After participating on Facebook quite a bit lately, I came across a brand I had never heard of before. That brand is NexTool. I am a creature of curiosity and thus decided to try one of their tools. There were not many options on Amazon.ca...one of my major tool haunts. There was however the NexTool Flagship pro on sale. I took the bite after reading a little about the tool. Apparently, there are a few different versions of the Flagship Pro out there, namely the non locking knife version for those places that make it an illegal option, and a locking knife version. I opted for the locking version as both were available on Amazon.ca.
My first impression of the tool was not that great. The box is fairly nice, but when I opened it, a felt baggy was inside. I would much prefer a sheath, as to me, the bag is a bit useless. I cannot see anyone carrying the tool inside of this in a pocket. The bag is rather tight fitting, and it would be a major pain in the nether region to struggle getting the tool out everything you wanted to see the thing, let alone use it. The size of the box told me right off the bat that there would be no sheath included with the tool. A bit of a let down. On the flip side, the Flagship Pro does feature a pocket clip. I suppose you could also buy a sheath for it from a third party source if needed.
20220911_171210A by
Chako, on Flickr
Tool extrication was a little difficult, but once I got it out, my impressions improved dramatically. The Flagship Pro reminds me of Roxon. Another Chinese manufactured tool that really impressed me in build quality and design. The big draw here is the included full sized scissors. Unlike the Roxon Phantom, there is no blade interchange mechanism here. With that said, the scissors are of a simpler design then those found on the Roxon Phantom. To me, simpler design tends to be a better design. The included instructions were simple and to the point.
20220911_171235A by
Chako, on Flickr
The general shape of the tool reminds me a little of the Leatherman SideKick/Wingman in general shape. I found the Flagship Pro to be very comfortable in hand.
20220911_171246A by
Chako, on Flickr
The pliers feature replaceable cutter blades. I found no side to side wiggle in the jaws. The good impressions keep adding up.
20220911_171319A by
Chako, on Flickr
In regards to tool loadout, the Flagship Pro is not lacking overly much. The star of this show are the scissors which are of a good size. Because of this, they do take up a lot of room in the one handle. I have tried cutting various materials with no issues. I did notice a bit of a side to side lateral movement of the scissor handles when closed to the main body. Nothing much of a concern however. You get a nice size plain edge knife blade, a saw which I haven't tried out, and the usual assortment of flat drivers, Phillips, and can/bottle openers. The addition of a gut hook/seatbelt cutter is always welcome.
20220911_171435A by
Chako, on Flickr
Surprisingly enough, there appears to be a somewhat hidden feature of the Flagship Pro. After perusing the included instructions, I noted that there was mention of a glass breaker. After carefully looking at the general area shown in the instructions, I found it. The smallest glass breaker I have ever seen graces the end of one of the handles. I haven't tried it, but I would imagine a larger glass breaker would perform better than this lilliputian one. If you take a close look at the following photo, you can see it center of the top handle.
20220911_171514A by
Chako, on Flickr
What I like:
- The price is very nice for the quality you get.
- Scissors are nice and big. They work good as well.
- Outboard design means easy access to all folding tools without having to open the pliers.
- Replaceable wire cutters.
- Pocket clip.
What I do not like:
- No sheath included.
- Included felt bag is a tight fit.
- Tiny glass breaker.
Overall, I view the NexTool Flagship Pro as a nice quality tool made in China. It reminds me of Roxon in build. The old adage that Chines Multi-tools are only junk can no longer be stated. There are quite a few better quality tools coming out that are not from some of the bigger name brands, to not take notice. Your millage may vary, but this is a tool that I wouldn't hesitate to carry. I just wish it came with a belt sheath rather than a velour bag. I suppose you could keep some valuables in it for better or worse.
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