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November 16, 2007

Tight

I once heard a classic car that had been lovingly restored referred to as "tight."

I could tell right away the exact meaning: the doors closed tightly, the motor purred, the car cornered with grace, yadda, yadda, yadda.

So when I find something that's tight, I like to talk about it, if only for the chance to use the word.

What got me thinking about tight is the Reflections by Simonton replacement windows I just opened on a replacement site. I was pleasantly surprised when I worked the action on this window: It opened with just the right tension and closed just the same. The rubber weather strip on the screen feels … well ... tight. But in a good way. The locks close, the sashes line up. I also like the miter joints on the sashes; they're precise and clean, while the vinyl radiuses back into the glass gracefully. No gnarly transition. The new color, called Driftwood, is also terrific. Bottom line, these windows are tight.

And there's one more thing: when I logged on to Simonton's website to hyperlink this blog, I found a contest where you can win a watercraft! Check it out.

If you win, will you give me a ride?

Here are a couple other tight things that have landed on my desk that I'm excited to put to work for upcoming reviews on HGTVPro.com:

LS Starrett's contractor-borne 5-in-1 ProSite Protractor. This is an upgraded model of the already indispensable original. And the upgrades look smart — everything from determining angles for cutting crown flat to finding roof pitches — all laser-etched into the tight aluminum tool body.

Field and Stream Brush Pants. These cotton pants have a Cordura-like overlay from thigh to ankle. I'm putting them on my jobsites now, so I can't say anything about them yet other than they look and feel, yes, tight. And I can't find the website for the life of me. What I can tell you is that I bought them at Dick's Sporting Goods for about 30 bucks — an awesome price for jobsite-tough pants.

And the final tight product is more loose and groovy, than anything. Give this mellow fellow a listen. Let me know what you think.

What are you working with — from tools to windows to trucks to computer gadgets — that you'd describe as tight? Let us know. In the meantime, I'll be listening to the Tighten Up and tightening up some loose ends.

Posted by Mark Clement at 4:14 PM | Comments (2)