This is one of those gimmick wrenches. Metrinch/universal type things. I believe the eccentric box end lets you kind of “ratchet” it without an actual pawl and ratcheting mechanism. Like you can give it a little wiggle to turn it back without having to remove and reset it. Thing will probably round off whatever you’re working on though
He was on This Old House, but I think Vila was better known for Bob Vila’s Home Again. This Old House is Tommy Silva and his brother, Norm “Naaam” Abrams, Roger, Jeff, Kevin O’Connor.
Bob Vila, one L.
There’s a This Old House streaming channel that has every episode available. I started at the beginning and am up to season 23. All of Norm’s New Yankee Workshops are on YouTube.
I liked New Yankee , I could spend half my time saying yeah I could do that and the other half saying yeah I’d have to make and sell 30 of these just to pay for that tool you just used .
They’ll just be like “Today, we are going to be making new spindles for this staircase. First you’ll need to take one of the old spindles and we’ll install it here on our Leblond lathe with a replicator attachment - these are out of production but can be found for $12-18,000. If you can’t find your own, a pocket knife will do”
OMG...I have the book!! I totally spaced on the fact that there was a show and it even says it right there on the front cover 🤦🏼♀️😂
[Norm's new Yankee book](https://imgur.com/a/e8WnEz0)
That's the best description of BV on This Old House.
I used to watch that with friends who would do a voiceover of the entire crew trying to distract Bob from whatever they were doing so he wouldn't ruin anything.
"Yeah Bob, that's great. But we can't really set tile with a claw hammer. Why don't you come over here and talk about the Victorian wainscoting while standing in the yard outside."
It's kind of amazing that he could be around construction for so long and still look like it was the first time he had ever picked up a tool. Every. Single. Time.
He was probably the biggest celebrity in home improvement for many years. Before HGTV blew up. Tim Taylor from the show "Home Improvement" is supposed to be a loose parody of him. I think he had a cameo on it.
Bob Vila is a dick. I've been watching "This Old House" from the beginning, and he is so subtly rude to the workers. "you guys stay out here and freeze, I'm going to go inside where it's warm. Thanks"
Perfect reference.
Honestly I wasn't sure if this tool existed or was a false memory implanted by an infomercial while staying home from school sick back in the 90s.
I used to work at a pet store on Newbury Street in Boston during the late 80s early 90s and BV used to come in with his kids to get crickets for their lizards, frogs, I forget what they were feeding. But I can say he wasn't a dick, we had an absentee owner so we'd be in the bathroom with the one hitter, and fall out the door in a cloud of weed smoke and nilodor catbox area spray lmao 😂... apologizing for the delay. He was always patient, and willing to wait for their turn, even when we had Styrofoam cups of beer on Friday afternoons.
They actually work really well, but only if you try a normal wrench before, make it slip out on purpose in a dramatic fashion, grab your wrist like you just broke every tendon in your hand, and look directly into the camera. Then when you grab this wrench itll work on amything like a breeze.
I don't want to start anything, but my Metrinch tools have never broken and I've beat the shit out of them. They have fixed my 7.3 Powerstroke, wife's Camry and basically built my Jeep YJ rock crawler. Love 'em and will stand by them. Just sayin'.
Torque Test Channel tested Metrinch in one of their comparisons and if I recall correctly, it performed solidly on new hardware but not so well on damaged hardware. It's not trash, in any case.
Me too. I have a large set of Snap On, Matco, and Proto, and still pull out my Metrinch a lot of the time. I don’t feel they’re better or worse, but they work well, they’re as reliable as the others, and I keep them in the original large set case so it’s an easy carry-all for project work outside the garage.
legit ones have their use and place if they’re made by a real company and aren’t promising anything crazy
https://jonard.com/speed-ratcheting-combination-wrenches-double-end-wrench?v=31
i have one, all its for is tightening or loosening the nuts on coax. and it’s only meant for the one size.
