Jack Brand hand saws were made in Denmark.I was quite surprised to find this Dewalt hand saw I bought at Ace Hardware was made in Denmark (the old world for me)
They are still made in Denmark and are generally good quality hardpoint (disposable) saws.
Irwin ruined "Jack" in short order when they purchased them, back in the 90's they were pretty much the only handsaw brand you would find for sale in the UK and almost every carpenter used them, now Irwin did improve the plastic handle but they changed the tooth profile from a simple triangle shape to one with a steeper edge and two angles to the front of the cutting tooth, the marketing said cuts x% fastener etc. The reality was you could hardly push the saw through the wood as they bit so hard when new and they also had less set to them, less kerf removed so should have been easier cutting but they bound up badly.
I've got started, posting in more specific threads, where they exist:
Morakniv Pro Chisel [knife] C 12250
Just the right size, and chisel ground. A chisel, sturdy knife, lever, and scraper for the toolbox.
Knipex Cobra multi-component atramentised 180mm 87 02 180, with plastic jaw covers 87 09 180 V01
This joins my 250 and 150 pliers wrenches.
Knipex Cobra XS 87 00 100
This joins my XS pliers wrench, which is double the price and less versatile. I returned the 00 19 72 XS LE pouch as it's disproportionately bulky for the size of the tools.
Knipex CoBolt S 71 31 160
Went for this smaller size given it's for occasional needs and has relatively low versatility. No regrets on the size or choosing the recessed version - it's capable and comfortable enough for a few cuts on material that's 75% of its specified capacity, and I'd rather have this with me than an ideal bigger one back at the garage. Still, I'd probably have chosen multi-component grips if they were available in this size, but plastic coated does make for a compact tool.
Knipex X-Cut Compact Diagonal Cutter 73 02 160
The box joint gives relatively high leverage for its size, without compromising on jaw capacity or requiring excessive handle movement. The specified cutting (not jaw opening) capacities are the same as the 180mm High Leverage (not TwinForce).
Jaw opening and handle span comparison
Handle type bulkiness comparison:
Knipex Universal Tweezers 92 84 18 (126mm, tip 1x0.5mm)
I wanted something precise but not too dainty, so chose this one for the tip profile & size. There are cheaper tweezers, but Knipex made the effort to put up detailed photos and measurements of their tips (if only they did with their pliers like Tsunoda do). Came with a plastic tip storage cap.
Wera Kraftform Kompact 40 (containing 816 R driver)
Non-ratcheting brother to my 838 RA-R M set, to keep elsewhere. They're not the best for torque due to the relatively small, narrow, and rounded handle, but it's enough, and compact. There's much less play/wobble without the ratcheting mechanism, not that it was enough to bother me in use. The pouch case is good quality but very bulky. I like these 89mm bits, which have the same shaft diameter as a standard screwdriver in the same size. I'd have liked a smaller slotted instead of the 6.5. I did consider the interchangeable blade style by various brands but found plenty of disadvantages.
Putting together a small pouch tool kit.
Knipex Needle-Nose Combination Pliers 08 21 145
Nice size; compact, but fits well in the hand, and doesn't feel compromised. The plastic coated grips suit it well, especially given the handles are wider than on the standard needle noses of similar size.
Knipex Cobra 87 01 150
Capacity is very close to the 180, but much more compact especially with these grips (the only ones available in this size). It does have a bit of a "small tool" feeling to it compared to the pliers above though, like the design better lends itself to larger sizes.
The 180 with comfort grips measures 190mm.
Fiskars Classic Universal Scissors 1005148 (right handed)
Good tools aren't just for the garage. 4.4mm thick at the pivot. I bet they'd sell more if they did a black handle.
Pressol Oiler 125ml 06 864
Got this to put some Ballistol in. It does have some limitations which may turn out to be annoying. Held upright, you can squeeze oil out as long as the tube is all the way down and there's more than 50ml in it. Held at an angle or horizontally, you either need to have the tube all the way up, or have it mostly full.
Grip-on 131-07 Omnium Grip (200mm / 8")
I've had the 10" for many years, but really with this jaw shape I don't need it to be so big and heavy. This variant has 80% of the capacity by spec, and is just over half the weight.
Knipex 83 61 015 Swedish Pipe Wrench S-Type 420mm (17"), with fast adjustment
Made by Rennsteig, but less available and more expensive under their own brand (green). I wanted some type of big wrench with bite and leverage, and figured a plier type would be more versatile than a Stillson/HD type, and the trade-offs suited me. Still not totally sure if I should have got the Cobra XL 400mm.
