- Joined
- May 1, 2000
- Messages
- 2,259
Just yesterday I got my Supertool 200, which I have been anxiously awaiting since I first heard rumors of months ago.
First a little bit about where I'm coming from on this- Almost 4 years ago I found a Supertool under my refrigerator. I have no idea how it got there or where it came from. It was the first multi-tool I had seen and I fell in love with it instantly. The tip of the clip point blade was broken, but otherwise it was in very good condition. (BTW, there's absolutely no excuse whatsoever for breaking the tip of a blade on a multi-tool. Sometimes a knife gets used for a task for which it is not optimized because it is the only tool at hand; with a multi-tool this is never the case. If I were a believer in karma, I would suggest that the Supertool's former owner lost it due to his mistreatment of it.) I have carried it just about every day and used it for everything. The thing I love about the Supertool as compared to other multi-tools is its sturdiness. I've said before I think you could throw one out the window of a car going 40mph and it might get scratched. I've used this Supertool closed to hammer nails and pound paint cans closed (note: this is not abuse because it did not damage the tool); I've used it (the screwdrivers, not the blade) to pry open things that were not made to be pried open; I've used the wire cutters to cut thick metal wire and hard sheet metal; I've used the pliers to hold things in and over fire; I've used it to cut, scrape, break, file, chip, saw, and hammer wood, bone, metal, glass, and G-10. Even when my toolbox is within reaching distance, I prefer to use the Supertool on my belt. I've done my best for nearly four years to beat the living fukk out of this thing, and it looks as good as the day I found it under my refrigerator. I've almost never used the blades though - I always have a real knife on hand.
So I've been excited as hell about the Supertool 200. Most other multi-tools don't do much for me because they just seem weak and flimsy in comparison. I haven't used a SAK since I got my Supertool. Ok, the 200- overall construction is very similar to the old Supertool. The length and width are the same, but the 200 is about .25" thicker. The 200 will barely fit into the generic nylon sheath I've been using for my old ST, and the lock release tabs tend to catch on insertion and withdrawal. The inside of the 200's handles are rounded, making it much more comfortable to grip the pliers tightly. The serrated drop point blade on the old ST has been replaced with a serrated sheepsfoot blade on the 200 (the only drawback to the 200 - I prefer pointy blades (even if I don't use them)). The serrations on both are ground for right-hand use, not for pretty pictures. The serrated blade came with a little bit of a burr or rolled edge on part of it. The plain edge clip point came sharp enough to scrape hair in one direction but not the other. When closed there is a little bit of wiggle between the handles, it's a different kind of wiggle than the old ST has, but my old ST has been well used and I haven't handled another 200 sample so I don't know if they're all like that. When the pliers are open there is no wiggle. Lock up feels very secure. There is a tiny bit of vertical blade play in some of the tools, but not enough to worry about (I think only a knife knut would notice). Because of the type of lock the ST uses, I don't think the play is a predictor of lock failure. All tools pass the spine whack test. The action of all of the tools is very rough out of the box. I've lubed it up with Miltec, which helped a lot, but it's still pretty rough. While it hasn't happened to me yet, a broken nail from pulling at one of the nail nicks is a very real possibility. I'm guessing that a tool with a non-adjustable pivot needs to start pretty tight to allow room for wear. I'm thinking it will break in eventually. It's still too rough. The 200 uses the same type of lock as the old ST, but has an additional lock release. The lock release is smooth but takes a lot of force. I have a very sore thumb from using it (just to qualify that data point, I end up with a sore thumb after just about every new knife I get). The 200 can also be unlocked by the same method used for the old ST (i.e., by opening one of the other tools). The lanyard loop attached to the plier pivot of the old ST has been replaced by one that folds out like one of the blades. Since I don't use the lanyard loop this doesn't make a difference to me, but lanyard people will probably have a position one way or the other.
Overall fit, finish, and construction of the 200 are similar to the old ST, maybe a little bit better. I guess this is a prolonged torture test of the old ST, which it passed with flying fukking colors, and a first impression of the 200, in which it definitely impresses me.
