The Canadian Robertson screw has a tapered square socket that grips better and won't strip like Phillips screws. Peter Robertson invented it after an injury, and Henry Ford used it on the Model T. It never caught on in America because Phillips was easier for manufacturers, not better.
Chapters
The best screw you have never had is Canadian. For years, the default American screw has been that one-line slot thing. I'm sure it has a name. I have no idea what it is. What I do know is it never quite finishes the job properly. You grip the shaft, press in, just when things get good, it slides out. Sometimes you hurt the head. It just leaves everyone frustrated and sweaty. The slot head is the one-night stand of fasteners. All promise, no follow-through. Now Canadians screw with a tool that is just objectively better. The Robertson. A verse, reliable, and deeply satisfying partner. And like all good origin stories, this one involves a jilted lover. It was invented by a traveling tool salesman named Peter Robertson in Ontario after he cut himself using the slot screw, so he designed something better. A tapered square socket, usually matched with a driver, that's much easier to grip thanks to its increased girth, and will not let go no matter how hard you're screwing. When you sink into a Robertson, It'll stay put. The grip is that good. Henry Ford tried the Robertson on his Model T assembly line and found it saved nearly 2 hours of labor per car. Ford tried to get exclusive rights. Robertson said no. So Ford found some daddy named Henry Phillips who said his shape could please anyone. The Phillips had conquered America not because it was better, but because it was easy. I mean, God, look at it the wrong way and it strips. It's like a screw designed by a dating app which confuses availability with quality. The Robertson penetrates so well because of its anatomical taper. The socket has just the perfect angle so a talented operator can slide in and bang whatever spot they're aiming for perfectly, rather than just lying there hoping the wood will do all the work. It finds the right spot on its own. If your other hand is busy, you can still get the job done. And if you're using some kind of power tool, it, it knows when to stop. And yet, outside of Canada, almost nobody has gripped a Robertson in their hands. Americans reach around for a Phillips without hesitation, blissfully unaware that something more satisfying exists just north of the border. It's true, when it comes to screwing, Canada's always been on top. You want to insert raw meat or cooked?
