Thin Multitool Suggestions

[Maliahk]

Hi!
 This is my first post.

So I've been looking into the world of multitools and decided that I definately need one.   However it has been difficult finding reviews about the thickness of the tool.  I just don't want something too bulky.

This is what I'm looking for: 

Slim,  so I can fit in my pocket with comfort as an EDC.  I've noticed that just about every multitool picutre does not show the thickness.  There are a small few, but there is no good reference to go by.

needlenose pliers
knife
wire cutter
Screwdrivers

Not necessary, but would be nice:

wire stripper,
hex wrenches
Scissors

So Ive looked at Leatherman mostly and I feel as if they're quality seems up to par based on reviews.  But I'm open to any suggestions.

Thanks!

[derekmac]

Welcome to the best place on the net!

A really good thin tool is the Leatherman PST.  They are thin and light, and fit nicely in the pocket.

http://www.multitool.org/Leatherman-Tool-Group/Medium-Tools/2008/07/08/pst.html

[hrvstmn31]

A juice s2 would be good they're still in production.

http://www.multitool.org/Leatherman-Tool-Group/Small-Tools/2006/04/18/juice-c2-a-s2.html

[rdub934]

SOG Pocket Power Plier is very pocket-able (thin, narrow, and light), has amazing pliers, and can be fitted with scissors easily. Gerber Octane is a popular and pocket friendly tool that can be had for cheap. LM Skeletool is on the minimalist side of things, but is a very solidly constructed tool. Gerber MP400 is an amazing tool if you don't mind having to deploy pliers and open the tool in order to get at the knife, scissors, drivers, etc. The LM Wingman is thicker but still pretty pocket friendly - and quality is good especially considering how inexpensive the tool is.

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

[Taxi Dad]

welcome Maliahk 
and YES of course YOU NEED ONE !
plenty to choose from PST as Derek said, is a wonderful choice that I'd missed out on till very recently 
the fantastic Swisstool SPIRIT isn't that much bigger 
and the LM Rebar isn't huge
which pocket will you be carrying it in and what kind of trouser ? (ie. Jeans or combat)

[Lynn LeFey]

Figured I'd snap some pics for reference

Here are a number of MTs, ordered by thickness left to right, with right being the thickest.

Vic Cadet, Leatherman Style PS, Leatherman Micra, Vic Tinker, Leatherman PST II, Vic Farmer, SOG Pocket Powerplier, Leatherman Juice S2, Vic Spirit X, Vic Climber, Leatherman Wingman


Sort of a more top view.


Wingman next to a stack of 10 U.S. quarters.


PST II next to a stack of 7 U.S. quarters.


Cadet next to a stack of 5 U.S. quarters.

[Taxi Dad]

an excellent set of reference pics there Lynn  (as usual !)
I'm really liking the idea of using coins too 

[kkokkolis]

When I put the Spirit in my pocket, I forget it's there. This isn't the situation with the Surge, Swisstool or Juice Pro (XE6).
Other Juices are slimmer of course. The most pocketable and lost in the 5th Jeans pocket is the Squirt. Not heavy duty but a PS4 has miniature versions of most tools you ask for.

[Lynn LeFey]

an excellent set of reference pics there Lynn  (as usual !)
I'm really liking the idea of using coins too 

Thank you.

I tried to figure out a way to set a ruler up next to them, and couldn't. So I figured the coins might be good enough.

I'm not sure it needs to be explicitly stated, but the stack of coins in each pic is as close to the thickness of the compared tool as possible. So, the Wingman (minus bolts and pocket clip) are about 10 quarters thick, etc.

[kirk13]

Trick question...where in the world are you?

I'd go along with the crew with a PST,a proper Leatherman! If your in the States,you can get decent ones off eBay cheaply. If your in the UK,it'll be more of a challenge. Add the tool adopter then you've all the hex wrenches you'll ever need

Juices are good options too,but may not inspire the same confidence.

Have a look at a Gerber Octane...it's got flicky pliers Gerbers get a bad rap,but the local Gerber Mafia will stick up for the Octane.

Or.... How bout a LM Mini,matched to a Swiss Army Knife

[gregozedobe]

Welcome to the font of knowledge on multitools 

A lot depends on how heavy duty a tool you need.  I only carry  Leatherman P4 in my pockets as I usually have bigger MT's nearby (Surge and Crunch + bits).  The PS4 version has (small) scissors.  I don't notice the P4 as it is quite small and light and smooth (so doesn't poke/wear holes in my pockets).

