Totally Tools 2015 – More Choices
for Visitors? Report by Peter Brett One wag commented to me that the opening Sunday of Totally Tools at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry had to compete with the rugby, Valentine’s Day and the FA cup matches on telly, so any visitors were a bonus. I am sure he was exaggerating. However, on the Monday when the ToolBusiness and Hire Team visited, there was a steady stream of visitors that continued throughout the day – striking the right balance of allowing visitors a chance to chat with exhibitors without feeling too rushed or pressured. My general impression of the show was that there was a much wider range of
exhibitors this year – from innovators to well-established names. My view is that this is how it should be. The show should reflect the constant change and desire for innovation that the tools and DIY industry has to live with, and indeed embraces. The influence of the Innovation Zone sponsored by BHETA was no doubt key to this and the presence of Peter Stone to assist participants was also welcomed. I always make a beeline for the awards and innovations stand at the Totally
Tools Show to see if I agree with the judges. They are always a very distinguished and experienced panel but I also always hear differing points of view from visitors and exhibitors – again this is as it should be. Competition is good. Voted the Best DIY Product of 2015
was the MarXman – a marking system that does away with traditional methods with one press of an aerosol! The MarXman is essentially a small aerosol container with what looks like a four- pointed plastic star on the end. By applying the point to the material and pressing the container a chalk based compound makes a four-pointed star to mark the position of the screw/drill hole etc. The MarXman is indeed a quick and easy alternative to the “pencil behind the ear” school of marking and can be used on so many materials where pencil marks simply don’t show up, it should have a ready uptake in the trade. As a new grandfather of a lively
grandson who seems to be into everything, I had a good look at the Flexy Door Safety that won the Gold Award for Best Hardware Product. The Flexy Door enables doors to be kept ajar to avoid the finger jamming risk to young fingers. Related to this was the non-award winning but equally efficient Jamm doorstop
that also garnered a lot of attention as it solves the same problem. It looks like a traditional door wedge but is made from a rubberized material that enables it to grip on any floor surface. Funny how new and simple ideas to solve old problems often have quite a traction in the market.
The Best Tool Product Award was given to the Tilt Wrench from Condaco Ltd.
This is a well-made socket wrench with a tiltable head that enables users much more leeway to work around obstacles found in many automotive and engineering applications. With its direct drive and 94-tooth gearing it can help users avoid knuckle scrapes by tilting them out of the way. The Silver Award Winner in the same category was the Dripless Composite
Caulking Gun. It does what it says on the tin, to steal a phrase, and I was impressed by the Jackson Pollock-like artwork created by the demonstrators as they showed the visitors how it worked. Perhaps Jackson Pollock might have appreciated fewer drips as well if he had used a Dripless? I was taken with a demo of the ability of the Fuzion self fusing silicon tape to
seal a pressurized water leak in a copper pipe by simply wrapping it – even as the water was spraying out of the pipe. It can be used on a wide range of fuels, – Continued on Page 12
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