My favorite tools: pick-and-hook set
When nothing else will do
Happy Friday! Today, this short entry highlights one of the most versatile of all hand tools, the pick-and-loop set. ~JRC
Many tools are specialized and serve a singular purpose. A Phillips screwdriver, for example, is used to turn Phillips head screws and not much else. Its sister, the flathead or slotted screwdriver, is for slotted screws, but as well all know, it also has many "off-label" uses. The flathead is a decent tool for prying and probing and is employable in an array of tasks, from delicate dissection to brute-force destruction. But it’s far from ideal.
Frequently, there are more nuanced tasks for which the humble flathead is best left to the screws. Such duties require a finer spike or perhaps a curved end. For these instances and many more, insert the ever-practical, always handy pick-and-hook set. With it, the job will be over in no time - and with far less frustration than without.
The pick-and-hook set, as the name suggests, is a small collection of screwdriver-like tools with various tips for all manner of probing and prying. A good quality set, often comprising four or five instruments, is made of hardened steel, able to withstand quite a bit of abuse. These tools are for all those non-specific tasks that pop up while creating, including "scraping, piercing, prying, scribing, and a broad range of other mechanical applications." FYI - I scraped this quote from the product description for my set, Tekton's 5-piece pick and hook set.
Before this essay starts reading like a hidden promotion for a particular brand, I'm sure many great sets are available from reputable tool manufacturers. I only mention mine by name because it’s a quality set and has served me well. The five tools are made in the USA and are certainly sturdy.
I've put them through the paces; no tip has yet to break or bend. I can't say the same for the knock-off Harbor Freight set I had previously; I trashed them almost immediately. But despite the damage, I limped around with them too long before getting the Tektons.
Anyway, a pick-and-hook set is indispensable, so whatever brand you get, get some good ones. A cheap set will cost ten bucks, and a great one only twenty, so it's a no-brainer. Spend the extra ten bucks and get a good pick-and-hook set.
What is so remarkable about a pick-and-hook set is its extreme versatility. I use mine almost daily whenever I need to finesse something into place or remove something jammed. They're perfect for all those applications for which no specialized tools exist. And they can also step in when a particular instrument is not available.
For example, positioning and removing c-clip retaining rings is properly done with a pair of retaining ring pliers. And while I have a few different-sized ones, they don't always work when a ring is gunked-up or blocked. Again, I reach for one or more of my picks to do the job. Paired with the specialized pliers, the right pick makes short work of jammed rings.
Indeed, nothing works like a pick (or hook) in a pinch.
Have a little something clogging up your works? Use a pick.
Need to reach inside something else to retrieve that thing that fell just out of reach into a crevice too small for your fingers? Use a hook.
The pick-and-hook set - a worthy entry into my favorite tools list.
Until next time.
JRC