Offbeat Hand Tools That Are Amazingly Useful - List Your Favourites

[Phog Allen]

Gents, as I look forward to an early retirement in a few years(lots of 'ifs' not a done deal) I have started taking stock of the mess work space that is my garage area. Hopefully small shop for at least some tinkering and making once most of the honey do stuff is over. Being a bit of a hands on guy I already have a good number of mechanics tools and top quality electrical pliers and screwdrivers. Over the years I have either acquired or wanted to acquire a few off the beaten path hand tools that are beyond useful but not all that common in daily use or to a wide spectrum of the population.

One of these are the scissors that are usually associated with telecom install techs. Though they are made by several reputable manufacturers they are typified by the Klein 2100-7. These are short and stout, they tuck away in a pocket or tool pouch. Always ready at a moment's notice they are never in the way. Useful? I should say so. Though aimed at the telco tech they are useful for cutting just about anything short of steel. Small gauge wire, plastic wire ties, straps, tape, etc. Heck, even a penny will succumb to the edges if you want to push it.

Another from the telco/data boys is the humble spudger. If you Google this you will get a lot of hits for a device to open iPhones and other data devices. Indeed, the spudger typically has a flattened end for such opening tasks. However, it is the pencil shaped models I speak of here and the business end of these has a nifty little right angle metal hook on it. It is designed to lift wires from Type 66 termination blocks and other datacomm terminations. This it does with ease. And one hundred other unintended usesThese things are one of those 'man it was handy to have that' items. It too hides stoically away in remote crevice of the tool bag or pouch. Just waiting to be called into action.

I carry the 2100-7 daily. I need to pick up a couple of spudgers. They are dirt cheap and having a few around to replace those that are 'liberated' by other employees who discover their usefulness is always a good idea. So how about it? What are the tools you seem to grab for when the right one is not the 'right' one?

Klein 2100-7

Spudger Klein VDV327-103

 

[Edcculus]

Mine isn't as offbeat as yours, but along the same lines. I carry the Leatherman Micra instead of a regular pocket knife. I find the scissors in this multi tool far more useful (and safe) in most situations than a knife. It has a knife on it as well just in case.


My work "toolkit" consists of a small pen sized LED flashlight (I'm often digging around inside archaic computers or old manufacturing equipment), a RJ45 crimper (never know when you need to make a patch cable), a can of air (archaic computers = dusty), a small torx screwdriver, several styles of jewlers/printers loupes (for evaluating dot patterns on press sheets), and as many ps/2 to USB adapters as I can get my grubby hands on.

and by work toolkit, I really mean this stuff is just strewn about my office...but its the stuff I reach for the most.


Edit:
actually, all I need is a sonic screwdriver. Its in my bedside table right now, and goes ding when theres stuff.

 

[Phog Allen]

The scissors are one of the most useful utility items you can ever have. Around $15 at Home Desperate. A great bargain.

Other items I would add to the list are rotary cutters(circular utility knives) and industrial tweezers. These latter can be up to eight inches long and insulated up to 1000v. I really don't know why you'd want to be working on any mains voltage equipment while it is energised with tweezers but they are available. In any configuration they are handy to have.

 

[Phog Allen]

Yes, those little multi tools are very handy. Last Christmas season Home Depot had them in two packs with some other Leatherman item for twenty dollars. Should have grabbed one.

 

[Legion]

Curved tip hemostat. Part tweezers, clamp and light duty pliers. Super handy.

 

[August West]

Curved tip hemostat. Part tweezers, clamp and light duty pliers. Super handy.

Indeed. They came in very handy during my salad days as a young bohemian.

 

[Phog Allen]

Indeed. They came in very handy during my salad days as a young bohemian.

Harrumph!

 

[Legion]

Indeed. They came in very handy during my salad days as a young bohemian.

Saves burnt fingers, I guess.

 

[oakeshott]

Indeed. They came in very handy during my salad days as a young bohemian.

Mine eventually attached themselves to my fishing feast 31 years ago which is where they've been ever since.

 

[ColtRevolver]

A large set of ice tongs from back in the block ice days....I use them to drag logs by myself. Last year , I built a retaining wall outta railroad ties. I used them to drag, load, and stack. I could do more work by myself with tongs than two men without...plus no smashed fingers.

 

[Hirsute]

I like a flexible grabber. Good for all kinds of hard to reach job. Threading wires for car stereos, picking up screws that have fallen into unreachhhable spaces etc.

 

[August West]

These are handy for getting gunk out of tight places.

 

[Moses Yoder]

I like Yankee tools. Spiral ratchet screwdrivers. You can collect ONE OF EACH kind they made, or just do with a couple different ones.

 

[J. Roger]

A lot of my woodworking machinery are on mobile bases, this inexpensive bulls-eye level is a god-send:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=51109&cat=1,43513


Screw removal pliers. Don't need them often, but you really pat yourself on the back for having them when need arises:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=48332&cat=1,43456,43400

 

[john parker]

Those screw removal pliers look like an excellent idea!!

 

[BSAGuy]

Many years ago, I worked as an electrician's helper during high school and college. I worked with some great guys. One of them turned me on to these screwdrivers. He called it a "whoopee-driver." Very useful for installing or removing items like outlets, switches, switch covers, etc. where you needed a lot of turns on a screw, but very little pressure or torque.

The driver spins freely as you install or remove a screw. Saves a ton of time.

 

[bberg100]

Aww, who brought up Lee Valley? Wish I could claim them as a dependent on the taxes!

Anything on this page is a MUST have - http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=51633&cat=1,42936

or http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=51633&cat=1,42936 would be great for those 1880 safety razors, maybe even a Rolls.

 

[ouch]

One of these are the scissors that are usually associated with telecom install techs. Though they are made by several reputable manufacturers they are typified by the Klein 2100-7. These are short and stout, they tuck away in a pocket or tool pouch. Always ready at a moment's notice they are never in the way. Useful? I should say so. Though aimed at the telco tech they are useful for cutting just about anything short of steel. Small gauge wire, plastic wire ties, straps, tape, etc. Heck, even a penny will succumb to the edges if you want to push it.

Another from the telco/data boys is the humble spudger. If you Google this you will get a lot of hits for a device to open iPhones and other data devices. Indeed, the spudger typically has a flattened end for such opening tasks. However, it is the pencil shaped models I speak of here and the business end of these has a nifty little right angle metal hook on it. It is designed to lift wires from Type 66 termination blocks and other datacomm terminations. This it does with ease. And one hundred other unintended usesThese things are one of those 'man it was handy to have that' items. It too hides stoically away in remote crevice of the tool bag or pouch. Just waiting to be called into action.

I carry the 2100-7 daily. I need to pick up a couple of spudgers. They are dirt cheap and having a few around to replace those that are 'liberated' by other employees who discover their usefulness is always a good idea. So how about it? What are the tools you seem to grab for when the right one is not the 'right' one?

Klein 2100-7

Spudger Klein VDV327-103

1) Where I'm from, you get smacked if you call them scissors. They're shears.

2) I have a million spudgers.

3) I must have misread the title of this thread. For a moment I thought Harmoni returned.

 

[OldSchoolYoungin]

I've been amazed by how often I use a telescoping magnet on the job.

Oh, and needle files! Absolutely indispensable. The problem is everyone loves using mine but don't seem to like returning them...

 

[mrlandpirate]

I've had to string a lot of wire/cable under houses, a slingshot with a fishing reel attached works great. I could shoot across most crawl spaces in 1 shot.