- Joined
- Feb 28, 2007
- Messages
- 9,786
Y'know, I'd had a pair of the mini long-nosed Vise Grips in my technicians tool kit for years and never thought about including them for survival use. I have "standard" models in my tool boxes and hanging on the shop wall too.
Your reply does bring up an idea that crossed my mind as far as getting just the tools I wanted in a survival kit rather than a multi-tool. I got some Fiskars embroidery scissors at a flea market the other day. I had been wanting scissors on my SAK Trekker (they make such a model), but I saw the scissors and put them on my digital scale to find out that they only weigh an ounce. I got a good lesson from that. They are as good or better than any scissors that come on a multi-tool and a heckuva lot easier to use. For an ounce and the tiny bit of room they take up, they can sure go in my pack (first aid kit got the donation). That and getting them for a buck made it sweet.
So you may be able to put together a little tool kit for the same or less weight as a multi-tool and get just what you want, and even save a couple bucks. A Victorinox paring knife or Buck Harsook, the scissors, a small file and an emory board, hemostats, a set of tick/splinter tweezers, and a small screwdriver or two, a diamind sharpener or crock stick, and the micro widgy prybar could make a sweet little survival repair kit. I have a tiny set of slipjoint pliers and a folding hacksaw from County Comm that would work well too. It would demand sewing up a tiny tool roll to match, with room for a firesteel and a small flashight.
I have to agree with a lot of what Dale says. Really it depends on usage. I used to use an older wave for a number of years on the boat. I recall thinking how amazing an MT was when I first got it. Then I lost it, since I can't seem to hold onto anything for any amount of time. I reverted to carrying a couple of small scredrivers and good pliers in the front pounch of my field bag. My knife needs are satisfied by my dive knife attached to my PFD. Basically I found there was a considerable advantage to having a quality set of devoted pliers. Plus I could use them with a screwdriver at the same time which happens more frequently then I would have thought. I'm pretty sure my initial elation at the leatherman was that I never remembered to bring pliers with me in my field bag before. There are a million uses for pliers on the boat.
That said, if you want to EDC something without a tool box or take along bag then the MT beats individual tools hands down.
I still have my juice, somewhere around here....., and my wife scarfed the micra. I like the size of the juice, but the knife is insubstantial and the lack of locking blades is problematic. Interestingly, I don't have a problem with SAKs operating as a slip joint, but the juice feels like it is always going to fold on me. I think it has to do with how you hold the handle on the sak vs. a slipjoint MT.
