Millers Falls Braces 710 through 1324

Much of this listing has been developed from information found in Millers Falls catalogs. The features listed for each brace may differ from actual examples. While the company typically stressed new features in its catalogs, it seldom mentioned the disappearance of a feature or a feature that had become so commonly accepted that it was no longer noteworthy. Then too, production practices varied from catalog copy and illustrations were slow to be updated. By 1960, catalog copy had become so vague that a detailed description of features is not possible.


Nos. 710 - 713; 710A - 713A

Holdall brace, non-ratcheting Holdall brace, non-ratcheting

Model nos. designated 'A' were equipped with a steel clad, ball bearing head.

  1. 1912 — cocobola head and handle; ball bearing head; sweep handle rides on adjustable bearings and steel rings prevent splitting; nickel plated; Holdall chuck with Leland's universal jaws.
  2. 1914 — as above, but head and handle of tropical hardwood.

Apparently, the company thought that there would be a demand for premium, non-ratcheting braces. A short-lived product, this is the non-ratcheting version of Nos. 730-733.

More information on the Holdall brace is available. Illustration from 1913 catalog.

Model No. Sweep Start Date End Date
No. 710 14 inch 1912 1915
No. 710A 14 inch 1912 1915
No. 711 12 inch 1912 1915
No. 711A 12 inch 1912 1915
No. 712 10 inch 1912 1915
No. 712A 10 inch 1912 1915
No. 713 8 inch 1912 1915
No. 713A 8 inch 1912 1915

Nos. 729 - 734; 729A - 734A

Holdall Ratchet Brace Holdall Ratchet Brace

The first series of 'A' models, 1907-1922, were equipped with a steel clad, ball bearing head. The second series of 'A' models, 1957-1964, were equipped with economy-type universal jaws. After the 'A' designation was dropped, the cheaper jaws remained.

  1. 1907 — fully boxed ratchet; cocobola head and handle; ball bearing head; steel washer between ratchet and chuck sockets; nickel plated; Holdall chuck with Leland's universal jaws.
  2. 1910 — as above, but sweep handle rides on adjustable bearings.
  3. 1912 — as above, but steel rings in sweep handle prevent splitting.
  4. 1914 — as above, but head and handle of tropical hardwood.
  5. 1915 — as above, but sweep handle lacks adjustable bearings.
  6. 1917 — as above, but cocobola head and handle.
  7. 1935 — as above, but head and handle of tropical hardwood; and all models equipped with a steel clad, ball bearing head.

More information on the Holdall brace is available. Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Model No. Sweep Start Date End Date
No. 729 16 inch 1915 1922
No. 729A 16 inch 1915 1922
No. 730 (first series) 14 inch 1907 1957
No. 730 (second series) 14 inch 1965 after 1981
No. 730A (first series) 14 inch 1912 1922
No. 730A (second series) 14 inch 1957 1964
No. 731 (first series) 12 inch 1907 1957
No. 731 (second series) 12 inch 1965 after 1981
No. 731A (first series) 12 inch 1912 1922
No. 731A (second series) 12 inch 1957 1964
No. 732 (first series) 10 inch 1907 1957
No. 732 (second series) 10 inch 1965 after 1981
No. 732A (first series) 10 inch 1912 1922
No. 732A (second series) 10 inch 1957 1964
No. 733 (first series) 8 inch 1907 1957
No. 733 (second series) 8 inch 1965 1974
No. 733A (first series) 8 inch 1912 1922
No. 733A (second series) 8 inch 1957 1964
No. 734 6 inch 1915 1935
No. 734A 6 inch 1915 1922

No. 737

Right Angle Ratchet Brace Right Angle Ratchet Brace

Fully boxed ratchet; head and handle of tropical hardwood; nickel plated; economy-type universal jaws.

Knurled ring between head and boxed ratchet mechanism can be turned by hand to start and hold bit in wood until ratchet is operated.

Illustration from 1960 catalog.

Model No. Sweep Start Date End Date
No. 737 n/a by 1959 1966

Nos. 769 - 774; 770A - 773A

Lion Ratchet Brace Lion Ratchet Brace

The first series of 'A' models, 1914-1915, were equipped with a steel clad, ball bearing head. In 1915, steel clad, ball bearing heads became standard, and the 'A' designation was no longer needed. The second series of 'A' models, 1957-1964, were equipped with economy-type universal jaws. After the 'A' designation was dropped, the cheaper jaws remained.

