MultiTool Diary

[Sea Monster]

Stop me if this has been done before -

As a salesman, I've noticed that every man in my shop eyes off a Leatherman (usually Surge, being the priciest on my shelf), but tells himself (or has his parter tell him) that he can't "justify" the purchase -

Maybe this is true. Anyone with a reason to use tools should have the real thing handy, and perhaps the rest of us* are just kidding ourselves that we need to carry these toys, so for my own interests sake I'll be keeping a diary (in this topic) of my daily (or weekly, whenever I have time to log on and type) use of my Multitool.

For thoroughness I'll be limiting myself to a single Multitool, and I'll list here the functions available to me -

Needlenose pliers with curved jaw half way down and Hard wire cutters.
Blade.
Serrated Blade.
Corkscrew
Metric Ruler up to 200mm
#2 Phillips
File
Spike (I really don't approve of calling them "Awls" )
Can Opener (it claims to double as a Bottle Opener, but frequently just punches holes in the lid)
Two sizes of Slot Head (looks like 1.5mm and 5mm)




*By "Us" I mean myself - The non-military, non-engineer public who buy Bumbags if they're called "Tactical Carry-alls"

[Dunc]

Great idea    I done a similar thing this time last year over at SOSAK which included SAKs and a Swisstool . I really helps you to decide which models to carry . Due to the results I carry and use a climber model alot more .
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/785121/post/1118685/hl/diary/fromsearch/1/#1118685


Dunc

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Top idea mate, feel free to run with it

[Tom Munch]

Great thread!  I love to do this kind of thing.

[Dunc]

Great thread!  I love to do this kind of thing.

Tom feel free to do one yourself , its good to see different members uses .

Dunc

[Sea Monster]

So far all I've done is use the spike to gouge a lanyard hole in the plastic handle of a knife, but I also just spent eight hours sleeping, so I'm not too disappointed yet.

Top idea mate

Cheers.

Due to the results I carry and use a climber model alot more .

I've got a climber  - Looks like he does too.

Is this a fairly standard SAK? (Is there any way to see the Sales graph for Vic intl?)

[Grant Lamontagne]

Vics sales reports are more closely guarded than the Ladies Room at the Pentagon.

The Climber is probably their most popular model considering all the variations and specials that are made from that design.

Def

[Dunc]

This may not be strictly true but I consider the Climber to be the backbone of Vics range . Everyone loves the Climber 


Dunc

[cryptrick]

I would think Climbers have to be the most popular, you see them everwhere, probably due to most people wanting the scissors.

Anyway, great idea Nomad, look forward to see how it goes 

[Tom Munch]

I would have thought the Tinker or Super Tinker were most popular since I see those often at Target & other stores & folks on other forums seem to talk about those so much.

[Sea Monster]

Erh, time for an update -

Today I pulled a few staples out of some wood with the Pliers, and opened some boxes with the knife.
I tried to attack some Chicken with the knife but ended up being easier with fingers -

So far this just proves I need a knife to shred the cardboard my stock comes in.

I have a Swiss question, but rather than further derailing this thread, I'll head to Swiss forum.

[Benner]

I would have thought the Tinker or Super Tinker were most popular since I see those often at Target & other stores & folks on other forums seem to talk about those so much.

Sorry to go back to this, but I would have thought the Tinker as well.  You often read about the Tinker or Super Tinker being EDC'd either on it's own or to compliment a multitool.

[CQC-7]

I would also think that the tinker/super tinker would be popular.  I dont have a climber yet.   However, I have the explorer which appears to be not all that different than the climber and I do like that knife.

[Grant Lamontagne]

At the risk of continuing the derailment of this thread, the Super Tinker and Climber are virtually the same model- the only difference being the corkscrew and the phillips.  Since the corkscrew is more traditionally associated with a "real" SAK, the Climber tends to sell better.

Nomad- I find the most mundane chores are the types my multitools excel most at.  Don't get me wrong, I'll be glad to have a good multi handy when/if my car breaks down at the side of the road, but day to day life is always that much easier when you have a decent tool handy.  If I find a loose screw somewhere I can deal with it instantly- without a tool I have to go find a screwdriver, and I often either won't bother, or if I do I'll forget whatever the heck it was I was doing and get onto something else before making it back!

Def

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

This may not be strictly true but I consider the Climber to be the backbone of Vics range . Everyone loves the Climber 


Dunc

I don't have one , now if you were to put a saw on it

[Sea Monster]

For the daily update -

Opened some letters in style, ripped off a stuck zipper to gain access to my trousers.

without a tool I have to go find a screwdriver, and I often either won't bother, or if I do I'll forget whatever the heck it was I was doing and get onto something else before making it back!

