Mechanix gloves are a popular topic here at Toolmonger. We like their excellent protection, improved grip, and Robocop aesthetic, but there’s an offering coming that’s more up Spiderman’s alley. The spiny knuckle ribbing and web-like hex grid over the heavy fabric of their soon-to-be-released MRT 0.5 M-Pact gloves wouldn’t be out of place on a Marvel villain’s hands, but there are some new tricks beyond looks built into these gloves.

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Even with my limited personal experience with welding, I’ve always been a fan of Miller helmets. One, they seem to be pretty rugged, and two, helmets like the Titanium Elite series Silver (Model 234939) don’t look like the stuff that was handed out in shop class back in the day.

This brain bucket features an aluminum heat shield that protects the analog lens in high amperage 300 plus amp operations and a silver-colored shell reflects heat to keep the helmet (and the noggin inside) cool(ish). The 234939 also has a quick-release snap-off frame for easy-access lens changes.

It’s a good looking, well-designed helmet that will keep your head out of harm’s way, and if you’ve got around $270 you can have one of your very own. Just don’t expect it to stay Lancelot-shiny for very long; it is meant to be used in a welding shop, after all.

Titanium Elite series Silver, Model 234939  [Miller]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

The 21st century must be here; you can now get carbon fiber in your shoes. Not that anyone will notice, but perhaps later on they’ll start putting them on the outside like carbon fiber car hoods or something.

While not all of these new boots use carbon fiber, composite-toe safety shoes are becoming commonplace, using fiberglass or similar materials. Lighter than and just as strong as steel toes, they help to keep your dogs from barkin’ too loudly at the end of the day, without sacrificing any peace of mind. Most of the larger manufacturers such as Wolverine, Bates, and Hytest, have one or more offerings with composite toes, and they generally retail for a few dollars more than their steel-capped counterparts.

Whether a lighter shoe is worth the extra cash depends on how much value you place on comfort, but given how high the cost of good safety shoes can be, an extra $10 or $20 seems like a good trade.

Wolverine CarbonMAX boots [Wolverine]
Bates Composite-toe Boots [Bates]
Hytest Composite-toe Boots [Hytest]

While I have not worn my Duluth Trading Souped-up Sweatpants lately (for those of you not in central Texas, it’s been damn hot here this summer), I do like them when working outside or in the garage in cool weather. They don’t seem unreasonably priced at $40 when you consider they’re made of 10-oz. fleece, have double-layer knees, a gusset crotch, zip-fly front, webbing belt and buckle, zippered back pockets, extra side pockets, AND utility loops. They’re not kidding when they say “souped-up.” These sweatpants are also pretty comfy for kicking back and watching football on Sunday afternoons.

Duluth Trading Co. [Manufacturer's Site]

Toolmongers with feet that would impress a yeti know the pain of trying to find a good pair of work boots. Wide-footed individuals the world over have leaned towards New Balance products for ages, but New Balance doesn’t make work boots, do they?  Well, sort of:  Rockport Works, a work shoe manufacturer, contracts with New Balance to design their foot beds and toe caps, leaving the uppers, tongue, and lace arrangement for themselves, at least according to Moe at Harry’s Army Surplus.

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While sports-themed, bike-themed, and just plain girly hardhats have been spotted before, they all take second fiddle to Smith and Wesson’s hardhat. It comes with a four-point nylon ratchet suspension, a wide brim for protection against harmful UV rays, and is in compliance with ANSI Z89.1-2003 (Class G electrical-low voltage).

Fashioned after the classic ten-gallon Stetson, this one will hold remarkably less, but after a day or two on site, you probably shouldn’t drink out of it anyway.

The Smith and Wesson hardhat will fit head sizes from 6½ to 8, and will set you back $29, partner.

Street pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

It’s not winter now here in the U.S., but it’s never to early to start preparing. One problem to think about is how are you going to use your newfangled phone without removing your gloves. Cutting-edge phones like the Apple iPhone, the Palm Pre, the HTC G1, and many phones soon to be released use a capacitive touch screen. What this means is the phone only works with your bare finger — not a stylus, and especially not gloves.

Right now the glove of choice for this application seems to be the ETIP Gloves from The North Face, but since you can’t actually purchase them, we’re writing about the Touchees_  tech gloves. Aisoy Robotics claims the Touchees_ high thermal insulation gloves are compatible with all kinds of touch screens.  These 90% cotton, 10% polyamide gloves come in black and cream colors in one size — the only measurement they give is 19.5cm from the tip of the middle finger to the wrist.

The gloves normally run €17.00 or about $24 a pair, but they’re discounting them to €15.00 ($21) right now. Shipping will run you €5.5 ($8).

