# Why Do Screwdriver Handles Smell Bad



## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

This may be a dumb question ,and unimportant but
I just bought a new set of screwdrivers ,and the handles smell like crap, these are not the only ones I have noticed this about.
These are great screwdrivers ,but they stink !!!
Klein 7-Piece Journeyman Screwdriver Set


----------



## bluekingfisher (Mar 30, 2010)

I guess the smell will eventually dissapate withr time and use, makes you wonder though what the heck goes into the plastics materials used to make them however?


----------



## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

Ok, shellac is made from excretions from a bug. Certain mascaras are made from bat crap. What are plastic screwdriver handles made from? Hmmmm! Food for thought.


----------



## pauljp (Jan 10, 2011)

At work we have a tool chest full of screw drivers that must be over 25 years old.
They smell soooo bad that finally this year I had to throw them out and get new ones.
I don't know what causes it but I'm glad they are gone.
I dreaded opening the drawer when I needed one.


----------



## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

When I open the drawer of my tool chest, where the old craftsman screwdrivers are, it is the same deal


----------



## RetiredCoastie (Sep 7, 2009)

Wow thats a heck of a review for a tool…LOL


----------



## rmoore (Mar 9, 2011)

Maybe they are made from recycled baby diapers? HAHA


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I've never noticed that.

It's not the smell like you get with vinyl air mattresses, right?

Are the stinky screwdriver handles hard plastic or do they have some give?


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I did a search and there are a bunch of explanations for the smell:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=stinky+screwdriver+handles


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I can't help but wonder about what people go around smelling. LOL


----------



## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

You don't have to try to smell this, it is in your face and up your nose, especially the new ones.
I had to quickly get them out of the house into the shop.


----------



## Chelios (Jan 2, 2010)

Try these http://www.elkheadtools.com/drivers.html they wont smell


----------



## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

The best answer I can come up with is to check Mafe's site on the new handles he has made for 
screwdrivers, hammers, chisels and whatever else you need, then either clamp the screwdriver bit
in a vise and drive the offending handle off, carefully noting the size of the hole in it, or squeeze the
handle in the vise until it breaks apart. Then following Mafe's lead, or I believe a few other LJs have
also blogged on handles, make yourself a beautiful new set of hardwood handles to exactly fit your
hand and insert the screwdriver bit into it. A fun project and a beautiful set of screwdrivers that
do not smell.


----------



## woodspark (May 8, 2010)

That will teach you not to buy tools with plastic handles! :^) Yuck! I do not own a single tool with a plastic handle….


----------



## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

I've found two kind that dont stink, on the low end the Pittsburgh Tools rubberized handles from Harbor Frieght, they are also decent screw drivers, and on the high end Snap On with the plain black handles.

Opened up a new package of Husky screwdrivers and I thought someone vommited in the container at first, thats the only thing I can think of that smells like that.


----------



## stevenhsieh (Jan 8, 2010)

You must be very bored *LOL*


----------



## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

I don't know what to tell you except it's the plasticizers in the new ones.

I have a lot of the old Craftsman screwdrivers, and they didn't used to stink like they do now. I worked as a mechanic for many years and those screwdrivers earned their keep many times over. In my case it comes from using them and getting any kind of automotive liquid on them, then putting them away with a simple wipe. Mine smell mostly like rancid grease, which makes sense. All it takes is opening the drawer, and the smell is in my face (that's the level of the drawer). Guess I'll clean them, not put wood handles on 'em. I wouldn't want a greasy wood handle, since I use them for auto repair work. Incidentally, my newer Craftsman screwdrivers hardly smell at all. They are the ones I use for wood working, and never the twain shall meet.


----------



## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

For your Kliens, I would use Plasti-dip and put a rubber coating on them to hide the offending smell. I agree with replacing the handles with nice turned wooden ones, but Klien is normally an electritians brand. Don't get caught in a panel by an inspector or OSHA without the proper rated tools for electrical work. Wood does not have the dielectric capabilities as plastics and rubbers.


