Be All and End All Arch-Tool, what might it be like, what might it have?

[Raukodur]

I was just looking at the forums today, and looking over the headings of the different multitool makers, and I had an idea I am sure each and every one of us has, "Wouldn't it be cool if we could have a custom tool made which incorporated all the bits we like of the different multitools out there?"

Of course it would, the difficult thing is staying realistic, i.e. it is not possible to have an extendible light sabre fitted into a bit driver, you''d need a dedicated space for that.

So I was wondering, what if, in this thread we started, to begin with, compiling lists of the major functions / designs people would like in their dream multitool (it doesn't need to be a massive list, just a single line maybe, e.g. one handed opening blades, or locking plier heads, or standard hex bit adapter; and its best to keep it realistic as mentioned before)

Then, after a bit of brainstorming, maybe we will find some common ground which most people would like in their dream tool, and that can be the basis of the drawing phase, where someone who is good with a drawing program can help us visualise what the tool may look like.

Now it's more than possible that the process will stop there, however, I think having such a design would be useful. Because there are enthusiasts on these boards who can make stuff, and I believe that some day we might well see the prototype of such a tool. Who knows where we would go from there...

Anyway to start the process off:

What I would like to see in a dream tool:

- One handed opening blades
-multiple knives of different materials (e.g. ceramic / titanium / damascus steel) or different shapes or different sizes with different edges
- standard hex bit driver
- sliding plier heads (like on gerber tools) or compound pliers (like on SOG) or locking pliers (like with the crunch, but preferably needlenose, but still folding somehow) (i.e. make the plier heads special somehow)
-fancy handles, some weird shape that it still functional (like on the freestyle)

That's all for now, just off the top of my head, but if I have any more thoughts Ill post them.

[knife-man]

A liquid metal multi tool Like the T1000 only not trying to kill you of course  :grin:.

If i had to be realistic then
standard hex driver
pliers with all the gubbin's pliers usually have 
Caplifter / can opener
Metal file and diamond file
some type of dedicated prying tool (I usually use the large flat driver)
One handed knife blade (not wharnie OR serrated)
Pocket clip
scissors
corkscrew

[Anthony]

It's got to have the SOG compound leverage...

I'd agree with the standard bit driver, but that would take up 95-100% of a handle.

I'm not too into outside opening blades since I carry some kind of dedicated knife, although the large blades of the Wave/Charge series might change my mind.  I'm not about to spend $80 just to find out if I like them or not.

Another question:
If there's a dedicated bit driver in one handle...would you still want a standard Phillips and flathead in the other handle built in, or can them altogether and just depend on having the bits with you?

[Raukodur]

The way I see it a bit driver should mean you can do away with dedicated screwdrivers altogether to help save space.

A major advantage of a driver is that it can take cheap bits which you will not mind breaking, since they are easily repairable. If you somehow broke a dedicated screwdriver, or wore out the head of a dedicated phillips, much more of a tricky business.

Oh, that reminds me, another think i'd like:

-wood saw, metal file, and all knives to work on a removable exchanger system like that found on the leatherman Surge (maybe better designed to avoid all rattle, and provide even more secure holding of the tool). The real big advtange of such a system is that if you break a tool you can easily replace it (if you have a replacement) and people can custom design implements to bit in. I mean just imagine if you could get a leatherman with four of these systems on the outside, allowing you to slot whatever you want inside, swap things around, replace things etc.

[damota]

My wish tool would be a ratchet standard bit driver in one handle. in the other a file scissors and T shank (Bosch) jig saw adapter. The jaws? I like the Gerber sliding but the toolset I have wished for would need long handles to give enough space for the jaws to retract, so I would happily settle for a fixed blunt nose set with wire cutters on the top and bottom of the rotating part of the head. Used to have a pair of pliers with wire cutters like that years ago and I remember they were a better design than the modern way of making them. They may have been small but you had 2 of them.

Dave

[Viper]

Good idea for a thread!


My dream multitool-
Based around pliers, LeatherMan style
one-hand straight-edge blade
one-hand serrated blade
wood saw
nail file
pruning blade
electrician's blade
stainless steel bit case with 4 double sided bits
driver with a fifth double sided bit

  I'm having fun.

[J-sews]

The ultimate tool:

It would have to be made from whatever steel Victorinox uses, and polished to a shine, so that nary a speck of rust would ever tarnish its surface.

One-hand knife blade, diamond file, and substantial scissors are all requirements of mine.

I'm having fun.

Me too!

[Spoonrobot]

The main thing I would like to see is "something different."

The Spyderwrench/Byrdwrench is a good illustration of this. It is completely and totally different than anything else on the market then and now.

The Crunch is another example, as is the upcoming Guppie from CRKT.

I would just like some variety other than the regular variations on the same theme. Tom's idea for a multi-tool in the Mod forum is a neat one. It has normal butterfly handles but a significantly different plier/wrench head than previously seen.

I was slightly cheesed off when Sypderco decided to re-release the Spyderwrench but made no significant changes or upgrades.

Continuing my little soapbox rant I would also like to see a revival of "toolbox" multi-tools like the Gerber Multi-Lite and more variations of the non-folding plier-based tools such as seen here. The upcoming Zilla-Tool and Wenger tools follow this vein but they look significantly larger than previous incarnations of this type of model.

I did like the idea of the Buck X-tract but it was poorly implemented for left-handed people and did not contain a scissors, something I would gladly have traded the can-opener for.

[Splat]

Shux, I'd be happy with a Victorinox Spirit S with a better Phillips driver.... and if I had my way a flint/firestarter stick.

[Viper]

I just had an idea! Removable honing steel!

[Anthony]

And a removable toothpick and tweezers.

