Crank brace
Berbiquí de manivela
- Date
- c. 1425 · confidence low
- Place
- Tournai, Hainaut, Belgium
- Credited to
- Flemish carpenters
- Field
- Tools
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A crank-shaped offset handle that turns a bit with both hands and chest or shoulder pressure, allowing wood to be drilled with more force and speed than with the bow drill. It first appears in 15th-century Flemish painting.
It is known from Flemish pictorial representations (circle of Robert Campin, c. 1420-1430) rather than surviving objects; the brace may be earlier, and the crank drill may have developed in several places.
What it led to
- deep holes in ship timbers and buildings
- augers and screw bits for carpenters and coopers
- the ratchet and geared hand drill