| Each year
at the National Hardware Show, retailers, manufacturers and
inventors come together to preview the latest trends, best
new tools, and
innovations in the hardware industry. Products exhibited
range from basic tools and lawn and garden equipment to
paint and décor items
and plumbing accessories. Here’s a look at a
trio of new products displayed at the National Hardware
Show this past May that are now available for purchase in
stores or on line.
Sudden water
temperature changes can be more than just an inconvenience –
at times, they can be downright dangerous. Tap water scalds
are the second most common cause of severe burn injuries.
The HotStop Anti-Scald Shower Head (pictured) helps prevent
such injuries.
When a person is showering and the water temperature
suddenly rises to an unsafe temperature, the HotStop quickly
drops the water flow to a trickle to avoid scalding. Once
the water in the line cools, the usual flow is automatically
restored. HotStop installs just like a standard shower head
and requires no special tools or plumbing expertise. The
HotStop Shower head is currently available for purchase from
retailers like Lowes for $24.99.
The Big Slider
Utility Mover was invented by a woman looking for a way
to move large items around her house when her husband wasn’t
around. The resulting product is a flexible plastic sheet
that can move up to 500 pounds on concrete. Best of all,
no lifting is required – a person simply tilts, loads
and slides the piece where it needs to go. The possible
uses are endless; the Big Slider Web site even notes
over 100. Among them, moving furniture, transporting
machinery in a work area, and hauling bags of grass, mulch
and fertilizer around the yard. The product has an
easy-to-grip handle on one side and comes with a rope for
items that need to be secured. Along with saving time, the
Big Slider also could save people a lot of back aches and
trips to the chiropractor. The Big Slider (available in
three different models priced
from $54.95 to $134.95) can currently be purchased through
the inventor’s Web site.
Designed specifically
for firefighters, police officers and first responders, the
6-N-1 Rescue Tool from Channellock® is a handy item to have
in the event of an emergency. This tool pretty much offers
up everything a professional needs to multitask during car
accidents, fires or other calamities. According to
Channellock, the tool’s “aggressive cross-hatch teeth twist
and pull anything that gets in your way”. The cutting edges
of the pliers have been laser heat-treated to make cutting
through wires and battery cables a breeze. A pry bar on the
end of one handle enables individuals to pull open doors and
windows, while the other handle is equipped with a slot for
shutting off standard gas safety valves and a spanner wrench
to tighten and loosen hose couplings. The tool also features
a steel punch that can be used to shatter glass.
Cargo-pocket size and lightweight enough to carry around,
this is the tool to have when disaster strikes. The Rescue
Tool can be purchased online at the Channellock Web site for
$69.89.
Next year’s
National Hardware Show will take place at the Las Vegas
Convention Center May 5-7, 2009.
|
|
Watch their
