11/07/2025
I always hear nails were used for everything back in ”the old west days” or “1800’s”…so when did screws become a thing?
The history of the screw begins with the "Archimedean screw" for lifting water around the 4th century BCE, but the use of screws as fasteners didn't become widespread until the 15th century. Early metal screws were handmade and expensive, but mass production became possible in the late 1700s with the invention of specialized lathes by inventors like Jesse Ramsden and Henry Maudslay. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw further advancements, including the invention of the square-drive Robertson screw in 1908 and the Phillips head screw in the 1930s.
Ancient origins
Archimedean screw: Around the 4th century BCE, the principle was first used for practical purposes by Archimedes to create a device for lifting water, which was crucial for irrigation and drainage.
Early presses: The screw principle was also used in ancient presses to extract oil from olives and juice from grapes, with early versions found in Pompeii.
Development of fasteners
15th century: Metal screws began to be used as fasteners in Europe, though they were scarce and expensive, appearing in things like armor and fi****ms. These early screws were handmade, and their threads were not standardized.
18th century: The invention of the screw-cutting lathe by Jesse Ramsden in 1770 and later by Henry Maudslay made it possible to produce more accurate and consistent threads.
19th century: The first machines to produce screws in a factory setting were patented in England in 1760. Later, machines that produced screws with tapered shafts and pointed ends were developed in the 1840s in the United States, making them easier to install.
Modern era
Early 20th century: The first interchangeable square-drive screw, the Robertson screw, was invented in 1908.
1930s: Henry Phillips patented his Phillips head screw design, which became standard in many applications.
Mass production: Standardization became more widespread in 1928, and the development of new drive designs, like Torx, continued to emerge for specific applications.
