Pocket-sized multitools

RamZar

RamZar

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Mar 3, 2013
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Article in The Wall Street Journal:


That EDC Kit by Kaufmann Mercantile is a pretty interesting take.

Every Day Carry (EDC) tools: Pry bar, screwdrivers, precision tweezers, waterproof lighter and a titanium key ring. All tools weigh less than 2 ounces combined. Made in USA. Currently a 3 week pre-order due to high demand.
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Looks interesting but I like having the pliers that a traditional MT gives me.

The lighter, prybar, and tweezers you can buy at a few different places, don't know if I've ever seen the screwdriver bits. Not sure how effective they'd be since you can't really bear down on them if you have a stuck screw.
 
Sometimes I go light, and don't carry a SAK or any tools exept my little classic on my keyring. Then I have my default Sear's keychain screw driver that works on flat or phillips screws, and my old P-38 can opener that does about a dozen different things.

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Heres my pocket multitools I just have got the piranha, and I dont know if the Es4 counts in but it is quite pocket sized and Ive carried it almost every day for the last couple of months.
 
Pretty nice collection, but not much different than the pocket basics lots of others have put together before. you could probably source it up for yourself for not too much... from that store i must not mention for the sakes of others wallets.
 
Here's my keychain tool...the Leatherman Squirt P4. I bought a Gerber Dime to replace it but ended up going back to the Squirt. I really wanted to like the Dime, but it just didn't feel as high quality as the Leatherman. The bottle opener on it is superior to the Leatherman's, but falls short on everything else (and the file on it is completely useless). Plus, the Dime's tools are kinda hard to open even after working in some lube.

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You can buy all of those things at county comm I think, buy they have higher prices. I've seen all that in other places too. I personally prefer my little ps4 squirt.
On a side not those polishing cloths from bladehq make nice backgrounds for my camera. I would like to get one of those little pry bars though, I could use it. And the peanut lighters are just cool.

 
jonnyt16 said:
Here's my keychain tool...the Leatherman Squirt P4. I bought a Gerber Dime to replace it but ended up going back to the Squirt. I really wanted to like the Dime, but it just didn't feel as high quality as the Leatherman. The bottle opener on it is superior to the Leatherman's, but falls short on everything else (and the file on it is completely useless). Plus, the Dime's tools are kinda hard to open even after working in some lube.
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Just curious; on what do you find the P4 file useful?
 
First of all, the length! The Gerber Dime's file is under an inch long (and actual file space is less than that). The file on the Leatherman is also alot more abrasive and therefore just works better. I've had to file down the head of a screw once and the P4 handled it no problem. Also, the edge of the file has teeth so it can be used as a tiny metal saw while the Gerber's is smooth.
 
I've just recently come to a realization about myself. Over the years I've carried countless little tools on my keychain, but I almost never use them unless they're in my pocket. The thing is, when I'm at home, my keys are not on me. At work, they sit in my coat or desk. For the majority of my day, those tools are not accessible, and when they are, I still don't use them, because I'm not used to using them, if that makes sense. I need it in my pocket. I've had this Swiss-Tech 16-in-1 thing for a long time but don't like carrying it my pocket where it bangs against my knife, so yesterday I made this little sheath for it. It's already come in handy today, and I don't even feel it there until I need it.
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After carrying plier-based MTs for years, it dawned on me that I don't really need one. I still like them for the "just in case" scenario, but on a daily basis I am more likely to carry a collection of small tools that suit my needs. In total they weight 2 -3 ounces, depending, and disappear in the pocket. They also fit into my overall scheme of maximizing utility while minimizing size and weight of all of my EDC gear from gun to phone to knife to MT.










 
One more thing. For those who carry a P-38 can opener, you can keep it closed in your pocket by incorporating a safety pin - which adds its own utility: clothes repair, splinter removal, etc.

 
I have a Gerber Dime in my car and a Leatherman PS4 in my pocket - they get rotated around every so often. I think they're actually pretty equal in terms of fit and finish, but I like the tools on the Dime a little better. On my keychain I have a Schrade Ti Pry Tool that, I'm fairly certain, has only ever seen use as a bottle opener. But what the hell, it's Ti, so it's automatically cool, right?
 
T-ruh said:
Swiss tech key tool and leatherman juice s2
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A few years ago, shortly after attaching Utilikey to my key ring, there was an occasion to use it on something, I don't even remember what tool for what purpose. Following that, in more than a years time I never found another need for it, so I deleted the Utilikey from my EDC and put it in my "unlikely to ever use again but haven't got around to disposing of yet" box. Nice toy, if a little hazardous to open, but I've got to ask; what's it really good for?
 
znapschatz said:
what's it really good for?
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Everything is relative. A Utili-Key is way better than a handful of nothing, but not as good as a "real" multitool, which itself is not as good as a toolbox, which of course is not as good as a machine shop and 8 employees. For the person choosing between a Utili-Key and nothing, it can be quite useful. It all depends on where one resides on the sliding scale of size vs. utility. I would rather carry a Victorinox Manager in that size and weight class, but sadly I don't yet rule the world so people can still choose what they like.
 
Of the smaller tools, the Squirt sets the standard. I tried the other minimalist ones, they are aggressive in carry and just too small. The Squirt has decent tools and rides without chafing. So, it stayed. Next best was the little Gerber Bear Grylls, which are lighter duty but heavier to carry.

The Utilikey is useless except for the tiny screwdriver. I carry it when we have newbs on staff and the rumor of our "Basement" storage room comes up - I have the key! In others words, I get more out of it as a joke than a tool.

I've seen some rely on the keychain screwdrivers, they take up space, and the weight of a massive keychain is the #1 reason ignition key cylinders on cars fail. With the newer fobs, nobody carries much on a keyring now, unless trying to impress others with their access to numerous locks which obviously need masterkeying.

So, with minimalism in mind, nothing on the keychain more than the house key and the car key are needed. I use the Leatherman Sidekick now, no pouch or holster which minimizes the BatBelt look. It has enough decent tools on it to get by, I'm using it today to install a stereo in my old Subaru Forester. The flat phillips does ok, the short file/screwdriver is a reasonable pry bar, just don't overdo it. Multitools are just that, compromise designs, and they simply cannot be the best needlenose, or best knife, or best screwdriver. The Sidekick is passable, the Wave or Vic Supertool clearly outclasses it, but they are twice the price, weight, and require a pouch, too. It's all a matter of tradeoffs.

There are a number of choices because each user decides how much tool they need to have on hand - and how to carry it. Much beyond that and something else gets involved, especially among male users, and it's the old game of who's got the biggest tool. Hmmm. Aside from that, there are tools that were given very little thought toward usefulness, and those that go one step too far. Those who own a Superchamp Victorinox and never carry it know what that means.
 
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