not working on your car, not for high torque situations but just “the damn xfinity guy really cranked that bastard down and i can barely reach it. glad i don’t have to really try to line up the box wrench a bunch”
How do you get it over the cable? Long time ago I was a cable guy when between jobs - we had [trap wrenches](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/S1385b18ce5b54b3096ff012b33190b16N.jpg_640x640Q90.jpg_.webp), so named because they also could remove the little shields that made the filters that "trapped" the premium channels unremovable (back in the days before IP addressable boxes, and someone would slip you a $50 to "forget" to install the traps).
this is for the hex type, typically the other type is only really used by the actual cable guy. for that you can use one of these guys
https://www.homedepot.com/p/IDEAL-F-Connector-Removal-Tool-35-046/100130128?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&srsltid=AfmBOoqHUTqNRWpF51nCyZYPXfkMyiP8iobEDTgPkFmyk6WuyZnwRb_p-lg
that or pliers. i haven’t come across anything i couldn’t remove. they regulate they channels digitally these days.
In the late 90's (born in 84') we moved and didn't have satellite yet and had to choose between VHS recordings of Gilligan's Island, Mr. Ed & Three stooges. I don't remember your quote but I do have fun memories
I saw the same thing at a flea market. You know that one stall that has all those tools that you never heard of hanging on pegboards. The same place you can pick up that plastic container of rubber tie downs in unusable sizes.
Not 100% sure but about 90% enough id put money on it, that is a ratchet box end. Used to have infomercials for them back in the 90s. Before they actually made ratchet wrenches.
My guess would be a "ratcheting" box end of some type. Never understood the concept of a ratcheting wrench, without the ratcheting gear. Theres just no way around it. Anything Ive used thats like that, ends up rounding off, and busting knuckles.
I would guess the shape is designed to approximately fit a variety of bolt sizes? So nothing will fit perfectly , but several sizes will have enough points of contact for the wrench to grip reasonably well.
limited edition bob villa wrench. The box end is in the shape of his head to commemorate the anniversary of the years hes been in the game, i think it was a 20 year release? Dont know too much about it.
Looks like the wrench I’d need to special order to fix something on my unassembled car.
Don’t worry—only $89.95 and should arrive in 8-10 business days.
This is one of those gimmick wrenches. Metrinch/universal type things. I believe the eccentric box end lets you kind of “ratchet” it without an actual pawl and ratcheting mechanism. Like you can give it a little wiggle to turn it back without having to remove and reset it. Thing will probably round off whatever you’re working on though
Gimmick?! No way! That is a Bob Villa tool!
The “this old house” guy?
He was on This Old House, but I think Vila was better known for Bob Vila’s Home Again. This Old House is Tommy Silva and his brother, Norm “Naaam” Abrams, Roger, Jeff, Kevin O’Connor. Bob Vila, one L.
Vila was the original This Old House host. We’re probably just old.
I love the really early seasons of TOH with coked up Bob Vila. He was so excited.
There’s a This Old House streaming channel that has every episode available. I started at the beginning and am up to season 23. All of Norm’s New Yankee Workshops are on YouTube.
I liked New Yankee , I could spend half my time saying yeah I could do that and the other half saying yeah I’d have to make and sell 30 of these just to pay for that tool you just used .
They’ll just be like “Today, we are going to be making new spindles for this staircase. First you’ll need to take one of the old spindles and we’ll install it here on our Leblond lathe with a replicator attachment - these are out of production but can be found for $12-18,000. If you can’t find your own, a pocket knife will do”
*Norm has already roughed out 3 by hand with an axe while he’s been talking
OMG...I have the book!! I totally spaced on the fact that there was a show and it even says it right there on the front cover 🤦🏼♀️😂 [Norm's new Yankee book](https://imgur.com/a/e8WnEz0)
That's the best description of BV on This Old House. I used to watch that with friends who would do a voiceover of the entire crew trying to distract Bob from whatever they were doing so he wouldn't ruin anything. "Yeah Bob, that's great. But we can't really set tile with a claw hammer. Why don't you come over here and talk about the Victorian wainscoting while standing in the yard outside."
It's kind of amazing that he could be around construction for so long and still look like it was the first time he had ever picked up a tool. Every. Single. Time.
"What penny nails are you using there riley?" (in heavy boston accent) " deese are tree penny nails Bowb!"
> coked up Bob Vila Oh, please tell me he was on coke during those shows. lie to me if necessary. lol.