  1. 1914 — a fully boxed ratchet; head and handle of tropical wood; sweep handle rides on adjustable bearings and brass rings prevent splitting; steel washer between ratchet and chuck sockets; nickel plated; Lion ball bearing chuck with Leland's universal jaws.
  2. 1915 — as above, but sweep handle lacks adjustable bearings.
  3. 1917 — as above, but cocobola head and handle.
  4. 1925 — as above, but shell of Lion chuck has a rectangular opening with cut away corners to accommodate larger bit shanks.
  5. 1935 — as above, but head and handle are of tropical hardwood.

More information on the Lion brace is available. Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Model No. Sweep Start Date End Date
No. 769 16 inch 1915 1944
No. 770 (first series) 14 inch 1914 1957
No. 770 (second series) 14 inch 1965 1967
No. 770A (first series) 14 inch 1914 1915
No. 770A (second series) 14 inch 1957 1964
No. 771 (first series) 12 inch 1914 1957
No. 771 (second series) 12 inch 1965 1967
No. 771A (first series) 12 inch 1914 1915
No. 771A (second series) 12 inch 1957 1964
No. 772 (first series) 10 inch 1914 1957
No. 772 (second series) 10 inch 1965 1972
No. 772A (first series) 10 inch 1914 1915
No. 772A (second series) 10 inch 1957 1964
No. 773 8 inch 1914 1944
No. 773A 8 inch 1914 1915
No. 774 6 inch 1915 1922

Nos. 830 - 833; 830A - 833A

Master Ratchet Brace Master Ratchet Brace

Model nos. designated 'A' were equipped with a steel clad, ball bearing head.

  1. 1910 — concealed ratchet; cocobola head and handle; ball bearing sweep handle; ball bearing head; steel washer between ratchet and chuck sockets; nickel plated; Master chuck with Leland's universal jaws.
  2. 1914 — as above, but head and handle of tropical hardwood.
  3. 1917 — as above, but cocobola head and handle.

Identical to Nos. 8130-8133 save for ball bearing sweep handle.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Model No. Sweep Start Date End Date
No. 830 14 inch 1910 1922
No. 830A 14 inch 1912 1922
No. 831 12 inch 1910 1922
No. 831A 12 inch 1912 1922
No. 832 10 inch 1910 1922
No. 832A 10 inch 1912 1922
No. 833 8 inch 1910 1922
No. 833A 8 inch 1912 1922

Nos. 870 - 873; 870A - 873A

Lion Ratchet Brace Lion Ratchet Brace

Model nos. designated 'A' were equipped with a steel clad, ball bearing head.

  1. 1914 — concealed ratchet; head and handle of tropical hardwood; ball bearing head; ball bearing sweep handle; steel washer between ratchet and chuck sockets; nickel plated; Lion ball bearing chuck with Leland's universal jaws
  2. 1917 — as above, but cocobola head and handle.
  3. 1925 — as above, but shell of Lion chuck has a rectangular opening with cut away corners to accommodate larger bit shanks.

Nos. 870A-873A became obsolete when Nos. 870-873 were equipped with a steel clad, ball bearing head.

More information on the Lion brace is available. Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Model No. Sweep Start Date End Date
No. 870 14 inch 1914 1935
No. 870A 14 inch 1914 1915
No. 871 12 inch 1914 1935
No. 871A 12 inch 1914 1915
No. 872 10 inch 1914 1935
No. 872A 10 inch 1914 1915
No. 873 8 inch 1914 1922
No. 873A 8 inch 1914 1915

Nos. 1050 - 1054

Ratchet brace Ratchet brace

A fully boxed ratchet; cocobola head and handle; ball bearing head; metal rings inserted in sweep handle prevent splitting; steel washer between ratchet and chuck sockets; nickel plated; extra long chuck with self-centering, forged steel jaws.

Illustration from 1925 catalog.

Model No. Sweep Start Date End Date
No. 1050 14 inch 1923 1929
No. 1051 12 inch 1923 1929
No. 1052 10 inch 1923 1929
No. 1053 8 inch 1923 1929
No. 1054 6 inch 1923 1929

Nos. 1320-1324

Barber Improved Ratchet Brace Barber Improved Ratchet Brace

  1. 1915 — a half-boxed ratchet; ebonized hardwood head and handle; steel clad head; sweep handle with inserted brass rings to prevent splitting; anti-friction washer in head; steel washer between ratchet and chuck sockets; nickel plated; spring-type alligator jaws.
  2. 1925 — as above, but steel clad, ball bearing head.
  3. 1949 — as above, but mahogany-stained hardwood head and handle; toothless alligator jaws.

A series of mid-priced braces that could be ordered with an octagonal shell ca. 1915-1929.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Model No. Sweep Start Date End Date
No. 1320 14 inch 1915 1922
No. 1321 12 inch 1915 1962
No. 1322 10 inch 1915 1962
No. 1323 8 inch 1915 1962
No. 1324 6 inch 1915 1962