6 Brands We Love
You’ve probably come across countless people talking up brands and products that they swear by (which a lot of the time they are sponsored). This is not the case with us. We believe there’s no harm in praising great companies that produce quality products and support their communities. After all, we aim to do the same with our own work and brand.
Here is a short list of some of our favorites that meet the needs of a variety of makers; from woodworking, metal work, and much more. Keep in mind that we primarily work with metal so some you will see are more strongly geared toward the craft. Make sure to also check out our plsmithed Amazon store and get access to more tools and products we recommend working with.
1 - Dovetail Workwear
Designed and made for women by women, they make “top-to-toe, all-season, all-reason” utility workwear. Widely known for their pants and overalls, these badass gals also offer a diverse body of gear from boots, belts, gloves, and dog-jackets (yes, even something for your best pal!). The three women behind the company tell their story beautifully on their social media, but we’ll try to sum up the greatness here.
Part of their mission is to encourage women to enter and succeed in non-traditional occupations, which these days thankfully seems to be a growing popular opinion. One way they do this is through their blog Women At Work where they feature females and their work, highlighting their background and sharing their story. Just another wonderful way they support their community.
I was first introduced by a friend and snagged a pair of the Freshley overalls (right before we found out we were expecting). Just when I thought it couldn’t get better, I discovered they even make a pair of maternity pants! Little did I know I could have my belly feeling snug and comfy while forging. Another product I recommend is the Anna Taskpant. You don’t want to miss out on feeling and looking good in all the hard work you do!
2 - ISOtunes
Lightweight, durable ear protection that keeps you safe and happily jamming to your favorite tunes in the shop — In reality that is only scratching the surface. ISOtunes is a family owned business that started based on their strong passion for changing lives and interest in the advancement of hearing technology. They are a transparent and authentic brand that stands by their mission. On top of generating new and innovative noise cancelling head phones, they give back to their community through product donations, sponsorships and more.
They offer a variety of looks and types, fit for all different life styles (beyond making) including sports, etc. We recommend the FREE 2.0 as the wireless feature functions best for us especially when having to stop to take a phone call, or listen to the baby monitor. Even better, the small case makes it super easy to carry around and charges lightening fast!
3 - Harris Products
Harris Products is owned by the powerhouse company, Lincoln Electric. Harris is one of our favorite brands to use for our metal work. One of the huge benefits of using their oxygen/acetylene torches is applying the heat in a concentrated zone. In forging, it's important to get the heat right where you want it so that it moves how you might expect. The metal moves wherever the hottest section is. Oppose to using a coal forge where it isn’t possible to heat one small section. There is so much versatility in what you can do with one of their torches from heating, cutting, welding, and brazing. You can do it all by switching out the different tips or attachments.
Using an oxyacetylene fuel torch is similar to TIG welding, having the ability to weld and braze. In fact, the technique used is very similar! So if you are trying to learn how to TIG weld, using a gas torch will help you in developing the hand eye coordination you need, along with the ability to accomplish different tasks such as cutting metal.
We choose to use Harris Products because the equipment they make is of incredible high quality. Just by holding one of their torches, you can feel how well built every component is. They also have a ton of awesome accessories that you can use.
If you choose Harris Products, you will never regret it, we promise you that. They have great customer service, fantastic resources for learning, and outstanding equipment. Also, as an FYI, they have an amazing offer called their Beyond Repair Trade-In Program, where you can trade in ANY BRAND equipment and get NEW Harris equipment!! It's your perfect chance to give Harris a try if you don’t already have some equipment.
4 - AmeriBrade
AmeriBrade is a small company in California that makes top notch quality 2x72 belt grinders right here in the USA. Almost all of the components on their machine are manufactured by them in house, with some other services (like powder coating the chassis’s) sourced locally, supporting other small businesses. This company truly changed the course of our making journey in the best way possible. When we added one of their 2x72 belt grinders to our shop, a whole new world of possibilities opened up for us in terms of what we could make and the efficiency at which we could make it. We used to use one of those 1x30 grinders you can get at Harbor Freight and it was just a headache to use, always stalling with fairly light pressure. The AmeriBrade 2x72 has a 2hp motor that won’t stall, with its pushing the steel in as hard as you can! It just eats metal (in the best way).
The owners of AmeriBrade, Eric Aube and Keven Roark, are genuine, great people that truly care about their customers. If you follow their account on Instagram and watch their stories, you'll see how obvious that is by the way they engage with their audience. They started as friends that worked together at an aerospace company, where Eric was an engineer and Keven a CNC programmer. As a home built project, they worked on developing their own 2”x72” belt grinder design. From there, they took a chance at perusing their own small business in selling these machines. In 2016 AmeriBrade was born.
