Awesome Tools

Tightening lug nuts on a wheel typically involves turning five nuts sequentially to make sure they’re tightened evenly. This video shows off a homebrew invention that can loosen or tighten them all at once. It’s a cool idea, but in the real world, you’ll need metal gears and something more powerful than a Makita cordless drill to get the job done.

This teensy lantern from Ledlenser measures less than 4″ tall but produces up to 300 lumens of glare-free lighting. It has a built-in hanging hook, three white light modes, and two red light modes. It comes with a rechargeable battery but can also run on an AA battery. Available in cool or warm white versions.

Just because you like EDC gear doesn’t mean it needs to be a drab shade of black, brown, or green. With the massive popularity of Barbie this summer, pink stuff is all the rage. Everyday Carry shows off a six-piece loadout that includes vibrant pink pocket tools, a key case, a keychain flashlight, a bolt-action pen, and a minimal wallet.

This larger-sized pocket knife combines a folding utility blade/box cutter with a saw blade, a general-purpose knife, and a 1/4″ hex bit driver. The tools are made from stainless steel, while the handle is aluminum alloy. It comes with a nylon sheath, ten spare blades, and a Philips/flat screwdriver bit.

You never know when you might want to pop open a bottle of wine. KeySmart’s stainless steel wine accessory puts a corkscrew in your pocket. Its cap unscrews to expose its twisty part and acts as a handle for leverage. It’s also got a notch on its side for opening beer and soda bottles. Great for picnicking!

This unique construction tool lets you check that things are level around corners or on staircases. It has four bubble levels and folds at four hinged points to wrap around angles. It has horizontal, vertical, and 45º vials, an aluminum alloy body, and built-in magnets for hanging it on metal surfaces.

This versatile hand tool is basically a complete set of socket wrenches. Its dual rotating heads can turn both metric and standard hex bolts in 16 different sizes, as well as 12-point, round hex, square, spline, and Torx bolts. It can even dig in and turn damaged bolt heads.

While he could have just bought a cheap jigsaw, Hassan Abu-Izmero enjoys a challenge, so he got to building himself a fully-functional jigsaw that’s driven by the rotating action of a power drill. It took a simple yet clever bit of engineering to convert the drill’s circular motion into the saw’s longitudinal motion.

Stanley’s unique power strip is built into an industrial-strength, spring-loaded clamp with rubberized claws. The design means you can securely place outlets without worry that they will shift when moving your power tool cords. It only has three outlets though, and you may need an extension cord to reach your wall outlet.

One of the biggest pains with measuring is reading those tiny, unlabeled hash marks. Victor’s rulers solve the problem by placing text markings every 1/16-inch along one edge and every 5 mm on the other, with staggered 1 mm lines for easy counting. They come in 12″ or 18″ lengths in plastic or stainless steel with a cork backing.

When it comes to pocket knives, we love the look and textured grip of Micarta handles. Everyday Carry got their hands on the Vosteed Raccoon, a well-priced and versatile folding knife with a 3.25″ drop-point 14C28N steel blade, an easy-to-use button-style lock, and a ceramic ball bearing pivot for smooth deployment. Includes a removable pocket clip.

The Mininch Tool Pen and Tool Pen Mini are back with an improved design. Both pocket drivers offer interchangeable bits that can be swapped like those Pop-A-Point pencils. The new models have an upgraded spring and barrel design for smooth bit switching and come in anodized black, hard anodized black, and stonewashed finishes.

This pocket flashlight has a max brightness of 250 lumens and a lightweight aluminum shell. Its micro-USB charging port is protected from the elements under a sliding metal sleeve, and it comes with a removable two-way pocket clip that can attach to the brim of a hat. Runs for 1.5 hours per charge in 250-lumen mode and 3.5 hours in 50-lumen mode.

This versatile power tool from WORX doubles as a jig saw and reciprocating saw, and also works great in the yard to cut and prune branches. It’s got a built in blower to clear sawdust from the blade, and is powered by a 20V lithium-ion battery, so it works anywhere.

We love the design and heft of this old-school metal toolbox from Japan’s Trusco Nakayama. It offers a classic look, a durable steel body in a bold blue finish, and a smooth-opening double-hinged top. Its two-level design keeps small items organized separately from larger ones.

Roxon’s economical multitool has just about everything you could need. Functions include a saw, knife, can opener, bottle opener, flat screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, needlenose pliers, regular pliers, wire cutters, flint stone, whistle, reamer, scraper, and awl. It has stainless steel blades and a nylon/fiberglass handle.