99¢ Worth Every Penny

[blooper]

Back about a decade ago, I used to work at the 99¢ store and was exposed to tons of bargain type tools and gadgets. One that caught my eye was this little tool.


I carried most my senior year in high school and sometimes in college. It had quite a few tools lined up inside including a blade, nail file/cleaner, scissors, serrated saw(?), phillips bit, flat head (big and small) as well as a key ring hole. Oh, cant forget about the bottle opener/pry tool, nut wrenches, and ruler along the length of the tool when opened.


quite a bit of stuff for a tool about the size of your small pinky finger.

Here is what it looks like compared to a SAK classic alox.



It's about twice and thick as the SAK and quite a bit heavier too. Not sure what type of steal it's made of, but it feels and sounds a little "tinny". The serrated edge is really dull and I am really not sure what it is supposed to be for, maybe a fish scaler? The scissors has it's time but I long lost the spring piece that opens them, so they are sort of useless now. The "lock" isn't as strong as it used to be, so the tools fold on you if you aren't careful.

It has been pretty useful but it is retired now. It just sits in my junk drawer. Occasionally, I will pull it out to use as a letter opener or use the small flat head to pick at something. If I could find another one just like it, I would probably pick up a few just for the heck of it.

I visit the 99¢ store once in a while and see some interesting MTs/pocket knives. This is probably the cheapest and most used MT I have at the moment. Just thought I'd share.

[Zed]

These are handy little mt's and very similar to one utica use to make 

[blooper]

omg, you are absolutely right! i knew MTO would be able to identify it. hahah

http://www.amazon.com/Kutmaster-3536-Cutlery-Function-MiniMaster/dp/B004Z138JA

i dont think its worth $15-17 like it is there, but it is a very valuable tool in other ways.



very similar tool set. i am impressed.

[Zed]

omg, you are absolutely right! i knew MTO would be able to identify it. hahah

http://www.amazon.com/Kutmaster-3536-Cutlery-Function-MiniMaster/dp/B004Z138JA

i dont think its worth $15-17 like it is there, but it is a very valuable tool in other ways.

(Image removed from quote.)

very similar tool set. i am impressed.

Well are a clever lot on here  I've got it in one of my knife books think it's a utica toolchest but need too look in the book 

Ok just looked its the utica MiniMaster.

[Gareth]

I've a few of these that I got from Badwolf, though I've mostly given them away.  The ones I have are True Utility branded and I'm not a great fan of the finish if I'm honest, very rough around the edges.  Love the idea but the cheap execution really put me off.

[nuphoria]

^ that's how I felt when I saw a similar tool. Really like the idea; lots of utility in a small space, but I just assumed the steel would be so poor it would get torn up the first time I used it!

[Grant Lamontagne]

There are some available through the Coast brand as well. Mine is called the Coast Fishing Buddy.

There's a lot of potential with a design like this- I'd like to see a mainstream manufacturer try their hands at something like this.

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

[lowtech]

The closest thing a major brand manufacturer did to those things is the Gerber Multilite imho.

I own one of those cheapos and the metal is of real bad quality. But i liked it for the
 simple yet clever idea.

[Landrew]

The closest thing a major brand manufacturer did to those things is the Gerber Multilite imho.

I own one of those cheapos and the metal is of real bad quality. But i liked it for the
 simple yet clever idea.

I though my $99 SwissTool was worth every penny. I'd say this one is worth a bit more per penny.

[AdmSlc]

I've spent more money on worthless stuff.. At .99 cents I'd call it a win. 

[kirk13]

I've given a couple of those to guys I work with.They do pretty well for light use amongst the uninitiated

[Lynn LeFey]

I don't have one of these, so could someone who does answer a question for me?

It looks like the tool 'lid' locks the tools closed. Does it also lock them open? If so... that's a very simple and elegant solution to tool locking.

[Gareth]

I don't have one of these, so could someone who does answer a question for me?

It looks like the tool 'lid' locks the tools closed. Does it also lock them open? If so... that's a very simple and elegant solution to tool locking.

It does indeed come down and get in the way of the tools closing.  "lock" however might be a little overambitious though.

