Jump to content

Cheap Screwdrivers Bergeon tips for the thrifty hobbyist.

Anthony7
 Share

Recommended Posts

Anthony7 Watch Enthusiast

Anthony7

Posted
Posted (edited)

Saw these online at one of the few stores online that has the word Bergeon next to it with a reasonable price.

https://www.hswalsh.com/product/screwdriver-blades-stainless-steel-050mm-300mm-bergeon-6899-m-hs993

So me like everyone bought a cheapo set of chinese screwdrivers off Alibaba and now all the tips are toast. So I started thinking...
Always a dangerous process.
When I looked at my cheapo set they have removable tips and that is the most important part so why not go expensive there and cheap out on the screwdriver body.
So I already have the cheapo bodies as I said for 13 buxs ish ( I always use bux as apart from Bitcoin Bux (not dollars) is the only currency everyone understands. 
13 units of whatever.
So to keep this short I have worked it out.

You can buy a pack of 10 BERGEON tips for 10.95 GBP for a pack of 10.

Screwdriver Blades Stainless Steel Ø0.50mm - Ø3.00mm Bergeon 6899-M - HS993

So from 0.50mm to 3.00mm that would mean an outlay of 12 x 10.95

= about 130 quid all told. But for 10 tips of each size

So thats about 13 quid for a full set of bergeon Tips.

and you could probably sell the rest on here, for a bit of a markup to get some of your money back but less that what shops do.
But ten sets will probably last you a very long time as Bergeon supposedly are quality.

So this is the cheapest way I have found to have SWISS QUALITY screwdrivers without paying the Bergeon tax as I call it.
As from my experience online and especially on Etsy, you only have to put the word WATCHMAKERS in front of any old tat and you can increase the price tenfold...

hope this helps. 

 

 

Edited by Anthony7
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Anthony7 Watch Enthusiast

Anthony7

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

1 hour ago, Malocchio said:

Have you dressed the tips? Even Bergeons require dressing every now and then and for my use they are a bit too sharp out of the box.

No I havent as I haven't bought them yet as i'm still thinking on it
(tight yorkshireman with a scots father, a fatal mixture when it comes to shelling out cash for anything and I'm still in the "Ow much" phase with anything Bergeon.)
But I need some new ones, as the ones that came with my cheapy chinese set are now just about useless and I did buy one of those little wheelie things that guides the blade as you sharpen it.
but I've found even with higher grit sandpapers the results are quite rough under magnification, so unless you're also prepared to shell out on expensive grinding stones also then thats also a route to nothing but expenditure.

But you get my point right.
Expensive tips x 10 + cheap screwdriver bodies = a long time not having to bother about it.
And compared to the ones I have now, the sharper the better... 

But I did ask them if they preferred a jumper or a jacket, to no reply...

But I just get really envious when I watch watchmaking videos of people with Bergeon screwdrivers and see their tips fitting the screws perfectly and then think
"Why can't that be me?"
only to reply to myself
"Because you're a cheapskate, Anthony, A cheapskate and a tightwad..."
But I come from a poor background as a child, so you can't get rid of it. Even If I became a millionaire I'd probably walk 10 miles to save a quid.
Sad but true.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Klassiker Distinguished Member

Klassiker

Posted
Posted

Hello Anthony, the short answer is yes, high quality tips in cheap bodies is a practical way to save money. You can get better value for money than the Bergeon ones, too. Whatever you get, you will still need to dress them regularly to keep them sharp, so get yourself an Arkansas stone. If the blades don't fit your screw slots, that has nothing to do with the brand name, and everything to do with how you have shaped them.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
JohnFrum WRT Addict

JohnFrum

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, Anthony7 said:

 

I watch watchmaking videos of people with Bergeon screwdrivers and see their tips fitting the screws perfectly and then think
"Why can't that be me?"
 

Fitting the screws perfectly is due to dressing, not the blades. New Bergeon blades do not fit many screwheads properly and require some time with India or Arkansas stone to get just right.  
If you then switch calibers (from say a Japanese Seiko to a Swiss AS movement) you may then find your carefully dressed blades don’t fit those screws and need to be reshaped. At that point, swapping in a set of replacement blades may save time and effort, especially if you’re continuing to work on the previous caliber.

CousinsUK sells a range of “Swiss Quality” screwdrivers  (made in France) for 2.65 GBP each. They take the Bergeon 6899M hardened stainless steel blades, the Bergeon grub screws etc and are highly recommended. The Chinese Kwong Yuen screwdrivers are also well recommended.

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Paul80 WRT Addict

Paul80

Posted
Posted

If you want some quality screwdrivers without paying the earth pop over to the quality Chinese tools thread, there is a set on there that are of a very high quality for under £30 a set, they also look identical to one of the Bergeon sets if that's important 😉 .

