Why do folks use MT with no access to main tools without opening the tool?

znapschatz said:
They probably prefer customers like me :D .
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I'm sure they like customers who buy more than one of their products and are "enthusiasts", but don't underrate that diaryman...no telling how many folks have been influenced to pick up a LM over the years based on seeing him carry and USE his for so long.

All things considered, the PST is probably close to a near perfect "everymans" LM. Compact, very well made, and quite reasonably priced.
The PST was the first LM I bought and I still have it. Bought it 25+ years ago primarily because I guy I worked with was much like your diaryman and always had one with him.
It gets carried more than any other (except for my micra) and is always near at hand at home.
 
What tools are that important that require "fast" access? I mean, I guess if you don't EDC a dedicated knife, but most of us here (I assume, this is BFC afterall) have a knife ready to go that's better than the blade on our MT.

I also had an issue with my Skeletool's blade coming open when I was using the pliers, resulting in a nice cut on my finger. Granted I should of been paying more attention, but prefer tools with blades on inside (or ones that are a bit harder to deploy like the Juice).
 
BoxANT said:
What tools are that important that require "fast" access? I mean, I guess if you don't EDC a dedicated knife, but most of us here (I assume, this is BFC afterall) have a knife ready to go that's better than the blade on our MT.
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With knife blades, it is less a matter of "fast" than "one handed" access. I'm never in a situation that requires speed, but often in one where OH opening can be a real help. Almost invariably, when I want to cut something, my other hand is occupied with the thing that needs cut; for example, pulling out a vine as far as it will go, then readying a folder while keeping the tension is much easier with OH opening than two handed fumbling. In those situations, a slower, clunky OH opening technique (i.e. Buck 110) is functionally equal to a quick, slick flick.

That said, most of my knife life was spent with nail nick openers and somehow I survived that long, hard slog. ;) Although I still use several because they fill specific niches, eventually I adopted a Charge as my "go to" EDC. This has given me the best mix of innies and outies and has made a dedicated folder unnecessary (I carry one anyway :D.)

When it comes to casual EDC, though, I don't really care how a blade deploys or even if it locks. Other factors, like size, weight and implement mix count for more.
 
I much prefer the inner blades on all leatherman tools. I find with outter one hand openers the tool is very uncomfortable to grip and actually work with due o the outter blades digging into the palm of your hand.
 
I haven't had my SwissTool X for very long but I haven't found that the outie tools dig into my hand and I like the more comfortable grip when using the pliers because the outie tools aren't on the sides that I am squeezing.

So far I am prefering the outie tools on my ST over the innie tools on my Wave (and I always found it handy on the Wave that 4 of the tools were outies).
 
RangerR47 said:
why do some choose something like the Kick for the main EDC?
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Though I have done all kinds of belt carry with every flavor of multitool, most recently I have been pocket carrying the Kick. Its thin, light weight, and rides well in the bottom of a front pocket along with all of the other EDC stuff I carry. I've just wanted to get the multitool off my belt and into my pocket for while and give it a try. There are plenty of reasons to carry a Kick. If I were an HVAC guy or a home remodeler, I might have something bigger and "better" on my belt. But "more" is not always better when it comes to deciding what to carry. I agree completely though that outside-accessible tools are preferable. But thats just one of many factors that goes into deciding what tool is right for a particular need. Rock on.
 
I always carry a one-handed standalone knife with me, so I don't need one-hand opening tools on my multitool.
 
I carry a plain old Leatherman PST. It was free, a gift from the gf's dad several years ago. I used to keep it in the glove box of my truck until just this year. I realized that I liked having an immediately accessable set of pliers and screwdrivers on my boat instead of having to go down forward to dig through the tool box for the tool that I needed. It has come in handy dozens of times a week. I pair it with an old Victorinox Recruit or Spartan and the Kershaw Blackout that Dennis Strickland sent me to test and I have a knife and tools to cover pretty much anything I encounter during my day. Would I prefer a Wave or another style multi tool that were more comfortable to use and had easier tools to access? Sure, but if I hadn't gotten this one for free and had it laying around, I probably wouldn't be carrying anything as money is too tight to be buying new knives.
 
Limeyfellow said:
If it is still going strong, the original PST is still an awesome multitool. I still carry from time to time my Super Tool that is well over a decade old now and sure it has a funky unlocking mechanism, but it size, weight, and utility is hard to match even with many newer Multitools. It been abused to hell and still keeps on ticking. Sure I have newer ones, but the Super Tool never seems to go out of circulation. The most it has needed is a little sharpening of the tools and occasionally the handle tightening up with a couple of pliers.

Viva la old multitools!
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I got my original supertool it's well over 10 years old, it was my dads... He managed to get it ran over by a dumptruck too.... Broke the knife and one of the tips of the pliers, it still works and has served me well

But I'm starting to get an itch for one of those sexy blacked out sog powerassists...
 
At least with regard to accessing the knife blade, I always carry a stand-alone knife in addition to a multi-tool, so the outside-accessible blade is less important to me.
 
I bought my first Leatherman when it first hit the market. Until recently, I was not aware that you COULD buy a multi tool that you did not have to open to access the tools. :D
 
I've carried a Kick with whatever folder for over a year and recently bought a Charge. I haven't had any problems with the Kick. I love it. The only reason I bought the Charge was to have bigger and better knife blade for when I work at places that allow multitools but not pocket knives like jails, certain military installments, or whatever. Other than that, the extra weight of the Charge is not worth the access to the outside blades if I have an SnG clipped to my pocket. For me the drivers work better on the Kick than the exchangeable ones on the Charge and the pliers are exactly the same.
 
There is also the "sheepeople" factor. It's been my experience that where the blades are on a tool tend to change they way it's perceived. For example:

Blades on the outside, you usually get:

  • "Oh my, that's a big knife..." or
  • "Look at all those blades, careful with that..."
:eek:

With the blades on the inside, you usually get:
  • "Oh, you have one of those folding plier things..."
:)
 
I carry one of the original super tools. I carry it because the Wave's and other iterations are "right-handed" knives. They're only one handed openers if you use your right hand. I'll keep my supertool thank you.
 
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