12 Point Tools!

Hi Everyone,

Well, we've been busy digging out here in the northeast after two good sized storms in a row. I cleared a path around to the back door the other morning and there was easily 16 inches. My little Toro snow thrower was struggling as I pushed through inch by inch. Luckily the snow was fairly light and fluffy though, and it's warming up this week which will get rid of some of it.

I managed to get a lot done this past weekend. The LongShots are nearly finished buffing out, should have the batch finally ready to go in another day or two. I got through another round of beads and cord tying so there are more 5 flutes and other styles coming shortly. And I got most of the 12 Point tools finished up as well...

So today I'll start with those 12 Points. These are heavy duty pry bar/wrench tools and I have incorporated a brand new 12 point wrench design in them. Of course standard mechanic's wrenches have been using this type of design for decades but this is the first time I have made anything with that style opening. Now that I have the drawings worked out you can expect to see more 12 Point wrenches in upcoming projects, such as the next generation Keytons for instance.

The 12 Points are made of 3v steel. They had such a pleasing heft to them that I decided not to sacrifice any of the thickness to surface grinding...These beasts measure .215 inches thick, so just shy of 1/4". The length is a generous 3.5 inches so these are a great choice for all you guys with the big mitts! Indeed, they feel quite substantial in the hand, yet are still fairly compact for a larger pocket tool. The 12 Point wrench openings are 1/2", 7/16" and 3/8", the cap lifter is also a true wrench and measures 5/16". A broad pry tip finishes the tool.

The raw bar texture is quite light on both sides and you can expect to see plenty of character marks in the steel. I decided to give these an old fashioned bead blasted finish and the overall finished surface reminds me of smooth concrete. They have a slightly rough and ready, almost an industrial feel to them.

I elected to leave the matte surface dry so oily tools would not stain the product insert cards. However, I recommend you hit the tool right away with WD-40, light machine oil, household oil or even olive oil. If you carry and use this tool you should keep applying oil of some kind periodically and they will develop a deep patina rather quickly. I'd love to see some good user pictures a year or two from now. Many of the old Bug Out Bars that I made with 3v steel more than a decade ago look fantastic today now that they have had some proper aging. With some time and use you will make these tools uniquely your own and nothing is more satisfying in my book.

The 12 Points will run $70 each plus shipping. It's a fairly good sized batch so I'll make it a limit of two per customer on them, and as usual the purchase link is below. Hope you're staying warm and surviving tax season!

Sold out for today, thank you!

 

 

Antique Brass 5 Flutes

Hi Everyone,

Winter continues to march along here in the Northeast with a little bit of precipitation falling today. We're supposed to get a couple inches of snow and then some rain which should make for rather ugly driving conditions later on tonight. I certainly can't complain about the relatively mild winter so far though.

Projects are moving right along. I should have the LongShot cups done in a couple of days. Over the weekend I had several very interesting ideas for new spring time projects. These will be different items from anything I have produced before. Hopefully they will prove to be viable going forward but more research is needed before I can say for sure. It's always exciting coming up with brand new ideas though, whether they lead anywhere or not. I'll be keeping you posted as the experiments progress.

Today I have some new 5 Flute beads for you. The simple and elegant 5 Flute design, also known as the 5 Flute Megas, have proven to be my most popular and the most requested of my bead designs. This batch is made from 360 grade brass and they feel great in the hand. I have given them a few aging treatments as well as a long slow tumble to get a patina started. These will continue to darken nicely with time, the edges developing a lovely glow from handling and use. Or you could hit them with a polishing cloth or compound like Brasso as often as you like for a high shine finish.

The Antique Brass 5 Flutes will run $30 plus shipping. It's a generous sized batch so I will make it a limit of 4 please. As always, MANY thanks for stopping by today and I look forward to bringing you lots more cool items this year!

All gone for now, thank you so much everyone!

     

Wee Drops!

Hi Everyone,

Happy February! It's always nice to finally get January behind us, with the days beginning to lengthen and the sun starting to get a little stronger. Time is already flying this year.

Well at long last some of my many projects are starting to come to fruition. It has become almost comical to me lately how everything keeps getting delayed for various reasons and nothing has been getting completed. So I am quite gratified to finally have something going my way for a change. After these shot cups are done I will have brass 5 flute beads coming up, steel 12 Point tools and also more shot cups, followed by titanium K4 Keytons. There is so much on the way and finally it is starting to get completed.

