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"Questionmonger"
What is it that draws you to one screwdriver over another? Is it the grip? Strength and durability of the tip? Price? I asked myself these questions this morning, and damn if I could come up with a simple answer. Read on for my take (such that it is), and please be ready to share yours. I’m interested, and I know for a fact a number of manufacturers would love to know what you think as well.
I ran across this online today, and it just screams “impulse-buy item” — you know, stuffed in a display box right by the checkout counter. It’s also pretty much everything a hammer shouldn’t be. The whole point of a hammer is to apply additional force with a lever. Make the lever shorter and you sorta defeat the purpose. Of course, you can probably stick this one in your pocket. “Is that a hammer, or are you just happy to see me?”
Kidding aside, what use case does this satisfy? (No, really. This wouldn’t be the first time I missed one that’s obvious to everyone else.) I suppose you could use it to hang pictures, but I’d rather have a nice light full-sized hammer for that. It’d offer a lot more control. The mini hammer has a full-sized claw, though I’m not really sure how much force you could apply to it considering the stubby handle. It’s got to be wicked unbalanced, too.
It’s not that we have anything against motocross. We don’t. It’s a sweet sport. Hell, Sean even used to ride competitively. We at Toolmonger are motocross fans, and we love to see cash flowing into the sport. But we’re kinda struggling to see the connection between drills, accessories, and motocross. We’re sure Makita and Bosch have some kind of plan behind the money they’re pouring into the sport — as well as into marketing firms to keep them filling our inboxes with tool-company-branded motocross news and promotional materials like the video above, which we received a while back. (Love the long, slow drive up to the shop with all the moody music, by the way. But why stop the video right as we enter the shop? I was hoping to see someone working on a bike.) So what’s the plan?
We see a lot of tools here at Toolmonger, and most of the time they ship in a case. Classically, we’ve seen tools arrive in molded plastic cases designed to hold the tool and accessories in a manner safe for shipping. But I can count the number of times I’ve seen someone actually carry a power tool around in a molded plastic case on one hand. Maybe even on an old shop teacher’s hand.
Recently we’ve seen a shift to soft cases — usually a nylon bag big enough for the tool and a few extras. I have seen a few people carrying around tools in these bags, but I still suspect that the majority of folks ditch the bag (or case) minutes after unboxing the tool.
A while back I got into cycling a bit, and I now have two bikes kicking around the garage. When it’s hot as hell (like now) or freezing, storing them is simple: I just installed a couple of hooks and hung ‘em up and out of the way. But when it gets more temperate, I’d like to have easier access to them. Essentially, I don’t want to have to drag out a ladder in order to get them down. How do you deal with this at home?
My mother tells me that when I was a kid, I showed some interest in leathercraft after making a few things at summer camp. So she used to take me to a local shop where we’d buy little kits. I remember carrying a wallet for a number of years that I’d made myself. By “made,” I mean I sewed some pre-cut leather together with thick cord and stamped my name in it with some pre-made leather stamps. Not so long ago, I saw some much more detailed and kick-ass leatherwork crafted by a friend who’s into costuming, and it got me thinking how nice it’d be to be able to make custom cases for some of my equipment and so on.
So my question: What are the best tools and learning resources for someone who wants to get into serious leathercraft?
TM reader Jim sent us a photo of this unidentified tool which he suspects is a “blacksmith’s bullet mold that didn’t turn out. Maybe a bullet mold blank?” My first thought is that he’s probably at least partially right. Its long handles, bent-tapered-rod construction, and hinge design clearly identify it as a blacksmith’s tool.
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