What I have started doing is carrying a pair of 4 or 5 layer SAKs, the Deluxe Tinker and A.N.Other (currently a Fieldmaster) which increases my options while still leaving me with handy sized tools but still not quite my optimal load out. I've had a good look round but can't see a perfect solution... am I missing something somewhere?
Hercules are pretty solid. It has a locking blade tho..
The Crater with bits is a good option, BUT the OP is in England, I believe he is restricted from having a locking blade.
There comes a point when carrying two separate tools is better than one cumbersome one. Personally I like to keep pliers and Phillips duty for the pliers tool rather than a SAK. An IDL T5 or T7 (or similar) might be a game changer for you. In a larger format, a knifeless plier modification might be an option too. The blade is easily removed from a Gerber Octane, and leaves a very slim profile on a deep carry pocket clip.Sticking strictly with SAKs, you have essentially described a CT41 without scissors - which won't alter thickness much, and would need to be a modification as it's not a standard model.Seriously, check out the T5 and T7, and maybe even some of the Swiss+tech offerings too
I do love the Deluxe Tinker model. 4 layers and has a pliers. But as you said about the limitation of the backside phillips driver, I feel the same about it.Then I found one SAK named Yeoman Mechanic. But it was hard to find. So I made a custom one, with a little help of my friend.So it's still a 4 layers SAK, has a pliers and of course inline phillips driver. Well if you want to built a custom one, just add a wood saw.
I would go with the CT41 and just carry it until you get used to the size. I did this with the SwissChamp and carried one for years.
Quote from: classicrock on January 07, 2017, 04:55:16 PMI do love the Deluxe Tinker model. 4 layers and has a pliers. But as you said about the limitation of the backside phillips driver, I feel the same about it.Then I found one SAK named Yeoman Mechanic. But it was hard to find. So I made a custom one, with a little help of my friend.So it's still a 4 layers SAK, has a pliers and of course inline phillips driver. Well if you want to built a custom one, just add a wood saw.That is rather nice but as you say, hard to find. The Master Craftsman is another one I'd like to get my hands on
Thanks for the input, there's certainly plenty of options there. In an ideal world I'd probably just go with a Leatherman or Swisstool type MT but unfortunately the best plier tools all have locking blades, even the new "bladeless" Rebar risks running foul of UK knife laws because it still has a locking saw blade and reamer. The best UK legal plier tool I've found (for my purposes at least) is probably the Leatherman Squirt although it's petite to say the least it has proven itself. As I said above, I'm trying to minimise the number of widgets I carry (if I ever get asked to turn out my pockets it could be embarrassing) and it's not so much the overall weight that's the issue but the handiness of the tool itself - I don't mind two smaller SAKs over one big one but I'd rather minimise duplication. I've been looking for the perfect multitool for years and concluded that it doesn't exist and there will always have to be some compromise along the way. Maybe the CT41 isn't so bad
In practice, though, I usually pair a plier-based MT with a SAK to achieve what you're talking about. Ranger plus LM Skeletool could work, or Explorer paired with any file- and saw-equipped MT (Wave, Rebar, Spirit).