----------



## Jack_T (Feb 6, 2010)

I agree with Pat, they smell like vomit. Even the old craftsman screwdrivers from the 1970's still smell like vomit. It is the clear handled ones that are the worst offenders. I have also found that the black handles on the Snap-Ons do not stink.

AtomJack I wouldn't clean them if I were you. Rancid grease smells better than vomit.


----------



## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

I'll be right back ….got to run to the shop and sniff my screwdrivers !!! LOL Funky plastic ,Damn : )


----------



## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Ha ha ha, Jack_T, if I clean them, I'll use paint thinner. Then, no rancid grease until I let them rot again between auto repairs. I'm hoping that the vomit smell underneath has mellowed into a nice sweet baby-spit scent underneath the rancid grease. Though I don't recall that they smelled bad, 40 years ago…

Wonder what it is? Antifreeze? Engine oil? Trans (auto and stick)? Rear gear oil? No telling, but if I had to guess it would be rear gear oil; I've seen them with the oil so thick and cooked it smelled like burnt matches and fish together.

Looks like I'll be going to the Snap-On Tool "drug truck" for my screwdrivers from now on.
Maybe it just calls for a quick sanding and a coat of lacquer. That's it, lacquer will cover it up.


----------



## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

Dusty56
there will be no snoring, of screw driver resin, just say no


----------



## BurtC (Oct 30, 2009)

I try not to smell my screw drivers, then again bad habits are hard to get over.


----------



## DMIHOMECENTER (Mar 5, 2011)

Sounds like a good thing to tell the wife if she wanders into a freshly fogged shop !

For Pete's sake, Aren't you glad you didn't step in them ?!


----------



## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

My wife thinks I smell, I tell her to stop acting like a girl and take a good whiff. 
Why would you throw your tools away because they smell, rank tools keeps people from borrowing them.


----------



## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

I am just never gona bring those in the house,maybe I will squirt some fabreeze on them
I'm sure not gonna walk around with one in my back pocket !!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

That stuff is the best, not sure if it will work on hard plastic though. 
Works well on my smelly boots.
I certainly wouldn't buy that brand of drivers again.


----------



## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

STINKY STINKY I used one in the shop today I think they are airing out a little


----------



## whit (Jul 6, 2007)

$2.49 for a car air freshener at Advance Auto Parts. Problem solved. Well . . . OK, covered up. And yes, it does work.

Whit


----------



## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

Once you get your grimy hands all over them they will be just fine. Just think how bad you would smell locked up in a plastic container for god knows how long.


----------



## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

If you guys want to have some serious Laughs click on the Link that Loren Posted in #8. I just spent the last half hour LMAO at some of the links it connects you to!! The Causes (Censored) ...LOL.. and Remedies ie. Stop sticking the Screwdriver (Censored) are a HOOT!!

This is a Common Problem apparently. The* Main Offender*, from a number of the Posts appears to be* Amyl Butrate *used in the plastic manufacturing process. On it's own as one guy said.."I Guarantee you if you smell this stufff straight from the Bottle you will Puke your Guts out!! and wonder how the Dog got His A%$# in there in the First Place!!"

*BUT!!* Beware! One of them pulled that Fake *"Your Computer Is Infected"* thing and they start a Scan whether you want it or not! Happened to me once before. You CAN'T STOP IT! Not even Alt, Ctrl, Delete. So I learned from that and if you ever encounter it …...* Hit The Computer OFF Button as fast as you can!! *

Okay. Going down to my Worshop and Sniff my Screwdrivers for a while. OH! Preperation H? Na!! Make them to Slippery and they might Shrink down to Nothing.

I'm Outta Here: Rick


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Wonder why mine don't have it? What do you guys do with your screwdrivers?


----------



## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

Sorry Topa. That's a little to Personal to explain on here. ....LOL…. OUCH!!! Wrong end again!!!


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Stop smelling your screwdrivers, Bubie. I'm a big fan of Klein and that's a nice set.


