Interesting Bell System Brace

[Randy Klein]

Picked up this brace today. It has no identifying manufacturer. My typical google/ebay searches yielded nothing. Any guesses?

Here is the brace:
97202

97203

97204

Close up of the chuck:
97205

Here's a Stanley 923 for comparison since it looks similar:
97206

[Clint Jones]

I believe the brace was made by stanley for bell system. It looks like a bell system brace I have that is marked Stanley and bell system. Is the adjuster for the ratchet a plastic ring near the chuck?

[John Shuk]

Phone company pretty much uses stanley for braces.
Not alot of fun the first time I was up at 25 feet and trying to drill through a pole with one of those and an irwin bit.

[Randy Klein]

Is the adjuster for the ratchet a plastic ring near the chuck?

Yep, it's plastic.

[Jim Barrett]

HA! The picture of the brace brought back memories of my early career at NY Tel about 38 years ago. I was a residential telephone installer in my early days and using that brace and carbide bit to drill through masonry was a chore!

Jim

[Harry Goodwin]

It may be made by North Brothers the makers of Yankee stuff before Stanley absorbed them. Bell I think used those push drills before they became Stanley. their business was on Lehigh about third street in Phila. Harry

[John Shuk]

HA! The picture of the brace brought back memories of my early career at NY Tel about 38 years ago. I was a residential telephone installer in my early days and using that brace and carbide bit to drill through masonry was a chore!

Jim

I have used a star drill for block work running cable. Where did you work?

[Jim Barrett]

Hi John,
I started with NY Tel in Dec of 1970 in Flushing/Bayside/College Point. I transferred to Pac NW Bell in Seattle 1978. Retired from Qwest in Feb 2001.
Jim

[John Shuk]

I work in Northern Westchester County as a CXM splicer. I know some guys who worked in that area back then. Most are retired now. You were there for the big strike. :(
It must have been nice to have the option to transfer pretty much anywhere in the country back in those days.
Enjoy your retirement.
John

[Gary Herrmann]

It may be made by North Brothers the makers of Yankee stuff before Stanley absorbed them. Bell I think used those push drills before they became Stanley. their business was on Lehigh about third street in Phila. Harry

I've got a couple North Bros from before and after the Stanley acquisition. The chuck and the ratchet mechanism look very different than pic posted by the OP. Just an fyi.