Sievert 2282 Handyjet Powergas Kit
Feels pretty solid, and I like the size and form factor. Swedish company, made in Estonia.
Gedore 906 Kneeling Board
The handle hole isn't necessary given it's so light, and reduces the comfortably usable width - I'm not a big guy and it's just wide enough. Rather just have a small hanging hole. Made in Germany by whoever makes them for all the other German brands. Last one in stock at Amazon so a good price.
Halder 3380.040 Secural rectangular faced dead blow hammer 680g (24oz)
Came across this while looking for an extra deadblow size, seemed like the shape could come in handy. The grip is fine although to my surprise is hard plastic. The weight is for the whole hammer, not just the head (seems to be a thing with deadblows). I think the size suits the shape, and the bigger 1kg (35oz) model is only 5mm more on each axis and has a long head to make the weight.
Halder 3408 Drop mallet & punches kit
Inspired by the "Tools to have in order to avoid abusing other tools" thread. The two larger ones are dead blow, and officially "hand hammers" but could also be considered punches. Tips are replaceable. The fancy box seems a little unwarranted. Also sold as Facom but only individually.
Knipex Raptor "Multiple Slip Joint Spanner" 87 41 250
The jaw design of the Pliers Wrench relies on hand force to keep it gripping the nut, albeit with a high leverage ratio. When you're reefing on something, it coverts your own turning effort into opening the jaws - slipping the nut and pushing your hand apart. This one is self-locking like the Cobra (from 17mm up, when oriented correctly for the turning direction), but makes better use of the nut's hex shape and won't chew it up (which would make things worse with soft or damaged fasteners/fittings). Just this single size and grip is available.
Pliers Wrench 250 comparison with M14/22mm nut
Knipex End Cutting Nipper 68 01 200
Knipex High Leverage End Cutting Nipper 67 01 140
Small one (20mm edge) for soft cable or thin wire and where you want a compact head, and big one (31mm edge) for everything else and nail pulling. The small one feels a bit expensive for a small tool, for that part of your brain that associates size with value. It's a nice step up from those really small ones you get, while still being compact. Struggled to pick from their 5 types of end cutters/pullers (50, 61, 99) and all the sizes, but I figure these two should be pretty versatile compared to the others. The main difference between all the types is the pivot position, affecting jaw depth, leverage ratio, force multiplication, jaw capacity, and span of the handles in use.
Bahco Force Ergo pointed bow saw 21"(530mm) 332-21-51
I like the semi-pointed nose for getting in places, without compromising usable blade length. The blade tensioning system seems better than the flip lever style. I'll probably get a raker tooth blade to try on it. Made in Portugal.
Halder Supercraft dead blow hammer hickory handle 40mm & 50mm (3366.040 & 3366.050)
I'd put off ordering these for the while, trying to settle on which sizes to get - there are many, including a 35mm and 45mm. Whole weights (as seem usually given for dead blows) are 715g (25oz) and 990g (35oz), head weights are 575g (20oz) and 850g (30oz) for relation to other types. The faces are noticeably harder than an older white nylon faced hammer I have. The shafts are a little narrow for my liking (even more so at the end) so they feel a bit loose in the hand compared to my ball peins which have more bulky circular profiles. Circumferences are 9cm at the logo and 8cm at the narrowest, whereas my ball pein is a constant 10cm.
Rennsteig Parallel Pin Punch XXL 12mm & 16mm (451 312 0 & 451 316 0)
The hand guards are the same 57mm square across the whole 8-16mm range, which I thought could be a bit bulky for the smaller sizes in some situations - hence the Facoms. Good to have when hitting these with a big hammer though. Didn't see much need for the inbetween 14mm at this end of the size spectrum.
Rennsteig Masonry Chisel 23x250mm (351 250 1)
The "masonry" range has an octagonal shaft which widens at the tip tip, in contrast to the "flat cold" range which has a flat oval-rectangle shaft. I don't know why the distinction or pros/cons. The grip on these is rectangular, presumably as a shared part.
Rennsteig Electrician’s Chisel 12x250mm (361 253 1)
Useful to have a narrow chisel that's unusually long.
Rennsteig Jointing/bolster Chisel 50mm (386 050 1)
Rennsteig Jointing/bolster Chisel 70mm (386 070 1)
The range also includes a 60mm and tops out with 80mm, so no full width brick bolster.
