Why I Use an "Old Guy" Toolbelt!

[@ozziestrom9793]

I guess I was around 12 when my dad who was a builder asked would you like to work with us to learn some trade tricks, I said sure but, first I was given a 5-gallon bucket of bent nails to straighten out. Back in those days, nothing was wasted. At the end of the day, as a token, he gave me the hammer which is hung on the wall in my shop.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Awesome!!!

[@monkeygraborange]

Your dad really loved you👍

[@juliom6260]

You nailed that 😂

[@nowhereman112244]

I'm 80 and remember framing in the 1970s. Had bags in front, kept 16d common coated in the left and 8d common coated in the right. Then if I was doing finish, 8d finish in the left, 6d finish in the right and 4d finish in the small left. Had 16 and 20 oz Plumb hammers and a Vaughn 20 oz straight claw framer. My favorite after I got used to it was a 28 oz all steel straight claw with a knurled big head. Don't remember the brand name. My forearm hurt at first, till I got used to it. The good old days. It's funny I did framing, finish carpentry and then transitioned into cabinet making and I loved it all. Unfortunately, my body and then my eyesight started to go about 20 years ago and had to quit. All good things come to an end. I get enjoyment now from watching videos on your channel along with others. Thank you to everybody for letting me relive my youth. One last thing, I wish I would have had cordless tools, no extension cords, WOW.

[@stingrayfinger4500]

I was spawned from depression era parents. As a kid I was tasked with pulling nails from old lumber and straightening buckets of rusty bent nails. I love the smell of old growth cypress lumber when sawn.

[@G60syncro]

We were redoing the deck last year and my GF wanted to help me pull nails and she was really struggling. I started telling her that as kids, my dad would take my brother and I on his renovation jobs and we would do small tasks... One of them being pulling nails out of boards. The big perk was we got to keep the nails!! They were treated like gold because with free nails, we could go out in the woods and build our forts, cabins and whatnot!! My GF said that we had a boring childhood but she just doesn't get it!!!

[@vancouvercarpenter]

That's the opposite of a boring childhood. Staring at a screen all day every day is a boring childhood.

[@monkeygraborange]

I’m going out on a limb and guessing you’re dating someone _much_ younger than you!

[@davidzz4307]

I was a house framer back in the 90s, everything was still hand-nailing, I liked the single bag on the left. Love you're videos .

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Thank you!!! It’s amazing how many people were still hand nailing in the 90s. I started around 2005 and those days were long gone. I did most of my hand nailing when doing formwork.

[@mistymountainwoodcraft]

I worked on the Portman bridge project, and it was ALL hand nails.

[@DougTunnler]

iirc, it was around the late 90s-00s that Hitachi started making a framing nailer that could drive common 16d sinkers. Then, until someone on the crew finally bought one, we would widen the rack with washers to accept the commons. still had to finish them off with a hammer though.

[@WanJae42]

My dad made me straighten a nail if I bent one. You develop skills quickly. The (usually unnecessary) "nail eye" feature becomes more important on very hard woods.

[@michaelroberts2813]

I'm over 60 and still working, the bags kill my lower back anymore so, I just use a hawk and cloth nail bag. Yes I still straighten nails, been doing it all of my life. Thank you for your post, you're very informative, entertaining and inspiring. You seem to really care for your family and the people around you.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Thank you!!

[@Fornsul]

I came for the drywall finishing and painting, but I enjoy learning more about carpentry as well. Going to look up the glaziers bar now to add to my tool bag.

[@frankvanderzalm6630]

I worked parttime with a small construction company in the late 60's. I started at 15 until 19 years old. I was strictly a labourer moving lumber, concrete blocks etc. I picked up dropped nails, marrettes and screws that carpenters, electricians and masons left behind. I had quite the supply. I even still at 72 years of age have some of those marrettes in a jar. My career was in policing so the tool belt in the 70's carried a six shooter, 6 extra bullets in a pouch and a set of handcuffs. Through the years that morphed into a belt that held a semi-automatic pistol, two extra mags of 16 bullets each, a Taser, 2 pairs of cuffs, a folding knife, and an expandable metal baton and a portable radio. That's a lot of weight! That's not including a bullet proof vest that held a flashlight, notebook and tourniquet. So in my off hours I did a lot of renovations. I did buy a leather belt much like you showed in the video. Ive added a holster to hold a drill or impact driver plus another pouch to hold a spare battery. I guess I've been lucky that wearing the two different utility belts didn't bother my back or hips. I agree that the suspenders were a bother. I tried some for a while in my police career and hated them. Thanks for your great videos. I've gained a lot from them.

[@TheJfh67]

I straightened nails at my uncle's summer house when i was 12 ! Nice vidéo again !

