Pictures to follow
Buck’s Twin Peaks model skirts the line of what is a multi bladed pocket knife and what is a multitool. On the one hand it’s Swiss Army Knife-like abilities put it firmly in the pocket knife category but it’s one handed opening tool selection is more closely related to the Whittaker line of Buck multitools like the X-Tract. Whichever way you look at it, I’ll classify it as handy.
On first look the Twin Peaks looks like many other pocket knives- one handed opening main blade, plastic handle scales. The main blade folds out smoothly and locks into place with a firm click from the liner lock mechanism, so you know instantly it’s ready for business. It’s also partially serrated, and while the debate may rage endlessly about the best configuration for a multi use blade, partially serrated blades have often outsold either full serrated or plain edged knives, so Buck certainly can’t be blamed for this decision. It cuts a variety of mediums well, from plastic strapping to nylon tie downs, and really, that’s what you expect a knife to do, right? It cuts well enough- I have seen worse cutters, I’ve seen better, but this one is functional and that should be the bottom line.
Flipping it around you see another thumbstud that opens a secondary blade- this one is a very dramatically swooped hawksbill leading to an almost straight razor like edge. While I’d rather not test the theory, I’ll bet you could easily perform surgery with this blade. The long tapered tip and straight as an arrow edge lock open with another liner lock, just as firm as the main blade’s and is as precise as a fighter jet when it comes to filleting small fish or other meats and vegetables. They didn’t know what hit them!
Kiddy corner to the main blade and opposite the small blade is the small, one handed opening, also liner locked combo tool. It acts as a bottle opener, can opener and flatheaded screwdriver. While I don’t find I excels at opening cans, it can be done with some effort, but most combination tools are a trade off in function. If you open a lot of cans, you may want to consider a different tool or dedicated can opener on your excursions, but as most cans nowadays have pull tops anyway, it’s a moot point at best. I did some extensive testing with the bottle opener and initial results were good, although the results get somewhat hazy after significant repetition! As a screwdriver it works quite well- let’s be honest though, it’s very hard to mess up a flat head screwdriver from a manufacturing standpoint. One big benefit in my mind though is that it locks open- this is very important as anyone who has ever had a multitool or Swiss Army Knife screwdriver fold on their hands during use can attest.
Lastly, on the back side the Twin Peaks also has a corkscrew, which seems a little odd, but has many functions beyond opening a decent bottle of Beaujolais. It is handy for untying knots and pulling laces through boot straps and tent pegs, and also serves as an excellent place to store an additional tool- get a small eyeglass screwdriver from a SAK parts supplier like ROTOKID and thread it into the corkscrew for those moments when nothing else will do. The corkscrew itself is as functional as a standalone corkscrew gets- as with any straight corkscrew it runs the risk of being bent or twisted on stubborn corks, and so I generally prefer a lever style corkscrew like those found on Leatherman’s Flair or Juice series. All in all it works for the occasional bottle of wine, and more than adequate for a pocket tool.
With its dual knife blades, bottle opener and corkscrew this multitool/knife is just about perfect for eating on the go, away from a kitchen. It’s capable of performing minor repairs to equipment, opening packages, slicing food products and opening just about any beverage container. As a general utility tool it should function well enough and I wouldn’t shy away from it, but there are many more effective tools at this price point for general utility. Look at the Gerber Octane, Leatherman Skeletool or Gerber Crucial for a more suitable light duty tool.
Pros:
• All tools (except corkscrew) lock open
• Small blade is perfect for precision cuts
• Large lanyard ring for securing in areas where dropping it is inadvisable
Cons:
• Limited functionality for a tool (although excellent functionality for a knife)
• Combo tool very ineffective against cans
• Lefties will only be able to open combo tool one handed- or righties can open anything but can opener one handed
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