Things I Like

There’s nothing like the right tool for the job. I’ve carried a pocketknife of one kind or another (Spyderco Delica FRN for a number of years, more recently a Benchmade Mini-Griptilian) for probably 15 years, and they always come in handy. But some things require scissors. And those things usually aren’t appropriate for your nice fabric shears.

That’s where EMT shears come in.

These things are great. They’re cheap ($5 to $10), stainless steel and they cut incredibly well. They’re designed for use by EMTs for safely cutting seat belts, clothing, bandages and such, but work well for many other things. The edges are typically serrated, and the nose is blunt, making them safe to use near skin.

I’ve used them to cut sheet aluminum, wire, cable ties, gaffer’s tape and even small sticks. They go through everything with ease. They’re supposed to be able to cut through a penny, but I’ll admit I’ve not tried it. Yet.

With such aggressive cutting performance and such a low price, it’s easy to keep a couple sets around the house or the car. And hey, if you lose or destroy them, it’s not like they were particularly expensive.

Sharpie markers are pretty universally popular. So much so that they have a veritable rainbow of colors now as well as mini-Sharpies that you can wear around your neck. I like ‘em.

I particularly like the Sharpie Industrial Super Permanent (sooooooooper permanent!) versions. They come only in black, but are formulated to resist many different chemicals, extreme heat and steam up to 500F. I use them quite a bit to label tools, mechanical and telecom equipment, all of which often live in less than ideal environments.

I find it hilarious that a permanent marker isn’t actually permanent, so they had to develop SUPER permanent markers. Of course, this is the same industry that defines waterproof ink as waterproof when the writing is still legible after exposure to water, not unaffected.

At any rate, they really are pretty permanent. I just wish they came in the mini-Sharpie form factor.

Flathead screws are a pain because it’s easy for the screwdriver tip to slip out of the slot. They’re really unsuited for power driving.

Phillips head screws are a pain because the screwdriver tip will cam out under high torque use. I’ve read that phillips screws were actually designed for automated assembly applications, because the design made it easy for an automatic screwdriver to find purchase, screw and then release. That is to say, cam in/cam out is a designed-in feature.

Robertson, or square drive screws, on the other hand, are designed to keep a tight hold on the screwdriver tip under both low and high torque applications. They’re used most commonly in Canada, where the Robertson drive screw was actually invented. They’re not as common in the US.

As the name implies, the screw has a square hole in it, into which a square bit is inserted. The bit is slightly tapered, so as you insert the bit, it holds securely to the screw, so you can actually put a screw onto the screwdriver and then drive it overhead, one handed, and the screw won’t fall off the screwdriver. Nice.

Cam-out is extremely unlikely. You can get some serious torque on these screws without the danger of the tool slipping.

You can find a wide variety of square drive screws and the screwdrivers to drive them at McFeely’s. You can also find a pretty decent explanation of the benefits of square drive screws here.

We all have to tie things down now and then. To the roof of a car, to the back of a bike rack, to a trailer.

Rope works fine, but I really like using nylon webbing with those ladder lock buckles.

You can get the webbing in various widths, though 1″ is the most popular. You can get it in just about any length you want. And the familiar ladder lock buckles (just like on your backpack) make securing your stuff dead simple. Just thread the loose end through the buckle and pull tight.

Simple, cheap and effective. And you don’t have to figure out if that knot you just tied is any good.