Over appetizers and drinks at Suzanne Tarr’s home in Selah, a group of women talk home improvement.They discuss how tricky it is to count the hash marks on measuring tape and the difficulties of using a caulking gun.

But Erika Larson shows them an alternative to the big and heavy tools their husbands and fathers used.

Larson is one of 500 consultants for Tomboy Tools, a company that offers home improvement tools and techniques for women. The company was formed in 2000 by three Denver women, Janet Rickstrew, Sue Wilson and Mary Tatum, who enjoyed home improvement but were frustrated with the tools they had to use.

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