I have finally managed to get my hands on one of these one piece tools, thanks to StressMaster5000 (and EDCSource!). I've been looking at these for a while, but I really didn't know what to expect. Aaron, owner of Mission Tools is a member here so I'm hoping maybe he will drop by and comment on it, but in the meantime here's what I have found after some very minimal testing.
I don't have any pictures yet, but here's what they look like:
http://www.edcsource.com/108670,auction_id,auction_detailsAccording to the specs from Mission Critical:
Parasite V-1
Material: USA PCM-105 steel (0.1875 thickness)
Heat Treat: RC 48-50
Finish: FBE Black
Dimensions: 3.840"(OAL) 1.475"(width at widest point)
Features:
-1/4 hex drive
-pry bar/flat head screw driver
Initially I thought the tool would be a bit smaller than it is- it's not big, but it is about half again as big was I was expecting. I like this as it gives a bit of heft that gives you a bit of faith in it. Some small tools feel a bit flimsy, but this one feels like a tank.
One of the first things I always test is the bottle opener- insert derogatory drunk joke here. Laugh if you want, but a bottle opener is probably the most important function on any multitool, based on the fact that almost every multitool has a bottle opener on it somewhere. It's either an easy design to incorporate, or it's a testament to how much designers drink. I don't want to comment on that, but one thing for certain, it provides some common ground to test
all multitools on. The Parasite goes one step further and has a
dual bottle opener. I found both the bottle openers on them Parasite to be completely ineffectual. Perhaps I am doing it wrong, but the only thing I managed to do with the Parasite was to lift the top just enough to unseal it and that was it- the cap didn't come off.
I recently got a second hand armoire with a broken shelf bracket. I had some replacements but they sat at a different height so I had to first remove the old ones. With the bottle opener failure fresh in my head I didn't have a lot of faith in the pry bar tip, which is actually quite thick. I had such little faith in it's ability to get between the small shelf brackets and the wall of the armoire that I also brought alog the Ta-Bar/Spare Tool from CRKT. The tips of the Parasite actually did manage to slip under the brackets and allow me to pop them out- I was pleasantly surprised at this, but mostly because there was a bit more of a gap there than I thought. Had the old brackets been more flush then it would have failed, but I have to give credit where it's due, and it worked well.
The Parasite is a well made tool, but I have to wonder if the problem with it is that it's too muchg form, not enough function. For example, unlike many hollow handled one piece tools, there are no graduated teeth inside the hole to allow it to function as a wrench. I personally feel that you could really expand on this concept by incorporating not only the wrench teeth, but also the bottle opener into the handle, then modify the "wings" so one side is a can opener and the other a strap cutter. These are just examples, but they would greatly increase the functionality, although it may make it a little less pretty.
Bear in mind that this is the first generation Parasite, and I haven't handled any others, so the design may have been improved upon since this was designed. For what it is, it's a neat tool and I am looking forward to some more testing, but I'm not expecting much from it at the moment.
Def
Donations
Community Links