Today I have the first wave of stainless steel shot cups done and ready to go. It's been a while since I made drinking vessels and I wanted to continue with the same elegant design but offer some more sizes. I decided to start with a diminutive "tasting" cup.

The Wee Drops are turned from solid bars of 303 stainless steel. At 1.25 inches in diameter, these are slightly slimmer than the previously released Tipplers (1.5 inches) but they maintain the same basic design scheme, namely a fluted waist with a ring of rifle knurling. All of these pieces are the same btw with no variation in either knurling direction or style.

The capacity of the Wee Drop is slightly more than 1/2 oz, hence the "tasting" cup moniker. A taller version called the LongShot will be following this Wee Drop batch in a few days and those are a full 1 oz in capacity. I call the LongShot a "shooter" cup.

Both of these new sizes are so cute that I can hardly stand it! I do use them for sipping libations but they also make terrific bathroom or medicine cups. I keep a few on my desk as well for sorting small parts like watch pins and tiny screws. They have many possible uses and are heavy enough that they are fairly hard to knock over. Obviously they are durable enough to last forever or until the sun explodes, whichever comes first.

The Wee Drops will run $65 plus shipping. It's a sizable batch and I know some people will want sets so I will make these a limit of 4 per customer please. The link to purchase is below...Thanks for dropping by today and I hope your weekend is absolutely fantastic. Go Pats!


All gone for today, thank you so much everyone!

  
For size comparison: Wee Drop, Tippler and LongShot

   

Copper Multi Grips!

Happy Monday Everyone!

Hope the 2017 winter is being kind to you all. It's actually been sort of mild here lately and not too hard to take this year, especially when the sun comes out. As long as we don't get any prolonged cold snaps or power outages I'll be pretty happy.

There's very little to report project wise...lots coming up though over the next two weeks so I'll be shifting gears from designing new stuff to doing finish work, packaging, photos, etc. It can be tricky at times to juggle it all when you're a one man show and everything takes twice as long as you think it will.

Today I have some new Multi Grips with rifle knurl done, this time in lovely tellurium copper. This material is very reactive to oxidation and it is already starting to build patina after just two days. These will become a rich warm brown eventually with bright copper highlights on the edges that get wear and handling. You can hasten the patina process in a sealed container by exposing to cooked egg yolk or other sulfur containing substances over night. Once darkened, allow to dry and then buff with a polishing cloth to shine up the edges and create contrast.

The Copper Multi Grips will run $30 plus shipping and I'll stick a limit of 3 per customer on this first wave. I have a few more on the way though for a future sale or for anyone who wants to email me. Thanks for dropping in today, and stay warm my friends.


Sold out for today, thanks again everyone!

Attention: Gear Heads!

Hi Everyone, and Happy 2017!

Hope the New Year is shaping up nicely for you. Things are moving right along here with much underway.

I just sent the CPM 3V steel 12Point tools out to heat treat and so those will be finished in a couple of weeks. More steel projects are in the middle of grinding so I'll be sending those out shortly as well.

A new Keyton version that I mentioned a while back, the K4, is now about halfway done too, just need to do finish grinds and the many final finishing steps on those.

Several bead projects are now underway and those will be coming on starting in a week or so, copper Multi Grips will lead off on those followed by new 5 flute Megas...Also the stainless steel mini shot glasses are close to being ready send out to the passivation step and then they will be coming along as well. The end of this month and all of February are going to be quite busy indeed!

And there is much more. I have been working on new drawings this past week and several of those have been finalized. A sexy new SuperBug17 in steel will be an interesting addition to the lineup this year. I plan to revisit the Wrunt this winter and possibly the Ghost, so those will be fun ones too.

I'm not a big fan of cold weather so the winter time is great for coming up with new ideas and drawings. I have greatly enjoyed working out new designs these past two winters and that important creative time has given me much to work with over the ensuing years. Hope to repeat the process this winter.

Well, today I have something a little different. Who says Lanslide beads have to be turned from round stock? Not me. In fact, I've been thinking about doing some kind of  "tool bead" from flat plate stock for a very long time. This concept may very well turn into a series. There are several possible material candidates and endless design possibilities. We'll see how far this idea goes but so far I really like them.

