Abstract: There is disclosed an ergonomic protective shell for protecting handheld tools. The ergonomic protective shell and method disclosed herein is particularly suited for protecting handheld welding tools in cold weather. In a preferred embodiment, the protective shell comprises a substantially elongate tool handle shell for receiving a handle region of a handheld welding tool. A protective head shell may also cover a head portion of the handheld welding tool, providing a custom shaped head shell piece fitting the contours of the head portion of the handheld welding tool. The protective shell may be made of a material which may remain resilient and flexible in cold, is heat resistant, or is otherwise reinforced to absorb impacts in cold weather without breakage.