Usually, I'm a "no crap here" kinda person. However, when I see a nice looking M/T for $10 or so, I pick them up. Today I found a few different Protocol tools today at Tuesday Morning for ten bucks a piece, so I bought the Knife Plus and Hammer Plus. My thoughts when I opened them were this: The Hammer Plus is garbage, the Knife Plus is OK. But, after trying them out, it's the other way around: The Hammer Plus is actually useable. The
First up, the Knife Plus.
The Knife Plus is modelled after Buck's X-Tract, with an OHO partially serrated knife blade, in-line folding handle pliers, a Phillips screwdriver, can opener (modelled after Vic's) and a bottle opener/scraper combo. Handles are plastic, painted to look like woodgrain.
2016-10-10_06-39-31 by
cody6268, on Flickr
It's big. Size compared to LM's PST II and a Wenger Handyman, today's carry.
2016-10-10_06-39-20 by
cody6268, on Flickr
Blade: It's OHO and is loose enough as to where it can flip out quicker than a spring assisted blade. Locks up tight. It's sort of sharp, and the plain edge at least needs some sharpening.
2016-10-10_06-39-06 by
cody6268, on Flickr
Pliers: Quite frankly, they suck. They are mounted next to the blade. Cutters won't cut anything. The pliers have a lot of slip, and it hurts to put any force behind them in order to get a good grip on something. I'm gonna try tightening the pivots to get rid of that slop.
2016-10-10_06-38-00 by
cody6268, on Flickr
Phillips. Works OK, but slips a lot. It's got a partially squared shank around the actual driver portion of it, so it might fit a Gerber 1/4 adapter. Lost mine, so I can't test that.
2016-10-10_06-26-33 by
cody6268, on Flickr
Can Opener. Vic-style Haven't tried it. Grind is really bad, so I doubt it will work well. Flat head screwdriver on tip is sharp enough almost to be used as a wood chisel. In fact, I might finish the job so that it can be.
2016-10-10_06-25-52 by
cody6268, on Flickr
Bottle Opener--again, haven't tried it, or even used a bottle opener in two weeks. Reminds me of Wenger's 65mm combo tool in a way. Both its screwdriver and the screwdriver tip on the can opener are too large for a switch plate cover screw. I guess that's why instead of a screwdriver, it's billed as a scraper.
2016-10-10_06-26-17 by
cody6268, on Flickr
My score--2/5. A lot of potential, but needs improvement. If they're gonna sell them for the $40 original that Tuesday Morning has on the box as retail price, and what Dillard's had them listed for--they're out of their freakin minds! $10, okay I guess. I can name a whole list of new tools that are a thousand times better for that price.