[Nhoj]

I have a Coast micro toolbox that is almost identical to that. The scissors spring broke of the first time I used it.

[Lynn LeFey]

"lock" however might be a little overambitious though.

 
Got ya. Thanks. 

[blooper]

I have a Coast micro toolbox that is almost identical to that. The scissors spring broke of the first time I used it.

yea, it looks to be one of those mass manufactured designs that they license off to other  companies to use as promotional items.

the bottle opener on mine is a little warped. i dont think i ever noticed it being there from the beginning or it happened over time.

[lowtech]

I don't have one of these, so could someone who does answer a question for me?

It looks like the tool 'lid' locks the tools closed. Does it also lock them open? If so... that's a very simple and elegant solution to tool locking.

Yes, it indeed does lock the tools - If you PM me your address and I´ll find the lil`bugger, I will let you test it out, if you want.

[AimlessWanderer]

I have the True Utility one, and to be honest it's not bad. The "saw" is about as functional as the file on a Squirt P4 (worthless), but other than that it's functional but limited. There is a lip on the edge of the lid which drops into a groove on the tools to lock them, so as long as you have pressure on the lid the tool isn't going anywhere - that said, the tools are so small as to make you wonder why they need a lock at all.

The scissors work, the mini driver has tightened glasses screws, the knife has opened packages, and the bottle opener works just grand  I don't think I've ever used the other drivers, but they are only for very light duty. Never used the spanners either

Certainly worth snatching up at $0.99 

[Lynn LeFey]

I just found one of these at the 'Dollar Store', but it was $2.

So I bought it.

It is actually a fairly decent little tool. The blade is dull, of course, but other than that, it's pretty good. The scissors certainly aren't the worst I've ever encountered. I haven't tried the cap lifter yet, but if I had to guess, I'd think it'll be pretty good.

Mine also has a lanyard and keyring attached. I'd say it was worth what I paid for it.

[blooper]

yea! if youre lucky enough to find them, theyd be worth a look at for sure. i keep it in my gym bag for emergencies. i havent had a lot of luck with the scissors, the spring got lost and i havent been able to replace it. but let me know how you like it!

[Lynn LeFey]

I ran this thing through some paces today.

On my scissor test, it scored a +1
That's pretty terrible. It's good for paper and PETE plastic bottles, and won't cut much else.
Here's a link to my Scissor Test thread for reference.
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,36798.0.html
Strangely, it would cut the outer sheathing on 550 paracord, but not the inner nylon strands.

I spent some time to sharpen the blade (now paper-cutting sharp), and then went at this thing with a file. I brought the nail file's scraper tool to a better point for cleaning under the nails. The phillips was camming out of screws badly, so I removed the tip so it seated into #2 phillips screws better. Still not great, but better than nothing. The flathead didn't require any work. I spent maybe 5 minutes getting the mini flathead to actually slot into an eyeglass size screw, and now it works fine.

The saw... The saw is both small (smaller even than the one on the Berkley Fishing Tool), AND goes dull. I notched an oak board to a depth of about... maybe 2mm, and the saw is now dead.

I tested the cap lifter against the Leatherman Squirt, and it did better than the Squirt. It was not as good as I'd hoped it might be, but not bad either.

I didn't test it as a wrench, and it's a shame the hex wrench cutouts don't have a size that would fit a standard hex bit.

As it stands, with a little work, it's not completely terrible. I wouldn't carry it, but for the price, it has some merit.

[blooper]

nice review.


the cap lifter was the most useful bit on it, from what i remember. everything else was just sort of "its there in case you need it" for me. glad to see another user give it some fair play.

[AimlessWanderer]

For the last week or so, I've had my Tool Logic version tucked in a pocket in my wallet with an IDL T7. Today that teeny weeny driver tightened a screw in my glasses. First job it's done since it's been in there, but it did the job I needed it to 

[Lynn LeFey]

One of the first things I check on ANY little MT I get is whether that little screwdriver actually slots into an eyeglass screw. I don't need that tool often, but when I need it, I REALLY need it. As I said above, I filed the tiny driver into shape on this tool, so I know, should the need arise, it's up to the task. Good to hear this little cheapo saved the day for you, 50ft-trad.