If
you disagree with this highly personal view, on hand tools and have
very good experiences with a certain brand of tools made in China or
thereabouts. Mail me, I would like to hear from you.
They
took their time, getting "up to snuff" with their machinery, and
nothing says, that they will not do the same with the hand tools they
manufacture.
Maybe you have bought
something of eastern
make, and are very pleased with it anyhow. I would like to hear that
too. It is possible, that for very occasional use, the extra expanse
for European tools is not warranted. If that is your view, let us know!
The story on hand tools, will never end.
You always need more of them!
Everyone
of us, whether we are in engineering ,in a professional way, or just
for the fun of it, will have different views on what spanner or
screwdriver is the best for a given job.
There is therefor no point in telling you what
you should or shouldn't buy.
Some
remarks though. While a lot of the machinery, that is made in China,
has become acceptable and useful alternatives for the brand
names we
all grew up with,( a lot of there stuff is also made there by the way!)
the hand tools they have on offer or not.
At least that is my personal view. And there is
a very good explanation for that.
Next
time you buy a grinder or a drill that is made in the East, check out
the paperwork that comes with it. The European Union, has fairly strict
rules on what can be sold over here, if it "plugs in a wall socket".
You
will find all manner of "certificates" and other official looking bits
of paper, stating that the machine you have bought is safe, and answers
to directive so and so...
This is not the case for a screwdriver chisel
or a spanner !
The steel used in eastern hand tools is usually
of a very "bendable" quality and these tools do not last very long.
So here, the old adage, "you get what
you pay for" still holds true.
Hand tools of good quality, are things of
beauty and and are priced accordingly.
If
any part of your shop, is going to end up in the hands of your heirs,
after you have past one, to "the Big Engineer Works in the Sky", it
will your toolbox, with all the hand tools! Just as I have stuff from
my late father, just because properly designed and made hand tools have
a habit of lasting very long, if they are cared for in a responsible
manner.
Even rusty bits of "stuff" that one gets at
the junk markets, have a very pleasing habit of cleaning up nicely and
become useful additions to the Workshop! Just because they are made of
the right materials.
Swedish steel from 1920, is still good quality
Swedish steel in 2008.
The
only thing it needs, is some TLC ,in that the rust needs removing, the
edges sharpened, and a new handle might be a good option, but besides
these things the tool is good to go!
So will yours in a 100 years, if you are
selective in what you buy.
And more to the point, in the present, they
will give better results in use.
Hand tools, that have something wrong with
them, are not only a source of frustration, they are also a danger to
life and limb.
From
slipping out of the slot of a simple screw, and damaging the
"paintwork" on your hands, to having the metal part of a wood lathe
chisel,coming loose and being launched strait through the roof of the
shop. The only thing you ca do then is, be very great full that it
wasn't your skull!
There are so many makers of hand
tools, that it would be impossible to start compiling a list, but I
usually go for the European or American brands/makers. The English make
wonderful hand tools, but they are expensive. In my opinion, if you can
afford it, there is nothing better then tools carrying the
mark "Made
in Sheffield" That was so in the days of Brunell, and it still is true.
The Germans and the Scandinavians make nice
tools as well, not cheap either though! The name "Solingen" springs to
mind...
So
put it all in a nutshell: I know of no engineer, who hasn't bought the
Chinese cheapies, and who didn't end up replacing his purchase with
better quality tools afterwards. I know plenty who have....
Again, this is a highly personal view, of this
matter, and if you disagree, for some reason, with it, please let me
know.
Hand tool maintenance
Besides
sharpening and storing the tools away in a manner that cutting edges
don't come into contact with anything that can damage them, there is
only one thing I have to say on this: oil!
There are a multitude of special oils and
caring products on the market, to keep your tools clean and neat.
By
all means, if you feel you need them, and have found a good product, go
for it. But on the other hand, any oil will do to protect a tool when
stored away. Even the stuff that is used in the kitchen!
just remember: any oil is better then no oil !
I
use an old Victorian recipe that contains paraffin and camphor. It is
simple to make, and I keep a tin of it on the shelf. The rag I use is
in the tin, as the stuff is more a paste then an oily liquid.
A 200 gram (8 oz)batch has done me for years,
and the end is still not in sight.
The receipt for "Rust preventative N° 4"
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