For many years, I’ve maintained a small stock of screws. They come in an array of shapes – countersunk, cheese-head, round-head, the oh-so-Canadian fillister-head, and hex. I never stocked the hex-headed ones because I didn’t have the appropriate tools to turn them.
The trouble with most of these screws is that they have a simple slot for a flat screwdriver. There are reasons why we have invented the Robertson and Allen head screws: they stay on the tool and the tool doesn’t slip. Heck, even the Philips head is preferable, but not by much.
As I was using the nut driver to screw M0.6 screws into 622’s crank pins, it dawned on me that hex-head screws have all the same benefits as Robertsons. Not only that, but they look less screwish if they sneak into view on a model.
So for Christmas, I asked Santa to bring me a set of nut drivers, and she duly filled my stocking with them. It’s taken me half a pandemic year to get some packets of screws, but these will be the new standard. Unless I need a countersunk screw, it will be hex from now on.
Pembroke:87 
Rene,
Check out Micro Fasteners for your next order of hex screws. Much cheaper and bigger selection and quantity than Walters.
They have quite the selection of small nuts, bolts and washers.
Craig
https://www.microfasteners.com/
Thanks Craig. These ones came from Central Hobbies. I didn’t write about it, but the real reason I got them was because for some reason I wanted to go into my local hobby store.
When I read the title I thought the post would surely be about printed nut driver’s… You’re keeping us on our toes. You mention hex heads sneaking into view. If you need a custom head to be more faithful you can always forge a nut driver to what ever size or shape needed. Just add heat.
Ah yest a local hobby shop. I remember those days. Now my LHS is defined as the local hardware store… 😉
But if your serious about hex bolts, they have you covered. I’ve gotten some really small hex brass bolts in the past.
Craig
Hex-head: the inverse Allen key…
There is available hex shaped brass tubing and bar. For that really weird fastener:)
TCC:}