SAK vs Multitool

I’ve seen a lot of posts that exclaimed that the bulk and weight of mult tools were the reason for opting for the Sak and I can see and understand that. Especially if you’re wearing shorts or tight fitting jeans that can be problematic. It’s a matter of personal preference for sure and what your tasks will require. A few ounces difference in weight is barely noticeable to me unless you’re super sensitive and I think it’s mostly a mental observation rather than an actual hindrance. It reminds me of the story I read in grade school about the princess and the pea. 😆 I also know it depends on your lifestyle and the tasks that you’re likely to be doing and for some an Sak is plenty sufficient for them. An outdoor or rural setting will likely require more robust tools than an urban setting.

For me the weight isn’t a concern as I am used to carrying all kinds of heavier stuff around since I was a kid and stuff that was much more bulky. I can remember as a kid about 10-12 years old, helping my dad out fixing fence on our ranch and lugging around a leather shoulder bag with staples, a one pound spool of wire, hammer and fence pliers for several miles on foot.

I also wear looser fitting jeans which makes it easier to accommodate the bulk and weight. I hardly notice my Wave or Arc in my pocket along with a Buck 110 and a small slip joint stockman, a microstream flashlight, keys and other necessary items. But they are spread out amongst my pockets and that distributes the weight and bulk. At times I use a belt sheath that spreads it out that much more. And I wear suspenders to help keep my pants up. Lol There’s much to be said about proper fitting clothes that aren’t tight and restrictive nor to loose or baggy and I’m not worried about how fashionable the look only the practical and accommodating needs. I have also noticed that I stay warmer in winter and cooler in the summer and that alone is a big factor.

Just think about the frontiersman and mountain men that explored , trapped and survived the wilderness and rugged terrain. They carried Hawken rifles, ammunition, knife, axe, canteens of water, jerky and dried fruit and hard tac, usually a possibles bag with necessary items for survival and many times all on foot covering thousands of miles blazing their own trails. They were some very tough and rugged individuals!
 
Both have their place.

The problem with multitool weight for me comes into play when it interferes with my ability to run (a key survival skill). This is mitigated with a belt sheath. I’d never pocket carry a multitool.

The problem with SAKs for me are the tools aren’t great (drivers are too slippery on screws). The SAK scissors though, crush those on every LM I have except for the Rescue Sheers.

My solution is to carry the lightest I can by scenario:

1. Home, generally - SAK Compact on belt (for thin utility blade and scissors) and small folder (CRK Sebenza) clipped to r/f pocket. I’ll switch the Compact for a LM Wave if doing any outside projects. I am considering switching out the Compact for a Skeletool.
2. Out, with car - LM Rescue Sheers on the belt, CRK clipped to pocket. The sheers might be silly, but I’ve worked in the auto insurance industry long enough to be paranoid about vehicle escape. I’ve also had to cut a ring off and free two people from car wrecks in remote areas. Also, Small County Com driver and Knipex pliers in my pack. I’m never far from the pack.
 
Just think about the frontiersman and mountain men that explored , trapped and survived the wilderness and rugged terrain. They carried Hawken rifles, ammunition, knife, axe, canteens of water, jerky and dried fruit and hard tac, usually a possibles bag with necessary items for survival and many times all on foot covering thousands of miles blazing their own trails. They were some very tough and rugged individuals!

Yep. My granddad moved to southern Ohio from West Virginia in a wagon and cleared the land and built a house. No electricity, no running water, no phone, no internet. That's not that long ago in the big picture of things.
 
I don't really "need" an MT, but like the good vibes I get from being prepared.

I'm conditioned to having one after many decades of carrying a multi-tool.

Any time I think, "I won't need this today" I get the feeling that something life threatening will happen and I will need it and feel really stupid for carrying one for decades and then THE DAY THAT I NEEDED IT THE MOST I was without it. And I died.

Wouldn't THAT make you feel dumb...
 
I just never need pliers in my day to day, which is one reason why I'd always choose a swiss army knife over a Leatherman.
I don’t use mine everyday but at least a few times a week. Just yesterday I used my pliers 3 times on 3 different occasions. They come in handy for sure. I guess it depends on a person’s lifestyle and what you work and play around with.
 
I don’t use mine everyday but at least a few times a week. Just yesterday I used my pliers 3 times on 3 different occasions. They come in handy for sure. I guess it depends on a person’s lifestyle and what you work and play around with.
If i carried a Leatherman I'd likely conjure up tasks for the pliers. But since I don't have a Leatherman, I havnt ran into a need for the pliers 😉
 
I bought a pathfinder pot thing to cook with an alcohol stove.

And now carry a multitool so I can grab it when it is hot.

They really are a burn yourself machine.
 
Sometimes my work is in the office, sometimes it's on landscaping, sometimes in the garage, and sometimes in the attic or other home renovation, and sometimes I'm traveling away from home. Unfortunately I don't camp much.

The things I use regularly include pliers (with wire cutters preferred), medium size phillips and flat head - if you include traveling then scissors and can opener are high on the priority list. The one multitool that offers these in a carry friendly package was the LM Juice.

Although I often carry a small channel lock pliers to replace the pliers on a LM multitool (although the ends are not precise on the channel lock pliers), I find that for medium to medium-hard duty tasks, I just don't trust the SAK's phillips (especially the side folding one), and wonder how well the SAK's flathead for repeated prying would be. I've had zero trouble with using the LM phillips on harder jobs, such as driving multiple 1 1/2" wood screws into wood in a pinch. In those instances (installing latches on old windows, the side folding SAK would not work in that space, and placing force on it always caused it to fold on me in the past.

I will say that on occasion carrying a pliers MT plus channel lock pliers or adjustable wrench was necessary for tightening bolts with nuts, such as on repairing end caps on a cyclone fence. Unfortunately my favorite Juice models' pliers are a little small for larger bolts.
 
I believe the SAK to be the king of EDC, and Leatherman to be the king of work. I sit in a classroom most every day, and carry an SAK Compact daily. When I go out to do some real work, I carry my Arc. The huge 111mm SAKs don’t make a lot of sense to me, neither do the tiny Leathermans. I am still waiting for Leatherman to come out with a true competitor to 91mm SAKs. Their line severely lacks mid sized tools, they are all either full sized or keychain I have found.
 
. I am still waiting for Leatherman to come out with a true competitor to 91mm SAKs. Their line severely lacks mid sized tools, they are all either full sized or keychain I have found.

The Free T-2 has been out a long time. I sent my grandson one for graduating bootcamp.

He loves it.
 
The Free T-2 has been out a long time. I sent my grandson one for graduating bootcamp.

He loves it.
These are cool, but to me, the strength of Leatherman is the pliers. Personally I won’t pay for a tool that’s like a Swiss Army knife when I could just get a Swiss Army knife. The pliers set it apart, and I think their line needs more mid sized pliers based tools
 
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