[@edmundeverett2938]

Always enjoy watching your videos Ben, thank you. Wishing you and yours a fantastic new year 🎉😁👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Thank you 😊

[@billmillar7234]

I'm 75.... still working...I have an Occidental I've owned for over 30 years..... standard hammer is 20 oz rip, wood handle ( I like Vaughn..best swing).... and a stiletto , and 10 oz stiletto....and the glazers bar ( must have tool) sharpened for trim removal....still using the old Stanley 99a carpenter knife....have a happy and productive New Year

[@vancouvercarpenter]

If I wasn’t using this hammer I would probably be using the 19oz Vaughn Cali framer. Straight wood handle.

[@shawn4357]

75 year old and still working. I'm sorry to hear that. That is so sad.

[@ThePlockets]

@@shawn4357 Or maybe it's great because he likes working and/or is still able to work? ;)

[@shawn4357]

@@ThePlockets that's even worse. He is 75 years old and would rather work then do anything else. Yicks. That's a sad life.

[@BigB2316SB]

​@@shawn4357Unless you truely love and are passionate about what you do. I love drywall finishing and painting. I'll do them as long as my body allows. I'm also an avid life long surfer. I enjoy doing both almost the same. Just can't make a living off my surfing.

[@jonathanjanisse7209]

Ben, thanks so much for all your hard work on these videos. I’ve learned so much over the past few years. I’ve been able to tackle some otherwise daunting home projects and I’ve even started a small handyman business. I love your drywall vids but I’m really excited to see more carpenterish stuff. Happy holidays bud!

[@cmmartti]

I worked as a finish carpenter for years, and I never used a toolbelt at all, preferring to buy work pants with the correct pockets and a hammer loop. When my main tools were a hammer, tape measure, pencil, knife, nail punch, a small pry bar (the same one in your video), and a quarter sheet of sandpaper (folded in half and glued, pro tip there), a separate tool belt seemed bulky and unnecessary, particularly when I was frequently crouching or sitting on the floor. Tape measure clipped to the front pocket, hammer in the hammer loop, olfa knife and pry bar in the narrow side thigh pocket, pencil behind my ear or in the pencil slot on the leg, sandpaper in my back pocket, and nail punch wherever, there was always enough room. Other stuff like a tube of wood filler or a screwdriver would go in the back pocket, and I would hang drills and nailers off various pockets if I was using them in the moment. I had no need for fastener pouches, although some of my Blåkläder pants had them. I found them to be more annoying than anything the way they flopped around.

[@pvp4left]

I wear snickers work pants. Added a holstery square holder and did 1 RTM, 4 shops, and 6 smaller cabin RTMs and some smaller jobs this year with no "toolbelt". Everything fits into pants. Hammer, knife, chisel, folding rule, notepad, tape, speed square, pica, nail set, snips with a bunch of pockets still empty. No problems with back or hip pain and very mobile.

[@natewarner]

Not in the trades on the daily, but when I get into a project… Prolly explains why I’ve got that popular mechanics belt? But it looks pretty much like yours, so maybe that’s why it’s worked so well as I moved through nearly each of the trades on my project(s). So many times I’ve had to tip the whole belt upside down to get the random fasteners/wiring bits out before moving to the next trade. :D I appreciate the drywall content, but would love your style with carpentry content, too. Maybe another outlet for your creative/teaching side? Belt description was great to review. Hammer good too, tho I’m not in it enough to reinvest in the best. Love the channel!

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Thank you!!!

[@ChristmasLightsTonight]

Jokes aside, my wife got me the Perkins Builder Bros (good channel) belt and I really love it for any jobs around the property where i can't be constantly going back and forth to my toolbox, super super comfy, modular, well thought out for carrying a ton of heavy stuff. For your (Ben) purposes, if you're standing all the time i can see your setup being better.

[@bigisland-s4g]

Nice to see you hand nailing framing nails like that. Brings back old memories. But keep in mind to be competitive and cost effective in this business you will need to use a framing gun. Keep up the good work.

[@shawnr771]

I worked for a stucco company. Our lathers had magnetic nail starters for lathing using stub nails. The lathe would tear up your hands without one. Like working next to a cheese grater. Seen plenty of people get cut. Marshall Town magnetic nail starter.

[@rjsieder]

I use an Occidental rig with suspenders with bags on each side, a tape holder and metal hammer holder in the back. In addition to most of the stuff you have in your bags, I have a Phillips head and flat blade screwdriver on the right hand one. With the suspenders I can keep the belt a bit looser so it doesn't bother my hips, and I've gotten the suspenders adjusted so they don't bother my shoulders. Hammer is a worn Stanley 22 Oz anti-vibe framer that used to be hatched but is now mostly smoothed out. One of these days I'll get another one :). The right bag has two small fastener pouches. I keep a small pad in one and an 8oz water bottle in the other one so I can stay hydrated. I particularly like that the left bag has a slot for the speed square. I especially liked that Occidental sells all their bag and belt parts individually so you can mix and match to get the configuration you want. They also have pre-configured belts, but they didn't match up with the way I wanted mine. Not cheap, but worth the investment.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

An anti vibe! That was my first hammer! I can’t believe you still have one. The handles typically sog out and get floppy within a year or two of regular use. It also was not true to its name and had horrible vibration😂

[@cheez1213]

Youngest of 11 and that was my job. Straightening nails turned into getting my first power tool-a B&D jigsaw at 7.

