ˈɜːwɪn wʌz fˈaʊndᵻd ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈaɪv ɪn mˈɑːɹtɪnzvˌɪl, oʊhˈaɪoʊ æz ðɪ ˈɜːwɪn ˈɔːɡɚ bˈɪt kˈʌmpəni baɪ tʃˈɑːɹlz ˈɜːwɪn, ɐ fˈɑːɹmɐsˌɪst.
Irwin was founded in 1885 in Martinsville, Ohio as the Irwin Auger Bit Company by Charles Irwin, a pharmacist.