The Invention of the Portable Hand-Held Electric Drill
Duncan Black and Alonzo Decker invented the portable hand-held electric drill in their small machine shop on South Calvert Street near Baltimore’s inner harbor area, and just 1 mile off Route 1. This original portable hand-held drill was patented in 1917.
The History of Black & Decker
In 1906, Black, a draftsman, and Decker, a tool and die maker, met as 23-year-old employees of the Rowland Telegraph Co. Four years later, Black sold his car for $600 and, with an equal amount from Decker, they opened their small machine shop in Baltimore. They founded the Black & Decker Manufacturing Company in 1910, initially focusing on improving and manufacturing inventions of others before creating their own products. Their breakthrough came in 1916 when they designed a ½-inch portable electric drill featuring a pistol grip and trigger switch inspired by the Colt .45 automatic pistol. This design allowed for single-handed operation and power control, a major innovation in power tools
They patented this portable hand-held electric drill in 1917 and opened a 12,000-square-foot manufacturing plant located at 701 East Joppa Road in Towson, Maryland, just 2 miles off Route 1. By 1919, Black & Decker’s sales exceeded $1 million, marking rapid growth just nine years after the company’s founding
Black & Decker’s invention was revolutionary because, before this, electric drills were large, stationary machines used mainly in industrial settings. Their lightweight, portable drill with a universal motor that could operate on either alternating or direct current became the foundation for modern power tools. The pistol grip and trigger switch design they introduced remain standard features in electric drills to this day
The company continued to innovate, introducing the first line of power tools for the consumer “Do-It-Yourself” market in 1946 and the first cordless power tool in 1961. Black & Decker grew into a major manufacturer and eventually merged with Stanley Works in 2010 to become Stanley Black & Decker, headquartered in Towson, Maryland
In summary:
- Black and Decker founded their machine shop in Baltimore in 1910.
- They invented and patented the portable hand-held electric drill with a pistol grip and trigger switch in 1917.
- Their first large factory opened in Towson, Maryland, in 1917.
- The drill was the first lightweight, portable electric drill, laying the groundwork for the modern power tool industry.
- Black & Decker became a major power tool manufacturer and innovator, eventually merging with Stanley Works in 2010.
This invention marked a pivotal moment in tool design, enabling widespread use of electric drills beyond industrial settings and fostering the growth of the consumer power tool market
Christopher Gentile MD Baltimore Jun 12, 2025 History Inventions on Rt 1
Jun 12, 2025
SHARE
