RAC21

Pound wise, penny-nail foolish.

Tools are like women: The better looking they are, the more likely they are to walk off with someone else.

And that's just one reason to laugh at the idea of an arm-powered hammer that costs as much as many air-powered ones.

But while I like my tools plain and cheap (Please note that we have dropped the tools-as-women metaphor), my perspective on value recently has changed.

You see, this year I've suffered two fairly serious hand injuries. You know the drill: lost workdays, big medical bills, and the fear that you may never be 100% again (Particularly scary, since my 100% was most folks' 85%).

Once you consider the value of a pain-free day, the often overlooked downside of permanent nerve and joint damage, and the cost of single hospital aspirin tablet, you attain a slightly different perspective on a $200 hammer.

So, if a titanium hammer can, indeed, reduce wear and tear on my arm, I'll take the hit to my wallet, and consider it a bargain.