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A little while back I purchased a pair of Twin Grip’s. I bought them because I thought the jaw profile might be useful (similar to a Cobra but straight) and because they were obviously capable of exerting considerable leverage. The only thing I wasn’t sold on was the screw gripping feature...

A little while back, I started the 1/2” square drive thread, as I didn’t think the tools always get the consideration they deserve. It had occurred to me, that 1/4” square drive sees a lot more use, and the uses are often quite demanding, so here’s a thread to share experiences. I’ll start out...

It’s a rainy day here in the U.K. so I decided to write a post I’ve been meaning to write for a while, and write about hex keys. Now, I know this isn’t the most exciting of topics to some (flip to the next thread if that’s the case) but over the years it’s become apparent that most of the big...

The concept of basically a pocket knife, but incorporating pliers or similar, is not new. The British Special Operations Executive used these Sheffield made knives during the war, and they in turn, were based on a similar Sheffield pattern dating from the previous century. When the now famous...

This is of more interest to British and European readers than those in the U.S, however… Vessel have at last released some Impacta drivers with Pozidriv tips. I don’t know how long ago, and they are not even on the Vessel website, but they are out there. Only PZ 3 and PZ 3 seem to be...

We have a number of specialised threads for folks to show / discuss particular tools (and even particular colours) but it struck me that we haven’t got one for 1/2” drive, so I thought I’d start one! There is no doubt that 3/8” drive is probably the most popular drive size here. I’m not...

Well, I suspect like most folks on this forum, there are tasks I like doing, and tasks I don’t. Top of my ”unpopular” list is applying sealant / caulk. I hate the stuff to work with, it’s a nightmare to clean up, and the guns all keep the stuff flowing long after I’ve stopped squeezing. The...

I was tempted by a pair of Knipex Twin Grip pliers last week, so thought I’d share my thoughts. First off, these are from the same “range” as the Knipex Cobra etc, and they share some features. They are designed so that the forgings need relatively little finishing work, so they are different...

A recent discussion prompted me to start a Facom thread. I realise that the products of this French company will be relatively unknown to many of the U.S. based readers, but Facom has something of a cult following, and many of it’s products are unique, so worth a thread I feel. I first...

It looks as though the new Z Series ratchets have all been released now. As well as an upgrade to 72 tooth, there are some other new variations, such as “quick release”. I know there was a post about these in the “Tools of Japan” thread, but they’re all in the catalogue now. Below are some...

I’ve always had fairly decent drawing pencils and pens, but historically my workshop got a bit neglected, and used up all the crappy stuff and pencil stubs! Given the time I spend there, this was stupid, so a few years back I started using decent stuff in the shop. Made a big difference. This is...

I’ve been reading a couple of threads lately, when the discussion of “consumables” has cropped up. I’m thinking here, of the bit’s and pieces other than tools, that you need to complete a job. I’ve always got this stuff around at home, but I realised a while back, that when I’m away from base I...

I realise that the majority of the forums readers are not in the U.K. I suspect however, that news of Her Majesty The Queen’s passing, has now reached most corners of the globe. What may be less known, is that as Princess Elizabeth, she served in the British forces, as both an ambulance driver...

Some years ago, an American friend visited the Nottingham area of the U.K. and was somewhat confused to find a statue of what looked like an American oil man. He asked me if there was a backstory, and there was! In 1942 the U.K. needed oil for the war, but most of it’s oil was provided by Anglo...

There’s another recent thread asking which of the current crop of rotator ratchets are preferable? I’ve always had something of a soft spot for Facom tools. Aside from being quite well made, they always excelled at innovative designs, and tools for limited access. My feeling for Facom waned...

With all the uncertainty in the world right now, I just thought I’d share my experiences of Honda generators. I have an old Honda EX800 generator. My Dad bought it, at least 30 years ago I reckon. Now, I admit it doesn’t see a lot of use. It get’s used in power cuts to run the boiler, heating...

Well, I learned something useful today. Folks may know about these, especially if they get involved with telephones or data cables, but I didn’t. I was repairing the drivers seat in a Citroen, and broke the connector to the weight sensor. These were relatively thin wires so I couldn’t crimp...

I have no real reason for posting this. Only that I’ve achieved something that none of my regular social circle will appreciate, but one or two here might! Years back, my Grandfather worked on Heavy Goods Vehicles. The family had been in haulage since the Victorian era. Grandfather started in...

If I’ve been at home, especially if I’ve been working on a project, I tend to wander across the road and grab a beer at the end of the day. Unfortunately, given the current issues, that’s not happening. So, given that so many of us have similar interests, I thought I’d start a thread where...

Well, I’m at home this week. Bit of time to catch up on projects, and browse a bit of GJ! I was talking to a mate about some war vintage Blue Point wrenches I picked up, when he asked me where was good for a few Whitworth sockets. I was about to recommend the usual suspects, but began thinking...