Canadian ingenuity

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"A bad workman always blames his tools," says an old proverb. But a good workman finds a way to improve his tools, and that is exactly what Canadian inventor Peter Lymburner Robertson did with his superior screwdriver system.

Unlike some screwdrivers with slot or star designs, the square-ended Robertson screwdriver's increased torque allows for more force to be exerted without deforming the depression in the screw head. The user can then pull together a joint without the screwdriver slipping.

Patented in 1908 and first mass-produced in Milton, Ontario, the Robertson head was on 85% of the screws bought by Canadians by the end of the 20th century.

Americans used the Robertson screws in both Model A and Model T Fords in the early 20th century and these screws have been used since the 1950s in commercial furniture and mobile home production. But the Robertson screw didn't crack the American recreational woodworker market until a few years ago.