Your multitools before joining this forum

[victordomingos]

Before joining MTO, I had a Victorinox Huntsman (I sold it to a friend a few weeks ago), a Victorinox Explorer (which has been upgraded with plus scales, pen, pin and small screwdriver) and had just bought a Victorinox Minichamp. Oh, and a Victorinox Rambler that I am planning to sell one of these days (it's a cute SAK, but I had to choose between it and the Minichamp, and that was a really though decision)...

Now, after MTO, I have also a Leatherman Style PS and a small and basic Wenger SAK which has seen no use yet.

[ironraven]

Huntsman, Climber, GAK, Classic, Manager, Waiter, Swiss Champ, Champion, Ranger, LM PST, LM E4 (origional Radioshack markings) and LM Supertool. I also had my Doc Allen Versadriver.

I had and given away a Gerber Provisional, and I'd tried and killed, given away or tossed a couple of Gerber MTs with the sliding heads. I like most Gerber knives, but I've yet to see a multi from them I didn't find worked better as a fishing weight.

[getahl]

My first multitool was a Leatherman knock off I picked up from the local swap meet in the late eighties. I remember it having a blade, but not sure what the other components were.  I played with it as if it were a butterfly knife. I would have been 8 or 9 by then...

I first SAK was a Vic Tinker, in 1993. My grandfather gave it to me for my 13th birthday. Still have it, although I don't really use it.

I remember having either a Wenger or knockoff SAK that had the components of a Vic Huntsman, circa 1995. I specifically remember the claw-shaped can opener, the saw, and it having scissors, and that it was shorter than my Tinker. I remember losing among some rocks alongside a river in Sequoia National Park (California), being beside myself and combing the place for hours, before finally finding it nestled in some mud. I don't know what happened to it in the intervening year between then and now.

And, then I bought a Charge TTi in October 2007, which still sees use. My join date is December 2012.

[kkokkolis]

A ribbed alox cadet (1986), a pre-hook Swisschamp (1986) replaced two times (black 1993 and red 1998, still have the third in aftermarket Saphire scales) and a Wenger ToolChest Plus (2005).
I also bought a Classic for my wife (1987), then a Cybertool 34 (2004) and a 58mm Lite for my son (2007).
They were few but carried and used everyday, from the beginning.


Ἄφοβον ὁ θεός, ἀνύποπτον ὁ θάνατος· καὶ τ’ ἀγαθὸν μὲν εὔκτητον, τὸ δὲ δεινὸν εὐκαρτέρητον.
Φιλόδημος Γαδαρεύς

[victordomingos]

In fact, I must say that I started about one year and a few months ago with a knock-off SAK. I was planning to go camping and was getting interested in getting a SAK. So I found that SAK-like knife in a supermarket for 2€ and just bought it. It had a lot of "functions", so many blades that it was almost like a swisschamp, but with the size of a Vic Huntsman. I mean, most of those blades were unusable. The saw had round teeth, the awl had a round tip and the metal was so soft that it would bend easily, the cork screw bent easily and the back Phillips screwdriver metal couldn't withstand a lot of pressure. Only the main blade remained usable after a few uses.

So, one day I bid a Huntsman and a similar Wenger on eBay, both used but in good shape. I sold the wenger (I should have kept it, I know) and stayed with the huntsman for some months. It was a great knife, with excellent build quality and perfect finish.

I learned a lesson. Cheap sometimes means expensive. I had learned it in other areas (like in choosing Apple devices versus others) and now I know that in SAKs and multitools in general it's the same rule. You may pay more, but at least you can trust it and use it. And that is almost priceless.

[Mr Biriyani]

I had a gerber pinchy, 3 vics (I don´t know their model) and a few cheapos and some smaller mt:s then I bought a Wave and a Wingman and started to browse this forum and all the craziness began.

[Monrogue]

Strangely enough, I had the bulk of my MTs before joining here:
LM Blast
LM Juice XE6
LM Charge AL
LM Juice S2
LM Wave
LM Rebar
LM Charge TTi
Vic Spirit
LM Freestyle
Vic Executive

As you can see, LM was my big thing for the first several months before joining here.  I got the SAK not long before joining, and can't remember if I got my Explorer, Electrician and Compact before or after, but they all came around that time.  Since joining, I have acquired my two Syph customs (Mechaneer and Yeochamp-using the Compact, Explorer and Electrician), Wenger EvoGrip 16, and Ranger Plus for SAKs.  This place put me on a retired LM kick, and I've acquired two PSTs, a PSTII and a Juice KF4.  I've also sold off the Wave, Charge AL, Juice XE6, Blast and Freestyle since joining, all to members here.  I still have a few wants, but no more needs I would say. 

[jerseydevil]

Once upon a time, my MT life was simple.  I had a Blast and a Tinker.  That was it.  Then one day I saw a Super Tinker in a store, and went online to see about different SAK models.  One thing led to another, and now.....   