If you are considering a LM PST, get the PST II version (it has scissors and a nice diamond file).

[enki_ck]

The thing with this place is all you have to do is ask for a comparison pictures of the tools you're interested in and most probably someone will be along shortly who has them and is happy to post pictures.

What size multi are you looking for? Medium duty, light duty use. Do you need locking blades?

For a light duty something like the Juice S2 would be ok, but also look into the Gerber Balance.

Welcome to the forum.

[Breezy12]

the Sideclip is a GREAT option for a thin MT that is pocket-friendly! granted, it's long since discontinued, and can be hard to find, but seems like it has exactly what you're looking for.

Slim,  so I can fit in my pocket with comfort as an EDC.
...
needlenose pliers
knife
wire cutter
Screwdrivers

and welcome to the forum!

[Maliahk]

Wow!!

I am incredibly impressed by the suggestions here.

I have a ton of information to pour over now.

This is a great welcome to the forum.

Thanks so much!


Thanks to Lynn for the comparison pics...quite a collection there.

To answer some questions...I'll be keeping it in my front jeans pocket.
It'll be used for medium duty work.  Mostly small projects and work on cars.

Theres so many to look at now...i hope thats a good thing. :-)

I'm liking the skeletool initiallly.  The sog power pliers looks good and so does the juice s2.

An easy access/assisted knife would be good and locking too.

[Monrogue]

Wow!!

I am incredibly impressed by the suggestions here.

I have a ton of information to pour over now.

This is a great welcome to the forum.

Thanks so much!


Thanks to Lynn for the comparison pics...quite a collection there.

To answer some questions...I'll be keeping it in my front jeans pocket.
It'll be used for medium duty work.  Mostly small projects and work on cars.

Theres so many to look at now...i hope thats a good thing. :-)

I'm liking the skeletool initiallly.  The sog power pliers looks good and so does the juice s2.

An easy access/assisted knife would be good and locking too.

Welcome to the forum   Yes, it's a good thing, but your wallet may disagree in due time

If you really want a locking OHO blade, the Skeletool or Wingman would be good options.  I suggest the Wingman myself as it has more tools than the Skeletool, and spring loaded pliers.  However, there are many options as you've seen, so have fun trying to figure out what you need/want.  That is honestly a big part of the fun for many of us

[Maliahk]

Hmm the sidekick is looking pretty good too...

Anyone have any advice between that and the wingman?

Which has the better pliers?

[captain spaulding]

If you have the money I would stay away from the Wingman/Sidekick line. Just my opinion though. Not hating on them. For the money they are great, but if the option to spend more is there than I would take it. 

[captain spaulding]

Oh yea and the Wingman/Sidekick have the exact same pliers.

[Kampfer]

Hmm the sidekick is looking pretty good too...

Anyone have any advice between that and the wingman?

Which has the better pliers?

Scissors -> Wingman.
Plain edge blade -> Sidekick. 

[SublimetalMsG]

My vote is rebar. I had pocket carried that for a little while and its perfect for losing in the bottom of pockets no sharp corners and is perfectly smooth for loose pocket carry. Plus locking blades and it won't hurt your hand like a pst. Though the pst isn't bad my dad has a few and they sure are compact but the rebar isn't to far off and has a stronger design.

[Cupboard]

I'm a big fan of the Rebar. It has everything you ask for bar scissors.

It doesn't have OHO knives and to use hex bits you need the tool adapter. It is solid, not too expensive and reasonably slim.

[derekmac]

If you think you can handle something a little thicker, than a Charge TTi would be a great option.  I carry mine clipped in my front pocket, and honestly don't notice it there.  Now, if you wear skinny jeans, that may not be the case for you!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Taxi Dad]

pleeeease people  "there's nothing Wrong with the Wingman !"
granted it's not 'top end' but if you're just starting your addiction Maliahk, either the 'wingy' or sidekick might not be a bad place to start  where are you from and what sort of prices are they in your 'hood' ? if price isn't much of an issue (ie you live in the USA  ) try a Wave NOT the cheapest nor as thin maybe but you won't regret buying it I don't think !
you can always buy another tool later 

[Zed]

Juice s2 =  compact and covers most your needs 

[Aloha]

I'll say the Wingman is a very good multi for what you pay but also for the compliment of tools on the tool.  You get a 25 year warranty and springy pliers to boot.  That being said the Sideclip is a great slim tool BUT being retired and the high cost this may not be the way to go. 

