Keeping track of my MT's: Did I lose it, or give it away?

Hammer · **on:** February 17, 2012, 12:06:28 PM

In the past week I have re-purchased a Leatherman Wave and a Micra. The problem is, this is not the first time I have bought either one of these MT's. I know this because I went back through some older posts and saw where I listed owning both the Wave and the Micra.
Now that they have both been replaced, I started a spreadsheet listing all of my MT's and any pertinent information. While my collection is not huge, it does consist of 17 different MT's, which, for my little brain would be hard to keep up with without some sort of list.
I did figure out where the Wave went. I have 3 brothers, 2 of whom would only injure themselves or someone else with a blade, but I do have one brother who insalls staircases for a living, and I just happened to remember asking him (on his last visit from his home in NC to my home in SC, if he had any good quality MT's. He said no, that all he had was some cheap one that he paid 3$ for at a convenience store, and that it immediately broke on him. So I did the only thing a responsible big brother could do - I introduced him to the world of quality MT's and gave him my stainless steel Wave and nylon pouch. I had forgotten about it until something, who knows what, reminded me of it. Wave mystery solved.
I still have not figured out what happened to the Micra. It is probably stuck in a tackle box, or back pack around here somewhere. But this experience with these 2 MT's has taught me that I need to keep a better record of what all I have in the way of MT's and knives and such. It has been a valuable lesson to me, because, knowing me, that Wave will not be the last MT I give away!

enki_ck · **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2012, 12:24:10 PM

I have one of those too, an Excell spreadsheet, divided by maker, the only problem is I haven't updated it in half a year, so I have to redo it from the start. I'll be adding a column with price paid too.

Zed · **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2012, 01:27:37 PM

lol you can see that in the uk we pay a lot more for a MT's

i know where mine are at all times as fear of losing them and no funds to replace, i do also though write down what i have and do a little review on them

Carlos · **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2012, 05:07:56 PM

That's a good idea, although not suitable for people with large collections or frequent purchases/trades.
I think I'll start mine, and will use enki_ck idea of adding the price and date of its acquisition.

Dunc · **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2012, 09:32:57 PM

I have bought and sold and re-bought so many multitools and knives over the years . When I have money I buy them and when I have no money I sell them

If I had been able to keep everyone I've ever owned I could give Chako a run for his money

turnsouth · **Reply #5 on:** February 18, 2012, 02:12:50 AM

The spreadsheet is an excellent idea

(especially for those like me with CRS syndrome $:-\$ )

I started mine tonight using Google Docs, that way it is accessible anywhere.

ICanFixThat · **Reply #6 on:** February 18, 2012, 09:04:16 PM

I started my speadsheet quite a while ago... it's always is out of date, but much... much... better than nothing.

enki_ck · **Reply #7 on:** February 18, 2012, 09:30:05 PM

Quote from: ICanFixThat on February 18, 2012, 09:04:16 PM

I started my speadsheet quite a while ago... it's always is out of date, but much... much... better than nothing.

So no complete listing then?

Thanks, I will add a few of those categories to mine too. Also a Location category, to remember in which organisation box which is.

ICanFixThat · **Reply #8 on:** February 19, 2012, 06:40:48 AM

The columns have been a work in progress for sure.

It was supposed to be my Winter project to sticker all my knives with their inventory number and record location info, but I've been too busy with work, and we have not really had a winter (which has been great).

I was thinking I will track the location of each of the inventory numbers in a different spreadsheet to make it easier to see what at a location without always resorting the main spreadsheet.

Quote

So no complete listing then?

It isn't happening anytime soon, I wouldn't want to bore you. Maybe in 5-10 years there will be a BIG sale, and then there would be some action to the story. In the mean time there is SAKwiki and now SwissArmyKnights that are very revealing.

nsa-x-file · **Reply #9 on:** February 19, 2012, 11:14:40 AM

I must admit I also keep a full list of my collection and trades.
Listed by model, price, condition, date bought, limited edition number etc.
I've also been keeping a record of most Vic Alox sales on eBay for the last year or so.

Chako · **Reply #10 on:** February 19, 2012, 01:27:29 PM

I did an attempt at listing everything once, however, I can't seem to find the note pad. That was when I decided to do an inventory cataloguing using photographs. That is out of date however, and I haven't attempted to do another.

Thankfully, I don't do trades or selling, and I keep everything in a neat and orderly fashion in their storage units, so all I need to do is pull the drawers open and take a quick inventory. I will admit that for the SAKs, that isn't nearly enough to identify them each as most of them look the same from outside appearances.

May you have better luck in your organizational skills than I have had so far.

Ashley · **Reply #11 on:** February 19, 2012, 05:04:29 PM

I know a lot of folks who do this but its never been something I've really wanted to do. When I pass on or what not someone somewhere will probably get some hellish nice deals. My family knows nothing and cares to know nothing of my "toys".

Sent from Ash forum mobile

Hammer · **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2012, 08:08:27 AM

Quote from: Hammer on February 17, 2012, 12:06:28 PM

I did figure out where the Wave went. I have 3 brothers, 2 of whom would only injure themselves or someone else with a blade, but I do have one brother who insalls staircases for a living, and I just happened to remember asking him (on his last visit from his home in NC to my home in SC, if he had any good quality MT's. He said no, that all he had was some cheap one that he paid 3$ for at a convenience store, and that it immediately broke on him. So I did the only thing a responsible big brother could do - I introduced him to the world of quality MT's and gave him my stainless steel Wave and nylon pouch. I had forgotten about it until something, who knows what, reminded me of it. Wave mystery solved.
I still have not figured out what happened to the Micra. It is probably stuck in a tackle box, or back pack around here somewhere.

I just remembered what happened to the Micra, and I wanted to bring you up to date so the entire mystery would be solved.
My Micra is somewhere on the bottom of Lake Marion in Rimini, SC. I had put it on the edge of a seat in the boat, and the unthinkable happened. Micra mystery solved.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #13 on:** February 25, 2012, 12:36:31 AM

I like not having a complete list of what I have. Whenever I go through the tool drawer to find a tool and I come across another one I forgot I had it's like Christmas all over again!

Def

ICanFixThat · **Reply #14 on:** February 25, 2012, 03:42:39 PM

Quote from: Grant Lamontagne on February 25, 2012, 12:36:31 AM

I like not having a complete list of what I have. Whenever I go through the tool drawer to find a tool and I come across another one I forgot I had it's like Christmas all over again!

Def

This is so true.... happens to me quiet often... and then I usually discover something know about the knife I never noticed before.

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