Evidently, Bic has decided that women can’t use normal pens and has decided to market a pen specifically for us. “Bic for Her” they call it because we need more pink crap. [I am not the only person who finds this demeaning and stupid. They have been inundated with sarcastic reviews on Amanzon.] I tweeted my indignation about this, and I asked what else do they think women need especially for us. You know, pink stuff. Do we need special hammers and power drills? I was quickly informed that the pink insanity does not stop with pens. There really are tools marketed especially for women, and yes they are pink. There are Little Pink Tools, which quite frankly make me want to hurl. There is also Tomboy Tools, which seems to be almost anything as long as it is pink. As if women can’t or won’t use something if it is not pink.
To be clear, I actually like the color pink. I use it in doses in my home decorating, and I have plenty of pink clothes, shoes, and jewelry. It is not my favorite color though. Pink does not mean something is “girlie,” and something does not have to be pink to be feminine. I am sure plenty of little girls love the color pink, but not that many women do. Women don’t need pink things just like girls don’t need pink legos or any other pink toy just for them. You know what kind of legos little girls like? They like legos, plain and simple. We could do a lot to end gender stereotyping if we stop shoving pink frilly stuff at girls and “manly” toys like guns and trucks at boys. If a girl likes pink and frilly stuff then great, but don’t assume just because she is a girl that that is what she wants and wouldn’t want to play with trucks and other stuff. And vice versa for little boys.
My sophomore year of college I moved into an apartment with several roommates. While moving in, I needed some basic tools. I think I was putting together a desk or something. I went to Walmart, and I bought a toolkit called Do-It-Herself. Yes, it was actually called this, and all the tools had baby blue handles, except for tools like the socket wrench, which were pure metal. I didn’t buy it for the silly name, and I certainly didn’t buy it because everything was matching baby blue. I bought it because it was a toolkit with a nice selection of basic tools that came in an organized, easy to store carrying case. I actually still have many of those tools, including the pliers, socket wrenches, and screwdriver. I still have some of the screwdriver bits too, but of course the philips bit has been replaced numerous time. It was a nice toolkit that fit my needs at the time. Looking back, I guess I should be happy that it wasn’t pink because evidently companies have decided that’s what we really want.
I am currently renovating the third house I have ever owned. I have renovated all my houses. With each house, the renovations have gotten more intense, and I have done more and more of the repair and renovation myself. Over the years of home ownership, I have bought more tools and replaced old ones or upgraded to better ones. Years ago, I bought a power drill and small drill bit case with bits of about ten different sizes. It served most purposes. Then years later, I bought a drill bit case with about 30-40 different sizes of bits. Last year I bought a circular saw, reciprocating saw, and a rotary tool. I’ve rented those before, but if you do enough renovation, it is cheaper in the long run to just buy them. You can also buy higher quality power tools than you can rent. Also when you rent, you have to buy your own blade anyway. And no, none of the tools I have bought since that original toolkit have been baby blue or pink or any other girlie color. I don’t buy tools because of how they look. I buy, or try to buy, tools that will last, that will work well, and that are reasonably priced. I would never buy a pink tool, partially because it is stupid, but also because if the tools is being sold because it is pink, then it is probably not being sold because it is a good quality, reasonably priced tool.
In short, women don’t need pink tools! We need good quality tools with easy to understand directions. We want them reasonably priced and easy to use. In the case of power tools, we want them to come to come with safety features, so we or anyone else who uses them doesn’t injure themselves. In short, we need exactly what men need.
For the record here are my tools, or almost all of them at least. You will notice a few baby blue ones from my original, aforementioned toolkit. However, not a single pink one among them.
My manual and power tools
Too right! I’m trying to buy my mum some, everything’s pink. I don’t mind the colour pink either, and I would buy them because being pink they’re funky, not because of the implied ‘girliness’ that is supposedly brought out by the colour. I’d quite like a nice deep red set. Why not jazz them up, just dont gender stereotype!!
I know, I’m a guy. But my wife loves to have pink stuff, including tools. Will I buy her the crappy set from Walmart because it’s pink? Absolutely not. But if I can find a reputable brand (The Original Pink Box, for example), what’s wrong with buying tools designed to be a little lighter, made for her smaller hands, and in a color she likes? I guess my point is that there is nothing wrong with buying a tool in the color you like, so long as the color isn’t chosen over quality. No different than anything else. I mean, I wouldn’t buy a Smartcar just because I liked the color.
Exactly. I have been in the construction business for over 18 years. I looooove my tomboy tools! I have small hands and these tools are made for smaller hands. My hands don’t hurt at the end of the day and the tools are high quality. I’ve had mine since 2000 (yes, 2000 17 years! ) the only thing I’ve had to replace is my tape measure. Every other tool I have is my original tool I purchased in 2000
Another pro to them is I have never had one walk off the job by one of the guys as many of my other “regular brand” tools did in the past quite often lol. I’m not a pink a girl nor a froo froo girl. But I love my tools! 🙂
I think the pink tools are a great idea if you can find them in a good quality that will last just like the others do because I was raised around carpenters all my life, and I love doing carpentry work and working with wood, So I love tools. (My tools) But unfortunately so does all the others in my family, and when I go to get my own tools, well I can’t find them because the guys has done swiped them on me, even if they have their own, if they come to mine first, then that’s what they will grab. I also love to go fishing but every time I got a fishing rod that I loved, my son would catch me gone and take off and go fishing with all his friends and half of the time I would never see my fishing rod again or it would be brought back with the line tangled or something not right with it,So I finally got so upset because every time I needed something and would go to get it, it would be gone, So I finally went and bought me some pink florescent paint and I painted my tools, my fishing rod and anything else that I thought they might take. Well I never had any more problems with them taking my tools and fishing rod again. Apparently they don’t like pink tools either, and that’s one reason I love the idea of them making pink tools.
Exactly. I have been in the construction business for over 18 years. I looooove my tomboy tools! I have small hands and these tools are made for smaller hands. My hands don’t hurt at the end of the day and the tools are high quality. I’ve had mine since 2000 (yes, 2000 17 years! ) the only thing I’ve had to replace is my tape measure. Every other tool I have is my original tool I purchased in 2000
Another pro to them is I have never had one walk off the job by one of the guys as many of my other “regular brand” tools did in the past quite often lol. I’m not a pink a girl nor a froo froo girl. But I love my tools!
I am a female remodeling contractor and I can’t STAND seeing pink tools! I have hated the color pink since I was a kid. I guess my mom raised me as a feminist. My husband always jokes and points out pink tools to me because he knows it gets under my skin.
I think pink tools are made cheaply because they are only for DIY projects. There’s nothing worse than having a tool break when using it.
I wonder how much Sears is making off their line of pink tool chests?
As this article says, I think that companies just use pink to boost sales.
I don’t think pink tools are the problem, I like all colors. If you like pink awesome. What is annoying is that I would like some tools made for women that have other color options that’s all. I think it’s the assumption that female tools must ALL be pink that is a bit frustrating.