----------



## JWags (Feb 11, 2011)

Sometimes the solution is right under your nose…

http://www.swimoutlet.com/product_p/8238.htm


----------



## racerglen (Oct 15, 2010)

I'd bought my mechanic son a deadblow hammer a few years ago, not a high end one, but 
he needed it before the Snap On guy was due the next week..
Oye Vey !..
Stench par excelence !. if you used it for any lengtgh of time the hands picked it up..we tried de greasers, leaving it out in the sun all to no avail, then Chris had a bright idea !
The commercial transmision parts washer in his shop !
HHmm..no more smell, but ..have you ever seen a "limp" hammer ?
The heat took all the stifness out of the handle !
Maybe that design change was for wacking the upper side of the transmission while it was still in the vehicle….

;-{)


----------



## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

Yeah -racerglen, I have had a limp Hammer before !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Definitely do not want a limp Hammer


----------



## Jack_T (Feb 6, 2010)

There are pills for limp Hammers.


----------



## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

racerglen-- the moral of the story is, don't wash your hammer to harshly
But, always keep a firm grip on your tool.


----------



## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

I think it varies by the type of plastic the handles are made of. My Snap On screwdrivers didn't have any smell, but I have a set of Stanley screwdrivers that don't exactly smell like roses…

I guess I always considered that normal, so I never gave it much thought. Still not going to… Really not all that important to me. It doesn't bother me…


----------



## MrDan (May 26, 2009)

I love that you brought this up. Mine are awful so I'm making new ones.
I've got the craftsman set (15yrs old) and they stink up my whole tool box and all the other tools in it. The smell so bad that I am actually starting over with those tools-slowing acquiring new ones until I have a set of non-stinky ones. I'm cruising LJ's now looking for people who have made their own screwdriver handles because I bought some shanks that were handleless to avoid having to deal with this again.


----------



## Maverick44spec (Aug 7, 2011)

I have never had this problem. I use those workforce screwdrivers you can get at home depot pretty cheap. I have thought about making wooden handels for them but never got around to doing it.


----------



## mtenterprises (Jan 10, 2011)

Ya know I was wondering the same thing just the other day since all my Craftsman screwdrivers, old and newer, all have that same odd plastic stink. Some of them are over 30 years old and you would think with all the grease oil and gas on them they would smell different. 
But remember in the State of California the smell of screwdrivers is known to cause cancer. As does everything else in California. 
Oooo Ahhh screwdriner sniffin, I'm gonna get high high high. 
This is a crazzy post but it's true and tell me you never wondered about it too. Yea sure.

MIKE


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Sounds like a good reason to get out of CA if everything causes cancer down there ;-((


----------



## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

Two primary chemicals. The first is mold release. The second is plasticizer. Plastic is only "plastic" because of oils diffused within it. That is the film that is on the windows of a new car. As it evaporates, the plastic does lose some plasticity, but it stinks less.

I switched to using 1/4 inch tips. Flats are hollow ground so they fit much better, like gunsmiths drivers. Phillips cheap to replace and you can get some much more precisely ground. Instead of the Milwaukee I had been using, I switched to Makita. Much better fit. You can GOOGLE and find reviews of bits.


----------



## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Polyester and similar compounds have that characteristic smell.


----------



## Bill_Steele (Aug 29, 2013)

Maybe you should wash your hands more.


----------



## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

Ha,Ha , this is funny I got an email about the stinky screwdrivers 9 years later


----------



## LeeRoyMan (Feb 23, 2019)

> Ha,Ha , this is funny I got an email about the stinky screwdrivers 9 years later
> 
> - bubinga


Do they still smell?

Do you still have them?


----------



## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

Yeah , I still have them , I just checked one, they are not as stinky as they used to be but if I smell the handle up by my nose , yes they still stink.
The one I checked has not been contained in a tool box or anything, just laying out on the bench for a very long time.
I have some really old screwdrivers in tool box that stink pretty bad and they have a gray film on the surface


----------



## Kazooman (Jan 20, 2013)

An old thread, but a good one. I have a set of Craftsman nut drivers that are about forty years old. They smelled on day one and they still stink. They are in a metal tool box and every time I open the thing I get a blast from the past. Yuch!

