Toothpick or Tweezers: Pick One

[GoatDragon]

So say you are carrying a manager and nothing more. Given you only have one slot to fill with a scale tool, which will it be? I know I fall firmly in the toothpick camp. That toothpick is one of the main reasons I carry a SAK in the first place, because I always get food caught in my teeth, and with out my handy toothpick it gets really irritating.

But tweezers can be very useful too, and I am curious which one you guys would choose.

[captain spaulding]

Well its tough to choose between the two, but for the slot I would always choose tweezers as I cut the little nub off the toothpick and keep it in my wallet so I always have a toothpick no matter what.

[captain spaulding]

Forgot to add. Last time I was at the dentist he had cards with a roll of floss in them. Its the thickness of two credit cards stacked (which is nothing really) and has a bunch of floss in it. It is in my wallet with my other cards and I do not even notice it. I love the design and next time I go i'm going to ask for a bunch of them.

[Etherealicer]

Toothpick. I don't think the tweezers work particularly well...

[GoatDragon]

Well its tough to choose between the two, but for the slot I would always choose tweezers as I cut the little nub off the toothpick and keep it in my wallet so I always have a toothpick no matter what.

You're a genius! See, the main reason I started this thread is because I was lamenting the loss of tweezers in my EDC with my new manager. I don't use the tweezers very often, but I like having them on me in case I get a splinter or a tick. I cut out little 3x5 card in the shape of a credit card, taped the tweezers down to them and stuck it in my wallet. Now I can have the tweezers at hand in case of an emergency, while still having the toothpick easy to access where I need it on my SAK!

[captain spaulding]

Well its tough to choose between the two, but for the slot I would always choose tweezers as I cut the little nub off the toothpick and keep it in my wallet so I always have a toothpick no matter what.

You're a genius! See, the main reason I started this thread is because I was lamenting the loss of tweezers in my EDC with my new manager. I don't use the tweezers very often, but I like having them on me in case I get a splinter or a tick. I cut out little 3x5 card in the shape of a credit card, taped the tweezers down to them and stuck it in my wallet. Now I can have the tweezers at hand in case of an emergency, while still having the toothpick easy to access where I need it on my SAK!

Glad to help. 

[hiraethus]

Tweezers for me.  Toothpick only really gets used for cleaning fluff out of the crevices of SAKs.

[cody6268]

Tweezers.   Smallest pair I have.   Works really well in very tight places.  I was re-rigging a model wrecker, and I don't think it could have been done without my Craftsman's tweezers.

I used the toothpick once, but only because it was a new, fresh from pack toothpick. I don't use them for the intended purpose, considering all the places my SAKs have been!   You should have seen the gunk I removed from the liner when I pulled off the damaged scales on my Fieldmaster to replace them.   I too use it mostly for cleaning stuff that gets caught in a knife that prevents it from closing.

[enki_ck]

Toothpick. I don't think the tweezers work particularly well...

+1

They're OK for some tasks, but Uncle Bill's work much better.

[mrog]

Gimme the tweezers! Toothpick is easier to fabricate on the spot. I keep toothpick/flosser things in my car, on my desk at home, and at my job. The tweezers can even pick your teeth in an emergency.

[moonweasel]

I goofed. My browswer moved the screen on me while voting. Tweezers all the way. Never used the toothpick at all. Tweezers on the other hand, pretty useful.

[powernoodle]

Tweezers for me.  Toothpick only really gets used for cleaning fluff out of the crevices of SAKs.

Same here.  I have never used the toothpick for anything except cleaning lint out of SAKs.  Its too thick to actually get between the teeth.

[Smaug]

I use my toothpick for my teeth AND cleaning the pocket lint out of my SAK.

Let's not pretend our mouths are these really clean places. Dogs' mouths are MUCH cleaner than ours, and they lick their privates all the time.

With a 3 year old in daycare, pocket lint is the LAST thing that's going to make me sick.

Goat, one tip: Wenger toothpicks are thinner and work a LOT better than Victorinox's.

I'm wondering if maybe the thing to do is to sharpen the tweezer tips points, then they could double as toothpicks...? Kind of like a watchmaker's tweezers.

[GoatDragon]

I used the toothpick once, but only because it was a new, fresh from pack toothpick. I don't use them for the intended purpose, considering all the places my SAKs have been!   You should have seen the gunk I removed from the liner when I pulled off the damaged scales on my Fieldmaster to replace them.   I too use it mostly for cleaning stuff that gets caught in a knife that prevents it from closing.

