Quite a few of the old British 2A and 5A plugs had quite fiddly screws as well.

As for the cord grips, they were some sort of fiber strap, but of variable quality. The real el-cheapo versions were thin and often disintegrated if a plug had been used several times, or if someone was a bit heavy-handed tightening down the screws.

Even quality makes such as MK used these fiber cord grips, although theirs tended to be much stronger. Here's the arrangement (this one is an old MK BS1363 plug):
[Linked Image from members.aol.com]
[Linked Image from members.aol.com]



[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 03-15-2003).]