The handles are very sturdy steel construction. I can actually plug a tire without bending the reamer now. Used it once already and it worked like a charm. The plugs are VERY hard sticky. To the point when getting one off the plastic was more of a chore than anything else during the plugging process. That’s a negative but also positive. Yes it was hard to get them off the plastic almost an act of god to get them off. But when you do it’s a solid bond. So the trade off is worth it. Just keep pliers to get them off that dern plastic.