Peckish-I have a friend (a very organized one) who keeps a spreadsheet for his loaned-out tools. He tracks who has what item, when it was loaned out, and makes you sign it. I think the signing for it has kept everyone accountable and he's never lost a single thing. 
This is what I told my husband he should do when he couldn't find his pipe bender. Called the nephew he thought he last loaned it to. Nephew had given back...Long story short hubby put it somewhere it shouldn't have been-lol
I had thought of only one person I may have loaned it to but I'm thinking she probably has her own so I hate to ask. I haven't spoken to her in a while, so I hate to call out of the blue. Hopefully Iceblossom wins her bid or however these things are done.