Touchees_ [Corporate Site]

Thankfully Toolmongers who’re required to wear steel-toe footwear now have a number of non-work-boot options from which to choose, including the ever-popular hiking shoe. DeWalt’s Baltimore (above) looks more like something you’d find in REI than the shop floor, but still exceeds ASTI standards for compression and impact protection.

Admittedly these look more than a little like DeWalt’s previous Oxford work shoes, but as far as I’m concerned, the more options steel-toe wearers have, the better. Maybe this will encourage more DIYers working around heavy equipment to ante up and protect their toes. Remember: you won’t know you need steel-toes until, well, you already did. Street pricing starts around $70. Keeping one’s toes starts around, um, priceless.

Baltimore Steel-Toe Hiker [DeWalt]
Street Pricing [Google]

In this great action shot, reader Vincent Ma cuts some stone for his latest backyard project and shows off his hard-won work clothes.

Using an angle grinder from Canadian Tire, and a Norton diamond blade, I can score grooves in the brick in order to snap the “wings” off the Celtik wall unit. This way I can make beveled units for curved sections of the wall.

My work pants are nearing their end. Here a giant rip opened up and all I can do is duct-tape it to prevent my underwear from showing. Yes, I do know how to sew, but I don’t wanna bother with it.

Never feel bad about working so hard that your work clothes can’t take the strain. The only idiots who’ll make fun of you for that are the same people who’d hire out the project you just did with your bare hands. The duct tape just means you value one type of work over another this weekend — nothing wrong with that.  Also, the stones look great.

Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]

If a busy day for you includes contractor planning meetings, investor face time, jobsite organization, and good old-fashioned hard labor, you know that the jump from jobsite-ready to boardroom-professional can be difficult.  For just such a many-faceted worker DieHard makes their duty oxford shoe.

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Cutting crown molding puts some fear into me. My dining room has been waiting for molding for several months now — it needs several inner and outer 90-degree cuts, due to doorways and HVAC runs — but I haven’t tried it yet.  The complex cuts seem like they could overwhelm you, and the lumber is so pricey, I’m afraid of making a bad cut and having to throw it away.  This Crown-Cut jig might help ease my mind.

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Whether for carpentry, woodworking, or home improvement, every Toolmonger needs a tool belt to save you from running back and forth for tools or materials. I found my old tool belt in the Sears clearance aisle in the ’80s so it’s about time for a replacement, and this ToolRider GSR Gelfoam Suspension Rig looks like a good option — a full harness with gel padding helps support the fully loaded belt. .

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I can see the benefits in wearing an apron in the woodshop — for one thing, it’s nice to keep my often-used stuff close at hand — but half the time I forget I’m wearing it, and my pockets just end up full of sawdust. That’s not a problem with FastCaps’s Ballistic Apron, because its pockets are attached with Velcro for easy emptying.  Another plus:  the Ballistic Apron is “self healing.”

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I can think of a dozen times when, in the heat of a home construction project, I’ve whacked my head on something.  It was just a matter of time before I did something really bad, so I’ve started wearing a hard hat more often. Now that my wife likes to help out with the projects, I supposed she’ll need to gear up as well, and you know she won’t want to use my nasty old brain-bucket — luckily GirlGear makes a hard hat that’ll protect her head without cramping her style.

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I must be worried about my toes for some reason because I keep running into safety boots;  this time the culprit was a radio ad for Red Wing Shoes’ King Toe safety toe work boots.  They offer 44% more room for your toes — essentially what the extended cab in a truck is, but for your toes!  They also feature non-metallic safety toes, which won’t get TSA on your case, and won’t conduct electricity.

I haven’t bought work boots in a long time so I’m not too sure what the going rate is, but I was able to find these on sale for $119.  They look like a decent pair of work boots — if anyone has these, hit up the comments and share what you think of ‘em.

King Toe Safety Boots [Nokomis Shoes]
Red Wing Shoes [Official Site]
Street Pricing [Google]

Yes, it’s called the Original Bootie Butler.  I saw this on a recent Cool Tools episode — it keeps you from tracking dirt, oil, grease, or paint through your house or car.  That’s what happens to me when I paint indoors:  I always seem to get paint on my shoes, probably because I suck at painting, but that’s another story.  So if I could cover my shoes before working and take the covers off when I leave the shop or drop cloth, that would be good.

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I love mucking about in the rain and springtime mud, and a pair of rain boots makes the sticky experience more fun — especially if they’re steel-toed like this pair from Tingley Rubber.  They’ll protect you if something slips out of your hands and falls on your toes while you’re working in the rain, and you won’t be caked in gunk from the knee down.

I found my size for $18, but price varies depending on foot size.

Tingley Rubber [Official Site]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]