What do you use your multi-tool for?

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nmaynan

Joined
May 29, 2006
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What do you generally use your multi-tool for? and have there been instances where you've used it for unorthodox things?

For example, a buddy of mine used the pliers on his to unhinge a stuck elevator door so he could pull it the rest of the way open.
 
I use my Victorinox alox farmer for alot of different things. I often use the awl for poking holes in leather for sewing, or removing worn out stitches from clothing i've altered to re-sew them when they get loose and such. The blade sees alot of use from opening packages and envelopes to food prep (after i give the blade a good cleaning of course). I like to have a few drinks with or after my dinner, so the bottle opener works well. When i make pasta i use canned tomatoes sometimes, so i use the can opener since the electric one i own is old (by old i mean a rusted old death trap).

I've only used the saw once, to help an arts college friend of mine cut pieces of wood for a last minute project. He lives in the largest city in my country, in an apartment and only has a few tools in a small kit, a saw being something he lacks.

Nothing too odd.

A friend of mine once got himself trapped in an elevator too. It was about half way down to the next floor when it stuck, and he pried open the door with a butter knife he found and for some reason decided to take with him. He crawled out ok, but i was almost convinced that it would keep going down once he tried to crawl out, leaving his head on the floor or something. Lucky guy, he now carries a fixed blade of course... oddly enough this was moments after he complimented my Leatherman Wave and how handy it was.
 
nmaynan said:
What do you generally use your multi-tool for? and have there been instances where you've used it for unorthodox things?

For example, a buddy of mine used the pliers on his to unhinge a stuck elevator door so he could pull it the rest of the way open.
Click to expand...

Mine are used as "toolboxes" for when I can't carry or store dedicated tools. As a photographer, some of my work requires on-location sets or props, and sometimes my equipment needs field repairs. This is not so much for cameras and electronic gear, but light stands, background supports, tripods and like that, although I once used a Leatherman screwdriver to fix a Rolleiflex focussing knob that was freewheeling.

On a day to day basis, I like to be "self contained" as much as possible. A multitool is good for anything from assemblies to impromptu home and yard projects, for example when noticing an unruly growth at the back fence or a screw backed out on a door hinge (both yesterday), I can take care of it on the spot.

Lastly, it is good to have in emergencies, which happen seldom, but four times in ten years a Leatherman got my car going, and once it saved me from having to get into a fight (Afghan tribesmen often carry blades inscribed: You may need me but once in your life, and for this you must carry me all your life).

On average, I use my multi-tools several times a day, even when a quick trip to the basement or my car trunk would get me a proper tool. Carrying one is part of a lifestyle, l guess.
 
Just used the point of my Side Clip can opener to loosen the lid on a jar of Pickled Asparagus this morning.

Put the point just under the lip around the lid. This breaks the seal and the lid twist right off and is replacable. Sure saves the pain in arthritic hands.....!
 
My Vic Spirit has been getting a lot of use these days assembling baby toys and furniture, in addition to the usual, day to day stuff.
 
I used my SwissTool earlier today at my sisters house to open a toy motorcycle I got for my nephew. It was plain ridiculous. First I used the wire cutters to cut off (commercial grade) two plastic cable ties. The thing still wouldn't come out of the box. After yanking on it for a few minutes I realized it was screwed to the bottom of the box with no less than four small philips head screws. The screws went through a plastic plate, through the cardboard package, and into the bottom of the bikes frame.

If I was at my house I would of took it into the garage to open, but at my sisters place she has no tools.

How would a mother that wasn't familar with tools open her kids toys?
 
Slightly unorthodox (and continuing the toys path) -- My daughter accidentally threw a magnetic toy dart behind a heavy couch. It was easier to tie a length of ribbon (which was handy) to my tool and "fish" the magnetic dart out, rather than move the heavy piece of furniture.
 
My last deployment I used my sog multitool for all kinds of strange things or more correctly things I never thought I would do with it. Most recently the strangest thing was probably as a weight for a rope I was tossing over a tree limb to make a swing for my nephew.
 
