Which company introduced the first portable electric drill in 1917?

Black & Decker introduced the first portable electric drill in 1917. Its design combined a compact body with a pistol grip and trigger switch, making powered drilling practical to hold and control.

The Baltimore company was founded in 1910 by S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker. In 1917, it filed a patent application for a half-inch portable electric drill. The pistol-grip arrangement resembled the handling of a firearm and was a major ergonomic improvement over heavier, less convenient electric drilling equipment.

That invention helped establish the modern handheld power-tool industry. Black & Decker later expanded into consumer tools, including home utility drills that helped make powered equipment more accessible to ordinary homeowners. Its early tools were also connected to the company’s broader industrial work, including equipment for factories and aircraft servicing.

The wording can cause a common confusion: Black & Decker’s 1917 drill was corded, not cordless. The company introduced cordless technology much later, after battery improvements made portable operation practical. Milwaukee, Makita, and DeWalt became important competitors, but they did not introduce this 1917 pioneering model.