It is apparent that these guys put their heart and soul into all they have to offer, and that passion is reflected in the quality of their tools. The main product line currently is of course the grinder itself, but they are constantly coming up with ideas for attachments and tools to use with the grinder itself. For example, they make a surface grinding attachment that you can pop right in to the chassis, to get your workpiece perfectly flat, and dialed in to the exact thickness you need.
Another recent addition to their lineup of accessories is a knife sharpening attachment. They personally design and manufacture each product with their goal in mind to improve the end-users experience and productivity. There are other companies out there that sell belt grinders, but AmeriBrade is in a league of its own because Eric and Keven aren't just trying to sell you a high quality product, they're trying to provide you with the best experience you'll have ever using a tool.
If you're looking to add a belt grinder to your arsenal of tools, we highly recommend that you look into AmeriBrade. They offer multiple different packages that can suit your needs or budget. You can also order components à la carte to build your own custom package. If you need to call them with any questions, you'll more than likely have Eric or Keven answering the phone (which these days is quite rare to speak with the owner directly). They will answer your all of your questions and guide you in the right direction to meet your grinding needs.
5 - Online Metals
When it comes to sourcing metals for a project, our go-to place for what we need is Online Metals. They have one of (possibly the most) best selection of materials that you can order online. Whether we're forging tools and need a specific grade of steel, or making a branding iron and need a specific size of brass, they always have what we need. You can place an order of different sizes or shapes of the certain material you need, (with no extra cost for cutting to the size you need) and no minimum amount of material in your order. On top of that, the shipping is super fast! Seriously, it's only 1-2 days for most anywhere in the U.S. We've been in pinches where we were getting a bit too close to the deadline on a project and they got the material we ordered right to us.
Another perk they have is that they'll give you a free Mill Test Report on whatever material you're ordering so that you know for a fact that you're getting what you need. Steel can look all the same and it would really be unfortunate if you're making a tool, knife, or something that has to be hardened (after all the hard work you’ve put in) and it turns out that it can't be hardened because it's not the correct material.
They have awesome resources and articles on their website that you can use to learn about the different materials and what applications they can be used for. For example, they added a section on their website that is all about bladesmithing , what materials you can use, and why. Right on that page, they have a direct link that filters all of their materials that apply to the use in bladesmithing. It couldn't be easier to get what you need, all while also learning about why you will need it to enhance your work. We love their customer service as well. If you ever have a question about a material, they have actual people you can talk to that will help you. They'll even source a material that you're looking for if you can't find it on their website. It really couldn't be easier to get what you need, all just by ordering online.
This company is a one stop shop for all of your metal (and even plastic) needs. Whether it’s tool steel that we use in forging tools, or brass to make branding irons, we always use online metals to source materials. They have all different shapes and sizes of materials, odds are they have whatever it is you are looking for! the shipping is super fast!
6 - Montana Brand Tools
Montana Brand Tools make some of the best drill bits and accessories that go along with those bits that you'll ever use. One product that we absolutely love is their 4-in-1 compact modular drill and driver. Once you chuck the bit in your drill, you can drill, countersink, counterbore then flip the insert around by releasing a locking collar to use the driver side. It makes it so fast and easy to set screws in whatever woodworking project you’re working on.
Montana has you covered with making the plug inserts with their self centering plug cutters. The benefit of these over traditional plug cutters is that you can use them in a handheld drill rather than in a drill press. There is a spring loaded point in the cutter that will keep in centered while cutting the plug. Once it's cut, you just pry the plug to the side with a screwdriver and the plug will pop right out!
In addition to the drill and driver bit, they have a version that is self centering with a spring loaded, perfect for when you need to drill holes for hinges and get the pilot hole in the right spot, every time. If you're looking to pick up some of their tools for woodworking, definitely check out their 53 piece woodworking set. It comes with the 4-in-1 drill and driver, the self centering drill and driver, the self centering plug cutters, a set of awesome brad point drill bits that are extremely sharp, a set of titanium coated drill bits, and a bunch of extra drill bits and driver bits.
They also make an awesome set of cobalt drill bits that are excellent for metalworking. We use these every time that we have to drill a hole in some steel. They cut extremely well and stay sharp for a long time.
The best thing about any of the tools that Montana Brand Tools offer warranty for life! If a drill bit ever chips or breaks during normal use, they'll send you a replacement at no cost. You may be recognizing a pattern here with the brands that we love, the customer service for each is amazing!
Supporting the Community
One way we do work with brands is to support the maker community. For example, reaching out to them to see if they have interest in product donations for networking events such as the Maker Camp, organizations like And They Make. or give-aways for online challenges such as May for Makers.
Gaining sponsors and/or promoting different brands doesn’t have to be about yourself. In fact, today many businesses are more interested in promoting togetherness than ever before. Part of plsmithed’s mission community promotes over competition, so it is obvious we prefer to work with brands that align with our values. We encourage you to reach out to some of your favorites (the worst you get is a “no”). Take the time and have a look at these amazing companies. We believe at least one thing is bound to be of value to you!
