I’ve had my granddad’s Proto 1312 hammer forever. This week I laid it down at work and thought I’d lost it, and the wedge is gone anyway, so it’s retiring. So I picked up a couple of new hammers. The rest of this haul is a crimper and some knives.

Disclosure: I bought all of these with my own money. Nobody sent anything this week for review, and nobody pays me for my opinions. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Klein 1005 Crimper and Cutter

I had a ferrule crimper from another brand, and it finally got to me. We mainly use insulated terminals at the shop, and that crimper’s half-moon crimp area tore them up. I jumped the gun on that one. I don’t use many ferrules, so I got the Klein 1005.

The Klein has a slot just for insulated terminals, so it crimps around them without a big pointed knob crushing down the metal, and it does non-insulated terminals too. It’s rated for 10 to 22 AWG, has a hardened wire cutter in a tapered nose, and it’s made in USA. I snipped a piece of wire on camera and it went right through, smooth and creamy. I didn’t have a terminal handy to crimp in the video.

Estwing MRW12BP and Vaughan TC016 Hammers

With the Proto retiring, I picked up the Estwing 12 oz Sure Strike ball peen, model MRW12BP. It’s a little heavier in the head than the old Proto, which may be an 8 ounce. I’ve also been carrying a Vaughan 16 oz ball peen, model TC016, for the last week, and it’s already got some wear on it.

The Vaughan’s head fit is a little squirrely, but it’s all right. It’ll work. I use it as a light tapper, lighter than my Klein mini sledge, for light, delicate work. I sanded the varnish off the handles to get a little more feel, because they’re very slick with it.

Gerber EAB and EAB Mini

I’ve got two Gerber EABs and they’re nothing alike. The folding one is simple: very thin, light to carry, a liner lock, and a utility blade that swaps out with a screw. It used to have a clip, but that clip caught a seat belt when I got out of the vehicle, and it went flying across the parking lot. I found it, but I never got it back on. Now it rides inside my pocket.

The Mini is just stamped steel, about half as thick. A little locking clip lets you slide the blade in and out, and you swap in a standard utility blade. Slide it back down carefully, because it already put a little hole in my finger once. It’s from Portland, Oregon, but made in China, if that matters to you. It cuts like butter, because it’s a razor blade.

CIVIVI Ki-V C2108A

This little CIVIVI popped up in my feed while I was looking at the Gerber Mini. In the box you get a CIVIVI sticker, a padded carrier and a microfiber cloth, plus a warranty card that covers it until it’s confiscated by TSA or ballpark security, which tickled me.

The one thing it’s missing is a lock. It’s a double detent, so a little pressure holds it open and closed, and you have to put some effort into it. It’s a kiridashi-style blade with a flat grind on both sides instead of a chisel grind. Smooth, curvy edge, and it cuts real nice.

The pocket clip is the best part. It’s dang near as thick as the blade and stiff. I haven’t carried it yet. It’s going to work with me in place of my OKnife utility for a while.

Klein 1005 vs. My Old Ferrule Crimper

	Klein 1005	Ferrule crimper
Insulated terminals	Has its own slot for them	Tore them up

FAQ

How’s the Vaughan head fit?

A little squirrely on mine. Fine for light tapping; I’ll keep an eye on it.

Is the handle slick?

With the varnish on, yes. I sanded the hammer handles down a little to get more feel.

Where does the folding EAB ride now?

In my pocket. The clip came off after it caught a seat belt, and I never got it back on.

Where to Buy

Klein Tools 1005 Crimper/Cutter

Estwing Sure Strike 12 oz Ball Peen Hammer (MRW12BP)

Vaughan 16 oz Ball Pein Hammer (TC016)

Gerber EAB Mini

CIVIVI Ki-V C2108A