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Does anyone know if there are any places cheaper than Paragear to purchase rigging tools? I'm doing a course and these things dont come fucking cheap.

go to a metal workshop, show them what you need and have a handcrafter do it for you. ask about prices first. the basics you need are not that tricky to make.
thats how i got most of my gear.
also write to airtec that you are an up and coming rigger and really like their company...they'll probably sent you a big kit of useful stuff if you're nice.

In 2006 I bought about $200 worth of tools from
Paragear at the direction of my then rigging
mentor only to later learn that:

a) this was expensive and unnecessary
b) you can make/find most of the items
c) Harbor Freight has some useful items
d) He/She was simply a reserve packer

Good Luck You Piker.

What course are you taking? I just got back from Daves in PA and he supplied all the tools necessary for the course with the option to buy whatever ones you felt you needed. I spent, maybe, $60 on the items I felt I would use the most/didn't want to fabricate myself.

It really depends on how much and what type of "rigging" you plan on doing; is it going to just be repacking your own gear, working in a full service loft, sewing/repair, repacking mostly Javelins, repacking mostly Racers, building your own gear, packing rounds; each type is going to take it's own set of specific tools.

Talk to the course director or talk to other riggers and see what tools they use the most or would recommend as necessary.

Start with the basics and add tools as you need them because buying the megasuperdeluxe Para Gear riggers kit is $$$ and you probably won't use half of the tools in it.

(besides, once you get your ticket, all you really need is the seal press anyways...) =;>

Seal press can be bought cheap on eBay.

if you are going to be a glorified packer all you really need is a PLD, two temp pins, a long cypres cord and a .22 cleaning rod. If you are wanting to do stuff on the cheap take the pile velcro off old toggles and stitch old pullup cord cord onto them, or just repack Wings :)

So in reality all you need to buy is the PLD and the temp pins. Shouldn't make you go bankrupt.

+ needles
+ fingertrapping needles
+seam picker
+scalpel
+templates
+simple sewing machine
+and when you have a simple one, why not buy that bernina 217 thats on sale for 1200 bucks?
+....

it added up quicker than i thought...

piano wire around a piece of pencil does wonders for a fingertrapping tool.

Airtech has as nice needle they include in a set of washers for Cypres.

Singer 31-15 $50 on craigslist with table and motor :)