[CanadianLMfan]

Strangely enough, I had the bulk of my MTs before joining here:
LM Blast
LM Juice XE6
LM Charge AL
LM Juice S2
LM Wave
LM Rebar
LM Charge TTi
Vic Spirit
LM Freestyle
Vic Executive

As you can see, LM was my big thing for the first several months before joining here.  I got the SAK not long before joining, and can't remember if I got my Explorer, Electrician and Compact before or after, but they all came around that time.  Since joining, I have acquired my two Syph customs (Mechaneer and Yeochamp-using the Compact, Explorer and Electrician), Wenger EvoGrip 16, and Ranger Plus for SAKs.  This place put me on a retired LM kick, and I've acquired two PSTs, a PSTII and a Juice KF4.  I've also sold off the Wave, Charge AL, Juice XE6, Blast and Freestyle since joining, all to members here.  I still have a few wants, but no more needs I would say.

When did you join?

[Monrogue]

Strangely enough, I had the bulk of my MTs before joining here:
LM Blast
LM Juice XE6
LM Charge AL
LM Juice S2
LM Wave
LM Rebar
LM Charge TTi
Vic Spirit
LM Freestyle
Vic Executive

As you can see, LM was my big thing for the first several months before joining here.  I got the SAK not long before joining, and can't remember if I got my Explorer, Electrician and Compact before or after, but they all came around that time.  Since joining, I have acquired my two Syph customs (Mechaneer and Yeochamp-using the Compact, Explorer and Electrician), Wenger EvoGrip 16, and Ranger Plus for SAKs.  This place put me on a retired LM kick, and I've acquired two PSTs, a PSTII and a Juice KF4.  I've also sold off the Wave, Charge AL, Juice XE6, Blast and Freestyle since joining, all to members here.  I still have a few wants, but no more needs I would say.

When did you join?

December  21st of 2012 I believe.

[Styerman]

I owned a lot more Multi's before . However , I went from 1 SAK ( Huntsman ) to 4 SAK's as we speak .

Chris

[Lynn LeFey]

I had a handful (maybe 7 or so?) no-name generics. I mean, assuming you don't count Sheffield as a 'named brand'. Along with that, I had my SOG Crosscut, and had JUST started getting name brand tools (a Powerlock and Wingman). I had owned a Micra, as a temporary replacement to the Crosscut, but gave it away.

So,
Cheapos...
Sheffield 1200E
Sheffield 12010
Tool Choice 12-in-1 (identical to the Sheffield 12010)
Husky medium Multitool
Coast small multitool
Sheffield SAK-alike
No-Name SAK-alike

Name-brand...
SOG Crosscut
SOG Powerlock
Leatherman Wingman

I no longer have the Powerlock (got rid of it because I didn't like it), the Wingman (traded it, got another to give as a gift and gave it away, but like the tool for what it is). I also gave away the Coast small tool to a friend's daughter.

[Bensasupertool]

Before the MTO There was the Klein 10 in 1. The Gerber Suspension bought in '05 and the ST300 that is now two years old. Since joining and posting here ive managed to obtain other members {bulk} 

[Syph007]

I only had a LM wave, and a silvertech climber when I joined here.

Now Im at 10 swisstools, 6 sogs, 7 leathermans, and more SAKs then I can count off the top of my head.  Ironically I dont have the original wave anymore, and I lost the climber.

Here's my MT drawer, only missing a few Swisstools that are in use.

[nate j]

I suppose I'm one of the exceptions.  Although, I've bought one or two new tools since joining here, I already had by far the bulk of what I'm guessing are at least 50 (maybe more) SAKs and MTs before I joined.

[Smitty44]

Before joining,I had an original Cabela's 1983 PST,1994 Wenger Esquire,and a1996 PSTII.

Now I have 21 Leatherman's,12 of them retired, and several Vic's.  

[Goatlord666]

I had a few MTs before joining MT.O. Here is the very first photo if memory serves me, that I posted here.

this made me appreciate the newer photos more. To say that you've come a long way will be a true understatement. Salute!

[dbirchum]

My father gave me the original Leatherman Wave for Christmas back in the early 2000s.  I remember seeing it in a cabinet at a local hardware store, but it was around $120+ and out of my price range.  He purchased it for me as a surprise for Christmas that year, and I still have it, still carry it and still love it. 

It was my gateway drug.

[Chako]

Thanks. So many very fond Mts in that photo though. My Dad's Pulse and Schrade are there as well as my Coleman Prolock. The two American Campers far right are also special. We bought those for archery back in the early 90s. The two Gerber tools were just bought before I joined the site.

So when I joined, I only had the one Leatherman and two newly acquired Gerbers. 

[stealth007s]

Most of mine are in my signature except for the two SAKs, a Swiss Champ & Huntsman.

