A short product review: A bought this Marbles Fly Fishing Knife with Storage, to see if it would work as a little portable knot working tool.
Consisting of stainless steel and plastic construction, the front handle is engraved with a fly fsherman casting a line and a fish for some handle artwork, a clip point knife blade, scissors, straight pin/punch, hook disgorger/file/scaler, orange composition storage compartment to hold hooks, sinkers, matches and other small items, stainless back handle with 3" ruler(1/8" increments), and a lanyard attachment point.
Although it looks like a nifty little multi purpose tool, good quality in execution is lacking. The scissors cut paper, but failed to cut twisted nylon line(a single paracord inner strand), instead binding up in between the scissors in repeated attempts to cut the string. The scissors are wobbly on the pivot pin and cannot be tightened up since it's not a screw. I finally just used the knife blade to cut the string, and although the blade cut, it definately needs a proper sharpening to improve the edge it came with.
I thought the pin/punch might make a suitable mini-marlinspike, and it may work with tightening up 0.9mm cord in a knot. But, I believe it will bend with any excess force, and I'm not sure how well it's actually anchored into the tool.
The storage compartment has enough room to be used as described in the product description, and I think I could store a good bit of coiled 0.9mm string inside, but the lid retention is not very secure. A tiny raised bit of plastic is all there is to keep it closed by friction, and it just does not work well to keep the lid closed. I would have to use a rubber band or velcro strip around the tool to feel sure it would stay closed.
The hook disgorger/file/scaler may function, but is also has some play in the open position, and the backspring on it seems a bit weak compared to the other implements. The file is on one side and feels like it may have enough 'bite' to work, but I'd rather use a good sharpening stone/diamond file instead, if I needed to sharpen up a fishing hook. The product description also says 'scaler', and I guess the flat side of the hook/file will work for that.
The lanyard attachment point looks suitable for a strand of paracord to fit for a neck/wrist lanyard, or used with split ring or small swivel clip/snap hook.
The product is a neat idea, and it looked cool when I first saw it and felt decent with a nice weight when I finally held it in hand, but performance and function in the finished item just doesn't get there. Overall, it's an inexpensive tool, and at around +/- $12, you get what you pay for in this instance, with an imported tool, 'Made in China'. I will still try to make it work for my intended purposes...
Pros:
~Low cost
~Features
~Size/weight
Cons:
~Scissors fail on cutting string
~Weak/insecure latch on storage compartment
~Play/weak backspring on hook disgorger/file/scaler(could just be the tool I received)
Donations
Community Links
