Tooling for a belt

June 15, 2009 9:33 AM

What tool belt should I buy as a gift for my sweetie?

SO has made several mentions that he is in need of a tool belt for the little projects he does around the house. Price isn't a huge factor, but I'd like one that's not terribly expensive/complicated. What do you use?

posted by roomthreeseventeen to home & garden (14 comments total)

Wearing a tool belt too much can strain the back. The leather ones are heavy. Get one of the fabric ones. Go to a big hardware store and ask the staff there what they think.
posted by mareli at 9:46 AM on June 15

But the leather ones are much cooler and more durable (more giftlike, more likely to last for 20 years) so they're unlikely to rip when that hammer gets caught on a rung of the ladder. They're also much more useful in the bedroom* later. I do agree that simpler is better, though. A hammer, a screwdriver and a tape measure is enough. Keeping your hands free is safer.

(*What, you think he fixes the cable? Don't be facetious.)
posted by rokusan at 9:54 AM on June 15

Or fatuous, even.
posted by rokusan at 9:55 AM on June 15

Leather is better. If he's really going to load it up, get a pair of wide suspenders to go with it.

And get a separate hammer holder, the kind with a metal loop, that threads onto the belt. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to extract your hammer from a floppy leather hammer loop.

If he uses a cordless drill, you might also consider a holster for that.
posted by bricoleur at 9:59 AM on June 15

This one is not bad, although it's an apron, and not a belt.

This is more of a real belt.

Both would have ergonomic design, and both would suit him, I think.
posted by Danf at 10:02 AM on June 15

My partner bought me a leather tool belt for a birthday a few years back. She said that her sisters boyfriend picked that one out for her over what she referred to as a "cooler black one" (that would have been nylon and plastic). I am very glad that he steered her in the right direction.

The leather is getting wonderfully worked in, and is more of an old friend now than a toolbelt.
posted by davey_darling at 10:04 AM on June 15

After reading Danf's post, I wonder if a tool bag wouldn't be more appropriate.

My tool belt is very simple, and I load it up with whatever I need for the task at hand. The belts that Danf has linked look like they hold all of your tools, which seems to me could get a bit awkward unless you absolutely needed those tools all the time.

How about something like these or these? (make sure you float the idea with him, first)
posted by davey_darling at 10:11 AM on June 15

I think simpler is better. I work with Habitat for Humanity and several of the construction managers are former framers. They've only got a few things in their tool belts, and use every one of those items constantly. One mentioned that he used to load his tool belt up with everything he thought he'd need, but soon learned those kinds of belts are heavy, uncomfortable and slow you down as you hunt for a tool.

I say go for a simple leather belt, or at least a leather belt with synthetic pockets, and then one of those "tool belts" that fits on a five gallon bucket for additional tools. Plus a five gallon bucket.
posted by Science! at 10:50 AM on June 15

Wow. Tool belts are SO personal to the user and the work they're doing. My theater electrician's tool belt is vastly different from my pyrotechnician's tool belt, which is vastly different from my carpenter brothers' tools belts, which are vastly different from my prop brothers' tool belts, which are vastly different from my commercial door guy friend's tool belt, which is vastly different from my cable lineman friend's tool belt. Hell, even among my department of 20 electricians, there are no two tool belts alike.

Go for a gift certificate. A hardware store or Duluth Trading Company. Amazon has a decent tool belt selection, too.
posted by mollymayhem at 10:55 AM on June 15 [3 favorites]

I don't use a tool belt. Instead I use tool pants. See Skillers and Blaklader. I've worn the cotton twill model of Skillers for years.

I've a hard time listing pros and cons of them over tool belts — I suppose the biggest argument against is one can't quickly remove them like one can a tool belt, if one needs to run to the store or such. On the other hand, I've never found that to be a problem. I just slip my hammer out of the holster and off I go. Much lighter and less clanky than a tool belt plus it avoids the problem of wearing two belts. And they are great work pants as well. (Also available as shorts.)
posted by Dick Paris at 12:24 PM on June 15

Having bought a home that needed some work in the past year, I quickly found myself in the same position. I bought some generic leather toolbelt from Home Depot that has served me well..

However, what I have used far more often is something that fits over a standard 5 gallon paint bucket like this. I find it much easier to throw power tools, things that don't fit well on your belt, and an easy place to chuck screws, nails, and other hardware, and then just clean it out at the end of the weekend/project.
posted by gregchttm at 12:56 PM on June 15

I use a power drill holster, as I use the drill/driver more often than the hammer and there's often less places to set a drill down and you often need it immediately at hand after fumbling for fasteners or whatnot.

And as a guy that just does (a fair amount of) house repairs, let me just say that anyone with more than one tool belt--one of which is a pyrotechnician's belt--is my personal hero.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 2:50 PM on June 15

Ditto mollymayhem - I'm a guy, and a toolie (you know, like a foodie?), and have been dreaming lately of a tool belt. (I have gotten rid of two in the past couple of years in fits of minimalism.) But I would much rather pick out my own, whether I'm paying for it or not, than to have someone else pick one for me.
posted by attercoppe at 6:44 PM on June 15

Oops, also should say that, like your sweetie, I use my tools of that sort on small stuff around the house.
posted by attercoppe at 6:45 PM on June 15