Which hand tools, from scissors to hatchets, contain no plastic, grip and coating included?
This category is being vetted. Nothing here is a recommendation yet.
Where plastic hides in hand tools
A steel head on a wooden handle is the oldest tool there is, and plastic still gets in. Handles come lacquered or varnished, gripped in rubber-like TPR, or dipped in vinyl. Heads are set with a wedge, and the glue behind it can be epoxy. Blades carry dark coatings, some of them PTFE. Sheaths are Kydex, nylon, or leather with a polyurethane topcoat. Scissors are the worst offender, because most handles are plastic or steel dipped in plastic. Oiled hickory or ash and a bare steel head are the plain version.
What to check before you buy
- The handle: bare, oiled or waxed wood, or lacquer, varnish or a rubber grip?
- Scissor handles: steel all through, or dipped in plastic?
- How the head is fixed: a steel wedge, or epoxy?
- The head coating: bare, oiled or black oxide, or PTFE or paint?
- The sheath: oiled or wax-finished leather, or Kydex, nylon or coated leather?
- Packaging: paper and card, or a plastic blister?