[CheGuevara]

I have an, err..."large" selection of good quality European and Japanese tools/socketry, with both 12pt and 6pt sockets. I've never had an issue with 12pt providing the tolerance is decent and the bolt/nut is clean and not already butchered. Even badly rusted/seized stuff will tend to break the bolt before the socket lets go and rounds the head of the bolt (clean is important - take a moment to scrape away any rust or grime that might cause the socket to ride up and/or not engage properly).

Most ring ends of spanners are 12 point, and most modern 6-point sockets are flank drive anyhow so only engaging a small surface.

I'm sure I saw a test of 6-pt Vs 12-pt and the conclusion was there was little if any difference in the amount of torque you could apply before failure.