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The Great Two Dollar Challenge

ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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The Great Two Dollar Challenge
on: July 27, 2015, 12:53:30 AM
Lately I have been wondering what would happen ifsomeone needed a tool but only had $2 to spend. Are there any good tools in that price range or would you be better off saving your money for a candy bar?

My plan was simple- go to eBay and purchase the first ten tools I found for under $2 each, including shipping.  Now you'll note in the photos below that some are slightly over $2, because they are listed in Canadian Fun Bucks, and I'd planned to use US dollars, just to be reasonable.

Some of you who are sharp eyed and can count will see that there are more than ten there.   In fact, there may be even more- these are the ones that were Buy It Now for $2.  There were a few that I had to bid on as well, so the last night get slightly bigger.

Also, some of these may get disqualified.  For example,  the pry bar might just be a pry bar, and therefore may not be able to compete with multitools.

Some are knockoffs of actual tools like the CRKT Eat'n Tool, CRKT KERT and Leatherman Brewzer.  These may end up being more fun to compare to the real versions.   The Gerber Shard might be the most interesting of the bunch, as it is (presumably anyway) a real Gerber Shard, a tool I have always been quite fond of.

I'll grade these on looks, numberof functions versus number of useful functions and carryability.
« Last Edit: July 27, 2015, 12:55:18 AM by Grant Lamontagne »
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us Offline captain spaulding

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #1 on: July 27, 2015, 12:56:24 AM
Love this idea!


 :popcorn:
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us Offline detron

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #2 on: July 27, 2015, 01:24:22 AM
very interesting   :popcorn:
If I can help, let me know 


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #3 on: July 27, 2015, 01:27:27 AM
I think so.   If I'd done the $5 challenge the list would be a lot longer!

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline Outback in Idaho

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #4 on: July 27, 2015, 01:36:55 AM
  Want a small monetary donation?  :D
CCI07262015.jpg
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¬ Outback in Idaho

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ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #5 on: July 27, 2015, 01:53:06 AM
Thanks,  but I got it covered, eh!



Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline Outback in Idaho

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #6 on: July 27, 2015, 03:02:03 AM
  Don't have one of these laying around?

   Think I have a Looney out in the car console..  :whistle:  And have a Canada $5 Monopoly note.  :D
1000Note.jpg
* 1000Note.jpg (Filesize: 153.72 KB)
« Last Edit: July 27, 2015, 03:03:07 AM by Xelkos »
¬ Outback in Idaho

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us Offline Mike 56

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #7 on: July 27, 2015, 04:47:49 AM
I wish it was 5.00 I bought a nice PST with a broken blade. I regrown the blade and made a nice PST Stubby. I have been carrying it for a few weeks. Great little tool.


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no Offline Grathr

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #8 on: July 27, 2015, 06:09:15 AM
This will be interesting.
:popcorn:


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cy Offline dks

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #9 on: July 27, 2015, 07:42:20 AM
true utility and any edcgear ones should be OK
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de Offline Sweety-Sama

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #10 on: July 27, 2015, 07:47:40 AM
A real challenge might be to actually producing a two dollar tool, that wound break on first opportunity. :think:


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ro Offline Corwyn

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #11 on: July 27, 2015, 07:52:10 AM
I'm looking for an OPT with a prybar, wrench, light and thin, but strong, with rainbow finish and under 10 USD?  :D

Any suggestions? I only saw the skull/Punisher tool, but I find it too thick and long and the TiSurvival Prybar which is ridiculously overpriced and missing the wrench ...  :think:
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ch Offline Etherealicer

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #12 on: July 27, 2015, 10:16:16 AM
I'm looking for an OPT with a prybar, wrench, light and thin, but strong, with rainbow finish and under 10 USD?  :D

Any suggestions? I only saw the skull/Punisher tool, but I find it too thick and long and the TiSurvival Prybar which is ridiculously overpriced and missing the wrench ...  :think:
Buy a PocketWrench II. I know its above your budget but this is probably the best OPT I have ever seen.
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us Offline Kampfer

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #13 on: July 27, 2015, 10:33:19 AM
I bought a Piranha 2 for $12, you can't beat that.
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ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #14 on: July 27, 2015, 11:36:53 AM
I'm looking for an OPT with a prybar, wrench, light and thin, but strong, with rainbow finish and under 10 USD?  :D

Any suggestions? I only saw the skull/Punisher tool, but I find it too thick and long and the TiSurvival Prybar which is ridiculously overpriced and missing the wrench ...  :think:
Buy a PocketWrench II. I know its above your budget but this is probably the best OPT I have ever seen.

The Pocketwrench II is indeed a hard one to beat.   Assuming you don't have to have it rainbow finished there are lots of good small pry bars available at your local hardware store.  Some might be a bit long but can be ground down into a use able size.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline Yadda

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #15 on: July 27, 2015, 12:33:49 PM
"It didn't hurt, flirt, blood squirt, stuffed shirt, hang me on a tree
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ca Offline Chako

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #16 on: July 27, 2015, 01:08:32 PM
I did something like this last year. Can't wait to see what your opinions on some of these will be.
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ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #17 on: July 28, 2015, 01:46:57 AM
So.... I went a bit beyond ten. 

