On Safari

I love the smell of rust in the morning - it smells like... well, lots of work to clean up, to be honest. But aside from that, fresh rust means new old tools and discoveries. In other words I had a little relapse on Saturday (that'll be an old tool hunting relapse, as opposed to the other things I've had a relapse over recently, such as chisels, books, and so forth).

Set aside the plane and the four hunks of lignum vitae cunningly disguised as lawn bowls for the time being. Yes, I know, I know. Another brace. Not a brace of pedigree either - indeed it's already been described in terms of "Woolworths". And not in a good "Lovely pick'n'mix" kind of way. But have I not already confessed to a weakness for braces of unusual size or design or make? Yes, I have. This one ticks the middle box, because I can't recall seeing a brace with a Yankee-a-like ratchet mechanism before.

Mind you, my memory's not what it was. Apart from that, this has very little merit really, apart from being a handy 8in. sweep and if not half, at least two thirds lighter (and 100% better balanced) than the Stanley equivalent already in my arsenal.

Having cleaned it up, alas it speaketh only unto the word "Foreign" on both the frame and the chuck shell. Somewhere or other I read that indicates likely between the two wars of German manufacture as, for understandable reasons, German stuff wasn't the first choice of the average Brit at the time. It's been a bit hammered by the aforementioned rust, and it's not going to win any prizes as a superior example of brace technology, but I kinda like it.

Reckon it'll make a good screwdriver when I next need to talk the torque.