For the average Joe Channellock pliers are king.
Sure Knipex is supposed to be the top of the line but I've had zero problems with anything Channellock from my grandfather's 1933 #420 to the second new pair of #420 I just bought last week.
The value for dollar ratio is unsurpassed.
Since I picked up a Knipex Pliers wrench out of my old Boss's Snapon Box I've been a Knipex toten Knipex usin' fan boy
But
Got to admit I just finally ordered Channellock's 480 Bigazz. Got tired of waiting for the price to drop below $50 and no stores around me carry it on the shelf. The next size down they carry for ~$29
I know it is going to be fantastically useful ! ! !
the last line of Craftsman pliers made by Western Forge
OMG (and I never use that) . . . Western Forge is about four miles from where I'm sitting. My old, old, boss made enough money working there as an industrial engineer to start his own business in the seventies and he's still going to town ! He taught me a lot !! Smart man !
I'm going to have to get some of those for sure. Fun fact : when you pick up a Craftsman tool and it has a WF forged into the tool that's Western Forge.
so I ponied up the cash. So glad I did.
Tough, comfortable, and they just plain work.
Real rain gear is worth the money and you will have a good laugh if you go back to Gortex (if you don't die from hyperthermia).
Lets see . . . what can I contribute . . .
The Vampliers ! Surprised that one hasn't come up yet. I used them a couple days ago; great product.
and
the best dambed cheep throw away pen on the planet is the
BIC Velocity Bold Retractable. I carry one for back up and as a loaner. I've gone years using them as my main pen because I get tired of the BS with higher priced refils that don't work as well. (four dollars / five for one refill ? ? ? and I get a better experience from a Velocity at $8 for twelve pens)
hahahaha I've even gone so far as to cut the ink tube shorter and put it in my other pens including my space pen. I like bold and the Space pen bold can blob. Never the BIC.
To be fair for the last few months I have been pretty much exclusively using my
rOtring Rapid Pro Retractable Ballpoint Technical Drawing Pen, Black Barrel, with I think it has a Parker refill in it and I'm determined to make it run out and it won't . . . yet. It did start skipping / not writing on some paper that had my oily mechanicy thumb print on it (worked on clean paper test).
I grabbed my back up Velocity and finished my notes.
I'm just saying.