Lost Art Press

Knipex Mini-Pliers
Until this year I resisted the call of the Knipex. But after talking to Jason Thigpen of Texas Heritage at Handworks about his mini-pliers, his tone of voice was enough to convince me to give them a try.

The Knipex set of XS Pliers is not cheap, but the tools are head and shoulders above the stuff at the home center. I have ours hanging on the tool wall behind my bench and grab them constantly for dealing with stubborn fasteners or gripping something odd.

These mini-pliers have an enormous grip and grab really well. You won’t be sorry.

Dearborn Denim Carpenters Jeans
I’m always looking for USA-made jeans that aren’t for the mustache-and-too-tall-bicycle set. This year I tried a pair of Chicago-made Dearborn Denim jeans. The denim is 10 ounce, so it’s not terribly heavy. The cut is roomy so you can move. And the pockets and loop are handy.

For $79 – not bad.

My biggest concern with them is – as always – the front pockets. I blow mine out after a year of use and have to get them repaired. These have pockets that are made of lightweight material, so it’s only a matter of time.

But I am hard on clothes. You might not have abrasive leg hair like mine.

Klein Zippered Canvas Tool Pouches
Keeping small tools organized is a big deal for this woodworker. My mind has always been calmer when I have everything put away and easy to find. One of my favorite crutches are the Klein zippered pouches. These are inexpensive, widely available and durable. I keep all my drafting tools in one. A second pouch holds all my spare blades, lead for my pencils, replacement parts for tools, coping saw blades and etc.

Klein makes a lot other great tool bags. But these are my favorites.

And a Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the United States!