The humble hand tool is often overlooked in favor of a powered alternative. Why reach for a ratchet and socket when you can rip a fastener off its screw in seconds with an impact wrench, right? The same question comes up in just about every scenario in the automotive garage, at the woodworking bench, and beyond. No matter the project, there's often a power tool to get the job done.

But while power tools provide fast, effort-reducing efficiency (often at tremendous cost), they aren't always the right solution to problems you'll face under the hood or beyond. An impact wrench will quickly loosen a fastener, but it can also shear bolts with ease, giving you a totally new problem to work around. There is such a thing as too much power at times.

There's something incredibly intuitive about hand power, and it can't be replicated in even the smartest power tools. Knowing exactly where to cut to on your workpiece or tightening a fastener to just the right point is entirely human, and hand tools make this possible. However, not all hand tools are built with the same love and care. Some just sparkle in ways that a run of the mill ratchet, pocketknife, or coping saw can't. These are some of the special brands that users can't stop talking about, ranked in no particular order.