Two weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a former Pacific Northwest salmon guide, Pat Reichner. Pat's now making a product called Holdzit Tool Savers that he said would clean, lubricate, and protect tools as well as prevent them from rusting, even in salt water! This I gotta see.

Pat kindly sent along a couple of samples and directed me to his Internet website at www.holdzit.com that held a lot of information, but also raised some questions, such as How can one sheath hold a variety of tool sizes and shapes securely?

I found out when two sheaths arrived last week. Each has a fairly dense packing inside that I'm guessing is some kind of cellulose. The packing is slit, so the tools slide in, and the material conforms to their shape. Though they're compact, the waterproof industrial vinyl outer jacket and packing stretch, and I had no trouble fitting large pliers into the standard Holdzit Tool Saver model.

Now what about all of this Stops Rust, Lubricates, and Cleans stuff? Again, the packing is the key. Each sheath comes with a vial of WD-40. "Saturate the inside with WD-40," Pat explained. "The whole trick is keeping the sheath lubricated and keeping your tools in the sheath. You can't over lubricate."

The Tool Saver and its smaller cousin, the Tool Saver Jr. for 3- to 4-inch tools, have end tabs for mounting, but no belt loops. The Dual Tool Saver [shown above] does, and it has openings for both pliers, etc., and a slit for a metal hook file.

But what's going to happen when I wade deep and salt water comes in from the top?

"After a few days of soaking the packing with the WD-40, cut off the tip of the end tab on the bottom," Pat said. "With the tip gone, salt water will drip out while the WD-40 stays in the pads. Every time you go fishing or you store your tools for a couple of weeks, spray it again, letting the pads re-absorb the lubricant."

Though the packing retained some water when I purposely submerged the Dual Tool Saver, it beaded up on my pliers and didn't look to be a threat. Pat pointed out that WD stands for Water Displacement.

WD-40 also lifts grime and the packing material is coarse, so my tools are sort of scrubbed clean when they're inserted and withdrawn. The closed WD-40 environment lubricated my pliers as well.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Tool Savers will keep my pliers and hook file rust-free through an entire season, but my preliminary tests say there's a very good chance they will, and even a good chance is better than none.

A few tackle shop owners said they'd heard of the product, but none stocked it yet. However, you can contact Pat Reichner at Holdzit Products, P.O. Box 575, Oregon City, OR 97045 (Telephone: 503-655-9576; E-Mail: pat@holdzit.com). Retail and guide program inquiries are welcome. Holdzit Tool Savers also come in a Mini style for small tools and hook files, and a Blue Water style for pliers up to 10 inches.

Tip: The sheaths without belt loops can be mounted on the side of a stripping basket.