[@fritzb.3978]

Ha! Yes! Of course! My dad always straightened a bent nail and re-used it. It wasn’t an operation, though, like taking something apart to re-use ALL the nails. But, a few one offs? totally.

[@dovetales622]

hi friend. The notch in the hammer handle is to extend the leverage with the nail puller. Set nail puller, slide hole over handle and pull .

[@vancouvercarpenter]

That doesn’t make sense to me but I’ll take your word for it.

[@dovetales622]

@@vancouvercarpenter my bad buddy. i misunderstood your statement in the video, i'm drawing plans while watching lol....i agree lose the thumb notch lol. thanks for all the content!

[@What_If_We_Tried]

Good video, and when I started out in carpentry years ago, I swung an Estwing 22 oz framing hammer (can't remember if the face was milled or not). But I quickly noticed that all the older journeymen were using waffle head / milled face framing hammers with wooden hatchet handles. When I asked them why, they said that steel shanked hammers transmit more vibrations to the elbow, and the increased shock wears out the joint faster, and the longer hatchet handles are longer, and put more energy into the nails to drive them easier. I thought it was BS, but one day, I was transferred to the "pick up crew" - who went around fixing all the mistakes and making sure things were all within code - and one of the older guys handed me his Dalluge waffle head hammer - with that wooden hatchet handle - and not only did it swing better, and effortlessly drive 16d nails with one pop (after the nail set tap), but the reduction in shock was noticeable. So I bought a Dalluge framing hammer from the boutique manufacturer, whose primary business was resharpening all our saw blades - making his rounds to the job sites during the day in his van - and it made a huge difference, and the reduction in shock to my elbow was noticeable. These days, I think Vaughn bought out Dalluge, as he was an older guy, and was wanting to sell the hammer head molds to someone, and retire. And if I had the money at the time, I would have bought the molds.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

I haven’t seen a Dalluge in a while. I saw them a lot in the beginning of my career. I do actually prefer a wood handle but of all the hammers I currently have I like the Tibone best.

[@TheJfh67]

@@What_If_We_Tried yes Vaughan purchased Dalluge and recently Marshaltown purchased Vaughan

[@Cuzinits]

I have an Akrabis toolbelt (bc company) that I absolutely love. Highly recommended, they have a wide variety of set-ups.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

I knew someone would ;)

[@rachaebby]

Love all your videos Ben!

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Thank you!!!

[@johnshayter5035]

We used to build forts as kids and our Dad's had used/bent nails we were allowed to use. We would also grab a handful of new nails too! Straightening out nails is a good skill to know. The hammer looks like it works great but i doubt ill ever invest in one. Btw, i snapped an Estwing framing hammer off at the handle in the 80s. I still have it's replacement

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Howwww!!!!?????

[@monkeygraborange]

Dafaq?? How did you do that?

[@tortugajoe735]

I'm only in my late thirties but I grew up spending afternoons in my Papa's woodworking shop and was definitely tasked with straightening nails. He was born in twenties.

[@monkeygraborange]

You’re so lucky!

[@HumanWrites-xi5ef]

Great video! Merry Christmas, Everybody!!

[@Timbo428CJ]

Yep, I'm that side pouch guy too, however I did buy a suspender with side pouches and it worked great, no hip pain or neck or back. But man it does get heavy. And my hammer of choice is an Eastwing 22oz framing hammer straight rip claw.

[@dominicktricozzi1221]

Damn that’s my stiletto nail bar you can send it back to me 😂

[@vancouvercarpenter]

😂

[@ImpendingDoomguy]

I'm literally just about to go out to buy a new belt 😂 This isn’t the first time you've come out with a perfectly-timed video haha

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Happy to be of service 😂

[@runningbird501]

Only had to straighten nails when we ran out and were a few short because nobody was driving to town over a handful of nails.

[@Yazzie101]

I just got my drywall foot lift, I’m so excited 😂 but by bit I’ll get it done.. I have until next sept before insurance will except my finished interior of my house! Only done 1700 insulation .. it halved my electric AC bill.. thank you again for all your tips.. I can’t lift a full sheet of drywall & wondering if you could show how a woman can get the job done with smaller cuts of drywall 🙏

[@vancouvercarpenter]

You can get it done with half sheets. It will just take way more on the finishing end. It might be worth seeing if you can work with a six foot sheet. If you can handle six feet then maybe get an order of 12 foot sheets and cut them in half.

