Post the tools you have and love. Hopefully we will learn from each other and find some we NEED to have :)

When I was a young adult, single and still living at home. This was before cel phones.

I got a call at a bar from my mother. She said that my neighbor friend had dropped off a bucket of C clamps that needed to be cleaned tonight! I was like Ok?

A couple hours later I walk into her kitchen and find a 5 gallon bucket full of Sea Clams!
 
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Looks like Chapman Tools restocked one model of aluminum screwdriver handles. Model CAH-1 in-stock as of the date of this post.
 
I just now realized that Chapman accidentally sent me the locking set screw version of their new little 3" handle that I received yesterday.
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I didn't really need the set screw, but it's definitely a nice bonus.
 
Hickory n steel said:
I'm just as into tools if not more so than knives and I have a lot of them that I really like, but one of my absolute favorites is the Chapman bit drivers.
I have lots of tools I just like for personal preferences, but the ever expanding Chapman kit I put together was a game changer and I have no clue how I ever lived without it.
I don't care what anybody says, the Chapman bits have no equal and I can't recommend them enough.

I will say however that they are not general purpose bits / drivers they're more of a specialty use tool, and for me that's firearm / airgun screws and the vintage spinning reels I work on.


I also love that they're a multigenerational family owned and operated company who makes their products 100% here in the USA.
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My paternal grandfather, a tool and dye maker who worked in Middletown, CT, had a small set of Chapman tools that he'd built a carry case for out of an old eyeglass case.
My father in his later years found that Chapman was still in business and bought a master set. I now own that master set.
I've bought master sets for my brother and my nephew, and I've bought countless other sets for people I care about.

I'm proud that Chapman is still making tools in Connecticut, and I hope they thrive.
They are the best bits you can buy.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Plus their extensions are inexpensive so it's easy to just make a driver using the handle of your choice, or even turn one on a wood lathe.
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it's funny you say that- that's exactly what I've done for Christmas presents in the past.
 
EngrSorenson said:
My paternal grandfather, a tool and dye maker who worked in Middletown, CT, had a small set of Chapman tools that he'd built a carry case for out of an old eyeglass case.
My father in his later years found that Chapman was still in business and bought a master set. I now own that master set.
I've bought master sets for my brother and my nephew, and I've bought countless other sets for people I care about.

I'm proud that Chapman is still making tools in Connecticut, and I hope they thrive.
They are the best bits you can buy.
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Are you sure he made that case ?
They had an eyeglass style case for one of their sets a long time ago, they're rare but somebody on another forum found one and Chapman confirmed in their records / archives that they had offered them at one point.
 
From the Chapman site:

WWII Era​

Chapman tools were sold in eyeglass cases. They were deemed so important by the US. Government that they were marked with a price ceiling to prevent price gouging during the war.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Are you sure he made that case ?
They had an eyeglass style case for one of their sets a long time ago, they're rare but somebody on another forum found one and Chapman confirmed in their records / archives that they had offered them at one point.
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I remember seeing it a decade or more ago, and Dad said he thought he "must have", if I recall correctly, but Dad's not here anymore.
It's possible that this cherished family story is now a bunch of bunk.

Hickory n steel said:
With Chapman extensions?
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Yes
 
SharpBits said:
From the Chapman site:

WWII Era​

Chapman tools were sold in eyeglass cases. They were deemed so important by the US. Government that they were marked with a price ceiling to prevent price gouging during the war.
Click to expand...
Well... there ya have it.
 
My Knipex tools. Small and larger.
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Little Cobra 10cm is a nice pocket companion,
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while cobra 12.5 cm is very capable tool, with locking knob, wider lips and double sided pivot teeth while being only slightly larger.
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And finally the 25cm pliers wrench is amazing tool capable of tough jobs with unmatched to my knowledge lever design that provides 10x hand force to jaws.
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You can get little hook & pick sets from Harbor freight for just $2 and sometimes free, but they're garbage that I won't even take for free.

I really love these little Mayhew made picks, 100% American made, good handles, great steel that holds up very well, and they're only around $20.
I have also had zero issues with rust , but my Tekton set which I also like has developed light surface rust.
I just picked up a 3rd set of the Channellock rebrands at the local Tractor supply, for $18 you can't beat 'em.
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Even if those $2 Pittsburg sets were of good quality, they still lack the " complex probe ".
This right here is the magic, I don't know how I lived without it.
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I'd pay the $20 for just this one and the straight pick.
They come extremely sharp, but eventually dull down a little to a reasonable more durable sharpness.

HF also has their ICON brand of hook & pick set, for $20 you don't get a Complex probe and the shanks are a soft flimsy stainless steel.
 
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