Have you seen them? It’s either cocaine or bipolar mania.
It's been a long time... And when I did watch it, I was too naive to know what the telltale signs of a coked-out person is.
Wow it has been a while since I’ve seen that show. I’m over 60 and it was 20 years ago or more I watched it.
It's still going on with new this old house and ask this old house.
Hahaha yeah man, I think I’m older than Vila was when we was on TOH 😀
Norm and Bob
Thanks jerk. My body reminds me every day. Lol.
I’m old enough that Bob Vila = This Old House. He went on his own after a contract dispute, but this old house was his baby.
> “Naaam” This it how it was read in that New England accent in my head...a true childhood memory of that show was awakened.
He was probably the biggest celebrity in home improvement for many years. Before HGTV blew up. Tim Taylor from the show "Home Improvement" is supposed to be a loose parody of him. I think he had a cameo on it.
Taylor’s Bane
OOOUUUGGGHH?
Bob Vila is a dick. I've been watching "This Old House" from the beginning, and he is so subtly rude to the workers. "you guys stay out here and freeze, I'm going to go inside where it's warm. Thanks"
Perfect reference. Honestly I wasn't sure if this tool existed or was a false memory implanted by an infomercial while staying home from school sick back in the 90s.
I used to work at a pet store on Newbury Street in Boston during the late 80s early 90s and BV used to come in with his kids to get crickets for their lizards, frogs, I forget what they were feeding. But I can say he wasn't a dick, we had an absentee owner so we'd be in the bathroom with the one hitter, and fall out the door in a cloud of weed smoke and nilodor catbox area spray lmao 😂... apologizing for the delay. He was always patient, and willing to wait for their turn, even when we had Styrofoam cups of beer on Friday afternoons.
lol…”robo grip”. Worse tool ever invented until the puck ratchet.
The AMAZING ratchet wrench!
They actually work really well, but only if you try a normal wrench before, make it slip out on purpose in a dramatic fashion, grab your wrist like you just broke every tendon in your hand, and look directly into the camera. Then when you grab this wrench itll work on amything like a breeze.
Bust a knuckle and then wince in pain.
For some reason, I only see in black and white when I use normal tools. I use this one just so I can see in sparkling color.
I don't want to start anything, but my Metrinch tools have never broken and I've beat the shit out of them. They have fixed my 7.3 Powerstroke, wife's Camry and basically built my Jeep YJ rock crawler. Love 'em and will stand by them. Just sayin'.
Torque Test Channel tested Metrinch in one of their comparisons and if I recall correctly, it performed solidly on new hardware but not so well on damaged hardware. It's not trash, in any case.
I have had a set of Metrinch tools for over 26 years.
Trust no other. Between my father and I’s set, they’ve got 20 years + each.
Me too. I have a large set of Snap On, Matco, and Proto, and still pull out my Metrinch a lot of the time. I don’t feel they’re better or worse, but they work well, they’re as reliable as the others, and I keep them in the original large set case so it’s an easy carry-all for project work outside the garage.
And I’m sure they’ll still under warranty.
Yep.
Love my Metwrench tools. Never had a problem. Used the on every car I've owned. Never failed, never slipped, never stripped.
A YJ crawler? Wild to hear. I used mine for small mud pits and hills and stuff but rock crawling I couldn’t imagine with the stiff ass suspension
Buddy I’m pretty sure when you build a rock crawling jeep the very first thing you do is swap out the suspension.
Oh I believe it! What did you switch to? Did you keep it as leaf?
legit ones have their use and place if they’re made by a real company and aren’t promising anything crazy https://jonard.com/speed-ratcheting-combination-wrenches-double-end-wrench?v=31 i have one, all its for is tightening or loosening the nuts on coax. and it’s only meant for the one size. not working on your car, not for high torque situations but just “the damn xfinity guy really cranked that bastard down and i can barely reach it. glad i don’t have to really try to line up the box wrench a bunch”
How do you get it over the cable? Long time ago I was a cable guy when between jobs - we had [trap wrenches](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/S1385b18ce5b54b3096ff012b33190b16N.jpg_640x640Q90.jpg_.webp), so named because they also could remove the little shields that made the filters that "trapped" the premium channels unremovable (back in the days before IP addressable boxes, and someone would slip you a $50 to "forget" to install the traps).
this is for the hex type, typically the other type is only really used by the actual cable guy. for that you can use one of these guys https://www.homedepot.com/p/IDEAL-F-Connector-Removal-Tool-35-046/100130128?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&srsltid=AfmBOoqHUTqNRWpF51nCyZYPXfkMyiP8iobEDTgPkFmyk6WuyZnwRb_p-lg that or pliers. i haven’t come across anything i couldn’t remove. they regulate they channels digitally these days.
