2010 Shot - Sheffield Booth

[J-sews]

Sheffield sells a wide variety of tools, but their most interesting stuff (for me) this year was their utility knife products. When it comes to replacable blade utility knives, these guys surely have the most variety. I counted over 30 different styles in their catalog - folding utility knives, lockbacks, fixed blades, twist-opens, and old fashioned sliders, they've got it all. And it doesn't stop there, the utility knife theme even carries over into their multitools. Take the new model 12304 for instance;




Its the first plier multitool I know of that uses a folding (mini) utility knife as its main blade.




The knife locks open too, as do all the other blades, via a sliding lock that is similar to the one found on Gerber or Victorinox multitools.




In the opposite handle is a carrier that holds five extra razor knife blades. (note that both the knife and the blade holder are one-hand opening)




My overall impressions of the Sheffield 12304 are that it represents a definite improvement in the quality of economically priced imported multitools. (which is poitician-speak for "I think it isn't nearly as good as more expensive multitools from Leatherman or SOG, but it is a big step up from the cheap unbranded tools you normally find for this price") For the average consumer, the 12304 will be a good value. In addition to the innovative utility knife, it has a decent(!) square phillips driver, what appears to be a proper saw and file, and all locking blades. On the downside, it is wider and blockier than it needs to be, and a bit on the heavy side.



We should expect to see the 12304 available in a month or so I'm told.


Even more utility-knife-centric is the new model 58131. Doing away with the plier head altogether, this one substitutes a full sized utility knife in its place.






Notice the sliding locks on both ends of each handle? As we'd speculated a couple months ago, the locks on one end are for the folding blades, while the other end locks the main utility knife in the "open" position. The lash up was tight, and I didn't notice any play or wiggle.



The only thing I'm curious about is if it stays "tight" after lots of heavy use? I for one abuse my utility knives in the worst sort of way, and I wouldn't want the handles to get all wiggly after a few rough outings. Only time will tell I guess.

By the way, the 58131 uses a quick release to change the razor blade, a feature that used to be rare but nowadays has become pretty common.




An odd redundancy in blades is the serrated knife (shown below) and a clip point plain edge in the opposite handle. With the main function being a razor utility knife, I might have opted to leave these two knives out and therefore make the 58131 a bit thinner.





Like the 12304 mentioned earlier, the 58131 is a lot more tool for your money than the typical import of a few years ago. Hopefully Sheffield will continue to innovate and raise the bar, to the benefit of us the consumer.

[Raukodur]

This is the problem though isnt it. I mean I would be under the impression that even a 5 year looking at that second tool (the knife based one) would comment on why, when the main tool is a knife, there are TWO EXTRA KNIVES 

So on the one hand they make a clever tool that is folding but knife based, and utility knife at that, and then they ruin it like that instead of using that all important space to put different tools on 

[PyroJames]

The 12304 is a neat design but replacement MINI utility blades are always hard to find.  I have a mini utlility knife and I have never seen mini replacement blades in stores. 

[Chako]

Canadian Tire is about the only place I have seen them.

[cryptrick]

Nice ideas from Sheffield, but the only thing that bothers me is the spring showing on the first pic. However on the catalogue pic it doesn't show the spring, am I missing something here Other than that, not too bad

[nuphoria]

Interesting ideas, although not for me personally.

My concern about the 58131 is that the UK government would call it a balisong as it opens out to show a blade in the same way! 

[SlackOne]

Extra knife blades...OK, whatever.  But why would a utility knife have a fish scaler?  It's not hard to think of other blades to stick in something like this...like a file, prybar, and a couple of scrapers instead of the knives and the scaler...maybe even a round-edged caulking tool?

Is kind of funny that I was looking at cheap utility knives earlier this month, just to see if I could manage to make a Bear Jaws into a utility folder.  Looks like they beat me to it

[Magnus]

I never have liked this company, using the name of a city famous for manufacturing high quality steel products for things made in china just seems.... low.

The 12304 is a neat design but replacement MINI utility blades are always hard to find.  I have a mini utlility knife and I have never seen mini replacement blades in stores. 

It is good to know they aren't proprietary anyway.  If they are cheap enough it may be a neat idea to buy one just to put that component into a decent quality multitool.

My concern about the 58131 is that the UK government would call it a balisong as it opens out to show a blade in the same way! 

I am pretty sure it is a balisong under the definition of UK law.

[Benner]

It depends if the blade snaps open, then it wouldn't be classified as a balisong but more of a double jointed locker.

Any info Bob?

[J-sews]

It depends if the blade snaps open, then it wouldn't be classified as a balisong but more of a double jointed locker.

Any info Bob?

Snaps open...?

It can't be opened one-handed if thats what you mean.

[Benner]

Snaps as in the same way as a Cold Steel Black Rock Hunter does.  The best way to describe that is like 2 slip joints which means there is no way to use it like a Balisong and they get around the law that way.  I was wondering if this could be the same.

[J-sews]

Snaps as in the same way as a Cold Steel Black Rock Hunter does.  The best way to describe that is like 2 slip joints which means there is no way to use it like a Balisong and they get around the law that way.  I was wondering if this could be the same.

Okay, you definitely can't use it like a balisong. There is backspring tension against the utility knife housing the whole way, until it finally clicks into the full open position.

[Benner]

My guess is that this would be legal to own here in the UK then as it would slip into the same section as that Black Rock Hunter and their paradox. 

[turbov21]

I think I could see myself buying a 12304.

[J-sews]

I think I could see myself buying a 12304.

One thing I was -ing the folks at Sheffield about was NAMES! What kind of a name for a multitool is 12304? Come on guys, lets get with the program and give it some sort of trendy name like Splash or Flay or something like that.