Comments, questions, what does anyone else think of them?
First a little bit about where I'm coming from on this- Almost 4 years ago I found a Supertool under my refrigerator. I have no idea how it got there or where it came from. It was the first multi-tool I had seen and I fell in love with it instantly. The tip of the clip point blade was broken, but otherwise it was in very good condition. (BTW, there's absolutely no excuse whatsoever for breaking the tip of a blade on a multi-tool. Sometimes a knife gets used for a task for which it is not optimized because it is the only tool at hand; with a multi-tool this is never the case. If I were a believer in karma, I would suggest that the Supertool's former owner lost it due to his mistreatment of it.) I have carried it just about every day and used it for everything. The thing I love about the Supertool as compared to other multi-tools is its sturdiness. I've said before I think you could throw one out the window of a car going 40mph and it might get scratched. I've used this Supertool closed to hammer nails and pound paint cans closed (note: this is not abuse because it did not damage the tool); I've used it (the screwdrivers, not the blade) to pry open things that were not made to be pried open; I've used the wire cutters to cut thick metal wire and hard sheet metal; I've used the pliers to hold things in and over fire; I've used it to cut, scrape, break, file, chip, saw, and hammer wood, bone, metal, glass, and G-10. Even when my toolbox is within reaching distance, I prefer to use the Supertool on my belt. I've done my best for nearly four years to beat the living fukk out of this thing, and it looks as good as the day I found it under my refrigerator. I've almost never used the blades though - I always have a real knife on hand.
So I've been excited as hell about the Supertool 200. Most other multi-tools don't do much for me because they just seem weak and flimsy in comparison. I haven't used a SAK since I got my Supertool. Ok, the 200- overall construction is very similar to the old Supertool. The length and width are the same, but the 200 is about .25" thicker. The 200 will barely fit into the generic nylon sheath I've been using for my old ST, and the lock release tabs tend to catch on insertion and withdrawal. The inside of the 200's handles are rounded, making it much more comfortable to grip the pliers tightly. The serrated drop point blade on the old ST has been replaced with a serrated sheepsfoot blade on the 200 (the only drawback to the 200 - I prefer pointy blades (even if I don't use them)). The serrations on both are ground for right-hand use, not for pretty pictures. The serrated blade came with a little bit of a burr or rolled edge on part of it. The plain edge clip point came sharp enough to scrape hair in one direction but not the other. When closed there is a little bit of wiggle between the handles, it's a different kind of wiggle than the old ST has, but my old ST has been well used and I haven't handled another 200 sample so I don't know if they're all like that. When the pliers are open there is no wiggle. Lock up feels very secure. There is a tiny bit of vertical blade play in some of the tools, but not enough to worry about (I think only a knife knut would notice). Because of the type of lock the ST uses, I don't think the play is a predictor of lock failure. All tools pass the spine whack test. The action of all of the tools is very rough out of the box. I've lubed it up with Miltec, which helped a lot, but it's still pretty rough. While it hasn't happened to me yet, a broken nail from pulling at one of the nail nicks is a very real possibility. I'm guessing that a tool with a non-adjustable pivot needs to start pretty tight to allow room for wear. I'm thinking it will break in eventually. It's still too rough. The 200 uses the same type of lock as the old ST, but has an additional lock release. The lock release is smooth but takes a lot of force. I have a very sore thumb from using it (just to qualify that data point, I end up with a sore thumb after just about every new knife I get). The 200 can also be unlocked by the same method used for the old ST (i.e., by opening one of the other tools). The lanyard loop attached to the plier pivot of the old ST has been replaced by one that folds out like one of the blades. Since I don't use the lanyard loop this doesn't make a difference to me, but lanyard people will probably have a position one way or the other.
Overall fit, finish, and construction of the 200 are similar to the old ST, maybe a little bit better. I guess this is a prolonged torture test of the old ST, which it passed with flying fukking colors, and a first impression of the 200, in which it definitely impresses me.
Comments, questions, what does anyone else think of them?
