Review on Premium Park Tool Tap Handle: Ideal for M4-M12 Metric Taps by Chris Wheeler

Bought this model after buying a smaller one. I'll just copy and paste this review below as almost everything applies to both models (and both items I received). I was pretty happy with the smaller one, but a little less with it because it required a bit more cleaning and there was still an issue with moving jaws. Unless it's a design feature I don't understand, Park should contact their factory to resolve the issue and get the moving jaws working. All in all these are good tools to buy and they fill a valuable niche in the market these days. Copy and paste as follows: I have a lot of park tools, but I have this crank for general use (in all my years with a bike I've never had to thread a thread on anything. Fingers crossed). It's a really good deal for a well-made tool, and it's harder to find really good straight collars these days that are either not made of die-cast zinc or don't cost a lot of money for something like Starrett or other engineering brands. I contacted Park in advance to inquire about the actual length and materials, and all I got from the rep was that they were made in Taiwan (not bad) and that the bolsters were brushed steel, but he did not know if the body was made. or not. Well, both the body and the polished steel bolsters are excellent! Unfortunately the movable jaw was a complete failure on mine, but instead of getting it back I was able to fix the inside of the V-neck and the outside edges don't matter, especially for the smaller faucets they were designed for. The jaws on this model are an unconventional design where the moving element is internally threaded - no doubt for the sake of simplicity and cost savings, although it does allow for margin for error and less strength (perhaps more important for the larger model they offer). The articulating handle retains traditional right/left threading for quick jaw movement. The fixed sponge engages with the threaded handle about a turn and a half, which doesn't inspire confidence. Overall draw length is approximately 7-1/2 inches. I only had to remove a few very minimal burrs on the case to keep it running nice and smooth. It's a bit annoying that the make/model engraving is upside down (most people put the moving part on its right side and hold it with this tool so it's upside down. No big deal). Aside from having to fix a defect in a jaw, I am very happy to be able to get a cheaper true steel collar and would highly recommend it. I would also go for a larger model if the handles were a bit longer, but I think it's too short to fit comfortably for my needs (fine for bike work, although it's acceptable even with the larger faucet sizes). Not sure what I think about the Park rep not knowing their own product or not taking the time to find an answer for me before replying - maybe it's a sign of the times.