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Innovative Tools that have Reshaped Traditional Trades

01 March 2021

The tool industry is always changing and innovating, with hundreds of brands competing to be the next company that reshapes the trade. Out of these, there are a few that have actually managed to do so. Here are five innovative tools that have reshaped traditional trades and made the job a whole lot easier. 

Cable Knife

Perhaps one of the most convenient innovations in electronics was the invention of the cable knife and other wire stripping tools that came after it. Before Josef Krampe invented the first cable knife, electricians needed to strip wires with a regular knife and their fingers. This was painstaking work and had plenty of margin of error, which means that the 20th century is filled with shoddy connections and more electrical fire hazards than we feel comfortable with.

The original Jokari knife made it much easier to remove insulation, sheaths and jackets. Since the 1960s Jokari, one of the worlds best cable and wire stripping brands, has only continued to improve the electrical industry. Today they sell a wide range of precision tools for stripping and dismantling technology.

Ergonomic screwdriver

The original screwdriver was a flat piece of metal that seriously hurt the hand to use on a regular basis. The screwdrivers that came after it were little better, until the incorporation ergonomic principles into the design of hand tools.

The Bahco brand didn't invent the idea of ergonomics but they did make it an art form. In 1982 they presented their ERGO screwdriver, which focused on ergonomic principles in the design, making it safer and more comfortable to use, reducing the chance of repetitive strain injury. This was a massive change to the industry, where injury could keep tradespeople out of work for a very long time.

Torque wrench

No tool on this list has a cooler back story that the Norbar torque wrench. In the heat of the Second World War, the British airforce needed an accurate way of tightening the cylinder heads of their Rolls Royce Merlin engines. In response to this need, the Norbar torque wrench was invented, used to help win the war by adjusting the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster planes. The torque wrench transformed the industry by making it simple to apply a specific level of torque to a fastener, making mechanical work safer and more precise.

Multimeter

Before the multimeter electricians would need to carry a number of different instruments, just to be able to measure amps, volts and ohms. The invention of the multimeter in the 1920s made this much easier by developing a single tool to measure electrical activity. Over the years this has made electrical work simpler, faster and safer, all thanks to a single handy device.

Today the best multimeter on the market is made by Fluke. Fluke multimeters are made to rigid standards of quality, with excellent safety considerations and simple user controls, giving them a reputation as the chosen brand for technicians and engineers.

Soldering station

Before Hakko invented their soldering station the job of soldering was difficult, unpredictable and slow. The Hakko soldering station completely reshaped the industry by offering temperature stabilisation, removable tips and faster heating and cooling. Since then Hakko has continued to innovate the trade by introducing ceramic heating elements and the Hakko soldering tip which offers far better performance than traditional tools.

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