I do repairs in a 90 unit apartment building and don't feel like carrying a tool belt or going back and forth for dedicated tools. Quite often I improvise and use the bottle opener as a pick or gouging tool, use the pliers on security screws, etc.
At home I mostly use the knife as my tools are closer at hand.;)
 
i use my saks for almost everything. Large blade for whittling and cutting all sorts of stuff. This morning I used my vic classic's scissors to trim my toenails, and the toothpick to clean under the toenails :barf: :D
I carry it on my keychain as a personal hygiene knife .
Another weird use is using the blades as mirrors. They sorta have a mirror polish straight out of the box.
 
Use my Leatherman mainly for longbow archery - repairing arrows and digging/prying field points out of the wooden target frames. My dad bought it for me at least 10 years ago and it goes where I go.
 
I use my Leatherman Blast almost everyday to open gallon jugs of syrup at work to pour into the warmer. I use it to pick up hot objects and put them in the dishroom. I have used it to turn the burner knobs off when they are coated in grease so we can clean the grills. I used my Blast to take the babys crib apart yesterday so we can move it into the other room. I built a bed for my step-daughter to sleep in last week. A couple of weeks ago I used to pull the fuses out of the car to check them because it was so cold my fingers wouldn't work. I use it so much I feel lost without it.
 
Probably not all that unorthodox but it is ironic considering all screwdrivers leathermans have on them - I regularly use the point of one of the sides of the pliers to screw my battered kershaw linerlock knife together, which i keep having to do cuz it works loose alll the time (my fault, not kershaw's - need a new one). Dunno what the screwhead type is callled, think it's a sort of 6 or 8 pointed star, but the nose of the wave pliers works great.
 
penls said:
This morning I used my vic classic's scissors to trim my toenails, and the toothpick to clean under the toenails :barf: :D
I carry it on my keychain as a personal hygiene knife.
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Just remember this happened, you won't want to forget and start picking your teeth after a nice big meal while wondering what smells like cheese... after all, you didn't even have cheese for dinner... or did you? :p

ArchieCS said:
Dunno what the screwhead type is callled, think it's a sort of 6 or 8 pointed star
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Torx screws, i believe.
 
i used my old Swisschamp as a hammer multiple times. i carried it 10+ years and lost it before i could abuse it enough to break it, well it was stolen more than lost :(

more than once i have used my Leatherman to fix the Oh Shit Handles in cars.

i've also used it and the Swisschamp (#2) at the same time a lot racking servers with someone else who didn't have a screwdriver. there's no telling how many PCs/servers i've opened with one, or how many harddrives i've pulled/installed

i've used the saws quite a bit around the yard

a couple of days ago i used the eyeglass screwdriver on my buddy's glasses and i used the toothpick today as a toothpick, it goes no where near my toenails :D

i've been carrying a Leatherman since '99 and a Swisschamp since '93. i've used them MANY more days than i haven't in that time. it is almost like a lifestyle thing
 
I use mine for fixing just about everything where I work as a building maintenance tech. Thats a glorified name for the guy who unsticks the poo in your toilet.

I use my Core hundreds of time every day
 
Schmecky said:
I use my Core hundreds of time every day
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Schmecky,

You have wrung out your Core more than I probably will for some time. Please share your experience and evaluation of it.

I am interested because lately I am EDCing a Core. It was picked up in an after holiday clearance sale at a price I coudn't refuse; not in the market, but... :D

Until now, my go-to multi-tool had been a Super Tool 200, before that a Super Tool. These have been just fine; if anything, I prefered the original, but no big thing. Although I was aware of the Core, it was something tucked in the back of my mind for possible future reference.

Just recently I got around to actually using it, but so far have formed no conclusions. The tools and blades are great, maybe better than those on the Super Tool, and except for one-handed blade openers like the Wave, easier to access than any other m-t, including, IMHO, Swisstool. OTOH, the Core doesn't have that bombproof feeling of the STs.

So, what's the word?
 
You just never know when somethings going to come up that needs some fixin'. That said, I have a good one from last week- without my Leatherman, I would have (literally) been stuck out in the cold. I almost never keep my keys in my back pocket. They almost always go in my jacket, belt or front pocket. For some unbeknonst reason, I not only hd my keyes in my back pocket but managed to sit on and bend the key to my front door (all the others were unscathed). With my pliers (I wouldn't carry pliers if they weren't on my Leatherman tool) I bent the key straight again, and it works fine now!

Definetely a big savings over the other two options that I was thinking of ;)
 
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