This first batch of Gear Head Lanslide beads are made of my exclusive krinkle textured titanium. They are the same diameter as a 5 flute Mega, so 5/8" in diameter. I have elected to anodize this first batch and they will come in my usual wide range of solid colors and fades. The center opening will hold a 1/4" hex bit (bits not included) so they essentially can transform from a bead to a miniature thumb driver. The deeply scalloped edges provide a ton of grip obviously, and they can be stacked with other beads in imaginative ways to form "compound grips" for normal lanyard applications. Pretty nifty stuff.

The Anodized Gear Head Lanslides will run $35 plus shipping. It's a modest sized batch so I'll make it a 2 per customer limit on them please. Thanks for stopping by today and for your continued interest and support in 2017!


Sold out for today but a few more on the way. Thank you everyone!

 
     

   

Anodized Ti Shutterbugs

Hi Folks,

Hope everyone is staying warm this week. It's been quite bitter here with overnight lows below zero F and very cold daytime temps, but looks like it will be moderating over the next week. That bodes well for travelers over the holidays.

It looks like my new steel shot cups will be finished turning this week. They need to go to the plater to be passivated though (chemically dipped and cleaned to remove raw steel odor from the surface of the metal) and so they won't be ready to go until early January.

Similarly, I have three batches of steel tools almost ready to go to heat treat, but once again, everyone is closed next week. So, middle or end of January on those.

I have another small ti bead project that is very close, so maybe I can get those out in the next week or so, along with the remainder of the Tiny Tim batch. We'll see how it all goes. This time of year is always disrupted due to family holidays, visitors, etc. And of course, there is also the end of year paperwork, inventory, taxes etc that eats up a couple of days. Who knows, maybe I'll even find a day or two to relax and watch football. :)

Today I have another little project that might make it to your mailbox before Christmas. These are the remaining flat ti Shutterbugs and I have anodized them my usual wide range of colors. It's a medium sized batch so I will make it 2 per customer on them and I'll do my best to get them in the mail today if possible. They run $60 each plus shipping.

Thanks as always for popping in today, and my very best and warmest wishes to you all for the holiday season!

All gone, thank you so much everyone!

 

        

Tiny Tim!

Hi Everyone,

A big Merry Christmas to you all and my best wishes for a wonderful 2017!  

Wow, it's been a crazy and frustrating month so far. I have so many things underway but it seems like hardly any projects are able to get finished for one reason after another. I've been running around for two weeks like a chicken with my head cut off. I have never seen so many petty obstacles getting in the way, and my timing has just been awful lately. Oh well, at least I will have a ton of nifty new stuff ready for January and February and it will all apparently be getting done at once. :)

Well today I finally managed to get something finished. I have an adorable little tool for you. Tiny Tim is possibly the smallest multi tool I have made and certainly among the smallest the world has ever seen. Measuring just 1.5 inches long it is indeed as tiny as it's name implies. Made of textured titanium, it features a small XL pry tool, screwdriver, 5/16 wrench and of course a cap lifter. Surprisingly enough, you can open a bottle with ease even when held by itself, but of course you get more leverage if it's on your key ring or attached to a zipper. A small clip is included if you wish to make them into zipper pulls. These will make dandy stocking stuffers for you last minute guys too. Haha, you know who you are...

Plain non anodized Tiny Tims will run $45 plus shipping and it's a 3 per customer limit on them please. Thanks for stopping in today everyone and hope your holiday season is the best ever this year!

Tiny Tims are sold out for today. More coming this week hopefully...thanks again everyone!

Stainless Steel Multi Grips

Hi Folks,

Woohoo, it's a winter wonderland out there today! Sure is pretty to look it although a little messy, and it's going to get very cold as the week goes on.

Well, unfortunately it's now looking doubtful that any new steel tools will be done this year. Between cutting it too close for the holidays and my heat treater shutting down for a week between the holidays it's probably going to be January before they are finally done. It will be a great start to the winter though. In the meantime I have some other projects brewing that I will try to bring to fruition sooner.

I managed to finish up the rest of the Multi Grip beads this past weekend. These are stainless steel with rifle knurling. They have a nice heft to them and a lovely bright finish. Of course 316L stainless steel offers terrific corrosion resistance as it is the same grade they use in dive watches. So these are very good for those who live near salt water or for tying onto anything that will be out in the elements.

