Thanks for the good explanation, DugwayDuke. I used to work with the Zero Overprice program when I was in the military. We did everything we could to challenge any suspected overpricing (and actually got a lot of prices lowered).
I was an F-15/F-16 engine mechanic. Some of the special toolkits and test sets we had were extremely expensive. But standardized tooling - normal everyday handtools - the prices were inline or less than what you would pay in the outside world.
You're welcome. It bugs the fire out of me that the $600 hammer is still being represented as an example of waste within DoD. Particularly when the story is used to justify slashing the defense budget. BTW, the $7000 coffee pot was not the kind you buy at Walmart. It was the same one used on the Boeing 747. You hardly ever hear that DoD paid $7000 while Boeing paid about $9500.