I've often struggled with this, but I've come to the conclusion that mulit-tools are generally very good for urban carry and my SAK Outrider will join me on outdoors/rural adventures.
Yup, me too.
I'm probably so out of touch with the current trend in multi-tools I'm not going to do them any justice: I've owned a couple of Leathermans and a Gerber and wasn't particularly impressed. In fact the last one was one of those little Leatherman Micros that I lost on a key ring. I was way more miffed at losing the keys than the Micro, although it was handy for cutting up herb.
Despite handling a few others since I've resolved myself to the fact that none of them are as comfortable to me as a small set of dedicated needle nose pliers. Also, if need be, I'd be far more inclined to belt the handle of a pair of pliers than a multi-tool, even if that meant they had to be binned afterwards. Pliers are dumb, simple, insulated, and grippy ideal for when I'm cold, wet, and maybe having a sense of humour failure. Pliers hold with my left hand allowing me to introduce other tools with my right. An all in one multi-tool doesn't let me do that.
Something else I wonder on about the popularity of multi-tools is why are they popular with those that are often prejudiced against stainless knives. I would have thought the last stronghold of the
carbon steel advocates is metal on metal tools; spanners, screwdrivers, hammers, pliers, tin snips .etc. Yet to my knowledge the
best made multi-tool I have seen is one a guy tried to sell me in London It was best because it had
one of the blades in 154 CM. I know some of them have little add-on drivers and whatnot that are probably made of something more appropriate, but that isn't what the bulk of them is made from. Not like this is important to me. It's more of a musing over consistency when you see a carbon steel queen promoting them.
At this time, and still very much aware that I am ignorant to some of the latest ones, I have them pegged as a tool for casual use doing metal on metal stuff. They are the kind of thing I think are great for factory workers, or electricians and such to tote about for a quick tweak or bodge up. In the field, where metal on metal action isn't at the forefront, I get better results from an Outrider and proper pliers. And I often carry secateurs because they are so darn efficient.
The above may change. Not so long ago I stumbled across a multi-tool type thing at a garden center based around a pair of secateurs. They got my interest up. I cant recall what other doodads they had on them and the quality was all China and yuk, but the principle was sound. Not that I've given it a huge amount of thought, and engineering is beyond me, but I got as far as:
1] Two primary instruments a] Secateurs, and b] Needle nose mole grips, something like a pointed Leatherman Crunch.
2] Saw blades a] Something like a Silky, and b] a method of slotting in hacksaw blades.
3] a] Do the gear driven SOGs work well? - Let's have that feature. B] Do the SOG replaceable cutting jaw parts work well? - Let's have those.
4] Something like a strip of DMT stone.
5] Wharncliffe and serrated sheepsfoot.
6] Small prying tool.
7] Scissors
8] A gouge shaped chisel end.
9] An improved magnifying glass over that little cataract thing found on SAKs. And while we are at it, why don't we have the inside of the sliding cover of that as a mirror just as good for signaling as picking twig from your eye.
10] Ramp up the pokey thing awl, reamer, marlin spike.
Yeah, I'm sure I could list more but this is the basic idea. There's loads more SAK things that can be raped / used for inspiration, like tin openers and tweezers. Then wind in a few favourites, such as; I like big surgical needles, but upholstery needles have a useful cross section and the curvature makes it easier to mend some things.
Something like this would be far more useful to me than any of the multi-tools I've seen for woods use. 'Till then, the Outrider gets augmentation.
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Neat collection dude
