That is a Brace as in Brace and bit. I think they co-existed.
Although I have an antique brace that just used a taper square socket to take the wood auger bit.
Incidentally while on the antique kick, what was used as the material of choice for screwdriver etc handles before plastic?
Max.

 

Incidentally while on the antique kick, what was used as the material of choice for screwdriver etc handles before plastic?

My wild guess would be baquelite, or perhaps they were solid iron?

 

OK, in Europe anyway, it was Boxwood from the Boxwood tree.
The very hard dense kind, it was a Very slow growing shrub.
And as hard as any plastic.
http://www.wood-database.com/boxwood/
It is excellent for turning, in fact I also have a wine cork remover of Boxwood that has an acme thread turned in it.
Also a Carpenters Awl from the 1800's that is still in use,the handle made in the same wood.
Max.

 

I have three different sizes of Yankee screwdrivers and I can't get Philips bits for any of them.

 

I have three different sizes of Yankee screwdrivers and I can't get Philips bits for any of them.

Why not? https://www.fine-tools.com/yankeescrewdriverbit.html Google gives ~440K hits.

 

OK, in Europe anyway, it was Boxwood from the Boxwood tree.
The very hard dense kind, it was a Very slow growing shrub.
And as hard as any plastic.
http://www.wood-database.com/boxwood/
It is excellent for turning, in fact I also have a wine cork remover of Boxwood that has an acme thread turned in it.
Also a Carpenters Awl from the 1800's that is still in use,the handle made in the same wood.
Max.

The handles on my brace, which was my dad's and possibly my grandfather's, are wooden and are good as new. I don't know how to identify it as boxwood. It's likely U.S. made, so could be something else more indigenous here. Now I'm curious.

 

I don't know how to identify it as boxwood

Does it look any thing like this?

I think all of my old wood working tools have maple handles on them.

 

Boxwood has an extremely fine grain that is barely visible, this due to its slow growth.
When polished it has a bright yellow appearance almost like plastic.
Max.

 

Boxwood has an extremely fine grain that is barely visible, this due to its slow growth.
When polished it has a bright yellow appearance almost like plastic.
Max.

Max, the boxwood around here is like an ornamental shrub, is it a full size tree in the UK? The maple that was used in tool handles in the states is also very fine grained, don't they refer to maple in the UK as 'sycamore'? Our US sycamore is a totally different tree.

 

Probably because the Maple and Sycamore seeds appear identical.
AFAIK the Box does not grow very high, I remember small hedges in the UK when growing up.
According to the data, they can grow from 10 to 25ft but only in 4" to 6" in dia.
Max.

 

I use Craftsman Nextec drills

 

I remember wood handled screwdrivers. And my first holes were made with a brace and bit. My (great-?) grandfather used to build the racing shells for Harvard University by hand. My father had his old tools and let me use them. Never could get a handle on a wood plane, though.

 

Never could get a handle on a wood plane, though.

My first was a wood (block) plane made of Wood!
Max.

 

My first was a wood (block) plane made of Wood!
Max.
View attachment 121515

That's what the one's we had looked like.

 

Also have one of these!
Max.

 

Also have one of these!
Max.

Those were one of our first projects in high school machine shop, trammel points. Though ours had a round rod with one flat side, instead of the rectangular bar.

 

My first was a wood (block) plane made of Wood!

Have you seen the "molding"planes? They were used to shape different types of moldings, like cove and ogee. I have a few of them that were my great grand dads. The irons were shaped to the style of molding being made.

 

Those were one of our first projects in high school machine shop, trammel points. Though ours had a round rod with one flat side, instead of the rectangular bar.

A winner! Yes a Trammel.

Have you seen the "molding"planes? They were used to shape different types of moldings, like cove and ogee. I have a few of them that were my great grand dads. The irons were shaped to the style of molding being made.

Yep, used those also.
Max.

 

A winner! Yes a Trammel.


Yep, used those also.
Max.

Not fair! It wasn't clear there was a contest!

My last comment regarding this. We seem to have hijacked this thread.

 

Any one ever see a set of stair trammels? Not mine but have a set.