This new tool you’ll want on your belt looks like a Vernier caliper, but it’s actually designed to beat the traditional monkey wrench at its own game – and then some.
Instead of rotating for adjusting its opening, the Renchi features jaws that slide along a linear axis with 12 locking plates for clamping force. It’s built for one-handed adjustment with a self-locking mechanism, so you can quickly slide and grip nuts of different sizes and get to work.
Speaking of nuts, the Renchi can open its maws wide, up to 3.15 in (80 mm), and features serrated tips to stably grip bolts so you can take on all kinds of fasteners. Tokyo, Japan-based brand Kougu Box says the tool’s design – inspired by a patent from 1897 – with its locking plates makes light work of stubborn bolts and anything that needs a whole lot of torque.
Renchi: The Modern Wrench Re-Engineered
The Renchi is made from three types of steel, selected for high tensile strength and surface durability. It’s also heat-treated for a ‘ceramic-like’ finish that protects it from scratches. Weighing just 7.4 oz (210 g) with a slim profile, it’s easy to stash in your pocket or compact toolkit, and get into tight spots for precise work.
Kougu Box
It may not look it, but this is actually a versatile multitool of sorts that makes it a worthwhile addition to your EDC loadout. The Renchi features a caliper with laser-etched imperial and metric scales, as well as a nut gauge. It can also serve as a clamping plier, and a gear hook to hang your bag and keep it off a dusty shop floor.
Next, the angled jaw on the opposite side of the calipers can open bottles in a pinch; the edge of the outer jaw doubles as a box cutter. You can also use the Renchi with a standard hex bit when you need a high-leverage driver.
Kougu Box
Clamp the jaws closed, and you’ve got a nail puller. In this state, the drop-forged Renchi is strong enough to be used as a hammer too. Lastly, you can easily take the whole tool apart, reassemble the jaws in reverse, and use it as a mechanical spreader to hold irregular-shaped objects while applying controlled outward pressure – making it useful for a range of craft projects.
With all these features and a unique design that eliminates all the rattling and imprecise grips of conventional wrenches, this tool could find frequent use in your workshop. It’s currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter, where it’s discounted from its expected retail price of US$119 down to as little as $89.
Kougu Box
All crowdfunding campaigns carry an element of risk, and this is Kougu Box’ first product on Kickstarter – so you’ll want to keep that in mind if you choose to back this campaign. For what it’s worth, the brand has extensively detailed the Renchi’s design and production process on its campaign page. It’s also racked up more than 400 backers at the time of writing.
You will have to wait a good while for this one, though – deliveries are estimated to begin in March 2027. Orders will ship worldwide, and shipping costs will be calculated once the campaign ends.
Source: Kickstarter
