If ever there was an industrial product that had legs, it is the screwdriver. Archimedes invented the screw in the second century B.C. And you better believe that some smart Greek toolmaker was right behind him with the screwdriver.

Screwdrivers are the single most popular tool. Even the most technophobic are bound to have at least one screwdriver in their homes. And as a result, screwdrivers are the most abused tools around. Screwdrivers are used to punch holes, to open paint cans, to pry apart glued surfaces and even to chisel or split wood. But most amazing of all is the way screwdrivers are able to disappear as soon as you need one to remove a screw.

Screwdrivers represent a long-term need. They represent a product which has been adapted for a multitude of uses.

Robertson Screws are a uniquely Canadian product. They were invented by Peter Lymburger Robertson in Milton Ontario in 1908. The screws had a small square punch on their tops which fitted neatly into a screwdriver that had a bit shaped like a square.

Robertson screws have two advantages over any other type of screwhead. The screw doesn't slip out of the screwdriver, and they can be started and driven with one hand. In Canada, Robertson screws are the most popular type of screw sold.

The rest of the world has never heard of Robertson Screws. The U.S. standard is the Philips screw (the one with the X shaped head). Superior marketing has for years buried the superior Canadian product. Automated manufacturing techniques developed over the past two decades have led to the creation of new hexagonal and splined screw heads (such as Torx and Posi-Drive) taking over the market.

Robertson Screws represent a product for which there is a short-term need. They provide a superior product, but one which eventually is surpassed by a new evolutionary development.

Each year I eagerly await the publication of the fall tool catalogue. The bulk of the catalogue is a repeat of the year before, but every couple of pages I am delighted by new and ingenious products.

This year's catalog features a compact screwdriver set. The set features six screwdriver bits in a plastic case/handle that measures only 2" x 2" x 1/2". The description tells me "Whether for toolbox, glove compartment, or a kitchen drawer, this is an excellent set. A great gift for anyone." Imagine, if I bought a dozen, I wouldn't have to look everywhere for a screwdriver when I needed one...or would I?

The compact screwdriver set represents a product with low long-term need. The product is a fad, and though I may buy a dozen for gifts this year, they will be replaced next year with some new product which draws my attention to reading through the new tool catalog.