Recent content by C4RBON

The caliper jaws to measure an interior distance are sharp since they are intended to make line contact on the inside of a cylindrical surface (a hole). When you apply force to the jaws, they will spread out (still parallel to the centerline of the hole) until the two contact lines are as far...

I don’t think I’ll be able to measure the flat-to-flat distance of an 8mm socket reliably with my calipers. Maybe if I made a mold of the inside… 🤔

The Ko-ken Z-Series 3/8" SAE sockets were an immediate purchase for me. They arrived yesterday, and the first question on my mind was: "Is the 3/4 socket the same as the 19mm?". I've heard that many tool companies simply re-label their 3/4" sockets as 19mm (or vice-versa) since 3/4" = 19.05mm...

I'm shopping for a new set of Japanese wrenches to add to a travel tool kit I'm putting together. I have a full set of Nepros, but of course those are too nice to take to autocross and on camping trips. I decided to buy a 14mm from ASAHI, KTC, and TONE to compare before making a decision...

My primary reason for working on my cars is a lack of trust taking them to a shop. As someone who is a car guy and mechanically inclined, I want to know any work is done “properly”. I can spend the time to get the details right; torque specs, inspecting things as I go, cleaning parts and...

Picked up a few Ko-ken things from drpd on the Memorial Day sale. Just got around to opening the box. Finally got one of their ratchets with the quick release button (3725ZB). I like it, the button sticks out quite a bit, unlike Nepros ratchets where the button is flush. Much easier to depress...

I think this is the one I got: https://miuraknives.com/japanese-knife/4642-5488-japanese-nakiri-knife-miura-aogami-super-black-finish-brown-handle-size-165cm-id4642-japanese-knife-miura-knives.html#/37-size-165cm_65_inches My receipt says I paid ¥18,163. I had my passport so he was able to...

My 4Runner has a long narrow storage compartment behind the rear seats. I’m thinking this is an ideal place for tools.

What are your thoughts on the KTC M160 wrenches? I've been eyeing them for my 4Runner travel/emergency tool kit. Are these long enough for suspension work instead of a breaker bar?

I went to Japan for the F1 race in April, and briefly went tool-hunting in downtown Nagoya: Found it! What a maze... but I think you were right... 7th floor. I probably spent longer looking for the tools than I spent actually looking at them. This was it for what we're usually interested...

I ordered from Frank 3 times I think, all before he stopped carrying Ko-ken. So this was many years ago. Also my first foray into Japanese tools, before finding this thread and discovering other buying options. First and second orders shipped promptly. Third order had a huge (weeks or months...

I'm staying right by the train station, so anything in the department store there would be an easy walk. Thanks, I'll look into it!

Can anyone recommend a tool store in or around Nagoya? I'm going to be there in April for the F1 race. I'm primarily interested in hand tools, like KTC/Ko-ken/Tone/etc. Thanks!

I have the same one. I've had it for ~6 months now and it makes great rice. One thing I don't like, is it doesn't have a "slow cooker" mode like my old one. It seems that feature is only available on lower-end Zojirushi cookers for some reason.

My Nepros neXT (NBR390X) ratchet was delivered today, thanks to DRPD's speedy shipping. Apologies in advance for all of you still on dialup, because I attached 7 MB of images. If you quote this, please do us all a favor and remove the pictures. Here are my first impressions: Packaging I'm a...