My suggestions;

SOG PPP or Deluxe PPP
 
Great needle nose pliers and the compound leverage is fab.
Nice compliment of basic tools on board
the Deluxe has the 1/4 in driver
you can buy parts to customize

Leatherman PST 2

Great slim tool
has scissors
nice selection of on board tools

Leatherman Wingman

Comes with pocket clip
scissors
good basic selection of tools on board
spring loaded pliers
inexpensive
outside accessible knife OHO ( one hand opening )

The Leatherman Juice line is pretty great the outside tools are 2 hand opening and the little driver could come up a bit short YMMV.  My Juice S2 fits in my coin pocket and the colors to me a quite lovely.  I know for me having OHO tools make a multi even handier than it already is.  Having to open the tool to access a blade or file to me gets old.  I use a Surge for work and love my wave but again YMMV on the OHO tools.     

[Lynn LeFey]

As much as I like the Wingman/Sidekick for what they are, I would tend to agree that if the funds are there, you can do better, when looking for small, light, comfortable pocket carry.

This is going to be particularly true if your requirement of wire cutters is high. The Wingman and Sidekick have the same plier head, which has 'anvil' wire cutters. That's probably great for long term durability since even if they get nicked, they won't bind up, but it also means they're sub-par in cutting ability. If that's important, that's a consideration.

While I like a lot about the Rebar, it's a little thicker than the Wingman (minus the Wingman's pocket clip). I don't know if you want, need, or care about a pocket clip, but the Rebar has none, and no standard option for one, where both the Wingman and Sidekick come with them out of the package.

[Aloha]

My manners  Welcome to MTo 

Great addition Lynn, I was also thinking while thin is good but what about weight?  Depending on where in the world you are many of these suggested tools can be had for a good price at auction sites.  We also have a section where members are selling tools so have a look thru there as well.


Whatever MT you decide upon just know that most here also pair theirs with a SAK when the compliment of tools on the MT is lacking.  Scissors for example on a 91mm are very good, heck even my 58mm Minichamp scissors are very good.  The SAK is you decide will fit nicely in the coin pocket of jeans.       

[SublimetalMsG]

I don't have a wing man but I think about picking one up as  beater. I should have when my cousin did 18$ the one day. What's attractive about it to me is outside tools and a built on pocket clip. I don't know why Leatherman doesn't do pocket clips more often i wish they would though. I want a bolt on one for the Surge. 

[Agonistes]

i'd love a sideclip-type slim tool with just the bit drivers, MAYBE a can opener or awl.  perhaps the eyeglass screwdriver-holder could have a few different-sized jeweler's bits, and maybe one of those lil bitty things you buy to pry open an iphone, and then the regular driver could of course use the bit-card bits.  no knife blade would be inconvenient but most of my friends edc at least a small pocketknife of some kind and that would make it legal for uk carry.  a light-duty pair of pliers and i'd have a perfect multi for dress-up days when i don't want a heavy pocket.

oh, and the pliers smooth on the inside, like jeweler's pliers.  i realize a jeweler's multi-tool isn't really in demand, but there are more than a few times i have been asked to fix jewelry on the go, and i have taped up regular pliers as a precaution to not scratch a nice finish because i didn't have my little smooth pliers on me.

[Maliahk]

Wow!

I love coming back here each time and having more great suggestions.   


To answer some questions.  I live in the US.  My budget is anything under $75. 
I kind of want a new tool...so that pretty much eliminates retiried tools.  Unless there's a place I can get them new.


So....now I think I'm needing some thing with

OHO features (with the main tools, blade, pliers?)
A locking blade ( Quick question...this means in the open position, right?)
A spring loaded pliers (not necessary)

I keep coming back to the skeletool...it just seems mostly what i'm looking for.  Except that the needlenose pliers don't look too needlenose...a little flat.
Anyways the juice s2 and sidekick also seem like good options, but a couple have suggested to look elsewhere if I need good wire cutters.

I noticed the skeletool has a deal that comes with a style cs.

All in all, I just need to buy one and try it out.

As long as I can use it for something other than a paperweight I';ll be happy.