Nothing beats having a good ruler and no ruler beats Mitutoyo. The Japanese maker of all things measuring is the standard across machine shops, and for great reason. Not only are they supremely well made and exceptionally accurate, they put up to decades of abuse and look almost knew with a cleaning.

NT Cutter makes a great range of utility and craft knifes, but if you’re looking for the best version for day-to-day, the 9mm Aluminum Die-Cast Grip is the way to go. The snap-off blades hold up to more abuse than you’d expect, and the 30-degree blade is better at everyday tasks than a pointy X-Acto. While snapping blades off with the included clip works, it’s not exactly an elegant solution. But it’s a minor gripe for an overall fantastic utility knife.

The first time you pulls these out, your friends will look at you funny. After you’ve stripped out some staples, removed a few rounded bolts, and manage to get at the bastard of a hose clamp, they’ll want their own pair. Knipex is world-renowned for its pliers, nippers, and specialty tools, but these 4-inch XS Cobra Pump Pliers are exactly the tool you need when you need it, and is small enough to fit into the coin pocket of most workpants.

There are dozens of inspection flashlights with big power and a raft of features. But none of them last more than 6 months in a busy shop. Enter the Streamlight Wedge. While it’s just on the high-side of pocketable, its sleek shape, simple controls, 300-lumen output, and USB-C charging make it our go-to recommendation for a daily flashlight.

There are a myriad of stylish, thoughtful, meticulously designed ways to keep your toiletries in order. Instead, may we present the humble waterproof pouch. Made by Magpul to stash all kinds of sensitive and not-so-sensitive material, it’s aqualock-style zipper and clear panel makes it the perfect low-profile addition to your next trip.

A nice ruler suffices most of the time, but when you need to get down to the thousandths, even a primitive set of calipers are indispensable. That’s where this digital set comes to the rescue. Small enough to throw in your pocket and cheap enough to not worry about messing up your cherished Mitutoyos.

With a flat end and a wickedly sharp tip, a good spudger is sometimes the only tool for the job. It’s not safely pocketable (again, very sharp), but there’s far more to the spudger than electronics repair. It’s great for everything from ripping threads to stuffing lining and getting those stubborn wires tucked away in a channel. Why pay $14.99 for a pack of three when you can get 30 for a buck less?

Trimming zip-ties, snipping wires, and making clean cuts are what flush cutters are all about. And while most multitools have some kind of wire cutter, the angle is all wrong and that’s before you get shoulders deep in an engine bay. That’s where these 3.5-inch flush cutters come in. Small enough to slip in your pocket and tiny enough to get into the tightest of tight locations, these have continually save the day both inside the shop and out.