[J-sews]

I just had an idea! Removable honing steel!

Or how about the diamond file is removeable, so it can be used to sharpen the knife blade(s)?

[J-sews]

Another good feature would be the carbide wire-cutter inserts that Gerber uses. Those things easily slice through any type of wire. And if/when they ever get dull, you simply rotate in a fresh cutting edge.

[Raukodur]

Yeah, those do look good.

I guess a basic point Bob has made as well as myself and some others in this thread, and so something that might be a good idea to implement on any kind of a dream-tool is easily replacable/removable parts.

E.g. if the metal/diamond file is removable, it can be used to sharpen blades.
If the wire cutters are removable, you can rotate them to get a fresh edge, or swap them out altogether


If some part is removable then it can easily be replaced and so you will be much more likely to use it as a real tool, without worrying about damaging it. Obviously it will still be used sensibly, but you will not shy away from using it because if you damage it then it will seriously affect your multitool.

This also allows customisation of the tool to a much greater degree, you can swap out parts you may use less, and switch around tools to get the right configuration you feel is best for you.

It also allows a great deal of modding to be done, since you can make your own custom tools and all they need to do is be able to fit into the holder, and they can slot onto your multitool.

The design that comes to mind is the file / saw exchanger on the leatherman Surge. Imagine a tool like the charge / wave / surge which has four implements opening on the outside, with all slots instead having an exchanger in place. So then it would be your choice what you fit in, if you want four different types of knives, maybe made of different materials, go for it. If you use scissors regularly, fit those in. If you dont use a wood saw that much, take it out and keep it in the sheath and replace it with a more used tool.

I really think such an idea has merit. Imagine a tool where you played with it like a lego set. You have a basic frame, maybe just the handles and pliers, with lots of exchangers on the pivots. And you have a whole set of different tools that can all slot into the exchangers. It is your choice what you slot in (as long as the tool can still close), so you can change the configuration on a daily basis depending on what you are going to be doing / what you feel like carrying.

[Grant Lamontagne]

There are a couple of things I'd like to see integrated into a multitool.  First off, I'd like to see a Juice sized set of scissors and an electrician's head like the Squirt E4. I'd also like to see a small screwdriver/prybar like the ones found on the Victorinox Trekker series knives.  And, a ratcheting screwdriver- sure it might take up a whole handle, but it will replace all the screwdrivers on the other side, leaving it open for a variety of other tools like Leatherman's diamond file, a plain edged main blade, a sheepsfoot serrated blade and so on.

Def

[Viper]

I once had an idea inspired by a Stanley pocket knife. The knife was a regular locking pocket knife, but it was replaced like a utility knife. if the blade got too dull, instead of sharpening it, you just unscrew it, take out the blade, and put in a new blade. My idea came from the fact that they had both sheepsfoot and plane blades to switch out, depending on what you need.

My idea was a single lockblade, but, it was replaceable with any tool you wanted. You could have a pouch filled with all types of tools to put in it; a fish scaler, different types of blades, wood saw, metal saw, file, etc. and when you needed one, just replace it. The advantage is that you get as many tools as a large SAK, but without using up so much space that you can't hold it in one hand. The disadvantage is that it is impractical to unscrew the knife, get out a pouch, put the new tool in, put the old one back in the pouch, put the pouch away, and screw it back up when you can do almost as many things in a fraction of the time with a SAK. Maybe, as stated earlier, it could have as many places for tools as the average multitool and each one could be replaced.
"Oh, I'm going camping, I will put in the clip point and the wood saw"
"Oh, I'm going hunting, I will put in the clip point and the gutting blade"
"Oh, I'm going fishing, I will put in the drop point and the fish scaler"

[bpa]

No blade. It's not necessary - most of us carry some sort of pocketknife (CRKT Kiss or Boker Subcomm in my case), and then we could fly with it.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Chances are you still wouldn't be allowed to fly with it- many tools would still be confiscated based on the saw or scissors.  I doubt most security agents would bother to even look and see if a blade is in there- more likely they'd just grab it as a matter of course.  As much as we like to bash those folks, they are doing a thankless job, and are overburdened, and likely wouldn't want to take the time to inspect each individual tool to see if it meets TSA requirements.

Personally I don't see the big issue with flying with or without a knife.  I don't think I have ever needed one, except for those indestructable little bags of peanuts, but even those aren't allowed on planes these days.

Def

[damota]

Personally I don't see the big issue with flying with or without a knife.  I don't think I have ever needed one, except for those indestructable little bags of peanuts, but even those aren't allowed on planes these days.

Def

You have never seen Lost? You need to have a suit case full just in case. Just think what they could have done on that island with a case full of multi tools.

Dave

[Grant Lamontagne]

Naw, I don't watch much TV at all.  I figure if the plane does down somewhere, I'll managed to dig my multi out of the wreckage from the baggage compartment anyway, which is where my multis and SAKs usually ride.

Def

[Thargor]

Sorry to go OT for a sec but you really should download Lost and watch it, theres no other tv programme like it, not even close. It'll be a long time before anything better comes out aswell, if ever.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Funny, I heard the same thing about the Sopranos, and now I hear it about Lost, Heroes and Prison Break!

I don't doubt that they are good shows, I'm just not much of a TV guy.

Def

[Raukodur]

Hehe, I think this needs to be brought back on topic.

So what kind of stuff would people like to see on their dream tool (realistically)?

[Grant Lamontagne]

I would like to see a Victorinox style belt cutter (long serrated one) coupled with a small hook cutter tip like the one found on many other rescue tools.  If you could make a OH opening, locking blade like that on the outside of a tool then I think you'd really have something that police, rescue, fire and EMT workers could really appreciate.

Def