PB Swiss... Wow..

MD11 · Dec 1, 2009

Well, I just wanted to share with members here that are fedup with Made in China and the trend many of our favorite American tool makers are joining, which is to ship more and more production to China. While I still love my Snap on, and for wrenches, sockets and ratchets, they're still #1 in my book... I decided to buy my 1/4" bit set from PB Swiss (they're sold out of their US distributor in Atlanta, Count On Tools, Inc at http://www.pbtools.us/ ) and I can't say well enough about the quality of these bits, or the screw drivers I also ordered. A woman named Donna Shook handles most of the orders there and she's great.. I had to call in twice to get changes to my order and they handled it with a smile (over the phone)..

Everything is 100% Swiss made, and the heft, quality of materials and even color coding is superb, and the quality is above what I expected; even from the Swiss. I sill have my Snap On SDM400A bit set, but my new go to bits are these beauties. I'd post pictures, but my poor camera work won't do them justice, and the website has plenty of close up photos. If you're a tool snob, there are no finer bits IMHO, and their screw drivers are on par, maybe better than the Snap On's which are themselves great. I used to prefer Wiha screw drivers, but I think this will be my new brand.

Wanted to share.. that's all.
:beer:

superautobacs · Dec 1, 2009

Feel free to bring up this older thread, and include some pictures in there while you're at it.

MD11 · Dec 1, 2009

I will do just that.... the photo's I'm taking with this camera are not turning out well.. I think it's the lighting but I'll give it a shot.. but thanks for the link.. will at least repeat my points in there.. ;-)

mods, feel free to kill this thread..

american lockpicker · Dec 1, 2009

I can't wait to get my first PB tools.

JakeD · Dec 1, 2009

My only minor complaint is that the hard handles on my PB Swiss torx drivers smell horrible like rancid baby vomit.

pirana · Dec 1, 2009

Their chisels & punches are the cat's *** too!

caper · Dec 1, 2009

JakeD said:
My only minor complaint is that the hard handles on my PB Swiss torx drivers smell horrible like rancid baby vomit.

I make a concerted effort not to smell my tools. :lol_hitti

superautobacs · Dec 1, 2009

caper said:
I make a concerted effort not to smell my tools.

I hold my breath whenever I open up the top enclosure of my tool box (contains PB multicraft and classic handles).

Pretty smelly I tell you. :lol:

american lockpicker · Dec 2, 2009

I have a set of USA stanley tools that smell terrible.

Chreese · Dec 2, 2009

JakeD said:
My only minor complaint is that the hard handles on my PB Swiss torx drivers smell horrible like rancid baby vomit.

I know what you mean. Since I ran out of shop-space I store some of my PB stuff in my bed room. It's hard to get used to this smell.

Chreese

Monte · Dec 2, 2009

Too much "PAK" inside the handles ??

JakeD · Dec 2, 2009

caper said:
I make a concerted effort not to smell my tools.

You'd make an even more concerted effort if you sniffed these bad-boys. For this reason, I'd recommend the swiss grips. I have a set of Swiss Grip screwdrivers and they are my favorites.

MD11 · Dec 2, 2009

Swiss grips are easily the best rubber I've ever felt in my hands.. I wish the entire interior rubber of my car was made of the same stuff!

superautobacs · Dec 2, 2009

It probably is PAH, Monte.

Here's an article:Want to know about PAH's?

The following materials are examples that could contain PAHs:
> Elastomer (plastic and rubber material)
> Black or dark colored polymer
> Coatings and varnish
> Materials treated with conservation agents (naphthalene) (e.g. leather products, wood, bast and natural bristle)

[EDIT]
From the manufacturer:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Classic transparent handles
Cellulose-Aceto-Butyrate is a modified natural material which is produced from wood. PB Swiss Tools Classic and multicraft® handles are made of this material. The transparent plastic unifies in a unique manner the following important characteristics for first-class hand tools: friendly to the skin, slip-proof, extremely resistant to impact, insensitive against tension tears, resistant to oil and fuel.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I did some searching on Cellulose-Aceto-Butyrate...
pdf file
another one

48548 · Dec 2, 2009

Where are the pictures of the smell? :monkey_po

superautobacs · Dec 14, 2009

I exchanged a couple emails with PB Swiss and I thought I'd add the information here.
Here's the body of the exchanged emails:
---------------------------------------------------------
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 2. Dezember 2009 18:57
An: [email protected]

Hello,

I'm a relatively happy PB Swiss tools owner.

