This all-purpose scissors is the favorite of everyone at A.S.&S.: Pat uses his to cut and strip wire. C.J. uses his to slit the tape on packages. Mary Ann uses hers to open bags of pretzels. It's 6-1/4" long overall, with a very sharp 2" stainless steel blade and large, comfortable handles. It would sell for $9.95 retail if it was new, but it was used for one day to cut cloth in the assembly plant of a major car company, then discarded. Quality control is a wonderful thing.

These are the so-called miracle shears. They were designed for use by paramedics and others needing quickly to cut wire, light sheet metal, or other tough stuff that might stand between them and their quarry. They are normally demonstrated cutting a penny in two. Which they will do. But not as a steady diet. Let's dispel a few myths. While these are Pakistani stainless, we're not talking any miracles in manufacturing. They are good for their purpose, and real handy to have in the old tool box. But their purpose isn't making pennies into 5-mil pieces, and you will twist or break them at about the same time you find out that you've done the same thing to U.S. laws! For sheet metal or wire or fishing leaders or tin cans or whatever, be our guests.

Our thinner picker-upper, but with a powerful 5-lb-pull, 9/16" dia magnet on the business end (for spilled nails, the screw that rolled under the stove, or the heavy wrench you dropped into the sump). The 5/16" dia x 5-1/4" long 4-draw barrel extends to a full two feet. Has a convenient pocket clip.

Any way you want it. This cast aluminum wire jig for jewelry-making measures 4-3/8" x 1" x 5/8" with (4) 1” x 1/4” steel pegs, semi-circular and triangular bending points, slots at 3/32",1/8" and 3/16" wide, plus one with a small divot to one side. Includes mounting screws.

Winner of this week's "What IS That?" award. It's a watch crab, also called a spanner wrench, that's designed to remove the back from watches, lenses from telescopes, and other thin, flat components from whatever they're attached to. Heavy for its size, it's 1" x 2-3/4" x 3/8" thick, with sharp 1/4" prongs projecting from the edge. The prongs move from 2" to 7/16" apart as you spin the knurled nut between them. An impressive tool to flash in front of your brother-in-law. If he doesn't read our catalog, he won't have a clue!

Can't beat a classic. These uncoated ceramic donut magnets have a 1-lb pull, which makes them dandy for classroom or refrigerator use. They measure 1-1/4" dia x 3/8" ID x 3/16" thick and are polarized on the faces. You get a wrapped roll of 29 donuts.

No autoclave machine? Worry not. Like syringes and half of the medical equipment in the world, scalpels are now disposable. This one is 5-3/4" long and has a green plastic handle with a textured grip (with a 60mm rule on it) and a #11 (that’s pointy, for you non-surgeons) stainless steel blade. Perfect for all your hobbyist needs. Please replace the blade guard before disposal.

Hook these on the zipper pulls on your jackets and you'll never be in the dark again. Tiny LED lights measure 1" x 9/16" in a 5/16" thick oblong, and come on a 7/8" long lanyard clip. We'll pick some that will go with your eyes, in blue, green, black or red. Include little button cell batteries that can be replaced if you're the sort of person who does that.

What a cool little clamp! Only 8" long overall, the jaws open to 4" when you press the release button and close incrementally as you pull the trigger. The 3/4" x 7/8" pads on the metal-and-plastic tool won't mar the surfaces they're sandwiching. Makes you want to find something to clamp!

Pick up this 1-3/4" x 7/8" x 3/8" ceramic pick-up magnet while we still have it. It's in a heavy metal housing and has a stationary metal hoop, about 1/2" i.d., on top. The manufacturer tells us the magnet will grab up to 5 lbs of metal, however Pat and Magnet Testing Team #3 have repeatedly lifted 10+ lbs, so it's very strong. Especially if you're going to dangle it on the end of a cord to gather spilled nails or to fish your keys out of the lake/pond/sewer/drain!

Our each is a stack of (10) nickel-plated neodymium magnets. They measure 5/16” dia x 1/8” thick and have about 2 lbs of pull. We like them for light cabinet door latches or hanging your macaroni craft project very securely.

..my sweet engravable you. Safeguard your stuff with this little battery-powered engraving pen. The 1/16” dia head vibrates to let you inscribe your ID on stuff  that might otherwise wander off. Surprisingly effective for a lightweight tool. Measures approx 6” long x 1” dia and works on metal, wood, glass, plastic, leather and more. Runs on (2) included “AA” batteries.

But you can take this copper tape to liven up your crafts, from journals and scrapbooks to jewelry, collages and picture framing. And since one side is conductive, you can wire a dollhouse with it. Our each is (36) yards of 3/8" wide x .0015" thick actual copper tape on a 3” core. It’s self-adhesive on the non-conductive side, too.

Riffler files are most prized by sculptors, wood carvers, model makers and similar fashioners of precision objects. They come in a variety of flat, round and triangular shapes. They are usually pointed and always have a delicate curve toward the point which makes them particularly useful for working in tight and curvy spots. We have a set of (10) in an attractive red plastic case. They are 3 x 180 mm size (about 7"), and were made in China for the King Manufacturing Co. Very nice quality at a very nice price. They can cost as much as $4.00-$5.00 apiece in regular outlets.

Diamond files never wear out, hardly, unless you file diamonds with them. This 10-piece set of diamond files has an assortment of wedges, flats, points and triangle files, all 6” long overall and up 5/16” wide. If you can’t find the one you need here, you probably shouldn’t file the thing in the first place.

Carpet tape is actually uncoated double-sided duct tape, used to stick rugs down, or anywhere you need to stick stuff to other stuff. This roll is 1-1/2" wide x 42 feet long on a 3" core. Beige-ish color, after the backing is peeled off, but it really doesn't matter, since you won't see it (unless you make a prom dress out of it, but then you wouldn't be able to get out of the limo).

From Helix®, this 18" long aluminum U.S. Standard triangular architects' ruler/scale has color-coded facings and is divided into 3. 1-1/2, 1, 3/4, 3/8, 3/16, 3/32, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 inch per foot. Yes, you can use it even if you're not an architect.

Call it a gonzo version of our best work-light, this 4-5/8" x 2-1/4" x 1" cigarette-pack-size light has (60) white LEDs in a 3" x 1-1/2" window with a bright mode and a way brighter mode that would blind a turkey vulture, plus (4) more for a standard flashlight mode. Includes a flip-out easel, hook and a disc magnet. Comes with (3) "AAA"s.