I found a total of seventeen tools for $2 and under, although four of them were bids and not Buy It Now, and may end up being more than $2, in which case they are disqualified.  I can pretty much guarantee that I will get second chance offers on any I am outbid for, so I'm not writing them off just yet.

Even not counting them, that still leaves 13 tools.  There has to be something worthwhile in there.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline Outback in Idaho

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #18 on: July 28, 2015, 02:26:23 AM
  Grant, want a CRKT Eat'N'Tool for a Tooney + shipping?  :D

   The Looney I have here is lonely. Wants a Twoney to go with the Looney.  :whistle:
« Last Edit: July 28, 2015, 02:32:13 AM by Xelkos »
¬ Outback in Idaho

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ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #19 on: July 28, 2015, 12:10:06 PM
Send me a PM with your address and I'll see what I can do.  I have several Eat'n Tools already so I'm good there!

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline Outback in Idaho

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #20 on: July 28, 2015, 05:25:22 PM
  Well if you have plenty already I can leave it in the drawer. Should of assumed you would be swimming in tools. Had bought a few on close-out one Christmas season for about $6 each. This one is a left over.

  Weight for weight I'd rather carry a Snow Peak titanium spork. :pok: Now of I could find  a pair of packable chopsticks.. even tried to carry a pair in a hatband.. :ahhh
¬ Outback in Idaho

Behind every mask there is a face, behind that a story.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #21 on: July 29, 2015, 07:37:29 PM
Now that the smoke is cleared I see I have purchased 16 different tools at $2 or less.  There were a few more that I was outbid on by a dollar or so, but I will have to try them again when I do the $5 challenge later on. 

I'm at work now but when I get back to a computer I'll post all of the tools I managed to get and final prices for each.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline Outback in Idaho

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #22 on: July 30, 2015, 05:00:27 PM
  A few years ago one could get a PST for about $5 from a TSA auction. Am surprised you're finding anything that low in price.
¬ Outback in Idaho

Behind every mask there is a face, behind that a story.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #23 on: July 30, 2015, 05:20:04 PM
Most of the stuff I have found is brand new one piece types, the kind that you can cut a thousand out of a $20 piece of sheet steel.

I'm just assembling photos on my computer, I'll start posting them later.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


mx Offline Dragon Lord

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #24 on: July 30, 2015, 07:37:39 PM
 :popcorn: :popcorn:


no Offline Grathr

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #25 on: July 30, 2015, 08:17:09 PM
:popcorn:


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-Knívleysur maður er lívleysur maður.
 "A Knifeless man is a lifeless man" old Faroese proverb.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #26 on: July 31, 2015, 03:44:13 PM
Contender #1:

EBay Listing Title:
1pcs Creative Carabiner Cap Stainless Steel Bottle Opener Keychain Ring Tool SM

Seller Description:

Product Information:
Material: Stainless steel mixing light processing surface
Features: This is a fixable afraid of losing key creative key chain with opener function, mixed light processing technology, not afraid to wear flowers, fashionable fashion, it is the key to your daily carry a good partner!

Package includes:

1 x Stainless Steel Bottle Opener Keychain Ring Tool


Auction Photos:









Total Cost:
$1.88

Def

edited to add price
« Last Edit: August 02, 2015, 02:52:51 AM by Grant Lamontagne »
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


no Offline Grathr

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #27 on: July 31, 2015, 03:49:14 PM
Its a good thing, its not afraid to wear flowers... :rofl:


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk
-Knívleysur maður er lívleysur maður.
 "A Knifeless man is a lifeless man" old Faroese proverb.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #28 on: July 31, 2015, 03:58:08 PM
Contender #2:

EBay Listing Title:
5IN1 Stainless Multi Tool EDC Pocket Survival Bottle Opener Screwdriver Keychain

Seller Description:


    100% brand new and high quality
    Material: Steel
    Handy Multi-Purpose Survival Tool
    Stainless steel with handy storage case
    Fits easily into your vest, pack or pocket
    Function: knife, screwdriver, bottle opener, concave knife, fire extinguisher opening with high- quality pocket
    Length: app.8.5cm
    Hardness: 57 degrees
    Color: As the pictures shown
    Quantity:1 Pc
    Note: Due to the difference between different monitors, the picture may not reflect  the actual color of the item. Thank you!


Auction Photos:





















Total Cost:
$1.66

This one appears to be a copy of the SwissBianco Swiss Key Tool.

Def
« Last Edit: August 02, 2015, 02:54:16 AM by Grant Lamontagne »
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: The Great Two Dollar Challenge
Reply #29 on: July 31, 2015, 04:10:54 PM
Contender #3

EBay Listing Title:
EDC Mini Multi Crank Stainless steel crowbar Staple wire scraper tool keychain

Seller Description:

Size: 76mm*12.5mm/3"*0.5", thick and hard.

Material: Stainless Steel


It's not only a crowbar, but also a scraper, and even cable tiny storage, crank handle design.

Package:
1 x  Crowbar


Auction photos:













Total Cost:
$1.90

That's it for now- I have to run out to work now, so I will post some more later.

Def
« Last Edit: August 02, 2015, 02:56:12 AM by Grant Lamontagne »
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


 

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