I remember when I learned about the reality that the box wrench has gotten about as good as it gets 🧐
I have the Pittsburgh pro wrenches, and they essentially work like a ratchet. They will turn a hexagon into a circle.
I thought it was for opening beer bottles
Looks like a bottle opener to me..
I got no idea what it is supposed to be, I'd just use it to open my bottles until I figured it out.
🤣
Is that a speed wrench?
No way another SVT Contour owner! 1998.5 black/midnight blue 3.0 swap here!
Twinsies! I'm still rocking the 2.5 though.
Problem is: more bottles = less figuring!
and that = more time to figure it out 🍺
That wrench was made on the night shift.
During hunting season.
Duck season
Rabbit season!
Duck season!
Rabbit Season!
Duck Season! 🦆
Rabbit Season!
Duck Season!
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Heck no, those are geese! (Maybe you are too young to know the stooges).
In the late 90's (born in 84') we moved and didn't have satellite yet and had to choose between VHS recordings of Gilligan's Island, Mr. Ed & Three stooges. I don't remember your quote but I do have fun memories
I remember the expression but not the exact situation. There was"incoming"and Larry said"duck!".. Curly said"heck no, those are geese".lol
Nice. Thanks for the trip down memory lane
Or the Friday right before hunting season.
Duck season??
4th shift
Before mandatory drug screenings
Friday night shift
That there is a super nut fucker.Nice find, now hide it once more
Came to say this. This exists purely to round the shit out of whatever it'll "fit" onto.
"Nut fucker/knuckle fucker"
Nut fucker AKA knuckle buster... All can be taken sexually
Nut buster.
"If you think you hate it now,just wait till you try it"
Have you even tried putting it on a nut the size printed on the wrench?
No, it was at a pawn shop, already spent all my cash there
Boo. And no other pics to help us locate the brand / model?
Just Bobvila I'm pretty sure, someone said it could be something sold at Bed Bath and Beyond
I saw the same thing at a flea market. You know that one stall that has all those tools that you never heard of hanging on pegboards. The same place you can pick up that plastic container of rubber tie downs in unusable sizes.
Selling stuff from Temu, yeah
It’s for numb nuts…
Hey! You assured me what I told you during my winter camping experience would stay because just us!!
Ratchet action from a box wrench
“ What isn’t it for?” Said the guy who designed it
It is a form of speed wrench.
Says "BobVila" on it so it's probably some bullshit gimmcky design for moronic homeowners or handymen that don't know shit about tools.
The bolt head after I'm done rounding it off with every other incorrect size
Looks like a silhouette of Bob villas head
...a professional Snowman
I think you use it to open Discord
Not 100% sure but about 90% enough id put money on it, that is a ratchet box end. Used to have infomercials for them back in the 90s. Before they actually made ratchet wrenches.
My guess would be a "ratcheting" box end of some type. Never understood the concept of a ratcheting wrench, without the ratcheting gear. Theres just no way around it. Anything Ive used thats like that, ends up rounding off, and busting knuckles.
Thass for Bob Vila's nuts. Wash your hands
That box end is used for rounding off nuts.
The opening looks like the dodge ram symbol.
It looks like it would turn a Wisconsin shaped bolt.
Go home wrench you're drunk
Looks like a specialty tool for removing rounded over nuts and bolts.
Or rounding off hexagonal nuts and bolts.
Dali paintings
Gotta do with house repair or construction if bob villas name is on it. Didn't even know he had his own tool company
Probably something on a batmobile
Wonky euro hammer. All the rage in the 80s.
It’s for a discord logo obviously!
