Your mind instantly thinks of a Ferrari when I say it. It is a well-designed, powerful, and perhaps over-built sports car. After you read about the screwdrivers produced by Elkhead Tools, the same emotions will leap into your thoughts.
Let’s take a look at how it looks. The premium cocobolo handles are finely turned. The finish is smooth and with three sizes available the tool is sure to fit your hand. Your thumb seats into the cove thats just behind the flared edge above the ferrule. And what a ferrule it is. The ferrule, according to the company and me, is the secret of our screwdriver. (The acorn shaped nub is only part of the story.)
The driver blade is made from German steel thats engineered and produced to exacting specifications , the tips provide an incredible holding power that reduces slippage and galling of screw heads. It is almost impossible to disengage the driver from a bolt without a popping sound. If you place a screw on the tip then turn the screwdriver upright, the screw, with no magnetism involved, stays attached to the tip. Try that with your typical screwdriver.
Although looks are important, the screwdriver can easily fall apart. Ill bet these screwdrivers are up to the task. Here’s why. Take a look at the photo to the left and youll see the three parts that make up these screwdrivers: the handle, the driver blade and a 8 cm-long section of brass. The acorn design adorns the end of that 8 cm piece of brass. The remaining 2 1/10 cm is formed into a square then slid into the handle, and that contributes to how balanced the feel is as you hold the tool in your hand. The sentence “And what a ferrule is it!” makes sense. The driver blade slides through and is attached to the ferrule, then the ferrule unit fits to the handle. The handle is not as susceptible to breaking than it is on other lower-grade screwdrivers.
The three guys behind Elkhead Tools just want to make great tools. They do. They’re not tool makers, but three guys who have a background in service industries. (That knowledge is key to the next bit of information.) In testing the abilities of their screwdriver, they thought it best to make sure the driver outlasted the torque needed to destroy a screw. They gathered information on screws and found a supplier that had screws that withstood 36.9 m pounds of torque. The guys rigged and tested their driver , 12 renditions before a final design was realized , and the best reading they could get was 7.6 m pounds, regardless of what they did.
Eventually, one of the crew remembered that the lug nuts on his car were tightened to 39.6 m pounds and to break them loose, he had to stand on the wrench. Upon looking more closely at their figures, they realized that the screw torque was listed at inch pounds 307 cm pounds was more like 3.4 m pounds. After getting a handle on torque measurements, the guys concluded that their screwdrivers passed the test. Not only are these tools built to last, they are easy on the eyes, too.
Another thing about the Ferrari. One thing about the Ferrari is that you wouldn’t expect to pay a lot of money for it. You know youll have to pay a fair price. This is true for these screwdrivers as well. Theyre not cheap and they are not cheaply made. Elkhead Tools offers these screwdrivers for each. Dont shake your head! You know you want to drive one.
These screwdrivers will be on display at the Woodworking in America conference. Elkhead Tools has a booth in the marketplace. And while the conference is sold out, gets you a two-day pass to the marketplace , and Elkhead promises to bring plenty of tool eye candy. There is a chance that Elkhead will bring a new tool to the conference. It will be well-designed, you can be sure.
