Category: Anarchist’s Gift Guide

We love Mirka stuff. I never thought I could love an abrasive, but the company’s Abranet abrasives have become the only ones I like to use.

So when I wore out some old sanding sponges (no, I don’t just throw them away after each use), I decided to try Mirka’s. We use sanding sponges for leveling film finishes between coats.

In the shape shown above, we could only get them in #220-grit. (They offer a thinner sponge in #400 grit that I want to try.) The #220 is a firm – very firm – sponge. Much firmer than the sponges from the home center. 

The firmness makes it ideal for flat surfaces, but not great for curves (that’s what the thinner sponges are for). The abrasive on the Mirka sponge is distributed evenly on the sponge’s edges, so it’s more predictable than a home center sponge.

The #220 is too aggressive for finishes such as shellac and lacquer, but it is great for paint. Once the sponge clogs, clean it in water and it will be (almost) as good as new.

Next year we hope to review the finer-grit Mirka sponges.

— Christopher Schwarz

To read previous entries in the gift guide, click here.

When I scratch myself while working, the worst part of the whole process is waiting for the blood to stop flowing so I can get back to work. We are serious about workshop wound care (see our latest title on the topic). And I’m always looking for anything to give me an edge when I do something stupid with an edge.

Bloc Osma is a product used for stopping cuts and scratches while shaving. It’s a small astringent brick of alum. When you nick yourself, clean the wound. Run the block under a little cold water. Then apply it to the wound. It will sting. But that will subside quickly.

I have found it stops the bleeding from minor cuts almost instantly. Then I apply a bandage and get back to work.

If you’d like to experiment with the stuff, which has been used for centuries, try out a small block of it. It is available from many retailers for less than $10.

— Christopher Schwarz

To read previous entries in the gift guide, click here.

We use a lot of mechanical pencils in our shop in a variety of lead sizes and hardnesses. We even bicker about it! (Megan loves .5mm lead. A lot.)

One thing (I think) we agree on is that the Pentel GraphGear mechanical pencils are the most durable ones out there. They last at least five times as long as any other brand.

Why? Well the bodies are all-metal, of course. That helps. But what really helps is the way the tip of the pencil prairie dogs back into the body of the pencil when it’s not in use.

This remarkable feature makes a satisfying “click” and prevents the pencil’s lead sleeve from getting bent. If you use mechanical pencils in the workshop, then you know that the quickest way to destroy one is to bend the sleeve even the tiniest bit. And they are typically as fragile as a strand of angel hair pasta.

The GraphGears are widely available and, to date, undefeated in terms of toughness by any other mechanical pencil we’ve tried.

— Christopher Schwarz

To read previous entries in the gift guide, click here.

I use trammel points almost every day to scribe out large arcs. One of my biggest frustrations with trammels is that many hold standard wood-body pencils only.

Because of this, my line is always thinner at the beginning of the mark and fatter at the end. The difference in line width can make a difference to the end result.

So I sought some trammels that would hold a mechanical pencil with a fine lead so that the line thickness would remain the same. I couldn’t find one that satisfied me. 

But before I started designing my own for Crucible, I decided to see if I could modify a cheap pair of trammels to do what I wanted. And that’s when I stumbled on the Micro Mark Clamp-on Trammels. 

These will not win any beauty contests. But the pencil holders can be filed to accept a mechanical pencil. The tool’s body is likely some sort of zinc alloy, so it took only a few minutes to do the job (I think the paint was harder than the metal).

With this small modification, I have the trammels of my dreams. And for less than $15.

— Christopher Schwarz

To read previous entries in the gift guide, click here.

Almost every horizontal surface in our workshop and office has a knife on it. As does every drawer and till. Shop knives are essential tools for opening boxes, cutting rope and 100 other workshop tasks. So we are always on the lookout for inexpensive, quality knives.

This year I heard about Jose Da Cruz knives that are made in Portugal and brought a few of them in for testing and use. They are available in large and small sizes. And with a variety of handle materials. And the price is right: About $20-$23. 

I won’t buy a folding knife unless the blade locks firmly. Standard non-locking pocket knives aren’t safe enough for daily and rough use. I like my fingers and still have all of them.

The Jose Da Cruz knives lock a lot like the Opinel knives – via a locking brass ferrule. The knives are made well and, for the most part, well-finished. My favorite handle material was the small “green oak” folder. The wood isn’t flashy, but it is interesting and nicely finished. Plus, it is one of the versions that has a hole for a lanyard – a useful feature.

The steel is great for a shop knife. I suspect it is plain old O1. It takes a good edge easily and stays sharp for a long time.

Good knives are good friends. And this is definitely a good one.

— Christopher Schwarz

To read previous entries in the gift guide, click here.