Kelvin 36 SL: who the slim 36 is for

Kelvin 36 SL with its case and pouch
Kelvin Tools

The Kelvin 36 has been the flagship since the company started: thirty-six tools in a cast aluminium body you hold like a pistol grip. The feedback that led to the 36 SL was consistent. People with smaller hands liked everything about it except the width of the grip, and people who wanted to carry it liked everything except the weight.

What did not change

The tool count. The 36 SL carries the same set as the Kelvin 36: a SnapAction screwdriver arm that locks at 90 degrees, 26 double-sided CR-V bits, an alloy magnet for loose screws and nails, a cast zinc hammering surface, a 6 ft tape measure, an integrated liquid level, an LED flashlight, a knife or box-cutter bit, a corkscrew and a bottle opener. The ten-year limited warranty is the same too.

What changed

  • The body. Fibre-infused ABS with an ergonomic handle instead of cast aluminium. That is where most of the weight saving comes from.
  • The weight. 8 oz (about 227 g).
  • The size. 5.5 inches (14 cm) closed.
  • The carry. An ABS case and a colour-matched pouch in the box, so it is ready to go in a bag, a glovebox or under a tree.

Who it is for

Smaller hands. The grip is slimmer, the arm takes less effort to snap open, and the balance is closer to the hand. This was the design brief and it shows.

Carry rather than drawer. If the tool is going in a backpack, a tote or a glovebox rather than living in the kitchen drawer, the 8 oz body and the case make the difference.

Gifts. It is the one pick in the range that arrives ready to wrap, and the one we recommend when someone asks "which one if I do not know much about tools".

Who should still buy the original 36

If the tool is going to live on a workbench or in a truck and get used hard every week, the cast aluminium body of the original is the heavier, tougher option, and the extra weight does not matter in a drawer.

Colours

The SL comes in several colours; the product page shows what is in stock. The pouch is matched to the body.

See the Kelvin 36 SL

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