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
watchweasol Distinguished Member

watchweasol

Posted
Posted

Hi Anthony tother way round with me Scottish mother and Lanc Father brought up in Yorkshire an like your self not disposed to throwing money around.  I have three sets of screwdrivers two I bought many years ago and still good, and a french set from redrooster uk   they all need dressing but using fine grit wet and dry on a block with a little oil works wonders. Unfortunatly watch screws differ in slot width with different manufacturers so having a few screwdrivers dressed differntly is handy.   cheers

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Anthony7 Watch Enthusiast

Anthony7

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

But i've noticed when watching pro watchmakers on YouTube, (who seem to all use Bergeon), that the blades are not flat on the sides but very concave...

On 1/14/2023 at 9:12 PM, Paul80 said:

If you want some quality screwdrivers without paying the earth pop over to the quality Chinese tools thread, there is a set on there that are of a very high quality for under £30 a set, they also look identical to one of the Bergeon sets if that's important 😉 .

could you post a link to that please. As I find navigating this forum very difficult and time consuming...

Edited by Anthony7
Link to comment
Share on other sites
JohnFrum WRT Addict

JohnFrum

Posted
Posted
35 minutes ago, Anthony7 said:

But i've noticed when watching pro watchmakers on YouTube, (who seem to all use Bergeon), that the blades are not flat on the sides but very concave...

could you post a link to that please. As I find navigating this forum very difficult and time consuming...

You refer to their line of parallel/T/hollow ground tips?

FFFDAC04-8CF9-419A-BD41-039A1BC845CE.jpeg.fcffba450c1b3ed2aacf759d327e4867.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dadistic Distinguished Member

dadistic

Posted
Posted

Horotec also makes those. In act, I bought some, but decided that I would have to have the expensive sharpening equipment to use them effectively, and replaced the tips with regular blades that I could dress with an arkansas stone.

Cheers!

Horotec also makes those. In act, I bought some, but decided that I would have to have the expensive sharpening equipment to use them effectively, and replaced the tips with regular blades that I could dress with an arkansas stone.

This is my go to article about how to dress screwdriver tips.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~fotoplot/sdriver/sdriver.html

Cheers!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Anthony7 Watch Enthusiast

Anthony7

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I just thought the rule of thumb was if the width of the blade is roughly the diameter of the screw then the blade should fit the slot fairly well. 

But from what I have seen of pros using tools on YouTube its going to have to be Bergeon and Eta all the way for me.
As the rest just looks like cheap chinese knockoffs and a waste of money to me...Good tools you buy once, bad ones you buy forever...

On 1/14/2023 at 5:32 PM, Klassiker said:

Hello Anthony, the short answer is yes, high quality tips in cheap bodies is a practical way to save money. You can get better value for money than the Bergeon ones, too. Whatever you get, you will still need to dress them regularly to keep them sharp, so get yourself an Arkansas stone. If the blades don't fit your screw slots, that has nothing to do with the brand name, and everything to do with how you have shaped them.

The Arkansas stone, isnt that what they were all arguing over in the last installment of Lord of the rings? Asking for a friend...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • rjenkinsgb
      My first Gruens. Precision 510 and N510R movements.

      By rjenkinsgb · Posted

      Snap! I recently finished my Gruen 510 movement - though the case for mine is in a rather sad state; I'm going to try re-plating it (in nickel, it's not a gold one).   Re. the screws, I got a few of the one gram mixed batches from ebay. I've only needed a couple of screws for things so far, both rare, minuscule types - but both in the mix, after enough time sorting through them! The ones such as normal bridge screws are quite common in those lots.  
    • rjenkinsgb
      Any tips to correct a sloppy error?

      By rjenkinsgb · Posted

      Two pins or screwdrivers angled out slightly, pressing through from the barrel centre from the opposite side so they contact just clear of the hole in the lid? eg. Strap pin driver needles or similar.
    • Geotex
      Any tips to correct a sloppy error?

      By Geotex · Posted

      That's a good idea - shrinking down the nut and wrench size from the old casebook trick!
    • GuyMontag
      Movement holder made with 3D printer

      By GuyMontag · Posted

      I missed this earlier. The dial isn't going into the holder, it should sit proud of it. This is what I am currently using which I print for each different movement.    
    • Neverenoughwatches
      Setting lever spring

      By Neverenoughwatches · Posted

      I didn't think pulling to set position would work harden the spring, in that position it is stressed where the arm starts. By work hardening i meant rapid polishing at that point, a bit like polishing a pivot work hardens as it compresses the steel. I doubt polishing by hand would achieve much in that respect though. Its finished, arm polished up mostly at the join to the bridge's main body. I'm ok with it, the screw holes aren't great as i had to open them up by redrilling and positioning it was difficult, I'm not much use with a loupe, opening up with a file might be a better option for me or i could just use the correct drill size 😅. And the detent is way too deep, i had to guess that with the stem release out of position and sat on top, but i only took one measure and went for it, no slowly slowly catch your monkey 😅. First go I'm happy , well sort of, it works and thats a big thing for me, next one will have a bit more finesse.  Anyone thats interested, after filing, i used a 2000 grade home made diamond  micro file and then 20 micron film, the film is much better than wet and dry, more stable to use and doesn't shed cheap grade grit everywhere , then auto polish on a sponge pad.
×
×
  • Create New...