# Best way to identify your tools?



## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

I have never really done it but I have seen people use permanent magic marker or some color tape on the handles


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Take a lesson from your dog. Put them in a bucket and pee on them, in full view of your coworkers at lunch. Roll them in the dirt to dry them off. Now nobody will steal your tools.


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## Monkeyboy (Jul 28, 2012)

splatz said:


> Take a lesson from your dog. Put them in a bucket and pee on them, in full view of your coworkers at lunch. Roll them in the dirt to dry them off. Now nobody will steal your tools.


Wow. Innovative.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

I used to work on airplanes so, you knew to never mark your tools.

They when in the trades, I used to just put four small hacksaw cuts somewhere off of the handles where I could spot them if someone had them.

Now I just use a sharpie and write KOJBA on them somewhere. I write that on my ladders, and anything of value.
If something happens bad, I dont know anything.
If someone swipes it, I can show anybody that needs proof, that I have a dozen things with KOJBA written on them.

I worked for a while with a guy that had KOMA on his hardhat and a few tools.
He finally told me it was Kiss Ol Mikes Azz.
I ran with it and made it my own.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

There's nothing _wrong _with chicken scratches , especially if one_ looks_ like a  chicken.....

~CS~


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

splatz said:


> Take a lesson from your dog. Put them in a bucket and pee on them, in full view of your coworkers at lunch. Roll them in the dirt to dry them off. Now nobody will steal your tools.


Ok, I tried this. Now my meter won't work!


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## AK_sparky (Aug 13, 2013)

I know a guy that spray painted his tools hot pink. Never had a problem.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

I've never seen marked tools that were off limits to thieves. Hand tools.
They will take them regardless.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

Cory10 said:


> I have an engraver but I'm worried it will look like chicken scratch and I haven't found a good stencil. Curious what tricks you vets use to mark/identify your tools.


If you are worried what engraving will look like why bother marking them??

Do you really care that engraving on hand tools that you use and beat up every day will look like chicken Steve scratch?? I mean, that's OCD to a whole new level.


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## MorePaint (Feb 23, 2015)

Where we work, they paint the handles on tools. 
Every work bench has its own colour. 
Yellow, pink, blue, green, whatever.


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## The_Modifier (Oct 24, 2009)




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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

If we were dogs ,one sniff would do.....:whistling2:~CS~:laughing:


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

I use a metal scribe. Nothing wrong with a bit of scribble scratch..
Use sharpie to make it more visible. This way the thief knows who to hide stuff from..


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## deverson (Feb 15, 2012)

We always picked a tape color or 2 and wrapped each tool. I agree with jrannis as far as not putting your name on them. If they end up somewhere they shouldn't at least you don't tell everybody you worked on it last.


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## adamv7010 (Mar 21, 2011)

I take my bandsaw and put a certain number of very shallow cuts, more like scores on my stuff

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## RunningSparky (Feb 9, 2013)

Regardless what people say about marking...when I first started, I initialed everything. Thieves will take them if they want them. All of my hand tools have a two-tone electrical tape white on orange marking. Easy to spot on the cart or the floor when working with a few other guys and both have the same 11-1 tool.

I worked with a guy once who marked all his stuff with a dab of pink nail polish.


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## CGW (Oct 14, 2014)

MorePaint said:


> Where we work, they paint the handles on tools.
> Every work bench has its own colour.
> Yellow, pink, blue, green, whatever.



Good idea. 

Bright hot pink will deter most guys. 

I'll get made fun of constantly, but I'll have my tools. 


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

splatz said:


> Take a lesson from your dog. Put them in a bucket and pee on them, in full view of your coworkers at lunch. Roll them in the dirt to dry them off. Now nobody will steal your tools.


That would never stop a plumber. 

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:

You DO know why they all drink beer instead of water?


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

backstay said:


> Ok, I tried this. Now my meter won't work!


Don't blame the dirt. :no:


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## tjb (Feb 12, 2014)

I engraved lots of my tools. Some I just don't bother. Power tools I will spray paint. Like grab the fire alarm red and hold it at a distance so it only makes a haze. The idea for me is to make it look old and dirty and well used. People don't steal junky old tools as much. Brand new impact, looks old and dirty, no problems.


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## Monkeyboy (Jul 28, 2012)

You could acid etch them. You can have a stencil made and etch like they do with knive.


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## KDC (Oct 19, 2012)

How you go about marking tools depends on why you're marking them. 

Not much will prevent theft. At best, it might help with item recovery. 

Myself, I mark my tools to help sort them out. In my corner of the field, we use a lot of wrenches and sockets, and most people buy from the same source, so I've got mine engraved and lines painted on them with a paint marker. Makes it easy at the end of the job to sort out what belongs to who. 

