Since I’m a blue collar guy and am repairing problems, retrofitting, and just working with my hands all day, I thought I’d tell my favorite tools that make the magic happen.  Tried and true, do or die, I need these tools to get by. And I rhymed there, which is cool.

My top 5 favorite must-have tools are:

1.  Red Wing Boots – That’s right, these are so damn important that I linked to their website, and they’re not even paying me to! These Red Wing boots are the absolute most important tool a man can have. Mine are actually in the shop right now getting fixed by a really good shoe cobbler.  All of this guy’s machines are 100+ years old. It’s a dying profession that people don’t understand anymore — these guys are still needed in the world!  Walmart and Kohls are putting these cobblers out of business because people are just throwing away their shoes and buying new ones!  But these boots man, they protect my feet, they’re sturdy, they do their job, and when they do need to be repaired, I’ve got just the cobbler to do it (Marianne from Preserving Pennies has a husband with boot needs too — it’s important!).

Behold! The 5 most needed blue collar tools.

2. Tape measure – Without this baby, you’d all have houses that look all disjointed and crazy. Not much more to say about it other than, it’s also really important. But not as important as the Red Wing boots.

3. Hammer – Pretty standard and pretty important. I couldn’t do without it in my work. Although, I do know some people, who shall remain nameless *cough* SISTER! *cough*, who didn’t even have a hammer and used the broad edge of a knife, the handle of a screwdriver, or a heavy book to hammer in nails.  Don’t worry, folks, she has one now, thanks to a kind Christmas gift. From me.

4. Speed square – This allows me to get my dithces and valleys right. It helps me with my numbers when I’m cutting a roof or siding.  It’s a modern marvel, man, and without it I’d be lost — does being invented in 1925 count as modern?

5. Sunglasses – My one daughter likes her sunglasses to have hot pink frames, my other daughter likes black frames with little fake diamond thingies in it… whatever your favorite kind is, a good pair of sunglasses makes the top 5 list.  Because when you’re working outside, if you don’t have a good pair of sunglasses, you’re totally hosed.

And there you have it. My top 5, most favorite, most needed blue collar guy tools.

Someone asked me about my favorite tools, which is why I did this post — do you have a question for a blue collar guy? Need some building, fixing, or contractor advice? Ask and you shall receive (an answer)!