-> Why do you Snap-On guys like those things?
It's called the "magpie effect". Given a choice, people will go for
the bright, shiny object every time.
Snap-On makes a line of tools called "industrial", most of which have a
coarse matte black finish, like some impact sockets have. They claim
dramatic reductions in theft rate, among other things, for the black
tools. I was briefly interested, until I found they cost even *more*
than the polished tools...
-> At least I can pick up the 9/16 when it falls in the pan of oil.
The finish doesn't bother me so much as the shape of the handle on some
wrenches. Snap-On's blade-thin handles require me to wrap a shop rag
around them sometimes when dealing with a particularly stubborn
fastener. Bad design.
Snap-On, again, makes something better - their "aircraft" line of
wrenches, which have forged end lugs welded to a round tubular handle.
Nice fat handle to get a grip on, and lightweight enough not to break
your back when you're carrying a portable toolbox around. You don't
even *want* to know what those cost...
Don Norman's "The Design Of Everyday Things" spends half a book talking
about the origin and design of cutlery, specifically forks, and how
unsuitable most of them were to their intended tasks. The design of
hand tools reminds me a lot of that...
==dave.williams@chaos.lrk.ar.us======================================
I've got a secret / I've been hiding / under my skin / | Who are you?
my heart is human / my blood is boiling / my brain IBM | who, who?
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