I have some other Craftsman screwdrivers of about the same vintage and the once clear handles developed a frosty white layer on them. Nothing will remove it. I suspect it is due to the slow loss of plasticizer or possibly air oxidation.

Here are the culprits. Note that the handle on the screwdriver appears to be identical (size, shape, etc.) to the nut drivers, but only the screwdriver got the white film.


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

I always thought color change was wear and tear and small scratches from daily use.


----------



## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

the "white film" would be the release agent used when the handles were molded….same with the "new tool smell", as they do not wipe them down before they go into the package.


----------



## Kazooman (Jan 20, 2013)

I don't think the film is a release agent unless it started out clear and slowly turned white with time. The screwdriver handle was crystal clear in it's younger years and only developed the white color (like my hair( as it grew older with me.


----------



## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

I see that the offending post that brought this old thread back to life has now been removed. This person's contribution to the thread was an oddly written comment about how you should never swim in a pool if your baby is not wearing special swimming diapers. Then, a highlighted link. hope nobody clicked on it.

But, I remembered this old thread, and it's got plenty of life in it yet!!


----------



## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

AVE had a video on stinky screwdriver handles, for those of you that watch him, but he was talking about old handles that start to degrade.

I think it's amusing though to get updates from the OP on an old thread like this, I wish it happened more often.


----------



## Cedrus (Mar 26, 2008)

Spent Chinese nuclear fuel rods⚛


----------



## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

I usually give timber a good sniff when I an working it.

plus:-
1. I am still trying to sniff out what corelz125 
means!
2. That tool pack of Kazooman reminded me of a set I had at Boeing, even the young guy we had that worked with would not put them in his checked in luggage when we were traveling they were really on the honker. 
A bonus was it stopped people borrowing then !


----------



## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

> I see that the offending post that brought this old thread back to life has now been removed. This person s contribution to the thread was an oddly written comment about how you should never swim in a pool if your baby is not wearing special swimming diapers. Then, a highlighted link. hope nobody clicked on it.
> 
> But, I remembered this old thread, and it s got plenty of life in it yet!!
> 
> - poopiekat


I flagged it as spam, which it was.


----------



## Peteybadboy (Jan 23, 2013)

This cracked me up when I saw it!


----------



## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

> I see that the offending post that brought this old thread back to life has now been removed. This person s contribution to the thread was an oddly written comment about how you should never swim in a pool if your baby is not wearing special swimming diapers. Then, a highlighted link. hope nobody clicked on it.
> 
> But, I remembered this old thread, and it s got plenty of life in it yet!!
> 
> - poopiekat


I never clicked on it, I just chalked it up as another oddball on the Internet


----------



## PCDub (Sep 24, 2017)

However this got resurrected, it was amusing, almost spit out my coffee as I was reading!

(Also, snuck over to the toolbox and sniffed my 40+ year old craftsman screwdriver handles…close up, yeah, kind of stinky, but not noticeable otherwise. My phillips clear-handled one has turned yellowish, but no white film on it.


----------



## ocean (Feb 13, 2016)

Never noticed, but then I have NO sense of smell. Lost it many years ago. It has it's good and bad points.


----------



## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

amazing over 60 posts about sniffing screw driver handles,maybe some are sniffing more than just the handles ?


----------



## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

There are some plastics that "Off-gas" for quite a while….like the ABS stuff….things like Formaldehyde….

Then again…there is the molded rubber handles out there….like walking into a tire store….


----------



## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Yes, many of my Craftsman screwdrivers have the white film. Mostly the cheaper red / clear handles. The red / blue handles are not as bad. I remember when walking into a Sears store, it smelled like several people lost their lunch. But it was a big box of new screwdrivers for a sale. I miss Sears, but not that smell.


----------

