They're taking a lunch break 30 stories up on the framework of a new, high-rise office building, or finding a bit of shade as they rebuild homes and businesses in hurricane-ravaged Mississippi.

They're America's craftsmen—electricians, plumbers, carpenters, masons and other skilled construction workers. And while most are likely to be talking football, they don't mind talking about the hammers, chisels, wrenches, pliers, and other tools of their trade. In many cases, they pay good money for them, and treat the tools as family, because this is how they earn their living.

That's good news for the $1.7 billion hand tool industry, which is constantly developing new and perfected versions of the tools workers use to complete their work.

To meet customer demand, tool manufacturers are regularly in touch with major distributors and others who are key to getting the products to the end user. They also stay close to construction workers, soliciting ideas that result in new and improved professional hammers, saws, pliers, and other products.

By relying on focus groups and construction site visits with the workers themselves, tool manufacturers are translating the input into innovative new designs that help get the job done safely and efficiently. It's up to distributors and contractors to stay up to date on these innovations and select hand tools that are best for users.

New hand tool designs, for example, take several factors into account. Contractors, while always on the lookout for ways to get the job done, tend to stick with the tried and true when it comes to tools. Tradesmen are typically loyal to established brands with two major attributes—durability and performance. Highly-skilled electricians, plumbers, carpenters and masons demand long-lasting tools and they value durability. Mechanical contractors, who often work on razor-thin margins, look for performance. They need tools that will perform flawlessly and efficiently, time after time.

So what should users look for in quality hand tools? Above all, name-brand products that offer what's most important to the end user: tools that get the job done, backed by the peace of mind knowing the manufacturer will stand behind the product. But there are also many other attributes to consider, as popular line extensions are constantly growing.

Construction contractors should consider attributes that improve ergonomics and alleviate injuries, even in time-tested, little-changed tools such as hammers.

For example, while hammers on the market are still based on forged steel designs, selecting a model that evenly distributes the weight across the tool can prevent injuries versus one plagued by a top-heavy design. Swinging an unwieldy hammer all day long inevitably takes a toll on the user.

Comfort is also key. Workers in focus groups continually address the need for grips that are not only durable, but offer comfort and a steady grip. As a result, manufacturers are now offering models with co-molded and over-molded plastic grips, which integrate two types of plastic into a single grip—one that ensures construction site-caliber durability and a second built for a comfortable, tactile grip. While co-molded and over-molded designs are gaining in popularity, it is inevitably up to the user to decide if these models are right for them. For example, workers in the HVAC trades rejected the co-molded handle on aviation snips because it created a hard textured grip that tended to cause blisters.

Multiple function designs are also gaining in popularity. Contractors typically shy away from "gimmicks," but at the same time, they see value in quality multi-function tools. For example, many contractors rely on pliers coupled with wire cutters or a fish-tape puller to pull and tighten wire. Such multi-function tools improve efficiency and safety by saving workers from multiple trips to the toolbox, and these models should last as long as their single-function counterparts.

To ensure safety, manufacturers often turn to academia for guidance. Researchers at The Ergonomics Center at North Carolina State University tested a new hammer from Cooper Hand Tools that features an air pocket in the middle. The tool leverages its empty core to significantly absorb vibration during constant use. Advances are also constantly being adopted for other lines, such as locking pliers and adjustable wrenches.

For ironworkers and other highly skilled members of the construction trades who can make hundreds of dollars a day, heavy-duty tools that are durable and dependable are a must. When they are three or four stories above the ground, they don't want to have to come down to get a replacement for a tool that has failed. Similar thoughts are expressed by mechanical contractors who travel from job to job, installing boilers and other large machinery, and, they too, often work on very thin margin.

Maintaining the momentum to meet the demands of the construction trades requires an interaction between distributors, users, manufacturers and inventors. Distributors expect the industry to develop the products that will meet the needs of the end users, and the sales force solicits ideas from the workers and contractors who are the end users.

Innovations in the hand tool industry go far beyond the immediate needs of contractors and workers. Distributors hear from a lot of inventors and other forward thinkers who provide ideas for new products and ideas. In a sense, they run the show when it comes to the future. At the same time, distributors and manufacturers stay close to consumer trends in other areas. They would like to see flexible new products that can adapt to different marketplaces or end users.

New product lines with line extensions provide this flexibility and ease of use, and a wide distribution network makes them easily accessible. These factors keep the billion-dollar industry innovative and attentive to the changing needs of its distributors, customers and ultimately, end users.

Though today's vastly improved wrenches, pliers and other implements being offered to the building trades are responsive to the changing needs of the end user, they maintain the same quality and durability as the hand tools your great-grandfather might have used years ago.