Well, looks like the stretch of nice weather is coming to a close. It's supposed to be cloudy and cooler with showers for the next week so maybe now I can get out of the rest of those honey-do chores that I've been stuck with lately. Most of the spring cleanup stuff has been done anyway and besides, the first of those darned biting black flies have been appearing like clockwork every time I step outside now. So it's just about time to get back in the shop and get some stuff cranking again.
Currently in heat treat is a batch of Crawdaddies and a small batch of Nibbles. I have a whole bunch more Nibbles to finish grinding and they will go into the next heat treat batch. But the current batches should be back very soon, maybe by the end of next week or early the following week. The Crawdaddies have been beefed up slightly and I'll be using larger O-rings on them.
Just finished the drawings for two cool new tools. The first is the compact version of the FunnyBone tool that I showed a few posts back. I eliminated the captive bit feature and shortened the whole thing so it will fit onto a keychain if desired. I think I have all the sizes so that they will work, no small feat there. The bottle opener is retained and I added a few scallops for added grip on the top edge. I think it will be a dynamite little piece and will be making a lot of them.
The second brand new piece draws on two old designs for inspiration. I have been a collector of keychain tools for years and always have enjoyed the old Proto Screwdriver design. There are a lot of other keychain screwdriver designs as well including a nifty little one from Snap-On that features a small wrench. Both of these have been in my collection for a few years, snagged off of Ebay or scrounged from yard sales. Well, I drew on those two designs and did a little updating and Atwoodizing. The new tool, tentatively called the Atwrench, is much larger than those tiny originals but it will pack a whole lot of function in comparison and still fit onto a keychain. Pics coming soon... :)
Glad to hear you're feeling better Peter. You're not the only one doing spring cleanup a little late this year around these parts. This last week the rakers were out in force everywhere.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about those black flies. I stepped out of my car at work yesterday and was greeted with a swarm of those little A-holes.
Can't wait for the new Funnybone. The Proto key also holds a special place in my heart. It was my very first EDC tool that was given to me as a gift by a family member when I was about 10 years old. It's the tool that started my EDC keychain tool addiction, which was to be revived by your tools some 25+ years later. My interested is really piqued for that one :).
Can't wait to see the new tools! The Atwrench and mini Funnybone sound like great little keychain items. And as far as that nice weather.....it just started snowing here in Minnesota after a week of near 70's temps. Oy.
ReplyDeletePeter,
ReplyDeleteSounds wonderful - can't wait to see the pictures of the new tools!
Sorry to go old school, but is there any chance of more mini keytons to come?
Best,
John
awesome stuff Peter! Please take at least a week or more! i just dropped the gun on a new tad gear pack, so i won't mind no new releases until next payday ;-) My Atwood's will be riding in style from now on!!
ReplyDeletew00t!!
Thanks for the update! A lot of good little things to look forward to. ;)
ReplyDeleteAwesome news Peter, I can't wait to see the new stuff.
ReplyDeleteglad you're getting better...very excited by the new tool announcements...please do post the photos!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you decided to drop the bit design on the funnybone. Dont get me wrong I like the captive bit series but I definitely think the size will be much better. Looking forward to both. Thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteHooray! :-D
ReplyDeleteI'm also a big fan of the Proto and SnapOn screwdrivers! Would love to see your take on them.
ReplyDeleteI'm sooo glad to see you've got stuff in production. :-)
ReplyDeleteI was heartbroken to find your site for the first time today, and see that you have nothing listed for sale at the moment!
Thanks! Oh, we're really cooking now. I have gotten a ton of stuff done in the past few days and am about to send another good sized batch out to heat treat, maybe by the end of the week. Should be seeing my recent batch coming back sometime late next week. First wave will be Nibbles and Crawdaddies. Next wave will be Mini FunnyBones and more Nibbles. Then many Atwrenches after that. It's gonna be a fun May. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Peter,
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the next batch of goodies.
Do you think it might be possible for you to keep a log on your site of each release of tools? I saw a recent forum posting that you had some TiBOBs (among other stuff). I had checked your site in the morning and again in the evening and there was no sign that anything had changed in between.
It seems that you have a lot more tools getting sold than I've ever been aware of, and I check your site two or three times every day!
Perhaps I'm just grasping at the slim hope that if I keep this up, I'll actually hit some in stock items, and need some reassurance that they do indeed exist from time to time. In the last six months that's only happened once for me.
(Did the second wave of sharkteeth ever happen? I really wanted one of those!)
Take care!
-Ben.
Hey folks. Just wanted to mention I got a tropical triangle over at Moore Cutlery. I bought one of those cube key chain thingys - cool by the way - and have been checking the site. They have a few Atwood things over there and they list how many are in stock.
ReplyDeleteI assume y'all Atwood junkies are not up on Moore's because they have been hanging around all day...anyway...
Ben, I only had 4 ti bobars so it wasn't like there was a big chance for everyone to get one. It's getting harder to get rid of odds and ends because if I post them and put a buy it now button on them I might get flooded with orders and oversell if I only have a couple in stock...see what I mean? So once in a while I might put up something and put an "email me" button on instead if the quantities are really small.
ReplyDeleteThe second wave of Sharkteeth have dribbled out of here slowly just through people emailing me...there are still a few left and I only just finished the last of them two days ago.
ReplyDeletePeter-
ReplyDeletejust wondering from your last post: should we be emailing you if interested in something? I've tried to be patient and just check the site frequently but if there's another way to go about things...
Thanks for everything and keep up the good work!
matt
Thanks for the quick and timely response Peter!
ReplyDeleteI certainly do appreciate the challenges that you are facing with all the demand for your most excellent tools!
I had thought that when you put the "In Stock" sign up, it comes from a little form that allows you to input the number available. I guess I just don't know as much as I thought!
I'm definitely still interested in a Sharktooth if there is one available. ;)
I can't wait to see what else you come up with! Keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Ben
Just so everyone knows, this...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=178361
is the reason many folks have a hard time obtaining an Atwood tool at a fair price. This kind of crap right here. Read the thread.
This is the kind of jerk that should be cut off from buying. It is clear he just buys to hoarde and gouge.
Well, he made a bunch of money didn't he? Good grief...while I cannot say that I like that kind of thing I can't entirely condemn him for wanting to turn a profit. I think some of his prices are ridiculous though. It amazes me what some people are willing to pay especially for something like a Crawdaddy which I am about to do a big release on early next week.
ReplyDeletecalifornia guy here woke up and saw nibbles. guess i missed them peter any more today for us west coast guys?
ReplyDeleteWow, I can understand how flippers will try to get as much as they can on ebay because there is a level of anonymity, but to sell that many of them openly like that on a forum where people know who you are is ballsy to say the least.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I always thought the various forums were a better place to find your tools versus ebay, because the members know how hard it is to get them and generally don't try to gouge each other. Kinda of a "pay it forward" attitude. Some of those prices are way inflated, but like you said, I think it's even more unbelievable that someone will pay that much for a tool that you are still regularly making.
i think i speak for alot of u out there when i say this. click refresh. on and on and on................ peter can u just tell us the time or times you are going to put a tool for sale at least ill know that ive missed it and i can go back to having a life. im an adict but at least i know it and i can tell u one thing im definitely not over dosing only was able to get triangle, gas babby, and a bug bite i was really lucky on that one. p.s. i live in california and always mis your morning sales just hope u keep us in the 3 hr lag time zone in mind also if u let us know when ur going to have a sale i can wake up early and get in on some of your morning sales. much love peter and thank you.
ReplyDeletehey peter, you may just need to resurrect all these old tools just to put the scalpers in their place! ;-)
ReplyDelete