Working with work pants

[mastercabman]

I know that there are reviews on those workwear,but i want to know how you feel about working with them?
Maybe some of you went from a toolbelt to work pants/shorts.Do you like the pants better? or do you wish to go back to the toolbelt?
I have always work with a toolbelt.Lately,on a few projects,i have worked without the toolbelt and i kind of feel good not having the belt around my waist.Plus i have the suspenders.
For those of you who works with workpants,Are there any drawback? What about sharp tools like utility knives or chisel?
Are they comfortable?  What about when you kneel down?
I guess at the end of the day,you just remove all the tools and put them away?
Any input would be great.I am thinking about getting started to order pants now for after the summer.

 

[BobKovacs]

I think it depends on the type of work you're doing, and how many tools you need to carry on you. When hanging crown, for example, I carry a tape, a pencil, a utility knife, a hammer and a nail set- that's not enough to require a tool belt, so shorts with a few pockets are perfect. If you're one of those guys who needs to have his whole toolbox on his waist, they're not likely to work for you.

 

[Brice Burrell]

I have blakladder pants and shorts with the utility (tool) pockets but I wear a tool belt almost all of the time.  I like to be able to take my belt off for the tasks that only need a couple of tools.  The extra material of the pockets doesn't get in the way of wearing my tool belt at all and it's only slightly warmer on the hottest days.  I keep sharp tool out of the pockets.  For me it's mostly about the knee pads in the pants and I thought I'd give the shorts a try since they are well made and should last a few summers. 

The Blakladders are the cheapest brand but their tool pockets are fairly generic, other brands have pocket more like tool belts. 

I'll stick with my tool belt since I like the convenience and like you I use suspenders on my tool belt to take the weight of the tools.     

 

[Kristian]

In Denmark (and I think in most of Europe) there hasn't really been a history of using the tool belt but today almost every worker uses work pants with holster pockets and knee pads. I own several Snickers pants and enjoy working in them. The knee pads are a must-have in work pants. They of course protect your knees when working on the floor or concrete but they also help keep your knees warm when working on say a cold roof in the winter.

The holster pockets of course don't hold as many tools as the tool belt but they are still very handy. I mainly use them for nails, screws, shims and for the hand tools I'm currently using. They are made of a stonger materials than the rest of the pants but I rarely put chisels in them. There are small pockets on the outside of the holster pockets and they are perfect for utility knives, screw drivers and so on. On the side of the right trouser leg there is a deep pocket for folding ruler and pencils easily accessible even when kneeling down.

One drawback is that if you load too many tools into the pockets or in belt clips they will start to fall down... So if I need to carry a drill with me or a nailing gun I will normally carry it in a belt clip in a separate belt. But a hammer fx. is no problem at all.

So I would highly recommend them but as mentioned I don't have much experience working with tool belts. One thing I have always thought about the tool belts though is that, as much as I could appreciate having most of my tools around me, I would feel weighed down and limited in my movements in small, tight spaces like attics, crawl spaces, narrow cabinet spaces and so on.

- Kristian

 

[Jonhilgen]

I'm a big fan of Duluth trading company firehose work pants.  Plenty of pockets.  That being said, I wear a small single pouch belt for cabinet installs, its just easier to get at my tape or utility knife that way instead of fumbling through my pockets on a ladder.

Jon

 

[mastercabman]

Good info so far.I think i may go ahead give them a try.If it something i don't like about it,i can always put the belt back on.
The only tools i want to carry are; Tape measure,utility knife,5 in 1,nail setter,pencil,10 in 1 screw driver,cutter/plier;3/4"chisel, and maybe a few screws.
I do know Blaklader brand, what other brand should i consider to look at? How do they fit?(loose/tight?)

 

[Kristian]

Snickers pants are called 'Skillers Workwear' in the US. They are fairly loose in their fit.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I almost never wear a nail bag in someone's finished house.
Too much of a chance to dent/ding something.

I have been wearing an apron when I am doing installs or running trim.

 

[vwdave]

I've been wearing the blaklader bantam shorts or pants with the utility pockets for 2 years now.  They are a nice light weight material and still rugged enough for the job site.  I only have a 3 pairs so they get washed after 1-2 wears and the shorts in my ug cart video are almost 2 years old. I like the utility pockets because if I'm working in the house or doing some final punchlist work I can carry just what I need.  The pockets aren't to bulky when I'm wearing my tool belt, and I love that if I need a place to put a couple screws or nails I can put them in the utility pockets and not get mixed up in my tool pouch pockets.  Another cool thing about the utility pockets is they keep the dust out of you normal pocket, it stays hidden under them and the utility pocket can easily be dumped out.

Dave R

 

[BobKovacs]

I have been wearing an apron when I am doing installs or running trim.

Is it a gingham pattern with frilly trim on the bottom?  [scared]

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I have been wearing an apron when I am doing installs or running trim.

Is it a gingham pattern with frilly trim on the bottom?   [scared]

No, it says kiss the carpenter. [big grin]

 

[Brice Burrell]

Good info so far.I think i may go ahead give them a try.If it something i don't like about it,i can always put the belt back on.
The only tools i want to carry are; Tape measure,utility knife,5 in 1,nail setter,pencil,10 in 1 screw driver,cutter/plier;3/4"chisel, and maybe a few screws.
I do know Blaklader brand, what other brand should i consider to look at? How do they fit?(loose/tight?)

The Skillers/Snickers brad is no longer being sold in the US but there are a few others to look into, Bjornklader and Mascot.

 

[Brice Burrell]

......The pockets aren't to bulky when I'm wearing my tool belt, and I love that if I need a place to put a couple screws or nails I can put them in the utility pockets and not get mixed up in my tool pouch pockets.  Another cool thing about the utility pockets is they keep the dust out of you normal pocket, it stays hidden under them and the utility pocket can easily be dumped out.

Dave R

Thanks for mentioning these things Dave.

 

[redbird]

Add me to the list of satisfied Blackladder customers. I did find that I needed to get the next size larger waist to fit properly though. I use the lighter version and here in SW lower Mich seem to work out just fine.

Gary

 

[Brice Burrell]

Add me to the list of satisfied Blackladder customers. I did find that I needed to get the next size larger waist to fit properly though. I use the lighter version and here in SW lower Mich seem to work out just fine.

Gary

I've found the sizing to be pretty to a true to size fit, there is some variation from pair to pair.  One important thing to remember when buying is to try to get the length right, too long and the knee pads will sit too low. 

 

[honeydoman]

I have both brands and prefer the bjornlader over the Blakenlader but not by much.

Been wearing them for 3+ years and I think I have 12 pair total so they work and like Brice said the knee pads sets them apart and a great reason to own a pair or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or more