The Stainless Steel Multi Grips with rifle knurl will run $30 plus shipping and the link is below. It's a fairly modest batch but I will make it 3 per customer like most of the recent bead batches. Thanks for dropping by today and have a great week everyone. ;)

All gone, thank you so much!

Fancy Wiener Dogs!

Hi Folks,

Well it's starting to get chilly here this week as the Big Freeze moves in on us. Next week there will be days when it doesn't get above 20F so it's turning quite cold indeed. Good time to get moving on winter projects.

You'll be glad to hear that I got some grinding done this week. There's still a lot more to do but I'll keep at it. I really want to get one or two more steel tool projects done before the end of the year. The new K4 ti Keytons are also nicely prepped out and next up for grinding. There's a very good chance I will get them done this year too. 

In other news, some lathe turning is underway at long last and a project that I have been dreaming about for the past year is finally going to happen... Something new in the stainless steel shot glass department! There may be one variation of the new vessel as well, so possibly two new designs are on the way, both of which will perfectly complement the existing lineup. I will certainly keep you posted. And there is a good possibility that they will be ready to go before Christmas.

Today I have the last of the titanium Wiener Dogs finished. These are done up with my fancy two tone contrast anodizing in a wide variety of color combinations. They are quite nice I think and sure to please fans of vibrant colors. Just the sort of thing to cheer you up on the darkest days of the year.

The fancy ti Wiener Dogs will run $70 plus shipping and it's a fairly small batch so one per customer on them please. Thanks for stopping in today and have a great warm weekend ahead!


Sold Out, thank you everyone!

Brass Rifle Knurls

Hi Everyone,

The first real snow of the year is coming down this morning. It's always kind of pretty, but this is my least favorite time of year... partly because it's so dark and also because I know that bitter cold and seemingly endless white landscapes await. It's only an inch or two today though, just to give us a little taste of what's to come.

Well, it was a busy weekend of grinding for me but I am still a ways off from finishing new tools. I have to get some milling done this week and then the final push to get things to heat treat. It will all get done somehow.

Today I have the remaining brass Multi Grips done. These are the rifle knurled ones and they came out very nice. Several thorough tumbles gave them a smooth aged looking finish and they have a satisfying heft to them. I do have a dozen or so of the straight knurled ones left too if anyone cares to email me for them. I also have a few Zr rifles and HAIII rifles too so let me know if you need some stocking stuffers!

Anyway, these lovely rifle knurled brass Multi Grips will run the usual $30 plus shipping and it's 3 per customer on them. A generous portion of the sale today will be sent to the local foodbank btw. ;) Thank you for stopping by and I hope your week is going great.

Brass Rifles are sold out today, thank you so much! :)

Brass Multi Grips: Straight Knurl

Hi Everyone,

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving and pleasant weekend.

Well, I've been scrambling to get some steel projects going all this past week. I have those 12Point tools well underway finally and also a slick new Mini Prybaby that I think you all will be quite surprised to see. I hope those two projects will be completed by mid December in time for Christmas. Maybe I can sneak some steel Mini Triangles through heat treat too...I gotta get off my butt and keep grinding if I have a chance to get all this stuff done!

Also underway are several other projects including various beads, a super tiny cap lifter tool, a very unusual new tool bead project (you heard right, I said tool bead!), and a little something new called the TightWad. In addition, I have an updated metric version of the old Crawdaddy design also underway. And there is a new K4 Keyton design in two different materials on the way as well. We'll see how much of all this I can finish before the end of the year but at least it bodes well for many sales going into the winter.

Today I have some brass Multi Grip beads with straight knurl. They look really sweet on multi colored camo cord. It's a smallish batch but I will make it 3 per customer on them and they run the usual $30 plus shipping for metal beads. Thanks for stopping by today folks and have a great week!


Brass beads are gone for now, a few rifle knurls to come shortly. Thanks everyone!

Steel Gremlins!

Howdy Everyone,

It's a wet and kind of balmy one here today. Thank goodness we finally got a good soaking rain yesterday and last night because the drought has left the area way behind our usual annual rainfall. When you drive around you can see that the ponds and streams are quite low this year. Probably means we are going to be in for a snowy winter though.

