The forgotten or underappreciated multitools

whoa! a winchester??!
that slipped the radar completely ;-)
yeah, guess a compact light weight
full sized plier is nailing it for a pliertool.
which is why the original PST worked.
however some folks figured a load of panache
with flamboyant styling might help fan up interest.
i dunno but the dimensions of the old workhorse
made it far easier to lug around despite some
of the more trendier "refinements" in the current lineup.
 
GIRLYmann said:
whoa! a winchester??!
that slipped the radar completely ;-)
yeah, guess a compact light weight
full sized plier is nailing it for a pliertool.
which is why the original PST worked.
however some folks figured a load of panache
with flamboyant styling might help fan up interest.
i dunno but the dimensions of the old workhorse
made it far easier to lug around despite some
of the more trendier "refinements" in the current lineup.
Click to expand...

That's probably why it took so long to decide and try other tools out since I got my Leatherman Fuse about a decade ago.
I'm liking some of this other stuff well enough, but really the fuse is as much as I need and I don't find myself missing the things I wish it had.
The kick fuse and blast are as much of a departure from the classic Leatherman form as I care to go.

I really don't understand why someone decided they needed to start adding aesthetic appeal to multitools.
The old PST and Gerber MP's were just fine, what is there to hate about a plain stainless steel rectangle ?
They worked and as a mundane utilitarian tool they were neither ugly or particularly attractive.

I do honestly feel that multitools would still sell just as much as ever if they were all still plain stainless steel rectangles, I've never heard someone say " I wish it looked cooler and more modern " about anything really.
 
its funny how some folks think
that they can push the envelope :)
just as there are only so many
ways to reinvent the wheel.
and so i m guessing pliertool designing
its akin to alloy wheel designing.
sure it can be sporty rims but
a plier tool has to be built to fit
the human hand :)
bearing in mind that even hand gloves
come in a range of sizes.
i guess it would be asking too much
from makers to churn out every model
in a small, medium and large size :)
which reminds me of how porsche
thought it could upmarket the humble
wenger swiss knife with its somewhat
fancy and bulky ergonomic titanium scales
which later became the basis for the evo range.
i understand the need to refresh the
market every now and then, and then
there are times when successful classic
just don't require drastic cosmetic makeovers ;-)
 
GIRLYmann said:
i understand the need to refresh the
market every now and then, and then
there are times when successful classic
just don't require drastic cosmetic makeovers ;-)
Click to expand...
I feel the same way.

I find it funny that the Chinese are often inadvertently getting things right, they know they the market for a cheap multitool is probably most familiar with the classic style so they stick with that look but give you things like outside opening tools so they can get you to pay $10 for it.
I wish I could find a picture of it, but last year at my work they were selling these crappy gift sets with a multitool that looked like a PST with outside opening tools.

Why couldn't the charge look more like the classic PST ?
 
hmm, yes a sneeky bunch who exploit
every possible avenue for profit.
but you gotta hand it to them for
being ultra pragmatic in their
approach to design solutions.
these fellas are always finding ways
to simplify production in order to lower
cost, and low and behold ...
even throw in product improvements!!!
yeah, i imagine they would do
outside opening tools since its
proven to be a user friendly feature.
1558631933281718709.jpg
 
I forgot to post the little sebertool M2m

It's been hanging on my belt loop for the past week or so, and has come in pretty handy and at 1/4" thick the pliers are much sturdier than those of a Leatherman squirt.
I just wish the sides tapered a little towards the tip ( maybe I'll experiment one of the generic Chinese copies of they're still making them )
Once they get a little lubrication to the joints and free up some they are easy to operate.
In that week or so of hanging on my belt loop and hanging into things all day at work the black coating on their Harley Davidson version was wearing off and not looking that great so earlier today I took a Dremel wire wheel and removed it. It looks much better now and I quite like the dark almost stonewashed look of the bare steel.


 
very adorable, those sebertool pliers ;-)
i know i still have a relic blued tool steel
US made swiss+tech somewheres...
 
GIRLYmann said:
very adorable, those sebertool pliers ;-)
i know i still have a relic blued tool steel
US made swiss+tech somewheres...
Click to expand...

Ah yes the swisstech, I'm not a big fan of the crab claw pliers shape or I'd try one out.
I've got one coming In the lot with the Sebertool M4 but I'll be gifting out just about everything except the M3
 
View attachment 1230855 View attachment 1230853 View attachment 1230853 View attachment 1230853
Hickory n steel said:
I forgot to post the little sebertool M2m

It's been hanging on my belt loop for the past week or so, and has come in pretty handy and at 1/4" thick the pliers are much sturdier than those of a Leatherman squirt.
I just wish the sides tapered a little towards the tip ( maybe I'll experiment one of the generic Chinese copies of they're still making them )
Once they get a little lubrication to the joints and free up some they are easy to operate.
In that week or so of hanging on my belt loop and hanging into things all day at work the black coating on their Harley Davidson version was wearing off and not looking that great so earlier today I took a Dremel wire wheel and removed it. It looks much better now and I quite like the dark almost stonewashed look of the bare steel.


Click to expand...
Modifying the tips isn't too difficult. 4" contact wheel and a couple belts. I lost my rusty Sebertool and bought a stainless knock off. The new tool has yet to be modified.
 
Here's the Sebertool M3.

If these were still being made the M3 seems like a no brainier over the M2 because it adds two smaller drivers while sacrificing nothing, but the 90° angle they open up to could prove awkward for most situations.
 
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cb4life_30 said:
View attachment 1241732 This one is probably the most unusual... I’ve only ever seen this one...
Click to expand...
Looks like a Schrade toolbox, a team effort between Peterson and Schrade.
They're out there and I've even seen a needlenose version and round pipe jaw version, but I general the Schrade Toolbox is certainly not as common or well known as the Schrade Tough tool.

Late 90's to early 2000's I believe but don't really know when they were being made.

You can still get an Irwin equivalent but I don't like their Chinese version of the once great Vise grips and as a multitool it looks like cheap crap.
 
I still like the original SeberTech M4, the design pairs nicely with a 58 or 84-5mm SAK.
And there is obviously a demand for those US made, Peterson -Dewitt vise grips. NOS sells for a premium on the auction sites.
There's a lot that can be fixed with 4" Vise Grips and a good Swiss Army Knife.
Great thread and collection!
 
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