Remember your first real Multi?

[G-Dizzle]

My first "real" (by real I mean not the 5 dollar crap) multitool came after handling my girlfriend's dad's Leatherman Wingman. Up until that point, I just assumed all MTs were gimmicky and useless (all I had owned were knockoff SAKs and crap multis). Once I felt the wingman, I knew I had to have the real deal. Upon doing a bunch, and I mean a BUNCH, of research, I decided to go big or go home and get a Charge TTI. I saved my money and ordered it. When I got it, I felt like I could conquer the world. There was a toolbox in my pocket. There was nothing that I could not fix, disassemble, tinker with, whatever. I had always kept a decent knife on me before, but this was different. I have NEVER been without some sort of MT or SAK since that day. Soon after the Charge came a Swiss champ, S18, Spartan, and Classic. Now, that feeling of being able to fix anything just comes second nature to me, and I have so many MTs it is ridiculous, but I will never forget the feeling after I got that first one. I have gifted some quality tools over the past few years to try and give others this same experience. What was your first real MT? How did you get it and how did it make you feel?

[SteveC]

I bought a PST around 1994 after seeing a coworker carrying one on the job. I carried that PST everyday for work for 20 years. Then I came here looking for a replacement   

Now semi retired after I gave it a little rehab

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,76337.msg1654120.html#msg1654120

[Nix]

My first Multi was a LM PST.

I think I bought it at a military exchange store, but that might not be an accurate recollection. I thought it was pretty fabulous to have such a capable tool on one's belt. I still paired it with a SAK...becasue...you know...SAK.

I don't always have a multitool with me. Usually, but not always. Naturally it is entirely necessary to have a SAK come along if I'm going to the grocery store or walking to the coffee shop, but a Multi is optional. Still for any significant activity, even going to work, a pliers-based multitool needs to come along.

The exception to this is when I'm doing a 30-day challenge. It is interesting that when I'm doing a knife-focused challenge, I often don't miss a pliers-based tool. Now, in the Wave challenge, I find that I want to throw a SAK in my pocket, but the truth is that with the Wave I don't really need a SAK in my pocket. The Wave is capable and a SAK would be largely redundant. I've learned that I don't really need more than a Spirit, Wave, or Rebar for most of my EDC 'problems' ro tasks. I can see carrying a Spirit only, as a solo tool, but, given a strong fondness for SAKs, that probably won't happen.

[RF52]

My first real MT was a PSTII that I got from my dad, it saw some on and of use when I was a kid and then I carried it for 5-6 years at work. Great little tool Now it doesn't see much use, but I take it out sometimes After that it has been several SAK's, a couple Leatherman's, a few Gerber's and the last one a Sog.

Sent fra min FRD-L09 via Tapatalk

[AimlessWanderer]

I started with the cheapos. I don't remember buying them, but there was usually a crappy one in the house, which I probably received as a gift. However, I was more of a pocket knife person, than a pocket tool person. The "real ones" just seemed so expensive, and I really didn't understand all the fuss about those cheap red plastic handled Swiss things...

I decided to try a Gerber Suspension. It was a price I was prepared to gamble on, and if they were just as naff as the other garbage, I hadn't lost much. It was noticeably better. There were still a lot of inadequacies, but it was certainly a step in the right direction. I did some research, and decided to get a "proper" one. I went for the Swisstool CS Plus. The one that is the arms and walking stick in my avatar.

Wow. Just... wow. It all made sense then. These were decent pocket tools that I could actually get useful stuff done with. It was a bulky item to carry around every day though, and there's the locking blade issue too...

I figured if the Victorinox pliers tool was that good, then the knife thingies were probably worth a try after all. Again, I thought I'd just dip my toe in the water, and get a simple one. I got a Tourist.

I learned the error of my ways within a very short space of time. The knife was great, really great, but I had to keep getting the big pliers tool out, because the knife didn't have scissors. That was the last Swiss knife that I bought to carry, that didn't have scissors.

