Interesting Companies

[PutnamEco]

What tool companies do you find interesting?

Here are a few of my favorites.

Fastcap

I really like their Pro Carpenter Old Standby tape measure. It is my favorite tape measure to use when I'm doing bench work or for around the shop. Fastcap has a lot of interesting tools, I can't say they are good tools (most seem to be made in China) but I will say I do find them interesting. Tools like their Pocket Chisels, Long Nose Marker, and KnukleBender show some innovative thinking, by what appears to be someone who may have actually spent some time on a jobsite.

Tajima

I will definitely vouch for a few of Tajimas tools. Their Chalk-Rite chalk boxes are good. I have had excellent results using them. They use a braided line rather than the more common cotton string that comes with the chalk boxes you might usually find, this tends to leave a thinner line, which I find more accurate. They also make an ink box for those inclined to go that route. I'll also recommend their premium Convoy caulk guns which are very easy to use even with the thickest caulking compounds. Lastly, I'll also recommend their Snap Blade Knives which are as good as any of the other snap bladed knives on the market

Eurekazone

While I don't use their products, I do love their home grown inventiveness. The founder Dino Makropuolos always comes up with some really creative ideas, and is very enthusiastic about promoting them. They have produced some interesting and informative YouTube videos as well.

[Conductor562]

Proto amazes me. They make such awesome tools but advertise so little. They have made somewhat of an attempt at social media, though most of their posts are more about industrial safety than tools.

[PutnamEco]

Proto amazes me. They make such awesome tools but advertise so little. They have made somewhat of an attempt at social media, though most of their posts are more about industrial safety than tools.

Proto is a subsidiary of that mega corporation that is Stanley Black & Decker, there main business, it would seem, is corporate contracts, I would believe that most of there advertisements are aimed towards that end. They won some awards with their advertisements last year, for their “Serious Work: Rookie” advertisements. They, like other companies of their ilk, rely on their reputation for their business.

IMHO they are not that interesting a company, their last major innovation was the combination wrench sometime in the 30s. While they do make quality tools, I believe they are a step down in quality from Snap-on as I don't think they put as much effort into their tools fit and finish as does Snap-on and they don't offer anywhere near the same customer support to us lowly non corporate tool buyers.

[wayneburgess]

Those pocket chisels look very very cool.

[Conductor562]

My heart hurts : ( LOL, but seriously, I agree with that. I'm not real demanding when it comes to fit and finish though. I like the fact that I don't have to concern myself with the tool getting banged up because it wasn't all that flashy to start with. I imagine this is the same thought my wife had when she married me.

[wayneburgess]

LOL

[PutnamEco]

Northfield Foundry & Machine Co.

Makes some really awesome woodworking equipment. I have had the pleasure of working with one of their tablesaws and I can attest to it being one fine machine. I'm really surprised I don't hear about this company more often. These fine machines are made right here in Northfield, Minnesota. While this company is not on the cutting edge, they are the type of tools that will stand up to a production environment for a lifetime and then some.

The Original Saw Company

This tool company arose through the mergers and acquisitions of Dewalt. Dewalt the original manufacturer the radial arm saw, was purchased by AMF then Black & Decker, which sold out the rights to their radial arm saws to a pair of former execs. who then proceeded to go bankrupt, out of this arose the Original Saw Company. They continue to make one of the few radial arm saws worth buying today. Just about every Home Depot I've been to has had one of their saws sitting in the back of the lumber department should you wish to see on of these fine saws.

There was a patent lawsuit brought against Home Depot over a hand guard they use in their stores brought about by them trying to undercut the inventor/contractor over the cost of the guard.

[wayneburgess]

Have any of you guys heard of Halfords ?

[PutnamEco]

Have any of you guys heard of Halfords ?

I have come across them a couple of times doing web searches for items that are uncommon in the U.S., usually after about 20 pages or so. The last time I came across them I was looking for a Squire lock and chain set (decided against went with Abus), that is about all I know of them.

[PutnamEco]

I like to play around with knot tying on occasion and I have a certain fascination with gadgets that can join lines together. Nite-Ize has produced a couple really neat was of doing this. They have the KnotBone and the Figure 9 that can join lines together by a jam cleat like action rather than using an actual knot.

I have been wearing one of their Pock-Its for a couple of years now, albeit in a modified form, I had to ad a lift a dot

fastener after a few pretty expensive losses do to the unreliability of Velcro to securely close it. Nite-Ize also has a pretty decent selection of other gadgets from things like their S-Biners , LED lights, and pens. Their website can be a bit funky, it often won't load pages for me, otherwise I would have added a couple of more links to some of their other products.