I have a question about the smell emitted from the various plastic handled tools that I have, both classic and multicraft handles. I'd really like to know what's contained in the handles that produces this distinct smell from your products.

Sincerely,
Chris

---------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 16:04:00 +0100
From: [email protected]
Subject: AW: Kontakt
To: :headscrat

@hotmail.com

Dear Mr. :pimpflash

The plastic handles do contain Celluloseacetobutyrat (CAB) which is the material causing the smell (especially if you stock them in a closed area without fresh air, like for example in a drawer or in a tool case). If the smell isn’t bearable anymore, the tool can be changed for free (under guarantee). If you don’t like these plastic handles anymore, there would be an alternative, the handles made by Santoprene.

We hope this information is helpful. If you need more information, please let us know.

Best regards

Andreas Burkhalter

PB Swiss Tools GmbH
P.O. Box 182
CH-3457 Wasen/Bern
www.pbswisstools.com
[email protected]
Direct P+ 41 34 437 71 16

F+ 41 34 437 71 90
-----------------------------------------------------

Gesendet: Freitag, 4. Dezember 2009 17:52
An: [email protected]
Betreff: RE: AW: Kontakt

Hi Andreas,

Thank you for the reply.

I'd also like to know if these handles contain PAH's (poly aromatic hydrocarbons).

Regards,
Chris
------------------------------------------------------
After 10 days I finally got a reply from them (I'm happy that they did reply...IMO, it goes to show that he/they cares about the customer).

---------------------------------------------------------

Dear Chris

PAH’s are not an ingredient of our raw material we use and is not used as an addition for the production. - Please find enclosed an information sheet.

We hope these informations are helpful. If you need more information, please let us know.

Best regards

Andreas Burkhalter

PB Swiss Tools GmbH
P.O. Box 182
CH-3457 Wasen/Bern
www.pbswisstools.com
[email protected]
Direct P+ 41 34 437 71 16

F+ 41 34 437 71 90
------------------------------------------------

The file is a pdf and I've attached it below. What I found interesting is that the content is not theirs; it's outsourced information from a company called Eastman, located in Kingsport, TN. If you recall, one of the external links I provided in my previous post here is also from Eastman.

MD11 · Dec 14, 2009

Good on you and good on PB Swiss for the totally honest info. 10+ Days later, I'm still waiting to hear from a senior member of the Snap On management team as to whether the internals of the 80 tooth ratchet are US Made or Chinese?

Monte · Dec 14, 2009

Thanks for the info Chris !! (superautobacs)

It seems that Eastman is the supplier of the raw plastic material to PB. In the newspaper article posted in the other PB thread it was pointed out that the plastic material is from the US.

ps: 24 steps from raw material to top quality PB screwdriver: click

scottmlew · Dec 14, 2009

Thanks for posting! And it's great to hear that they'll warranty a tool if you don't like the smell of it!!!

The implication of their email is that the smell gets worse/stronger over time...I would have expected the opposite.

MD11 · Dec 14, 2009

Again, if the smell of the hard handles isn't tolerable for you and you can tolerate a soft grip (it's not mush), the Swissgrip for me is the finest grip of any screw driver I've seen... including the newer SO.

Monte · Dec 14, 2009

Some more info on the Eastman "Tenite" click
It seems craftsman hadles are made from the same material like PB handles....

superautobacs · Dec 14, 2009

And the Craftsman BBQ tool set, too.

