Rossi Rifleman

My British GF "E" is classically trained, in London, at university level in housekeeping, hotel management and hospitality, and is in business for herself cleaning and managing properties for the wealthy.

One of her semi less to do clients is moving to assisted living, and selling her condo. So E brought home a few goodies, one of which is a 1957 Black and Decker 1/4 inch utility drill, Catalog #1-U/3-U AC-DC

In prime shape, fully intact with original cord....and runs just fine. Smells like the days of my youth when dad would bring out a drill to do some odd bit of work.

With the original B&D marked drill chuck key.

And the original instruction manual.

And the original "Gaurantee Card" #674841

And the original dated sales receipt, from S.Klein "On the Square". March 15, 1957 (the Ides of March!). Someone paid $12.99 for the drill, $1.89 for a 13pc set of "Premier" drills (full jobbers length!), and a set of masonary bits made in Holland for $2.19 for a total of $18.26. The sales tax rate was 3%. S.Klein was a NY, NJ based company (mostly) so 3% sales tax... oh boy those were the days.

And...

Those sets of original drills, intact, were also included.

This makes me take pause... think about how my clock already struck midnight, and remember back to the days when it was still the sunny afternoon of life.

Crazy! What a great find!

Tried to post a phone picture... Too big. I can get one that will fit later. This is like a snapshot out of time.

There ya go. Drill, instructions, guarantee, sales slip, original accessories, and the drills bought on the same sales slip. A real home-museum worthy item. I got half a mind to mount it all in a shadow box and hang it on the wall.

With all them bona-fides, I call B&D and offer it to them for $$$$$$$. .....And when they declined.... ....I'd donate it to a local trade school, so those kids could compare todays tools to what real craftsman had way back when.

My Dad had a Milwaukee drill with the same type cast aluminum body that he bought in the early '50's. That drill got a lot of use over the years and I can remember a couple of times he even changed the "brushes" in it himself to keep it going. By 2000, his lung disease issues had pretty well kept him from tinkering in his shop, but that danged old drill still had what it took.

And, no, you just can't get that quality anymore unless you pay some big money now.


jd

Well you CAN get the quality. Just buy used!

NICE.
And here I was fixing to go bragging on my 1986 made in Taiwan, sold at Lowes, and given to me for free drill press. Well color me .

See if the plate on your drill press says anythonk like Keng, or K.Keng or King Keng Fu. All the same company, good stuff.