Well I'm slowly getting there on projects. I have the 12 Point tools about halfway done and hope to get them to heat treat pretty soon. I'm also working on a couple of bead projects and trying to coordinate some really cool stuff for after Thanksgiving and into the holiday season. We'll see how far I get before time runs out for the year.

Today I finally have the steel Gremlins done. These are 3v steel tools and have a similar finish to the P12 Prybabies that I made earlier this year. But, this sheet was not quite as heavily textured and the overall finish reminds me very much of old wooden factory floors that have been reclaimed when they convert those facilities to office space. If you have ever seen that you would know instantly what I mean. Anyhow, the Gremlins have loads of character! They are fairly small so I decided not to bother trying to get the 3v stamp on the back side this time. There are no lefties in this batch or stamped tools but the grinds do vary a little bit.

The steel Gremlins will run $50 plus shipping and the purchase link is below. It's two per customer on this sizable batch. Thanks for stopping in today of course, and hope your week is shaping up to be a great one.

Gremlins are gone for today but I will have a few more done this week if anyone wishes to email me. Thanks again everyone! 

     

And the Winners Are...

...all of us. :)

Wow, thank you so much everyone! Great turn out and these fine organizations will really appreciate it.

Here's the list and I will send out the emails shortly. Have a great weekend folks!

45      Scott Horton
80      aces&eights
88      SoCal
140    William Lee
143    MattBee
184    aaamr
192    bcinda
236    Arem1460

Thank You Vets!

Hi Everyone,

We've got some gusty winds blowing the leaves around on this fine Veterans Day today. It's really nice outside, cool temps but bright and sunny. A great day to have a special little sale to honor those who have served our country.

I dug deep into the archives for this one. I made these special patterned v.1 Hangman hooks at the same time as the regular batch and stashed them away for just such an occasion.

I will be donating 100% of the proceeds to charity today and in fact I have already sent $365 of it to Fisher House Foundation, because not only do our veterans serve but they have families who also need our support. The remaining $275 (I actually made it $375) has gone to another worthy four star rated organization, Home for Our Troops, which build houses for wounded service members. Great folks and we owe them huge thanks for their important work.

This is a Sign Up Sale. There are only 8 of these little beauties and the winners can pick which one they want, first come first served. From left to right on the top 1,2,3,4. And left to right on the bottom 5,6,7,8.

The fancy Hangmen will run $80 plus shipping and the Sign Up Link is below. Sign Up period will end at 2PM eastern time and the winners be drawn shortly after. Thanks for coming by today and once again a heartfelt thank you to our veterans and their families!

Sign up is over, winners will be announced shortly. Thank you again!

List of People Entered

SUSale Rules, Please Read

Fancy TommyKnockers

Hi Folks,

Hope your week is going well. It's cool and damp here but sunny with a bright blue sky. Good day to run some errands, get a long overdue haircut and...have a little sale. :)

I've been grinding some stuff this week, refining some new drawings and cleaning my shop up a little before it gets colder. I suspect we will be getting more snow this year than last winter so it's nice to get things organized, get some dust cleaned up and remove some of the bulky junk before we get socked in with the white stuff.

Today I have the rest of the krinkle textured titanium TommyKnockers done. These tools are heavily textured and have my fancy two tone contrast anodizing in various vibrant colors. As usual, the anodizing effect is just beautiful and I never get tired of playing with the color combinations. I don't know if I will ever be able to get this special material again so when it runs out I will be sad. Should be enough left for another project or two though.

The contrast anodized TommyKnockers will run $80 plus shipping and the link is below. It's a modest sized batch so it will be one per customer on them please. Thanks for coming by today and I hope your weekend is fantastic!

Sold out, thank you so much everyone!

 

Stamped Mini T-Bones

Hey Again Everyone.

I don't know about you all but I could use some pleasant diversions this week. Nothing like a little work to keep my mind off certain poisonous current events. Plus the Pats had a bye week so I guess it's back to the grinder for me. Maybe time for a few new drawings too...  

I have a few of these 154CM Mini Steel T-Bones left. These are the stamped ones and feature a variety of my usual markings. There are only a couple dozen though as I had run out of time before sending these out to heat treat, so only a handful ended up getting stamps.

