Necessity is the mother of invention.
Having been an apprentice Tinsmith (Sheet metal worker) in the early 1960s, I’ve had many years experience using all manner of hand tools. When used over extended periods of time and doing the same motions they can become uncomfortable for the userSome with finger indents and some with forward stops (to keep your hands from sliding forward) and some with wide handles for supposedly more comfort.
This experience was the key to the design of our hand crimpers and
de-cappers: I wanted a tool that would be as comfortable as possible with
no projections that would result in blisters. Tools with front profiles designed to stop your hand sliding forward always gave me blisters between my first finger and thumb. Handles with sharp bent corners also gave me blisters and were uncomfortable whilst tool grips with finger profiles never worked for me either.
I found the tools I was using lacked the “one size fits all scenario” – never truly fitting the palm of anyone properly. 90 degree U bent handles scratched the side of my hands which can also cause blisters, and rough textured surfaces make your hands sore.
Ergonomically designed with comfort in mind.
I designed our manual hand tools with rounded ‘U section’ handles and a cross
section profile that leans inwards, thus alleviating the problem with scratching and pinching whilst still giving a stable grip on the tool.
Width was considered and compromised on, allowing for the range of hand sizes that would be using the tools. The grips are of a straight and smooth finish as this was always the best shape and texture of handle from my own experience; cutting miles of sheet metal with tin snips.
I polished the handles of my snips and also made some myself as I could see that the practical need for improvement. There are mechanical constraints but the handle travel needed to be sensible and not to far apart at the outset of the levers.
I’ve designed our crimpers to be as light weight as possible with compromising on strength and durability. If you’re doing the same action for any length of time then handle comfort is not the only consideration but weight too must be ideal: The tools are well balanced and light but sturdy and solid.
These are some of the design considerations that were taken into account when designing our manual hand crimpers and de-cappers. years of experience went into the development of our products meaning that when it comes to practical application you’ll have the most comfortable experience possible.
