Every craftsman on Instagram knows him: Bruno Friedmann alias @nample. As a craftsman, he shows tools for the SHK, electrical trade and beyond.
His Instagram channel already has over 109K followers! So, he´s a real star on the scene ;-). At the beginning of October, he was on a short visit to the Black Forest and didn't miss the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at Wiha. We were really happy to welcome him! He was impressed by the amount of high-tech behind the production of Wiha tools. Bruno himself also gave us exciting and very personal insights - what a great exchange! Such a personable and authentic guy, who has both feet on the ground and mixes up the Insta world with his tool posts. Do you want to know what he actually wanted to be as a child? Or where his name @nample came from and what his favorite Wiha tools are? We have "squeezed it out" of him for you:
Bruno, what is your job besides your work on Instagram?
I´m a customer service technician for SHK at Groß Energietechnik in Muggensturm near Rastatt, Germany. My job, in the 80-person company, is to support my colleagues in customer service as well as the installation and commissioning of new systems for private customers and industrial plants. In addition, I´m always on the lookout for safe tools for all colleagues.
What is the story behind your Instagram handle @nample?
This is a product of chance! About 15 years ago, Google’s email program “Gmail” came onto the market. At that time access was only available with an invitation or an activation code. So, I was given an address with the name "namplecat." This is Romanian and colloquially means “still there.” Unfortunately, on Instagram the name was already taken, so I removed one letter after the other until it worked and what remained was “nample”. It just stuck! (laughs)
What do you love most about Instagram?
Certainly the many relationships and networks that Insta has created in recent years! I now receive countless messages, videos and pictures from around the globe. Through this channel so many friendships and connections have developed all over the world. I've been to trade fairs in the USA with Instagram friends several times, for example. The actual statistics are secondary to me.
When did you start Instagram?
That was in 2012. For me, Instagram was primarily a place where I could store and save my photos. At the time there was a gas accident in the Ruhr area in Germany, which I read a lot about. I saw Instagram as the perfect place to document my maintenance and commissioning and at the same time to have proof of operational safety. By now, I’ve collected over 50K pictures and countless videos, which I currently save in a cloud (laughs). Instagram as a pure photo platform fascinated me back then because I always had a weakness for photography. As a child, I wanted to be a photographer!
So is Instagram your favorite channel in the social media world, too?
Yes, absolutely! But I'm also active on YouTube, Twitter and TikTok. On Tiktok for example, I’ve already had a video with 50 million views – however the channel has many young people between the ages of 13 and 18 years old and does not have as much depth as Instagram.
When do you even have time to post?
Well, I spend 2 to 4 hours a day on Instagram. That translates to evenings and time “in between”. My colleagues for example really support me a lot, too. It is especially important that I at least skim through all comments and react to them. This is a high priority for me - my motto is, like my grandfather said years ago: "Nothing comes from nothing"! (laughs)
What is your favorite Wiha tool?
The e-screwdriver speedE® I and the fluorescent, luminous L-key set ErgoStar!
Why these products?
First of all, I also think the speedE® II is great! Especially in the dark boiler room, when a technician scratches the 50 (grins broadly), the bright LED ring is really, really great! But the speedE® I is just a tad smaller and, yes,… I just like it.
The colored L-key set is always with you, lies comfortably in your hand and the paint is thin, which means you can continue to work in tight spaces - that's just great.