As a pet peeve - I'd rather you went to find the right screwdriver instead of trying to do every job with the one size of Phillips provided on most multitools. - I do not consider "Bit drivers" to be convenient in the slightest, so you can shove that return-argument in a handle and fold it.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Knocking the screwdrivers out of the mix cuts the proposed usefulness of just about any multi in half.  I don't like the numerous, overly generous amounts of dedicated flatheads found on many tools today, but I would happily accept another phillips or two, and I would love to see a Robertsin driver included on them.  Unfortunately with Robertsons, if you don't have the right size, you can't use it- it's almost impossible to "make do."  So, you'd need two or three Robertson heads, and the only realistic way to include that many screwdrivers on a multitool is with a bit driver.  That having been said, I agree with you totally, at least as far as Leatherman's flattened bits and driver are.  Give me a solid 1/4" hex bit any day, and I'm sure that would be acceptable to you since that's what I use with most of my "regular" screwdrivers already! 

Def

[Dunc]

This may not be strictly true but I consider the Climber to be the backbone of Vics range . Everyone loves the Climber 


Dunc

I don't have one , now if you were to put a saw on it

It would become a Huntsman 

[Sea Monster]

Knocking the screwdrivers out of the mix cuts the proposed usefulness of just about any multi in half.  I don't like the numerous, overly generous amounts of dedicated flatheads found on many tools today, but I would happily accept another phillips or two, and I would love to see a Robertsin driver included on them.  Unfortunately with Robertsons, if you don't have the right size, you can't use it- it's almost impossible to "make do."  So, you'd need two or three Robertson heads, and the only realistic way to include that many screwdrivers on a multitool is with a bit driver.  That having been said, I agree with you totally, at least as far as Leatherman's flattened bits and driver are.  Give me a solid 1/4" hex bit any day, and I'm sure that would be acceptable to you since that's what I use with most of my "regular" screwdrivers already!

Screwdrivers are a whole topic of their own.

These days slotheads are levers more than anything else - anyone still producing slot head screws or bolts (and using them as fastenings) should be taken out back of the farm (because they are most certainly backwater hicks) and shot.

Even Phillips are being replaced in some instances by Allen or "Socket" head bolts, which unfortunately use a different size driver for every bolt size (whereas a Phillips #2 and #3 will get you through the majority of both metric and Imperial bolts)

I notice a Robertson in the leatherman universal tool adapter kit (but no Phillips #3?) - This is not much of an issue for me, but I'm told the square drive is popular up north.

and Pozi is just irritating.

When they start making Multis with Security bits I'll be happy (and phone warranties on every phone and electronic device will cry out in terror and be suddenly silenced)

[Grant Lamontagne]

That's another reason for standard bit drivers IMHO.  Whenever they come up with a new so called Security Bit  you can just add it to the collection.

Robertsons seem to only be popular in Canada, but they are found in other places as well.  The thing is, they are not just popular in Canada, they are literally everywhere.  My deck is held together with Robertson screws, as is my left foot. 

Def

[Sea Monster]

Deck?

Do I sense the refreshing tang of salt?

Heave-to, Lee-Oh, and Avast, etc etc.

[NeitherExtreme]

For what it's worth, I've been kinda annoyed over the years as the screws get less and less "standard". It makes it difficult to have every driver you need in one toolbox, let alone on a MT! That said, I think LM's fixed Phillips are just about magical. I know they don't fit everything, but I think they fit more different sized Phillips tightly than anything else I've used.

[Tom Munch]

For what it's worth, I've been kinda annoyed over the years as the screws get less and less "standard". It makes it difficult to have every driver you need in one toolbox, let alone on a MT! That said, I think LM's fixed Phillips are just about magical. I know they don't fit everything, but I think they fit more different sized Phillips tightly than anything else I've used.

I'd have to agree about LM's Phillips drivers.  They've always worked for me.

[Benner]

For what it's worth, I've been kinda annoyed over the years as the screws get less and less "standard". It makes it difficult to have every driver you need in one toolbox, let alone on a MT! That said, I think LM's fixed Phillips are just about magical. I know they don't fit everything, but I think they fit more different sized Phillips tightly than anything else I've used.

I'd have to agree about LM's Phillips drivers.  They've always worked for me.

Same here.  Always impressed with how they work.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Deck?

Do I sense the refreshing tang of salt?

Heave-to, Lee-Oh, and Avast, etc etc.

I meant deck as in a patio, not the deck of a ship.  I am however right on the ocean, and quite sick of the refreshing tang of salt!

Def

[Sea Monster]

I meant deck as in a patio, not the deck of a ship.  I am however right on the ocean, and quite sick of the refreshing tang of salt!

Out on the patio we sit....

Beats the headache inducing air of the Big Smoke.


Outside of efforts related to my PST vs GI test, no Multitool action today.

[Sea Monster]

Used the Reamer to clean up the thread on some threaded pipe.

So, at the end of 5 days at work, the evidence seems to suggest that (perhaps not including the Knife), a multitool finds use about once per day.

At this rate, how long might it take for the convenience to pay for itself?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

This may not be strictly true but I consider the Climber to be the backbone of Vics range . Everyone loves the Climber 


Dunc

I don't have one , now if you were to put a saw on it

It would become a Huntsman 

I was joking , especially seeing as you traded me a huntsman

[Sea Monster]

Used the Reamer to make some air-holes in a tank to ease pouring.


Aaaand, that's it, week over.