While Leatherman and Victorinox have established themselves as the pillars of multitool design, a much newer name has quietly worked its way into the thrown of stylish, meticulously engineered single-purpose tools. Since 2019, British workshop Metmo has impressed with a highly focused lineup of small pocket tools built to perform specific tasks with singular precision ... for 200 years a pop. This time, it tackles the ambitious objective of making fine-point tweezers even more precise and controllable. The result is the Precision Grip, a tool designed to secure the tiniest, squirrelliest of bits and bobs for micro-level tasks of all kinds.
Ever try working with very tiny parts using meaty sausage fingers? I have not because the world saw fit to equip me with rather slim, dainty fingers (not a humblebrag). But even with my lithe lady-digits, I still can't work with a tiny part without dropping it multiple times, often to find out 45 minutes later that it found the most obscure resting spot, farther away than I ever thought it physically possible to move.
Something as simple as resizing a metal watch band to my (slim and dainty) wrist becomes an aggravating, swear-laced afternoon rather than the quick morning checked-off to-do I envisioned. And that's with the set of fine tweezers that come with the watch adjustment kit I ordered just for the purpose.
Metmo (that's "Metal in Motion," if you're wondering) looks to alleviate those very types of headaches with a different style of precision tiny-part tool. It actually fell into the idea while developing its last release, the Pocket Grip, reasoning that a slimmer, finer-tipped lockable grip could be just as valuable, aimed at those whose work shrinks down near the threshold of visibility. Beyond someone just trying to get the right watch size, think actual watchmakers, model builders, electronics DIYers and basically anyone who has ever tinkered around with anything like tiny gears, screws, washers, ball bearings, etc.
The same patented early-20th-century locking wrench design that spawned the Pocket Grip underpins the function of the Precision Grip. A slimmer sprung knurled dial works within the sleeker Precision tweezer body to open and close the tweezer jaws and lock them in place. So you can squeeze that the piece, lock in the grip and ensure there's no chance of your manual finger grip slipping while holding a tiny, finicky part. This also allows you to securely hold a tiny item and work on it with both hands.
The aspect of the Precision that reminds us of a seesaw is the two-headed design, with the locking dial controlling the tilting between ends. The hardened fine-point jaws discussed so far are the ideal tool for small pieces, but for larger or more fragile work, the Precision Grip's opposite end works as a set of broader bent-tip tweezers with silicone-lined jaws. The two heads work inversely, with one clamping closed while the other is fully opened.
For its third party trick, the Precision Grip includes a wire clamp and bending vise between the bent tips and central pivot. To further the Grip's utility even more, Metmo has also designed various alternative jaws that can be quickly swapped in via a couple of small screws. These include longer needle-nose jaws for grabbing small parts in tight spaces, finer bent jaws, and jaws with external textured grips. It will offer these jaws in both stainless steel and titanium varieties and even plans to release a CAD file so users can 3D-print custom jaws for their own specific needs.
For times when you don't want to lock your tweezers in place on every grab – like if you're putting tiny hardware bits away into a container – you can set the Precision Grip jaws open and use the spring-loaded tips like standard non-lockable tweezers, instantly grabbing and releasing on demand.
As for the "200-year" label, that's a quality guarantee that underpins all Metmo's tools and creations.
"Metmo core products have a 200-year guarantee," the company states outright. "That’s why we individually machine each of our products and then check over each and every one before it goes out to you. Metmo core products are designed to last lifetimes and can be self serviced to keep them working in tip top shape for years to come. This means a broken or defective product can be repaired or replaced by us for free. If it’s a machining, mechanical or workmanship fault that’s ours, we’ll get you sorted."
Talk about heirloom-grade manufacturing. And it certainly speaks loudly about the level of quality for which the company strives to put into each and every product delivered.
Metmo offers several build options, starting with the 2.5-oz (70-g) hard-anodized black aerospace-grade aluminum model with stainless steel jaws, which it recommends for plastic work that doesn't require as much clamping strength. For an even stronger, surer grip, the 4-oz (115-g)surgical-grade stainless steel model is the way to go and can even withstand being sanitized in an autoclave. The 2.9-oz (83-g) Grade 5 titanium version, meanwhile, aims to offer that perfect balance of weight and strength for which titanium is prized (and priced).
Metmo is holding a Kickstarter for the Precision Grip, as it's done with all its previous launches. Supporters will find the black aluminum version at pledge levels starting at £89 (approx. US$118). The stainless steel version, meanwhile, slides into the picture at the £119 ($157) pledge level, while the titanium model leaps up to the £179 ($237) tier.
Sadly for those who like a little extra bling, the £320 24-carat gold-plated version is all sold out. On the bright side, that helped to make the campaign a wild success, with over $900K raised on a $13K goal with over three weeks remaining. Things are looking good so far, and if they continue in that direction, Metmo will begin sending out the first backer Precision Grips in June 2027.
Source: Metmo