[@KevinsDisobedience]

It’s what I use too, only I’ve customized it for drywall.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

I use those cheap kuny drywall rigs. Good enough. I don’t hang all that often.

[@rutgershenk]

I use the Thoughbuilt. I can always decide which pouch I need. I own several pouches, from small yo large. The belt is very comfortable. Even after a day at work.

[@trawlertravels6376]

I'm 65. My Dad showed me how to straighten nails when I was 4 or 5. Still comes in handy now and then. Yes, I'm still working, just slower

[@jarrettl5891]

The puller fits through the handle on the hammer if you need a little more leverage too

[@b5maddog]

I used to straighten nails. I also had to pull knots out of rope with my teeth. Lost a lot of teeth that way 😅

[@stich1960]

The right suspenders and the correct sizing are important but I am a complete convert much easier on my back. My grandparents replaced and rebuilt their deck (all nails no screws) and my job was to straighten all the nails which they completely reused lol

[@64paintboy]

Does this mean your going to stop making drywall videos. Hope not, I'm just learning. You are great teacher.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

No. I will make more and hopefully better ones.

[@BillBrutal]

I’ve always kept the bent nails to re-purpose later in my co-workers bags when they’re not looking

[@vancouvercarpenter]

😂

[@DougTunnler]

I'm still running my 25 yr old Occidental Leather bags but I can't work in skate shoes anymore, nor can I skate in workboots. As the great Mark Gonzales once said to me, "It's a drag getting old". 😉

[@vancouvercarpenter]

;)

[@TheOldBlackCrow]

I had to straighten nails... It sucked but I thought it was what *had* to be done until I owned my first home.

[@lindamoser2532]

Im 66, still working and still straighten nails now and then

[@torreyintahoe]

You should get some Badgers. Light and comfortable.

[@michael7v6]

Fill the notch in with bondo

[@PunkrockNoir-ss2pq]

I'm 34 and will straighten out good nails lol, I can afford nails, I just don't want to waste a good nail

[@monkeygraborange]

Pouch maintenance is an art form, and totally depends on the task at hand.

[@alexmack416]

those are some fresh shoes

[@martinchampagne9245]

hammer holster on the belt, tape measure hangs from the pocket, speed square in the back pocket. no more tool belts for me. next step is getting out of the trades for me. can't stand a tool belt, had suspenders for awhile and they messed up my arms. so keep things lite as possible.

[@jamessmith9786]

Your material is THE most watchable I see along with Fort9. What's the deal with Vancouver? So glad you "skipped out" that one nail. A bit of "schadenfreude" . Oh yeah, "if I had a buffalo nickel for every nail I straightened".

[@vancouvercarpenter]

Thank you!!!

[@greentjmtl]

Ha, we are the same age, and yeah the body and pain is definitely catching up.

[@bobcooley4572]

Where are your safety glasses??? Thanks for another quality video.

[@nowhereman112244]

I think you need glasses, I saw them

[@abrahamsandwich4532]

With that belt a cup might be important..

[@gears6986]

If you dont mind us asking, are you switching to carpentry permanently? And why?

[@OldWorldHandyman]

Growing up in post communist Romania, I needed to straighten nails to be able to finish projects around the house, because back then, weren’t such a huge supply of everything and not really a lot of hardware stores around me.

[@EricFarmer01]

I use my claw for a side puller.

[@MrArcticPOWER]

Personally, I use a side pouch style but only on my left side. I have a small utility pouch on my right for pens, screwdriver, knife and such, as well as a hammer older. I've tried other things, but always came back to this one. It's light and don't need suspenders. I never understood what's the point of having a nail pouch on your right side. You just end up putting junk in it because it's not convenient.

[@chriswithrow3107]

Fat Max over everything. 👍

[@ChristmasLightsTonight]

why would the Vancouver Drywaller need a carpenter's belt? 🙃

[@rickkrieger4455]

I have been wearing suspenders for many years and don't like being without. Hurts my hips.

[@vancouvercarpenter]

I would use them if they didn't cause me problems.

[@jfl-mw8rp]

Not a steel body hammer fan. Have a 35 year old fiberglass finish hammer that is my baby. Pulling 16 and 20 nails I use my military style sliding nail puller. If your using a framing hammer instead of a nail gun, your too slow.

[@chipperkeithmgb]

73 years old never threw nails away

[@caseylyons7906]

Ye old hip cutters

[@AlainStar]

🙏👏👍💪

[@Maxrebow]

Nails back then and nails now? Not worth the effort. Thanks man

[@bigisland-s4g]

Imagine a day you never want to even wear a tool belt like that. Can you? I haven't in 15 years. By the way, it's called a cats paw. Not nail bar......