Japanese Tools from J. KOGU: Anex Stubb

We’re back down the Japanese tool rabbit hole. J. KOGU is a US-based distributor of Japanese hand tools out of California, with Joyful USA as the parent company. At first I figured they might be selling copycats, but the more I looked, the more I found they import tools already made in Japan by makers like Anex and Kurokin.

The Vessel Quick Catchers are from my last video, and I bought the Vessel ball bits myself after a viewer tip. Neither came from J. KOGU.

Disclosure: I buy my own tools. Companies sometimes send me items, but nobody pays for my opinions. J. KOGU sent me the Anex stubby and the Kurokin pliers free for review. J. KOGU didn’t offer an affiliate link, so their links here earn me nothing. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

You can check out J. KOGU at j-kogu.com and their store at the J. KOGU Shop. Some of their tools are on Amazon too.

The Anex stubby ratchets smooth, and the Kurokin pliers pulled a chewed-up screw in one take. The Vessel ball bits didn’t fix my Quick Catcher gripe.

Pros

The Anex 72-gear ratchet didn’t skip driving screws into oak.
The Kurokin caught a “stripped” #2 Phillips by the corner and backed it out in one take.
The Kurokin has a side cutter built in.

Cons

Quick Catcher bits pull out when you hold it by the side, Vessel or DeWalt bits alike.
Bits spin loosely in the Vessel set’s holder.
The Quick Catcher is a poor screwdriver with little finger grip.

Best for: A bag that needs a stubby and a last-resort screw puller.

Anex 72-Gear Stubby (No.307)

The stubby is the Anex No.307, a 72-gear ball grip ratchet screwdriver with a fine-tooth gear. J. KOGU lists it as JK02201, and on Amazon it’s sold as the No.307-D. It comes with one #2 bit, and there’s a magnet at the bottom of the bit socket. You can watch the bit pull in and pop into place.

For the test I drove screws into a piece of oak. I started them with a little cheat, because otherwise it would take all day with my bum elbow, then ran them in with the stubby. The ratchet doesn’t skip, and it’s got power. That was a test of the tool, not how I’d normally drive a screw into oak.

It takes 1/4-inch bits, so you can swap in a longer bit when you need reach. Matt H got me started on Anex, and I love my Anex. Now I’ve got a stubby too.

Anex stubby and Kurokin pliers positioned on hardwood. — The Anex stubby screwdriver and Kurokin pliers resting on a piece of oak.

Kurokin 6″ Multi Screw Removal Pliers (JK04104)

The Kurokin pliers are J. KOGU part JK04104, the 6″ Multi Screw Removal Pliers, made in Japan. They’re spring-loaded, the card lists screw head sizes from 1/8″ to 3/8″ in diameter, and there’s a side cutter built in. Here’s the JK04104 page on the J. KOGU Shop.

The teeth on the end are for rounded and broken screws. Twin-grip style pliers have backed plenty of broken bolts out for me when there was maybe 1/16 inch sticking out, and these are built for the same kind of job on screws.

To test them, I drove a #2 Phillips into the oak and treated the head like it was stripped, the kind that’s been wallered out into an upside-down volcano. The teeth caught it by the corner and backed it right out, all in one take. They’re sharp and feel like good steel. It’s a last resort, though, not something you’d do on every screw.

Japanese hand tools in retail packaging. — The Anex and Kurokin tools in their J. KOGU packaging.

Vessel Ball Bits and the Quick Catcher Follow-Up

Last video, the Vessel Quick Catcher held bits fine hanging from the key ring but let them pop out when I held it by the side. Viewer Grouchy Garage Tips said to try Vessel ball bits, so I bought the Vessel IBMG90K001 set: five impact ball torsion bits in a holder with a magnetizer on the back.

The holder is a little loosey-goosey. The bits don’t fall out and barely shake, but they spin freely, so I’d keep an eye on them. If that’s normal, tell me in the comments.

The ball bits didn’t change the Quick Catcher result. Hanging by the key ring, the bits stay put. Hold it by the side and pull, and they pop right out, Vessel ball bits and a plain DeWalt bit alike. There’s a little spring clip in there, and I think that’s how it’s meant to work, or you’d never get the bits out.

Five pieces of Vessel torsion bits in a magnetic holder. — The Vessel impact ball torsion bits in their holder.

Vessel impact bits and bit holders on a wooden background. — The Vessel ball bits and Quick Catcher holders, which I bought myself.

The Quick Catcher as a Stubby

Vessel shows the Quick Catcher doubling as a little stubby screwdriver, so I ran it into the same oak. It drives the screw and backs it out, but it isn’t as smooth as the Anex, and you don’t get much finger grip. I don’t think I’d reach for it unless it was the only thing in the bag.