The secret is ceramics. This 5-1/2" long precision cutter has a ceramic point that's as sharp as an X-actly knife, stays sharp longer, is easier to maneuver in intricate cutting patterns, and is nearly impossible to cut yourself with. Cuts paper and card stock easily. Pencil-style, with a cap. A boon for crafters, and a blessing for junior crafters.

This dialed, electronic motor speed controller has full power and variable modes and is rated for 15A max at 120VAC. Comes with a 6-foot, 16-AWG power cord, grounded output outlet, belt clip and a 15A fuse. Measures 4-5/8" x 2-3/8" x 1-5/8". Great for hobby tools.

Set of (5) diamond cutoff wheels and a mandrel. The wheels are 13/16" dia, the mandrel 1/8" dia x 1-3/4" long. Made in China, and a great buy. Just the item to complete your Dremel" type tool kit.

These're pleasing tweezers, these are. They're clever cross-lock tweezers, 6" long with wood-grain grips and 1/2" long, serrated 90° jaws that grip tightly. The handy cross-locks will lay flat on their backs to hold stuff, like wires, while you solder.

This strontium ferrite sheet is stronger than your average fridge magnet, and considerably bigger. Measures 7-3/8" sq x over 1/16" thick, with (2) adjacent corners trimmed off. Rubberized finish, black on one side, writable white on the other. Can be easily cut with a scissors.

If you’ve maximized the value of your Dremel–type tool (1/8” shank) with a router attachment, we can offer you a great set of mini router bits. Our set of (10) comes in a nice wooden box with a hinged lid. It includes 1/8”, 3/16” and 1/4” straight bits; 3/16” and 1/4” points; concave, convex and straight edge bits; a 1/4” round–nose bit; and a 1/4” groove–cutting bit that is flat on the bottom and curved on the sides. Just enough to give you a little edge on other hobbyists.

We like these small pliers and cutters - they're a higher quality than most of the Chinese import tools we're offered. They are drop-forged, high-carbon steel with double-leaf springs, lap joints and rubberized foam handles. There is a trim 6" needle nose, and a 4-1/2" mini-round diagonal cutter. For precision work and hobbies, and especially nice for anyone with small hands.

You need this. Anybody who's ever made a third trip to the hardware store on the same day needs this. The (100) -- count 'em, (100) -- chrome vanadium driver and bit attachments include slotted, Phillips, square (Robertson) head, torx, hex and 12-point bits, plus security Phillips, torx and hex, and (4) different driver adapters (one of which, a super-cute cup-hook driver, has us oddly excited). They're all in a flip-top plastic case. How come it's surplus? If you turn it upside down and shake it, some of the bits fall out of their little size-marked slots. So don't do that. Or stick a thin sheet of foam inside it and all will be well.

We're liking this little plated N45 neodymium magnet because it will stand on end and stick out very prettily on the ice box. Measures 1" tall x 1/4" square with a hefty, for its size, 3-1/2 lb pull, 13,800 gauss. (Will also lie down on its side, of course, because everybody does.)

She told you not to tighten that screw any farther. Good thing you can whip out your set of (2) 7” screw removers, one slotted and one Phillips. The invaluable tools let you remove those  stripped, damaged and broken screws. They have black–plastic contoured handles with metal ends, the better to hammer them into the broken screws. Pound in, twist out. It’s a magical thing.

It’s a whetstone for sharpening knives and no, it doesn’t need to be wet to use. (“Whet” means to hone.) This one is small, pocket knife-size. Some folks use a little mineral oil, but that isn’t necessary either. This stone is 220-grit, and measures 3-7/8" x 1" x 1/2". Lay it on a wet paper or cloth towel, so it doesn’t slip, then pull your blade across it a dozen times on each side with the edge tipped to a about 22-1/2-degree angle or less, which you approximate by standing it up at 90 degrees, then tipping it halfway to 45, then halfway again.

Hemostats are the clamplike devices dangling from veins and arteries in melodramatic operating scenes. Our particular collection are Pakistani surgical-grade instruments made of magnetic stainless steel. As such we rate them pretty good, but not fantastic. Hemostats look like little pliers. The jaws are relatively fine, with rounded tips. The inside faces are lightly serrated to get a grip on tubing or body plumbing. And the handles are much longer than the jaws. Now the heavenly part. Great hobby clamps that can be worked into small areas. Fine heat sinks for electronics. Good hook extractors for trout fisherpeople. Excellent tubing clamps for flow-sensitive chemistry experiments. Sizes are approximate length.

The CamJam XT is a clever cast-aluminum rope-tightening tool and carabiner. Has a 7/8” ID carabiner hook at one end, and a 1-1/4” toothed ratchet at the other. Made to take braided rope between 1/8” and 3/8”. Has a working load limit of 500 lbs, and a break strength of 1500 lbs. Measures 4” x 1-3/4’ x 7/8”. Marked “not for climbing.”

Like a third hand in the electronics lab, this circuit-board rack from Elenco® has a pair of stable 6-1/2" legs and 3" tall arms with clips, one spring-loaded, to hold the board. It's a must for any electronics DIY-er. Adjusts from 0 to 9-3/8" apart and lets you rotate the board it holds a full 360 degrees. Both clips and legs lock with thumbscrews.

Plastic safety goggles with a clear, fairly hard single pane front. The wrap around is clear The top and sides have dozens of little holes for ventilation and the whole is big enough to fit over regular glasses comfortably. An elastic strap holds them in place. Made in China.

You pick from our straight or curved locking-jaw forceps, both with rubber-dipped handles and jaws for extra-gentle applications. Measure 5-1/2" long with 1-1/4" long jaws.

Hang on to your widgets, screws, bolts, pins and assorted teeny tinies while you're taking things apart. This indispensable 6" dia x 1-1/8" deep magnetic stainless steel dish from Omaha Tools holds all those parts and saves you from crawling around on the floor later, when you're putting things back together.

This is not your father's chain saw. Our jeweler's saw frame (blades not included) is 3" deep with a wooden handle and can be adjusted from 1-1/4" to 5-1/2" long with thumbscrews on the top of the frame and at the two blade chucks. You'll need the 144-piece set of 5-1/4" long piercing (jewelry) saw blades in sized 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 1 and 2. Made in India, where they specialize in filagreed gold.