Hi! I’m more than happy that you’ve stumbled upon my own little piece of the great Web. I thought it would be a sign of good manners for me to introduce myself and why ToolingFun actually exists.
I’m Alex and I like…tools.
(You can reach out to me on info @ toolingfun.com)
Liking tools, huh. It sounds weird, right? Probably.
But, you know…
First of all, I’m a bearded bald guy. Hence – grooming tools like shavers and trimmers are my (almost everyday) routine. I’m particularly fond of my Andis shaver.
Second, I dig DIY culture and am a little bit of an automotive nerd. You can guess why the Petersen Automotive Museum is one of my favorite places:
But seriously, think about it.
Every little thing we do in our life is thanks to the various tools that exist to aid us. Hundreds of thousands of years ago we discovered fire because of the most basic tool. Since then, our progress as human beings has been propelled by an ever-growing variety of tools.
As we have evolved, so have they too…or vice versa? 🙂
When I was a teen, I had zero interest or awareness of all that. As the years piled up, however, things changed.
What helped me fully realize the importance of tools was me moving to Japan. Spending a few years here was an eye-opening experience in many ways.
Yes, Japan is an exotic country if you think about its cultural specifics. Things there are completely different from the West, in both good and bad ways.
What completely captivated me though was the pride this country has in its manufacture. The Japanese call their art of manufacturing monodzukuri, with ‘mono’ being ‘a thing’ and ‘dzukuru’ meaning ‘to create’. Up to this day, the craftsmanship of Japanese brands is unwavering.
And so I drew inspiration from it. I visited stores. I went to facilities. I participated in in-depth plant tours. I immersed myself in decades upon decades of manufacturing history.
I roamed around shelves filled with hand tools and DIY goodness from Makita, Ryobi and other Japanese powerhouses while their facilities were only two hours away:
I was surrounded by Toyotas and Hondas, upscale neighborhoods filled with Lexuses. I witnessed the famous tokyo drifts and talked face to face with crazy offroad/car mod heads. I saw the soaring headquarters of Kayaba Industry, better known as the magnificent shocks manufacturer KYB in the West.
Heck, I even witnessed that there’s a small, but very active Jeep community here. I was stoked – as you might have seen already, I’m a huge fan of anything Jeep. In fact, look at the cool T-shirt I got from the local UNIQLO:
ToolingFun is a direct product of my impressions and ignited interest. I write the articles by myself (for now) and strive to be friendly and above all objective in my reviews. If I’m not sure about something, I go around and ask, gather opinions and observe specialized discussion forums.
I’ve been saying ‘tools’ all the time, but let me specify my main areas of interest:
➥➥???? Automotive tools and car maintenance – from sound systems like Pioneer or Alpine (both Japanese!), to various discussions about aftermarket parts or suspension brands (shocks!). Car and 4WD modders – you have no time to rest, and I do my best to offer you fair comparisons and reviews on the leading brands.
➥➥???? DIY & home improvement tools – it could be something as simple as differentiating between adhesives to more serious DIY equipment like the legendary Kreg tools.
➥➥ ???? Lifestyle tools – as I have shaved my head and DIY my facial hair, I’m more than familiar with various grooming tools for men. More specifically – hair clippers, shavers and razors. I do dig branded workwear and other goodies related to the professional or daily routine of the modern man.
➥➥???? Outdoor tools – mainly specialized clothing, including me proclaiming my love for merino wool, but not limited to only this area!
Those would be my main areas of tool interest and I strive to expand my knowledge in them little by little. It’s a neverending source of fascination for me. Just as there are a lot of people who are fascinated by other things that help us progress further as humankind.
You are always welcome to leave a comment under my posts and share your own experiences. ToolingFun was created to be a place for dialogue.
Always happy to chat with you!