Awesome Tools

There are lots of ways to keep tools organized, but there’s something very satisfying about custom-cut foam dividers that hold tools perfectly in place. The guys at Shadow Foam make that kind of dense foam, and recently used a huge sheet of it to create an epic wall for mounting and organizing all their Makita power tools.

This skinny, cordless light is designed to attach underneath a vehicle’s hood, providing bright and even illumination while you work. It has 202 LED lamps which output up to 1200 lumens. It adjusts from 47″ to 76″ wide to fit a variety of hoods, and its spring-loaded, padded clips reduce the risk of damaging paint.

Outdoor Edge’s ChowPal is a set of stainless steel utensils. You get a fork, a spoon and a knife that folds into the spoon. The fork is also a wrench, a flathead screwdriver, a can opener and a bottle opener. The fork and spoon can be locked into each other when not in use.

Gerber’s money clip is designed to hold cash and up to five cards, and packs a secret – a 1.75″ fine-edge stainless steel blade for everyday cutting or emergency needs. Its body is made from rust-proof titanium-coated steel with a G-10 front plate. Measures 3.6″ long when closed.

If you’ve ever been working on a repair project and dropped a screw into a tight, dark space, you know what a pain that can be. This flexible metal tool has both a flashlight and a strong magnet on its tip, eliminating frustrations when you lose hardware into the abyss. It measures 24″ long and its magnet can lift 4 lb.

Every month, our friends at Everyday Carry monitor trends to see the kinds of gear their visitors are most interested in. Click through for the watches, tools, pens, flashlights, and other everyday accessories that generated the most buzz in April 2020.

Handmade in Spain, Castillo Knives‘ Navaja model is notable for its beautiful wooden handle scales, crafted and polished from curly birch or olivewood. It features a lock-back style blade crafted from 14C28N stainless steel, and comes with a leather sheath and sharpening stone. Its blade measures 3″ long, with a 3.5″ handle.

Sick of digging around your overcrowded kitchen drawer for that one thing you need? Check out this handy kitchen tool with 12 folding culinary utensils, including zester, can opener, multiple knives, and more. Separates down the middle so you can use a tool in each hand too.

Normally, an axe has a steel head and a wooden handle. But in the case of this unusual build by metalsmith Bonn Factory, it’s the other way around. The voiceover is in Russian, but the language of making things is universal.

This compact dolly is perfect for moving around furniture, boxes, and other heavy items without taking up lots of space. It weighs less than 5 pounds, and folds up small enough to store in your car trunk or on a bookshelf. It rolls on smooth-gliding rubber skate wheels, and can carry up to 250 pounds.

Extend the life of your gadgets with iFixit’s toolkit. It comes with an extendable 4mm driver and 64 steel screwdriver bits that fit even the most unusual screwheads, along with tweezers, spudgers, a suction handle, and other tools that will help you disassemble and fix most laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

KeySmart hops on the personal safety bandwagon with their version of a remote touch tool. The Cleankey puts distance between your fingertips and public surfaces using germ-resistant brass. It can push buttons, pull levers, and open door handles without touching them. Save 33% on this 3-pack in The Awesomer Shop.

This unique multitool is designed for making life in the garden easier. Its main tool is a pair of stainless steel pruning shears, complemented three other useful tools: a utility knife, a wood saw, and a bark remover. The shears fold inside so you can carry it like a pocket knife. Cuts twigs up to 0.25″ thick.

Bora’s lightweight, folding workstands provide a stable structure when open, but fold up small for carrying. They work with the included clamps and clips to secure plywood or 2x4s to its top. Available in 4×4, 4×8, 2×4, and 2×2 variants, each including a carrying bag. If there’s any question about how strong they are, watch this.

Like the Hygiene Hand, the bomb-shaped Safe Nuke is designed to put a little distance between your fingertips and public surfaces. The tiny tool is made from antimicrobial copper, and features a touchscreen-compatible stylus on its tip. Plus, its attached paracord can be looped around door handles.

Fabricator Brian Oltrogge walks us thorough a truly modern process for casting a custom hammer. He used a 3D printer to generate patterns, hand-sanded and smoothed the parts, then used them to make sand molds for its aluminum handle and lead head.

This study aluminum tool is great for making precise angular measurements. Simply adjust its angle to match the desired location, and it can measure from 0 to 225º with a precision of ±0.5. It measures 16″ long and has both horizontal and vertical angle bubbles for ensuring a true baseline.

Armour Supply Co’s lightweight, minimal wallet can hold up to 12 cards inside, and 5 folded bills in its money clip. It comes in aluminum, brass, carbon fiber, or bamboo, blocks RFID scanning, and is bundled with both a card-style multitool and a key organizer.

Thanks to our friends at Fenix and GearforLife, one lucky Awesomer reader will win a bundle of four awesome lights, valued at $329. The set includes a PD36R 1600-lumen tactical flashlight, an HM65R 1400-lumen headlamp, a BC21R 1000-lumen bike light, and a CL26R high performance lantern. (Ends 4/16/20)

Gerber’s specialty scissors are optimized for cutting braided fishing line without fraying. Their micro-serrated blades cut with precision, and full tang construction means durability. Their finger holes and squared-off shape offer comfort, and they have a built-in bottle opener and lanyard hole for carrying.

StatGear’s pocketable tool offers up 26 different functions in one. It features a black aluminum body with a knurled grip, and interchangeable tips for cutting, prying, and opening items, along with a variety of driver bits, a flashlight, and a window breaker tool. Save 20% in The Awesomer Shop.

Yoshihiro Cutlery’s playfully designed utility knives are inspired by different species of whales. Each one has a high carbon white steel core, and a Kurouchi black forged finish and handle. They’re great in the kitchen, serving cheese, or carving.

Strong Hand Tools‘ unique reverse-action pliers are design to press objects in opposite directions, making them great for tasks like separating pieces that are stuck together, unbending, fitting tight parts, or bracing objects in place while glue dries. Available in 6.5″ and 10″ sizes.