Quick Adjusting Pliers (Stanley) **

Well, all European manufacturers already made fast quick adjusting pliers (hit the button and adjust easily). Stanley, which is rather secret on where it is producing these days, had to offer theirs as well and came with a me-too product. I assume they went to Facom or even Bost/Garnache to get one. The jaw is made of tightly attached sheets of steel. Nice colour and probably of reasonable quality.

New FatMax quick adjusting pliers by Stanley: Deeplink Stanley site .

Screwdriver (Facom) **

Handles of screwdrivers are made of different materials. The archetype had one made of wood. Later handles made of translucent polyacetate and polybutyrate were made. After these handles were made of several materials such as polypropene combined with the rubbery TPE or TPR. Facom (nowadays part of Stanley) introduces Protwist screwdrivers with handles made of polyurethane. I am anxious to know more about these. Using different colours, these drivers are easy to distinguish for their application. But other manufacturers are producing these colour schemes already for quite some time. The design itself is promising.

More on Facom Protwist on: www.pro.facom.fr/CatalogueGeneral/Catalogue/PAG-CAT-03.aspx ..

Hex Key (PB Swiss Tools) ***

Normal hex keys have an angle of 90 degrees. At PB Swiss Tools (new name for PB Baumann) they thought it might work also if this angle is 100 degrees. The advantage is that the shorter end can even become shorter. Having the same effectivity and even better in certain tight situations. Also available as a Torx key.

More on 100 degrees hex key by PB Swiss Tools: 100 Hex keys ..
For 100 degrees Torx see: 100 Torx keys .