Historical information

Brace drills were widely used in woodworking, carpentry, and early construction before the advent of electric power tools. They allowed for precise drilling of holes in wood and other materials. The larger brace would have been used for heavier-duty work, while the smaller one might have been used for finer, more controlled drilling. These tools were common in workshops and homes throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Physical description

The image shows two antique hand tools, both of which are brace drills (also known as bit braces or hand braces). These were used for manual drilling before the widespread use of electric drills.
The tool labeled "115.1" (bottom of the image) is a larger, more robust brace drill with a curved, cast metal body and a wooden grip at the top. It has a chuck at the front for holding drill bits.
The tool labeled "115.2" (top of the image) is a smaller, more delicate brace drill, also with a curved metal body, but it appears more simplistic in design, with a squared chuck end.