Tools for life?

[AntarcticPilot]

Expensive tools rust just as quickly as cheap ones!

I once heard a cheap set of sockets described as being made of "case hardened cheese", but once you've got beyond that grade, I don't see the point in expensive tools on a boat.

 

[Scarboroughsloop]

My stainless steel spanners and screwdrivers haven't rusted to date (they've been aboard for about 5 years to date)

 

[doug748]

TQA's mention of Britool has quite taken me back.

To the days when a socket set would cost you a weeks wages and all anybody had was their ole Grandad's carbon steel spanners, brought back after Gallopili.

Other quality names of the period, to be added to Gedore:

Elora
King Dick
Bedford
Gordon

And later Hilka

 

[cliff]

Have a look http://www.cdet.co.uk/catalogue/default.asp - stainless steel range of hand tools, pliers, socket sets, mole grips, hex keys etc...
Note: they do not float so don't drop them overboard - don't ask how I know........

They even do the Bosco boat hook

 

[saxonpirate]

TQA's mention of Britool has quite taken me back.

To the days when a socket set would cost you a weeks wages and all anybody had was their ole Grandad's carbon steel spanners, brought back after Gallopili.

Other quality names of the period, to be added to Gedore:

Elora
King Dick
Bedford
Gordon

And later Hilka

Me too... I must say that I think Britool spanners were some of the most aesthetically pleasing and best ergonomically designed spanners ever made. Especially the double ended rings. I've still got a lot of them in my tool collection, and they are still getting well used 45 years on.

 

[cryan]

Gedore are a decent brand, Austrian originally I think? King Dick are still about and will last forever. My personal view of Snap-On is that you pay a lot for the name. Most of their tools are made by other people and can be bought for less. Bahco(actually owned by Snap-On) Shifters are the only ones I would ever buy. They are the marine engineer standard watchkeeping tool at sea. Britool are now owned by Stanley and have been demoted to a cheap budget brand. There is a lot of snobbery about tools but the truth is that most cheap tools will do most people fine for years.

 

[Sandyman]

All my tools have a funny little arrow on them

 

[cryan]

All my tools have a funny little arrow on them

MoD Disposals are always a good option

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I have a socket spanner set from Gedore for 35 years and they have been abused a lot. Still perfect. They are for life. If you fancy a better finish, go for Hazet but they are expensive...

 

[Lakesailor]

Talking of Dad's tools.
We have a friend who brings a steamboat up to the lakes each year. He brought his dad along once.
His dad drove up in an Astra estate car from Wales. He was in his mid eighties.
They stayed with us at the B&B.
Something wanted fixing on the steam boat and our friend (I'll call him John, because that is his name) was saying this to his father and bemoaning the fact he didn't have a valve and olives.

Dad sprung up and said "Let's look in the car" He opened the back of the estate car and (the seat were down) it was full of tools. All a bit rusty and old looking. About 4" deep across the whole of the load space. It looked like a salvage sale at an engineering works. He found a valve and olives and several spanners to fit it.

He used to own an engineering business making road rollers and never got rid of the handtools, or indeed, took them out of his car.

 

[chinita]

good one... I bought an expensive torch once

watched it shining as it sank

looked great

D

Same experience with my expensive LED Lenser torch.

Made even worse when, whilst trying to spot where it would land, my specs fell off and followed it.