Tools you Might Not Need

Holiday Tools by George Bogosian

Around the holidays tool manufactures produce products for wives and girlfriends to purchase for their husbands, partners and unsuspecting family members. Many of these products don’t stand up to the hype in the advertising.

I call these “tools for women”.

Those men who have received these products know what I mean and they usually don’t let on that their heart felt gift was a real dud. We love our family members and their desire to give us a functional tool is understood. Sometimes they're power tools, woodworking tools or hand tools. Now, I’m not going to mention which tools (yes I am) I believe fall into this category, but I suspect many of you, myself included, have them in our tool boxes, tool shelf or kitchen “catch all” drawer. I’m suspect of Sears’s winter holiday tool that is a socket wrench with one handle and a swiveling head at both ends. Let me know what you think, because I’m not buying one of those…even with its intrigue. But if I receive one this season I promise to be grateful that someone thought of me. I’ll put it in my toolbox and use it if and when the need arises.

Here’s my latest experience with these suspect tools.

I was working with James the other day at his home. We were installing some large windows ten feet off the ground. Lesser men would not have be able to get them in place was his comment on the project. They were large and heavy! Well…. James had a Velcro magnetic wrist band and its purpose was to put 2 to 10 nails on this magnetic band so that in a high work situation you would be saved from trying to reach into a tool belt for a nail. He says it was a gift…. but I’m having other thoughts as to how it came to be in his possession. Maybe he bought it for himself. I was hoping that wasn’t true. I hold him in high regard and that purchase would have lowered his standing in my mind. I know...... I can be small minded at times. Of course being a “manly man” I made fun of the concept till I found myself on a ladder 15 feet off the ground and unable to reach my nail pouch that was strapped to my waist. I hate falling off ladders! I needed the darn nail magnet on my wrist with a few nails for nailing a window in place. Hey, I was in a precarious position on that ladder and that “new fangled thing” was just what I could use at the moment.

So if you find yourself in front of one of these “tools” ask someone in the store with work clothes on if they think it makes any sense. Sales people opinions don’t count. Someone with rough hands is required. I suspect they have purchased some of these “dream tools” on a whim. I’m not implying that all the new concept tools are somewhere in the "almost to useless" categories. But one needs to pay attention to detail and perceived function. So…. my tool purchasing Grasshoppers, shop well.