These will be $55 plus shipping and it's one per customer on them. Thanks for stopping by and hoping you all have a relaxing week despite it all.

Stamped T-Bones are sold out, thanks again!

Wedgie Plus SUSale Winners!

Thanks for stopping by everyone, always an amazing turnout for these...

OK, here's the list of winners, and I will send out emails to them in a few minutes. Thanks again and hope your weekend is great!

12     kibitz
32     sudeva
53     AMGS55
63     Balgie
79     Danny Branneman
92     Joe
133    Fox5
150    mrsking
188    JMoner  

Wedgie Plus SUSale

Hi Folks,

It's a cool and gloomy November day here and the leaves are continuing to fall. I will be out raking later this weekend for sure, putting away hoses and doing lots of those end of year chores to prepare for the frozen months ahead.

Well today I have a little treat for you. These were some outtakes that I made a while back at the same time as the regular 3v Wedgie batch. I've been holding on to them for quite some time but I figured this would be a good week to put them up on a little Sign Up Sale. The Wedgie Plus has the regular features of the original 3v Wedgies but with the addition of a cap lifter, 5/16 wrench and pry tip on the rear end of the tool. Same basic design idea on the back end as the Wiener Dogs and Hatchlings. A small lanyard hole is also there so the tool could be carried either way on a key ring. Kind of a fun design and I might make more at some point, if I ever revisit the Wedgies.

Sign Up Sale Rules, Please Read

Anyhow, there are only 9 of these little gems. They will run $90 plus shipping. I will run the sign up period for a relatively short time to limit the number of entries. Sign up will end at 11:15 AM eastern time. The winning numbers will be drawn shortly afterwards and announced in a new posting. Thanks for dropping by today and have a great weekend everyone. :)

Remember, only ONE ENTRY per person please! Duplicates entries will be discarded.

Sign up is over, winner list will be posted shortly. Thank you everyone!


List of People Entered

Ghostly Grips

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Hope you all had a great weekend and are preparing for lots of trick or treaters tonight! We're heading into a week of mild temps here which will be most welcome after the early surprise snow storm last week. Maybe I can get in a little more outdoor photography and finish up some more yard work before the weather starts turning bitter.

I'm slowly picking away at stuff but I've been feeling kind of low energy lately. Hopefully I can get back into a work mindset over the next week or so and really get things cranking again. This is one of the great challenges of working for yourself in that if you don't have someone setting your schedule every week it can be tough to keep yourself on track.

Well, today I have another round of Delrin multi grip beads done, this time in white. These have a more "ghostly" feel to them if you will, so seem like a good choice for Halloween. This is the last round of Delrin beads before I move on to other materials and designs.

The white Delrin Multi Grips will run $25 plus shipping and it's a sizable batch so I will open it up and not limit the quantities. Thank you as always for stopping by, I greatly appreciate it!

All gone for now, thanks so much!

 

   

A51 TommyKnockers!

Hi Everyone,

It's turning cool here this week, will be barely hitting 50F for the next few days. The blustery winds this weekend took down most of the colorful leaves so suddenly many trees are looking bare except for the drab brown oaks. And of course what happens next for me is a lot of leaf blowing and raking. They sure smell good though.

Well, there wasn't too much progress this weekend on tool projects. But I did manage to get the first wave of TommyKnockers done...

They Came From Area 51! 

This is a fun series that I started years ago with the various Ghosts, Poltergeists and E115 tools. I decided to bring those designs together in a new tool but use the thicker krinkle titanium stock to give them more of a substantial hand feel. The wrench set is the standard SAE 1/4-1/2". The cap lifter is also a 5/16 wrench.

So they have a slightly larger presence in the hand than the older tools in the series yet a bit less weight. And of course the angled back end provides a nice excuse for A51 style grinds.

Speaking of grinds, the A51 grind combinations on these tools varies widely. I can't honestly say they are all different, but there are many variations, so folks looking for unusual tools will not be disappointed.

This first group is finished without anodizing and they will make terrific users. A smaller wave of fancy anodized ones will be coming up in a week or two.

The A51 TommyKnockers will run $75 plus shipping, the link is below and it's one per customer please. Thanks for coming by today and hope your week is shaping up to be a great one.


Sold out for now, thanks again folks!