Mister Jalopy in Japanse tool collector magazine

Mister Jalopy is the featured tool collector in the current issue of Factory Gear Magazine from Japan.

Not surprisingly, there is a Japanese mook (magazine/book) dedicated to obsessive tool collecting. Factory Gear Magazine dives into the toolboxes of World Rally Championship teams, Honda mechanics, F1 racing teams, German tool factories, stateside tool retailers and, much to my delight, Hooptyrides, Inc.

For 6 hours, the guys from Factory Gear cleaned, photographed, documented and considered hand tools that I forgot I even own. As the Factory Gear editor is also the owner of Deen Tools, it was not surprising that he and his crew were deeply knowledgeable about the engineering and manufacture of hand tools. They pointed out tiny details in construction that made one better than another -- details I had never noticed on tools that I use daily.

To say that I wonder what the article says would be to greatly understate my intense curiosity.

Link

[#1 posted by Freddie Freelance , April 18, 2008 2:57 PM]

Mister Jalopy in a Japanese magazine on obsessive tool collecting? Mister Jalopy should be a Japanese magazine on obsessive tool collecting!

[#2 posted by suffecientsongs , April 18, 2008 5:11 PM]

The caption reads:

"In the beginning, I just wanted tools to mess around with old things."

:D

[#3 posted by rancor01 , April 18, 2008 8:30 PM]

I might get around to translating some later... I gotta go now though! Check back in 6 hours..

[#4 posted by rancor01 , April 19, 2008 1:59 AM]

Ok, obviously I'm not gonna translate the whole thing, but the gist of the text is:

The writer of the article says that walking into this garage is like stepping back in time. Everything is old, and the garage is very large. The person (Mr. Jalopy) acquires everything he can from garage sales and flea markets. He got his start when his dad died and willed him all of his tools. Mr. Jalopy then needed to fix an old car, and became interested in the tools.

Overall not very interesting text... Hope that helps..

[#5 posted by dculberson , April 19, 2008 9:35 AM]

It's not just the collecting - it's his overwhelming sense of style that goes along with it. He really seems comfortable with his aesthetic, and it's really uncommon to see someone with such a large yet somehow still consistent collection of stuff!
My stuff ends up looking too random. I have a Crest guy phone and a Mayan ocarina, a 50's EEG and a didgeridoo. Ahh well, we can't all be as cool as Mr. J!

[#6 posted by Benjamin , April 20, 2008 9:39 AM]

japanse.