Comments
This specific specimen contains all elements and features as
described in 1903 catalog. It is also congruent with
description of No. 1 - 1903 edition on
Millers
Falls Home Page website of Randy Roeder.
Here are some distinguishing features for 1903 edition:
Frame and Gear painted
black.
Side handle in Stained Hardwood - "teardrop" shape.
Main handle in Cocobolo. In some catalogs (1886 and
1887) this handle
is also called "head".
Patented (568,539-McCoy)
spring-less chuck. The text reads:
Millers Falls Co. Millers Falls. Mass.
Pat'd. Sept. 29TH,
1896
Crank knob in Cocobolo. No manufacturer marks
on crank arm.
According to study by
George Langford, the marking on chuck and
lack of marking on crank arm or anywhere else, signify early period in production
of MF Hand Drills. After 1903, when chucks without
markings begun to appear, crank arm was marked with Star
trade mark.
The screw on main
gear. This is early screw type, found on many early hand
drills.
It is different from the screw found on most of
the later editions.