Monte · Dec 14, 2009

PB screwdrivers with craftsman handles !! ridiculous !!!!

Time to replace my PB tools with higher quality tools !

speed bump · Dec 14, 2009

Monte said:
Some more info on the Eastman "Tenite" click
It seems craftsman hadles are made from the same material like PB handles....

Which means you need to keep your PB Swiss tools away from Brake Cleaner.

FoMoCoPower · Dec 14, 2009

I buy older Made in USA tools at estate sales/auctions whenever I can. I refuse to buy the China stuff.

MD11 · Dec 14, 2009

FoMoCoPower said:
I buy older Made in USA tools at estate sales/auctions whenever I can. I refuse to buy the China stuff.

Good for you.. that's very smart! .. but just to be clear, PB Swiss is not made in China :thumbup:

Monte · Dec 14, 2009

Maybe he was thinking about this "swiss" eh "Switz" tool....

Keep · Dec 14, 2009

Well your post sold me on these. I just ordered up the 6244 set, a set of picks and rad hose picks (amazon packaged them) I have to have them relayed to me as they will not ship the PB stuff outside the US. So I should have them in a couple weeks.

SpiderGearsMan · Dec 14, 2009

pb blaster ?
if this is a paid advertisement ,thanks for the spam ?

Keep · Dec 14, 2009

SpiderGearsMan said:
pb blaster ?
if this is a paid advertisement ,thanks for the spam ?

huh? PB Swiss the people that make nice screwdrivers.... :headscrat

MD11 · Dec 15, 2009

very nice vid:

Vinko · Dec 15, 2009

MD11 said:
Again, if the smell of the hard handles isn't tolerable for you and you can tolerate a soft grip (it's not mush), the Swissgrip for me is the finest grip of any screw driver I've seen... including the newer SO.

I like the Swiss grip too. Don't know if I like it any better than a Snappy hard handle of the last generation. Just bought some pics in the new hard handle instinct line and I really like those too. I guess I like it all

Kjbakke2 · Dec 15, 2009

where do you guys get your pb swiss.....i have me a massive jonesing for those tasty white handled anniversary models and another set or two

MD11 · Dec 15, 2009

Kjbakke2 said:
where do you guys get your pb swiss.....i have me a massive jonesing for those tasty white handled anniversary models and another set or two

I have been getting mine from here, and the service is great!

http://www.pbtools.us/

Right now, 30% off all inventory is also going on.

american lockpicker · Dec 15, 2009

I can see me ordering this next year.

http://pbtoolsus.thomasnet.com/item...sider-universal-bit-holder/pn-2666?&forward=1

MD11 · Dec 15, 2009

SpiderGearsMan said:
pb blaster ?
if this is a paid advertisement ,thanks for the spam ?

.......... :wtf:

scottmlew · Dec 15, 2009

MD11 said:
I have been getting mine from here, and the service is great!

http://www.pbtools.us/

Right now, 30% off all inventory is also going on.

Agreed on service...I'm very happy with them (only 1 order from them, but it was a big one, and I was impressed with how they handled a couple of out of stock items and some substitutions).

Are they still doing 30% off? It was supposed to end in November...it's nice if it's extended, though!

MD11 · Dec 15, 2009

scottmlew said:
Agreed on service...I'm very happy with them (only 1 order from them, but it was a big one, and I was impressed with how they handled a couple of out of stock items and some substitutions).

Are they still doing 30% off? It was supposed to end in November...it's nice if it's extended, though!

I think it was Nov/Dec, but I haven't ordered in a couple weeks so I might be wrong..

Also, I got a nice white T-Shirt from them with my last order.. I wonder if that's a free gift after a certain sized order?

superautobacs · Dec 15, 2009

I think there's a free gift thrown into any order that's over $100....IIRC.
There's no such perk offered by Small Parts Inc.

scottmlew · Dec 15, 2009

I ordered $500 of stuff (and that's AFTER the discount) and got absolutely no freebie!

PB Swiss... Wow..

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