That's one reason I have transparent sapphire scales on my manager. I can see the gunk, and if I need to, blast it out with my waterpik.

[J Mackrel Jones]

The Swiss Army Knife Owner's Manual says this about choosing between toothpick and tweezers when installing a pen:

Modification 24. The Officer can write
Any of the Officer models that has a toothpick or tweezer can have an SAK pen instead of the T or T: Remove the T (or T). Hold the knife between the jaws of a vise, padded with cardboard, so the plastic scale will not bulge away from the liner when the bit goes in. Send a twirling drill bit down the T or T hole, keeping the bit against the liner. All Vic pens, long (91mm knives) and short (58 mm Signature I and II), are .09” or 2.2mm wide; a 3/32 (or a #41 = .096”) bit works. The toothpick is better to give up for a pen not because there is something in the way behind the cross & shield emblem (there isn’t) but because you can pick your teeth but not pull a splinter with the pen.

[ducttapetech]

I use the toothpick more than any of the scale tool. But if I had to choose one it would be the tweezers. I can carve a toothpick with the blade.
Nate
That's us mobile

[ToolJoe]

I use tweezers more than anything.

[VoetSak]

Tweezers. The toothpick is a bit of a chocolate teapot in my eyes.

[GoatDragon]

The Swiss Army Knife Owner's Manual says this about choosing between toothpick and tweezers when installing a pen:

Modification 24. The Officer can write
Any of the Officer models that has a toothpick or tweezer can have an SAK pen instead of the T or T: Remove the T (or T). Hold the knife between the jaws of a vise, padded with cardboard, so the plastic scale will not bulge away from the liner when the bit goes in. Send a twirling drill bit down the T or T hole, keeping the bit against the liner. All Vic pens, long (91mm knives) and short (58 mm Signature I and II), are .09” or 2.2mm wide; a 3/32 (or a #41 = .096”) bit works. The toothpick is better to give up for a pen not because there is something in the way behind the cross & shield emblem (there isn’t) but because you can pick your teeth but not pull a splinter with the pen.

Pick your teeth with a pen? I hardly see how that could work. It's too thick, and you would probably swallow some ink.

[tjfarrington2000]

Tweezers for me.  Toothpick only really gets used for cleaning fluff out of the crevices of SAKs.

I'm not the only one!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using A box of monkeys on a treadmill and a quantum leap

[Smaug]

Tweezers. The toothpick is a bit of a chocolate teapot in my eyes.

 

[Demel]

Toothpick. I always keep Uncle Bills tweezers on me and they are ten times better. These are the big 3 that stays on my keychain.

Tweezers
Nail Clippers
Signature

[strmliner]

No doubt about it, the toothpick!

The tweezers are handy, especially in the Classics that I put in my firstaid kits.  I picked up a few Classics on eBay in a Lot of SAKs.  So I cleaned and sterilized the knives, toothpicks, and tweezers, replaced a few dingy scales, and put them in the firstaid kits I have for camping, the boat, and the car. 

[eddie1115]

Tweezers for me.  Harder to improvise, compared to the toothpick.  I really don't use toothpicks often, though I like the idea of tucking one in my wallet.

[captain spaulding]

Toothpick. I always keep Uncle Bills tweezers on me and they are ten times better. These are the big 3 that stays on my keychain. (Image removed from quote.)

Tweezers
Nail Clippers
Signature

I always have a Uncle Bills as well. 

[Marcellus]

Tweezers for me.  Harder to improvise, compared to the toothpick.   

What he said

[Syph007]

I use the tweezers all the time.  I never need the toothpick, but couldnt tweezers work as a toothpick anyhow?  Or cut a sliver of wood off something...

[Grass]

Have to go with the toothpick for my bad teeth. Once the teeth are fixed, this could well change to tweezers - which are also awesome and frequently used for splinters and grey hairs...

[Smaug]

Tweezers for me.  Harder to improvise, compared to the toothpick.  I really don't use toothpicks often, though I like the idea of tucking one in my wallet.

You're talking about toothpicks here as if you're out in the wild, with nothing else to do but whittle a toothpick. I could whittle a fork and spoon too, but that doesn't mean it is practical to do.

When you need a toothpick, you need it within seconds, without a branch at hand, just like when you need a fork or spoon for eating or a pen for writing.

[VoetSak]

Tweezers. The toothpick is a bit of a chocolate teapot in my eyes.

 

British expression - meaning of little utility/worthless/useless etc like a teapot made of chocolate (because the hot water would melt the chocolate).