I took inventory of the RS case and confirmed that all was present.
The next thing I did was to feel each tamper and tamp onto a kitchen towel (as Dave/Cannonfodder did - except that I used a girly-man towel while Dave just used the counter). Here are some pictures of that.
It is nice that HB included some extra baskets and pistons. One problem is that the piston on the Lava Import has the stud stuck thereto (while it seems to be in the handle of all the other tampers). Ergo, it will not be possible to try this piston with any other handles. This is not a big problem since there are other EP pistons in the case.
Let me get my preconceptions out of the way. It is assumed that we ALL have preconceptions; it is just that some of you don't realize their presence.
C. S. Lewis said: "Five senses; an incurably abstract intellect; a haphazardly selective memory; a set of preconceptions and assumptions so numerous that I can never examine more than minority of them - never become conscious of them all. How much of total reality can such an apparatus let through?" Indeed!
A preconception is simply a perception or opinion formed beforehand; a bias. Look, I am 53 years old and have been highly opinionated for at least 50 of those years. Unlike many, I have learned to "listen" to my preconceptions...at least until I have hard or other evidence by which to judge. My preconceptions of the Road Show tampers were as follows.
1. The Pullman, Torr, Coffee Lab & Espresso Craft tampers would be really well made.
2. The EPNW tampers would be of merely "serviceable".
3. The Bumper tamper would be poorly made.
4. The Clicker tamper would be a "toy".
5. The La Forza & Thor tampers would woo me with their craftsmanship though Thor would be too light.
6. The two Reg Barber tampers would be an enigma.
Now, faced with the cold reality of the RS in front of me, only numbers 1 & 6 hold true.
The Pullman, Torr, Coffee Lab & Espresso Craft tampers are indeed very well made, but so are the EPNW and (surprise, surprise) the Bumper. In fact, of the whole kit I am most impressed by the dashing of my preconception that the Bumper in my hand has made. The pictures of the Bumper have always seemed to me to show too boldly the mold seam in the middle of the rubber handle. The reality is that the seam is there and is easily overlooked as the patina of production. The feel of the Bumper is definitely of quality and the weight is surprisingly heavy.
The EPNW made tampers are all of pretty good quality and, unlike some of the pricier tampers herein, use man-made materials for the handles. It is quite possible to make a really good espresso with any of the EPNW tampers. The Clicker is a serious tamper and has a good feel for both tamping and polishing.
The La Forza & Thor are nice and exude craftsmanship...but I find that in the flesh, I have no more appreciation for them than the other tampers in the RS. The Thor is anything but "too light" being one of the heavier tampers in the RS.
As for Reg Barber, I still don't get "it"...but please allow me to continue my "search".
Len