Now, if you're prone to forgetting tools in unfortunate places, you might be better off not marking them... stories about wrenches across bussbars come to mind.


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## MorePaint (Feb 23, 2015)

KDC said:


> Now, if you're prone to forgetting tools in unfortunate places, you might be better off not marking them... stories about wrenches across bussbars come to mind.





- green paint wrench found in blown out gear- 
~Next day, Jimmy has all new tools.. 


Lol.. That would be terrible.


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

MorePaint said:


> Where we work, they paint the handles on tools.
> Every work bench has its own colour.
> Yellow, pink, blue, green, whatever.


Guess that explains your user photo :thumbup:


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## CADPoint (Jul 5, 2007)

How creative are you?

Having read your query, I could only surmise that you want to 
brand something.

Your not limited to your initials you know!
Stylized initials now that's different.


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## tjb (Feb 12, 2014)

I also write MEOW on mine. Pretty obvious whose they are.


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

AK_sparky said:


> I know a guy that spray painted his tools hot pink. Never had a problem.


Whats wrong with hot pink? All our tools, cords etc are painted fluorescent pink.
Easy to spot too:thumbup:


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

I painted mine orange and black.



Haven't had one stolen since.


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## Bogart (Jul 20, 2015)

When I first got into the trade I once had an Old timer swear by using Bacon Fat as a lubricant to loosen up his tools....I never could vouch for the effectiveness of the reason he used the bacon fat but everyone knew who's tools they were.....they were the ones that made you hungry


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## ElectricalOJ (Aug 14, 2015)

I bought stickers with the "STL" Cardinals logo on them. I taped around the logo. It won't stop people from stealing, but I know no one in the MD,DC, VA area has that on their tools. I love seeing the home team when I'm working.


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## Canadiansparks (Dec 5, 2015)

My dad was a heavy duty equipment mechanic he had problems with people stealing his tools he bought a metal engraver put his initials on his sockets and wrench sets all snapon I know this doesn't really work well for a good majority of the tools we use but funny story with this he had his own shop and he had a break in the thief's took his air tools none of the snapon stuff because it was in a milk crate ready to go to emergency calls


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## freeagnt54 (Aug 6, 2008)

Sharpie my power tools, and color tape on my handtools. It just helps identify tools in a honest mix up, thieves don't care.


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## CGW (Oct 14, 2014)

I just executed the first guy I caught stealing my tools. 

Never happened again. 


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## ElectricalOJ (Aug 14, 2015)

CGW said:


> I just executed the first guy I caught stealing my tools.
> 
> Never happened again.
> 
> ...


That's cool that you have Internet in prison. I hope you have one of the stolen screwdrivers as a shank for protection.


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## CGW (Oct 14, 2014)

ElectricalOJ said:


> That's cool that you have Internet in prison. I hope you have one of the stolen screwdrivers as a shank for protection.



Try this:
http://cworkman.us/21HNm8w

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## ElectricalOJ (Aug 14, 2015)

CGW said:


> Try this:
> http://cworkman.us/21HNm8w
> 
> Sent from my Intergalactic Communication Device via Tapatalk


I guess I forgot to add "Lol", at the end.


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## KennyW (Aug 31, 2013)

My buddy had his tools stolen even thought they were marked, cops said the only thing they can look up is your drivers license number. 

So he spent a whole day engraving his dl number into all his new tools. 

Lo and behold his tools got stolen again, but 3 months later the cops called him saying they had his tools. He got everything back becuase they could look him up. 

Food for thought.


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## Johnpaul (Oct 2, 2008)

When I used to do remodel work in 7-Eleven stores I bought a set of tools and spray painted them pink. Never had one walk off after that.


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## U Mirin? (May 19, 2015)

KennyW said:


> My buddy had his tools stolen even thought they were marked, cops said the only thing they can look up is your drivers license number.
> 
> So he spent a whole day engraving his dl number into all his new tools.
> 
> ...


I've had my journeyman tell me the same thing. 

His tools were stolen once. All his tools are engraved with his DL#

Mine aren't engraved yet, but they do have red,white, and blue tape on them


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## ElectricalOJ (Aug 14, 2015)

U Mirin? said:


> I've had my journeyman tell me the same thing.
> 
> His tools were stolen once. All his tools are engraved with his DL#
> 
> Mine aren't engraved yet, but they do have red,white, and blue tape on them


Does that mean that they're all American made tools? Haha


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## Jarp Habib (May 18, 2014)

I engrave my initials and also wrap handles with orange red and blue electrical tape. Orange red blue being the resistor color code of my first name as it would be numbered through a phone keypad.


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