Since joining:

Won:
Squirt S4
Pulse
Rebar
Seber Tech M4
Vic Classic

Bought:
3 Flairs
Kf4
S2
Juice Pro
7th Anny BlackOut 10
MiniChamp
Wenger Zino

I think that is all but there may be more that I'm not thinking about.

[Smaug]

Before joining up here, I started in the middle 80s with a small American jack knife. Two blades, one a clip point and one a pen. The "large" one was 1.5" long. My grandpa felt safe giving this to a 9 year old.

After that in the middle 80s, a Victorinox Economy Recruit. (big and small blades, bottle and can openers, large and small flat head screwdrivers) That was it for a while. I held that one back, as it was "too nice" and I was deathly afraid I'd lose it. My grandpa brought that back for me from his last trip to Switzerland. It was really special, and at that time, SAKs were uncommon; only in specialty knife shops.

After that, my uncle gave me a Victorinox Small Tinker, in the late 80s. I was flabbergasted at the utility of this little knife. I carried only this for many years, and it was a sad day indeed when I lost it. It had the black scales and the Phillips that was formed to match the shape of the scales.

After losing that, I had a friend who'd gotten an original Leatherman for Christmas. He talked it up, said it could do lots of things a SAK couldn't. (anything plier-related, basically) I saved up and bought one, they were $40 at the time, which was a lot more money than $40 is nowadays, due to inflation. However, I didn't use it much because it required a belt sheath, and I was worried the pivots would loosen up. I also didn't like how long it took to get to all the tools. To get a screwdriver out and lock it in place took many seconds as opposed to 1 sec. as on the SAKs I'd become used to. That went in the drawer, unused.

After that, my mom's boyfriend bought me a Victorinox Explorer for Christmas with a Zermatt pouch. But I was afraid to carry that expensive knife, for fear I'd lose it.   [It is now my current weekend carry]

Then, I bought another Tinker to replace my long lost Small Tinker. I used that exclusively for many years, including some hard duty in the electrical lab. I accidentally completed a circuit with the main blade, by cutting through the insulation of two live wires simultaneously. It had served me well for a couple years, but I was too embarassed to carry it any more, due to the big chunk missing from the blade. Into the drawer for that one, as a conversation piece. [just this year, I gave it to a coworker who helped me move, as he isn't embarassed]

I started carrying a Classic around that time too; it was always on my keys.

After that, I asked my then-fiancé (now ex-wife) for a Super Tinker. All the utility and most of the compactness of a Tinker, but with the addition of an extra-useful scissors. I carried mostly that the whole time we were married. (9 years) It was during that period where I started collecting.

Now, I have dozens of SAKs and a few MTs. Too many SAKs to list. MT-wise, I've got a Wingman, Surge, that original Leatherman, (it was before they were called 'PST') a Juice S2, an original SwissTool, and the small wire-stripper based Leatherman.

I rotate through the SAKs now. Most commonly, I carry the Rambler during the week in my office job, and the Explorer on weekends.

My favorites to carry (aside from the Rambler and Explorer) are the Victorinox Workchamp, Wenger EvoGrip S16 Patagonia Expedition Race model, Victorinox Executive, Wenger Pocket Toolchest, and Wenger S557.

The more I try of these, the more I'm sure the Explorer and Rambler are the perfect ones for me. If I had a more physical job or still worked in the lab, I'd probably go with that high-end Ti-handled Leatherman that's based on the Wave or the Vic Workchamp or the Vic Spirit X w/ratchet kit.

[stealth007s]

I did forget one How could I forget about the 9 MT.O Challenge Coins  

[Fattsgalore]

More than 50 SAKs and a few cheapy micro Multipliers. Also a Leatherman Wingman which is, eh. Want to upgrade that to a Victorinox Spirit.

Only been a member for a week or so.

[Jailbird]

I had a few Mrs before joining,

PST
MiniTool
Wave
Paratool

Since joining, I've seen the light and started buying SAKs. The light is bright enough that all my LMs are collecting dust.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

[kmanct3]

About 40 Vic SAK's, 1 Wenger ( Traveler ), 1 LM PST , Multiple Spyderco, Kershaw, Gerber etc. No Multi pliers except the PST. After joining the forum my MP count is around 35/40, my Wenger collection is now at about 30 and of course my Vic count is about 200 +

[Etherealicer]

Before joining:
Many, many Vics (Mostly Soldiers and Cadets) + 1 Swisstool

[TheDude]

LM Wave and Vic Timer.
Previously owned LM kick, Vic Worker, Climber and Champ.

Now also have

LM ST300, Style CS, Vic Soldier 2012, SOG PA, Swisstech Utili-key 6 in 1 & Microplus EX 9 in 1. Plus a couple of cheap knock-offs.

So far ...I think.