Stanley Defiance Screwdrivers

The Defiance line of screwdrivers from Stanley was geared towards just about everyone and it was the Defiance line that served as their budget brand. Prior to the 1940’s most, if not all, of the Defiance screwdrivers had wooden handles. In 1940 Stanley took the predecessor of this line which was the Hercules line, changed the name but not the model number. I don’t know if this is something someone else came up with but in the article I’m reading here: Stanley USA Plastic Handled Screwdrivers: Part I, the author seems to list them as First Generation ( those with the yellow/amber coloured plastic handles ). This first generation ran from about 1940 through to 1950.

First Generation Plastic Handles 1940-1950
Second Generation Plastic Handles 1950-1954

In 1950 Stanley “improved” on the screwdrivers and introduced the second generation of screwdrivers, these featuring the yellow/amber handle but now with deep red fluting on the sides. This generation was offered from 1950 through to 1954 when it was replaced by the Handyman line. As mentioned before on other pages/posts, it was not uncommon for Stanley to just leave the model numbers the same. In the case of the Defiance to Handyman transition, you have usually ( but not always ) tell the difference in the model numbers because the Defiance is simply 1204 while the Handyman would be numbered H1204 with the “h” obviously standing from Handyman.

Thanks to an excerpt from a catalog I was able to find some of the screwdrivers and their numbers so here they are along with the original catalog page for them. Here’s what the page says about them:

STANLEY “DEFIANCE” SCREW DRIVERS – these screwdrivers have round steel blades, with the ends, which are engaged in the handles, squared, thus securely fastening them. Also a pin is riveted through the steel ferrule, handle, and shank. The handles are of hardwood, fluted and stained red. They are superior in strength, quality, and finish to any driver of similar design.

  • Defiance No. 70 – 2 1/2″ Blade, 6 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 70 – 3″ Blade, 7″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 70 – 4″ Blade, 8″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 70 – 5″ Blade, 10″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 70 – 6″ Blade, 11 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 70 – 7″ Blade, 13 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 70 – 8″ Blade, 14 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 70 – 9″ Blade, 15 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 70 – 10″ Blade, 16 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 70 – 12″ Blade, 18 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 70 – 15″ Blade, 23″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 70 – 18″ Blade, 27″ Overall

Cabinet Makers No. 75 – Tips are the same width as diameter of shank.

  • Defiance No. 75 – 2 1/2″ Blade, 6 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 75 – 3 1/2″ Blade, 7 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 75 – 4 1/2″ Blade, 9″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 75 – 5 1/2″ Blade, 10 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 75 – 6 1/2″ Blade, 11 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 75 – 7 1/2″ Blade, 12 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 75 – 8 1/2″ Blade, 13 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 75 – 9 1/2″ Blade, 14 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 75 – 10 1/2″ Blade, 15 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 75 – 12 1/2″ Blade, 17 1/2″ Overall

Electricians No. 77 – Small shank, handle, and tip

  • Defiance No. 77 – 2″ Blade, 5 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 77 – 3″ Blade, 6 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 77 – 4″ Blade, 7 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 77 – 5″ Blade, 8 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 77 – 6″ Blade, 9 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 77 – 7″ Blade, 10 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 77 – 8″ Blade, 11 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 77 – 9″ Blade, 12 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 77 – 10″ Blade, 13 1/2″ Overall
  • Defiance No. 77 – 12″ Blade, 15 1/2″ Overall

Below are the various other screwdrivers I’ve seen, once I get more of them added I will break them down into their respective groupings like I did above.

  • Defiance No. 1277 – Flathead Screwdriver 8.5″ long, 4″ shank
  • Defiance No. 1285
  • Defiance No. 3007
  • Defiance No. 3010 – Pen clip plastic handle flat head screwdriver
  • Defiance No. 3012 – Stubby Flat Head, Yellow Plastic Handle
Canadian Made Defiance by Stanley No. 3012 stubby flat head screwdriver

UPDATE 5/21/23 – Doing some more research and trolling around I found another line up of screwdrivers, these featuring plastic handles and numbered in the 3000’s, this particular one is a No. 3007 and is an 8″ Flathead Screwdriver as seen below in the first two pictures. Additionally I found another screwdriver with a wooden handle and numbered 1285 as seen in the second set of pictures below. Additionally I discovered a couple more with plastic handles in two different colour schemes. The first is a No. 3008 and has a yellow handle just like the one below, the other is a red and yellow handled No. 3012.

If an item in the listings above is bold and green that means I already own it, bold and gold is purchased pending delivery. As time permits I will get more pictures of items from my actual collection to post up here. At present I am working on getting the pages sorted and organized so as not to become one huge picture heavy page… instead I’ll make a lot of picture heavy pages lol.