I have actually been carrying one of these around in my pocket for 8 years now. It has come in handy on more than one occasion. I have it clipped to my key chain. It was actually a gift from an old boss. One of the most useful gifts I have ever received.

jusipi

Years ago, my father taught me to make use of change in my pocket if a screwdriver's not handy. Quarters work best under these circumstances. But Lee Valley Tools' pocket screwdrivers work better. They are stronger and their thickness is graduated along the edge, enabling you to tackle any slot size. Don't write these things off! I bought a package of them and placed them in my toolbox, the car, with my crafts and other handy spots. They make good stocking stuffers too.

cheesebubble

too bad shipping is ~$7

lunchmoney

woops: [www.spark-plugs.co.uk]

xrobevansx

Kind of like a pocket spark plug gapper:

xrobevansx

couldn't you just. . I dunno . .use the change in your pocket? Probably less than $8.50, too.

Fuzz

@Tir: Or "I made my own flower press, but the Lee Valley one I bought Roxorz my Soxorz...." (Paraphrased, of course :D)

cde

cheesebubble HAS to be a shill (though I think they call it SEO now). Check the other comments:

"I own one of Lee Valley's jar openers and it works fabulously, every time."

I'm sorry, people just don't talk like that unless they're trying, poorly, to advertise. You can tell Lee Valley they just lost a sale.

Tir

@cheesebubble: You know you sound like a shill right? :D

And great thing about these and regular spark gappers, they both have holes, so when you can't get enough torque to untighten a screw, you can always put a pen or screwdriver (that didn't fit in the screw) or key and use the miracle of Mechanical Leverage.

cde

Pocket screwdriver is small enough to fit in your...well, you know the rest on Curbly Recent Posts

Oh yeah, the comment I originally thought to make was that that I've been tried a ton of different unidrivers, and this one has them all beat by a mile:

[www.leevalley.com],43411,43417&ap=1

jessedavid

I'm pretty sure the folks at Lee Valley wouldn't want or need to stoop to that level. They are widely respected for their business integrity, which is probably in tact largely because they're not beholden to shareholders interests (having never gone public). I know you'll probably accuse me of being a shill now, but I've been a very vocal supporter of Lee Valley for years. A recent example of their awesomeness: about a month ago I got a check in the mail for $12 and a note saying they've dropped the price on an item I bought recently, so here's the difference.
They don't sell junk either, and if you think something isn't worth what you paid they'll refund it hassle free, every time. Do a little googling and you'll find that my effusive fondness for their products and service is the norm for anyone who deals with them regularly (I'm a woodworker by trade, btw).

jessedavid

Torque is not just a brand of screwdriver (well, Torx® actually), it's part of the physics of mechanical screw fasteners. Overly simplistic:

The helical inclined plane blades cut into the material and compress it between the plane, shaft and the surrounding surface. This creates grip (friction) that holds the screw and any attached object in place. In order to remove the screw you need to exert sufficient force (torque) in a direction opposite the force holding it in place. You can always take a hammer and try to pry it out, but a screwdriver is usually more effective.

Here's where the screwdriver's torque becomes a factor, and why these $8 washers are as useless as they are overpriced. A screwdriver has a shaft because it helps create torque (force) to move the screw. To a certain point, the longer the shaft, the more torque created, the easier it is to turn the screw. But there are other factors, like the diameter of the shaft that affect this (the narrower the shaft the more prone to flex, the less able to transfer the torque to the screw). The size of the handle also has an effect, much like gears in a car. Again, grossly simplistic.

The small diameter of the washers (effectively the length of the shaft) and using your fingertips instead of gripping it with a full hand (try turning a screwdriver with only your fingertips) makes it likely that you'll be lucky to turn the screw holding your back porch light cover, never mind the plane in the picture. And then try to use one of these disks in a tight space or on an obstructed screw, or best, on a flush flat head wood screw. You'll never open a can of beans with one of those, either.

By the way, who the hell owns a wood plane who doesn't have a wall of screwdrivers?

imajoebob

@imajoebob: The length of the shaft does assist in accessing the slot and seating the screwdriver. However, torque is determined by the ratio between the slot radius and the lever arm (which is at bare minimum the width of the handle grip, but could extend along your body, depending on how you're gripping the screwdriver -- cf. CDE's comments on how to get more leverage with this item).

That said, these don't look all that useful. Still, I'd pick one up to put on my keyring and mess around with, if it weren't for the prohibitive shipping cost.

Alba

Jeeze way to make it way more complicated than it needs to be. I've got one of these, my boss gave it to me. Now, while I wouldn't use it to tighten something with any ft/lb torque requirement, it's quite handy for a quick loosen or re-tighten, and I don't forsee many people using it in their garages. Rather, it's meant to be used when you're out and about. Example, I used it to retighten some screws on a soccer goal this past season without having to return home to my "wall of screwdrivers."

AnotherSadLoveSong

This is cool and all but I am still waiting for the pocket sized soldering iron.

nat1192

isn't that just a spark plug feeler gauge?

element119

AutoZone or Pep Boys cary a round key chain spark plug gap adjustment tool that is about the size of a .50 cent piece - so it goes from small to thick - I have always used this for screwdriver uses in a pinch - oh they are also around .99 cents and fit on your keychain..

Mr-Glass

Looks cool, but I've been using the Swiss Tech Utilikey for awhile now and love it. It folds up to the size of a regular key and has a sharp knife, phillips and flathead screwdrivers and a bottle opener.
[www.swisstechtools.com]

daryck