Single most useful tool in your shop

[Pabs]

Just interested to know - what are people's idea of 'their single most useful tool' in the shop?
Can be anything I suppose.
My marking knife / pencil was the first thing that came to my mind, followed up by my mini-square (and yes i've mislaid my proper marking knife)

Edit: Hand(s) are too obvious.

 

[TheUnicorn]

I use my speed square more than I ever expected to when I bought it, more than anything the flat surface and the lip mean you can find a square more by feel than by eye, a bit rough and ready, but I've always found the 90 degree to be accurate

 

[Inspector]

A brain. With a good one you can do anything.

Pete

 

[Yojevol]

A screwdriver.
I remember at uni we were introduced to the then new concept of brainstorming.
Task - come up with uses for a screwdriver. We found 129, everything from tent peg to contraceptive (don't ask)
Brian

 

[Just4Fun]

followed up by my mini-square

Funnily enough I have found a 25 mm square (bought about 3 years ago) gets more use than any other square, and I somehow enjoy using it. My most useful tool though has to be my bench. I just wish I had a good one.

 

[ChrisWiduWood]

I have many useful tools in the shop, but no day goes by without a machine square, 2H pencils and a sharpener. I like the hard crisp line a 2H gives and that along with a machine square is a winning start to any job!
I buy 2H pencils in bulk online (as they are hard to come by on the high street and often expensive) and always have a few sharpeners in my pocket, if you use a knife your throwing half the pencil on the floor.

That and the Kettle

 

[NickDReed]

A screwdriver.
I remember at uni we were introduced to the then new concept of brainstorming.
Task - come up with uses for a screwdriver. We found 129, everything from tent peg to contraceptive (don't ask)
Brian

Asking!

 

[HOJ]

A brain

 

[Sachakins]

+1 for speed square, never thought it was buying. Was given one as a gift, now gets more use than i ever thought it would.

 

[Jacob]

If I only had one it'd have to be an axe.

 

[Bristol_Rob]

The Domino.

 

[Pabs]

A screwdriver.
I remember at uni we were introduced to the then new concept of brainstorming.
Task - come up with uses for a screwdriver. We found 129, everything from tent peg to contraceptive (don't ask)
Brian

they like doing stuff like that for med school interviews etc thus ensuring people can actually communicate to at least a basic amount

 

[Pabs]

Asking!

I imagine it involves some kind of plugging / dowel action on the part of the male's contribution

 

[Bingy man]

as I often combine woodwork with metalwork my best most useful tool is my vernier gauge, it saves me from guessing and making time consuming mistakes.

 

[stuckinthemud]

Sloyd knife with 2” blade and wooden handle

 

[Stigmorgan]

Me.

 

[Jacob]

If I only had one it'd have to be an axe.

But if it was the most used, in a hand tool shop it'd have to be a jack plane - in use for 50% of the working time, or something along those lines. Record 5 1/2

 

[paulrbarnard]

But if it was the most used, in a hand tool shop it'd have to be a jack plane - in use for 50% of the working time, or something along those lines. Record 5 1/2

A 5 ½ is probably the most used tool in my workshop too. Though having just taken a step in to the dark side of power tools I’m thinking my MFT is seeing a lot of use now.

 

[Yojevol]

The question refers to the 'most useful tool', not the most used. A pencil may be the most used but other than drawing lines, it's pretty useless (brainstorming required). Even when it is used it's usually in conjunction with some other tool, in addition to a hand, to control it.
No, the most useful tools are multifunctional. I bought a Bosch multi tool (one of those Fein type machines) and I've used it for all sorts of jobs which I never imagined. Nowadays I'm using my Dremel a lot on my current small scale projects. Although I use it a lot, I won’t include my combo woodworking m/c because it's just a collection of individual tools.
Brian

 

[thetyreman]

the workbench