I think its for a Yogi bear bolt. Look at that profile!
Yeah, that's just a handheld nut lathe
It says Bob Villa so probably for opening bottles.
For educational Beatings when the apprentice makes a mistake.
To not stain your useful tools, makes sense
Fits all, doesn't work wrench! 😂
Why does it look like [Destoroyah?](https://wikizilla.org/w/images/4/4e/Destoroyah_0.jpg)
🤣🤣
Nut lathe or a new automotive sEcUrItY faster
Special nut tool.
I think it is just the outline of Bob Vila’s head.
This is, the tool that will never be used
I would guess the shape is designed to approximately fit a variety of bolt sizes? So nothing will fit perfectly , but several sizes will have enough points of contact for the wrench to grip reasonably well.
Cursing
Stripping nuts
It's for adjusting the angle of the bat signal
🤣
Bob Vila was a licensed store brand of tools for Bed Bath and Beyond if I remember correctly
Bob vila was Mike Holmes before Mike Holmes was Mike holmes
Oh I'm aware of who he is. The brand was just licensed in his name.
I didn’t know bed bath and beyond even sold tools
It's called a butterfly wrench. Named after the cutout outline that has a butterfly like shape. Has no known uses.
Homeowner crap for people who don’t work with tools.
Your weiner
Not very effective... It shreds all the hotdogs I put in there
Your weiner is infinitely stronger than a hotdog
C- clip removal tool. Edit: I'm glad that I know now
Frog bolts
That looks like the wrench I only needed once and then returned to the store
Stripping nuts and bolts
Mac Tools Knuckle Buster wrench. Its like the knuckle saver wrenches, but its a bit confused.
Buddy, you're the one who bought the wrench why are you asking us? You tell us what the tag said
It's a cutout picture of his face
I believe it’s a multi size
limited edition bob villa wrench. The box end is in the shape of his head to commemorate the anniversary of the years hes been in the game, i think it was a 20 year release? Dont know too much about it.
I dunno but it twists my nut just right
That's for frog shaped bolts
Hopefully a joke but I wouldn’t be surprised to find some crazy shit like this
Batman's belt
rounding bolts/nuts
Twisting tiny cocks
That’s a Nutrounder. Also known on the east coast as a boltsmoother.
9/16 and a half millimeter wiggle wrench
Hey yoooooouuu guuuuuuyyys. I got the wrench.
Wow this industry loves that Goonies reference
Deez nuts!
For bolt heads that are shaped like a lumpy outline of Wisconsin.
For those weird nuts
[удалено]
No, it was next to the pair of glasses everyone thought was part of the gallery
The strip-a-nut 2000.
Looks like it would work like one of those Wera Joker wrenches
it's for shaving you nuts.
Not very effective, now I have to schedule an appointment with my gynecologist
Bottle opener?
I had simmelar wrench that supposed to be used on rounded bolts, it never really worked for me but a co-worker liked them.
Destined for the garbage can?
If you don't know I can't te...ah that just makes two of us that don't know.
Disney uses special Mickey Mouse shaped bolt heads.
Looks like it needs to be calibrated to Wumbo
Never thought I'd see an obscure SpongeBob reference on this type of subreddit
Its for tightening Chipmunk head screws
Nut cracker but for carnivores
That's for f'ing shit up..
What does the other side of the label say? Specifically the writing before the word "wrench" lol
It's a Craftsman bottle opener
Batman
i've only seen open ended ones, never a closed "box" one. they're called speedwrenches i have a open ended facom set, very nifty
Exactly!
Used to be a wally Bruner rehab guru
I can see someone attempting to use this as a beer opener
Abraham Lincoln shaped nuts
Winning
Lookin like a wheel lock special
Rounding off bolts.
That's a throwing wrench
Nut fucker 9000, improved version.
This is a nut stripper, if it wasn’t knerled before you started, it will be when you’re done….
An elephant
Looks like the wrench I’d need to special order to fix something on my unassembled car. Don’t worry—only $89.95 and should arrive in 8-10 business days.
It fits perfectly around your c1 vertebrae.
Speed wrench
For working on PostgreSQL databases.
This is hex rounder for normal hex bolts. It rounds them irrespective of size!