my father's edc ..the p38 on his keyring
He used that for all his knife needs for my entire childhood (with the exception of cutting the turkey on Thanksgiving) ...at least until TSA took his. I know I got him a replacement p38 and p58 at some point
My father passed away 2 weeks ago..today
I been looking for my 4 way screwdriver which I haven't been able to locate but I DID find 3 p38s that I had picked up over the years
That was my father's edc ..the p38 on his keyring
He used that for all his knife needs for my entire childhood (with the exception of cutting the turkey on Thanksgiving) ...at least until TSA took his. I know I got him a replacement p38 and p58 at some point
SomebodySomewhere
BANNED
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2022
- Messages
- 362
Deleted.
Last edited:
My Dad used to carry one of those in his leather key case. They worked, were thin, and cheap. Not made anymore, but plenty available on Ebay, for 20 times the original price. But since a dollar's only worth a nickel, that's probably fair. Search "Bassett knife". After W.E. Bassett Co. was bought/merged with World Pacific Corp. in 2012, the Shelton, Connecticut plant was shut down, losing 200 jobs, and production went to China. Trim is still a World Pacific Corp brand, but they don't make the knives anymore.
Bassett made two versions, the Trim Trio, with blade, fingernail file, and combo cap lifter/slotted screwdriver, and a single blade version with combo cap lifter/short blade. The handles are about 2 5/16", with blades and tools 1 3/4". Sharpened edges about 1 3/8" and 1/2". I've seen copies by Liter USA and Korea. The nice thing about the Bassetts is that they stamped out a tab on the handle spine as sort of a backspring, and a cam on the spine of the blades/tools so they snapped into the fully open position. Poor man's slipjoint. The annoying thing about Bassett's sheepsfoot blades is that the tips are rounded past the sharpened edge, so there isn't a point at the tip. Safety feature, or just a result of the production process? I've thought about trying to make it into a Wharncliffe shape, but the nail notch is too close to the edge. Maybe sort of a lambsfoot profile? What do you think, Jack Black?
This thread needs more photos. I'll try to show the "backspring" and blade cam, and the rounded blade tip. The bottom tool is a Liter USA copy.
Bassett made two versions, the Trim Trio, with blade, fingernail file, and combo cap lifter/slotted screwdriver, and a single blade version with combo cap lifter/short blade. The handles are about 2 5/16", with blades and tools 1 3/4". Sharpened edges about 1 3/8" and 1/2". I've seen copies by Liter USA and Korea. The nice thing about the Bassetts is that they stamped out a tab on the handle spine as sort of a backspring, and a cam on the spine of the blades/tools so they snapped into the fully open position. Poor man's slipjoint. The annoying thing about Bassett's sheepsfoot blades is that the tips are rounded past the sharpened edge, so there isn't a point at the tip. Safety feature, or just a result of the production process? I've thought about trying to make it into a Wharncliffe shape, but the nail notch is too close to the edge. Maybe sort of a lambsfoot profile? What do you think, Jack Black?
This thread needs more photos. I'll try to show the "backspring" and blade cam, and the rounded blade tip. The bottom tool is a Liter USA copy.
Attachments
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2010
- Messages
- 4,176
Oh hey! I found my 4 way screwdriver yesterday
It was in one of my ... I guess you'd call it first aid packs in my truck kit
And I found 3! P38s in various locations around the house but the p58 I have not found, I must have gifted it to my father at some point
Take good care of the Sear's 4-way screw driver. They are becoming collectors pieces these days. I've taken to carrying a Victorinox quatro in my wallet and the Sear;s is regulated to the sock drawer with the other invaluable stuff.
Jackknife, I see what you mean. Vintage Sears 4 way keychain screwdrivers for $10. How wide and thick is yours? I see some cheap copies on Ebay that are ~1 1/4" diameter. They're stamped with Cole on one side, and a shamrock on the other. Isn't Cole a key company? The tips look somewhat rounded, but I have a belt sander so I could dress them. In fact I was thinking about grinding two of them to approximate the angles of #1 and #2 Phillips screws.
I took one of my beat up Trim Trios, and ground about a 45Ā° tip back to the sharpened edge. Clamped it in a small Vise-Grip near the tip at that angle, dipped into a cup of ice water repeatedly during the grind. Deburred the ground edge on the stopped belt. Why didn't Bassett make them this way to begin with? A much more useful blade profile. I'll try it on the next blister packed item I buy.
I remember all of my friends had those when we were growing up. Now kids in school would get in trouble if they had one. When I was in school, we would bring in the knives we got for B-days or Christmas for the teachers and our friends to admire. I sure am glad I grew up when I did.
not2sharp
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jun 29, 1999
- Messages
- 19,879
I remember getting one of these as a high school award. Today they would probably expel every student, fire the whole staff, and burn the building down just to excize such a thought.
n2s
No kidding. A few years ago they were $1.00 apiece; now they're upwards of $9-10 on FleaBay.
afishhunter
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2014
- Messages
- 13,189
Manual wind-up watches, either wrist or pocket, and new fountain pens ranging in cost from inexpensive under $2.ā°ā° with a converter for bottled ink (also still made and available ... in literally hundreds of colors plus sheening, glittering, and various smells (pipe smoke, leather, wood smoke, flowers, etc.) to well over $8,000 (Eight GRAND!! USD) each are still made and available.
Fill systems currently in production are cartridge-converter, and for bottled ink only: Aerometric, piston fill, vacuum fill, and eye dropper fill. The only old-time fill system not currently in production is the lever fill.
(my favorite fill system)Part of my fountain pen collection. All but three vintage lever fill were purchased new in 2022, for under $15.ā°ā° each. (several came in sets of four or seven, for under $16.ā°ā° to $20.ā°ā°.) I also have around 17 bottles of ink (all different colors, six are Noodlers "Bulletproof"/ "Archival" waterproof (when dry on wood based paper. Not sure about real parchment, cotton or rice and rice/bamboo papers) inks, that I use the most.
I only have eight pens inked currently (far right plus the two on the side); the three lever fill, three Aerometric (steel caps), one with a converter (white porcelain, with dragon artwork on the barrel, Chinese characters on the cap), and one with a cartridge (the maroon demonstrator.)
View attachment 2092901
I also have a few ballpoints, but rarely use them. My go-to pens are the fountain pens.
I only have one manual wind watch right now. An inexpensive (sub $20.ā°ā°) skeleton (you can see the movement) pocket watch. However, it needs work, so it is put away. It would probably be less expensive to replace it with a better watch, than have it serviced. I'd love to find a serviced, functioning key-wind pocket watch ... with the correct key, of course, that is with-in my budget! However, I am certain just the gold (or silver) case would make the watch far more valuable than I am.
Last edited:
The original Four Way Screwdriver was known as a Powerful Pete. A google search will reveal a great deal of information on the Pete. I carry one on my keychain with a P-38 can opener and a Trim Trio knife as my EDC.
Its really surprising how far you can get with that combo!
I grew up watching my dad get by very nicely with his little Case peanut, the Sears 4-way, and P-38 that he kept inches wallet. In an urban or suburban environment you don't need much. Some basic tool function, and a sharp cutter and your in business.
The only mod he did, was he filed a small bevel on the corners of the smallest flat bit, so it acted more like a flat Phillips driver and it fit down in the Phillips head better. The corner of the P-38 also works well on small Phillips screws.