Rennsteig Slitting Chisel offset 26x7mm (380 241 1)
This is bent and single-bevel ground, for getting right up to a surface.
Rennsteig Slitting Chisel straight 26x7mm (380 240 1)
Straight variant of the above, or thicker variant of the below.
Gedore Slitting Chisel extra flat 26x4mm (2104)
Should be ideal for separating things or making space to insert a pry bar. The Gedore chisel range seems to be mostly a subset of Rennsteig, but with some exclusive dimensions or models like this one.
Gedore Protective hand guard (108 UNI)
This works for octagonal or flat shafts. It has perpendicular slots for thin or thick chisels. By using the thick slot for thin chisels, they can be easily removed, allowing sharing of the guard. The material is quite flexible and would not snap if hit badly with a hammer, which I could envisage happening with the more rigid Rennsteigs.
Felo Tack Claw 494
A little sturdier than I was expecting, it would also make a fine general use small pry bar. Shaft is 6mm thick, angle is 20 degrees, tip is not thin or fragile. The handle shape is ideal for the typical working position, and is shared with a couple of other tools like the 498 Awl where I expect it's also great for the pushing/turning movement.
Felo T-Handle 1/4" Square Drive 397
Feels great in the hand. Good length for with or without an adapter. They also do 3/8" and 1/2" although I imagine those are successively less popular. There's a hex bit holder variant too, but this one with an adapter will do me for those. I think non-ratcheting is fine for "spin then tighten" stuff, but ratcheting has more of a benefit for things that need high torque all the way (e.g. wood screws).
Picard Engineers [ball pein] hammers, No.9 HS - 4-8-12-16-24-32 oz
This started with wanting some missing sizes, grew to upgrade adjacent ones, and then grew a little more for completeness. They appear to be from various ages and batches (notice the handles, and the head of the 4oz). Some of the weights are a bit off - the 24 and 32oz immediately feel too close and on the scales there's only 6oz between them (should be 9-10oz with the bigger handle), and there's only 3oz between the 12 and 16oz (should be 5-6oz with the bigger handle). Not too impressed with that really, but they're well made and feel good.
Saltus 3=1 swivel socket combination wrenches 8-19mm
I like variety when I want multiples of anything, it comes in handy sometimes plus interesting. The combination of the design, original brand, discontinued, and ok price convinced me on these. New old stock, including an older version 12mm as it turns out that's all they had left (to my surprise upon delivery). They were all out of 10mm (at least they were upfront about it) so that's a slightly older version still which I found barely used on Germany classifieds. The older ones are I'd say normal length (or short if you ignore the socket), whereas the newer ones are on the long side for a standard length combi wrench (even more so with the socket). The tension on the swivels is good, not floppy. The holes are for tommy bars. They're not quite as good a fit on fasteners as Facom 440s. I'll see how I like using them inline to spin things on/off.
Halder Supercraft dead blow hammer hickory handle 30mm (3366.030)
Joining the 40 & 50 I posted the other week. Head weight is 360g (13oz). The securing pin was about 3mm proud (easily fixed), and it had the most tenacious sticker and glue I've ever come across on the handle.
"Steel" according to their website. I have vague memory of it not being much magnetic.
www.halder.com
"Steel" according to their website. I have vague memory of it not being much magnetic.
SECURAL
SECURAL soft-face mallet, non-rebound The SECURAL soft-face mallet is a patented non-rebound soft-face mallet that comes with a sturdy sheet-metal housing ...
edit - Odd, the page says "one piece of steel" but the summary as it appears in this post says "sheet metal". I guess the latter is some old information copied over from the Supercraft page.
www.garagejournal.com
Was sharpening and cleaning this one, so I thought I leave some pictures here.
Older generation Morakniv “Electrician’s knife”. It’s one of those gems that you’ll only ever truly understand when you have it in your hands. Ergonomics, material, non-slipping … just the perfect combination. Plus an easy to sharpen, stainless steel. Won’t win prizes for edge holding or maximum hardness, but it’s a true work horse and will get to “hair popping“ and even “hair splitting” sharp with just a few strokes …
Kind regards,
Olli
Thank you for bringing that to my attatention!
Is the Czech Republic considered "old" when it only received its independence in 1993?Wera stainless steel hex key set
Maybe Czechoslovakia is the "old world"?