I soon realised that tools were like shoes, and different tools were better for different occasions, and different environments, and the exploration began. That Suspension has now gone, and so has the Swisstool. The Tourist now lives in the kitchen drawer. Many other tools have passed this way, and I learned a lot about them, and about my own preferences too, but they were the ones that started it all off.

[Millhouse]

I started with a cheapo PST clone in about 1995 which I thought would be more than adequate. Didn't really use it much at the time.

Then in 1997, I got involved with an amateur dramatic group, doing stuff back stage. A multitool became so useful, but I soon discovered why the PST clone was cheap. One day, trying to remove a flat screw, the screwdriver on the tool bent.

So off I went shopping for a real multi. I knew about Leatherman and initially thought I would pick up a real PST. The shop I went to also had Gerber, and I ended up with a Gerber. Think the one handed flick to open pliers is what sold it to me.

[ThundahBeagle]

Vitorinox Super Tinker since graduating in 1988. Still have it, although it went through hell and back. It went everywhere with me. Had a Coughlan camp knife before that but when I saw the Vic quality, I literally lost the Coughlan.

Leatherman PSTII. My brother in law used one in the 90's while we did some car and home repairs togther. I liked it so much I bought the first knock off I found. That lived in my tackle box until I happened upon someone else's PSTII at work. So I picked one up and never looked back.

Sadly, I lent it to my GF for her Galagagos Island trip and when she returned, she refused to give it back. No matter...I bought 3 more PST II tools as backups in case she lost the one I "gave" her.

These days, though, I primarily carry and use my Leatherman Rebar and the Victorinox Camper II or Pioneer. With a Leatherman Micra on my keys, all told I have a saw and scissors, on top of the basic blades, openers, drivers and plyers.

 

[GOAT Tools]

I had a decent Leatherman close when I was about 8 years old. I got a Schrade ST1 somewhere around 13 years old. Then I was handed down a Gerber 600 when I was in the Navy - that thing was about 15 years old when I got it and it traveled the world. I consider the Gerber my first real Multi, not that the others weren't up to the task - but it came to me already having lived a life, used, abused, and continued with me to fix more things than any of my others had combined.

[gerleatherberman]

Great thread, gdoolittle!

My Dad gave me a Mr. Pinchy when he and my Mother divorced. I threw it in a drawer until 2006 or so. Used it as my only plier multi until 2016, when I got the MT bug. The Pinchy was in a bad state and seeking a new MT to replace it is what caused me to go into the Multi-Tool rabbit hole.It rode along with a SAK Explorer and 1988 Mini (2xAAA) Maglite in my back pocket.  After a while, I decided to restore it as best I could and gave it back to my Dad when I bought two more just like it. At that point, I had a modest 30 MTs and 8 SAKs. I still keep a Pinchy in my back pocket (when not in a challenge) for blunt nose tasks and as a backup when I leave my main MT sitting around. I have a close attachment to the Pinchy, because the one I had probably did a few hundred thousand dollars worth of repairs for various employers in over ten years.  The one I have now is identical to my first Pinchy, just because I know every little trick and limitation of that model version. I carry the same Explorer (now with silvertech scales) as well, but the old Maglite was retired for an LED Mini Maglite.

So, the Pinchy and Explorer were my first real MTs.

Edit: here is a photo with the Explorer(different scales) and Maglite I carried for so long. The Pinchy isn't the original one, but it is the same version.

[superpaco]

My first real MT was a LM Pulse. I got it around 2002 I believe. I got it because several years earlier I had an electronics teacher who had what I can only assume was a PST. That thing had to be a decade old and he used it everyday. I could see the quality, the way all the tools lined up the amount of torque you seemed to be able to apply,  I was envious. So these years later I had a maintenance job and the boss was understanding about making sure we had the right tools for the job. I'm not sure what I said but I convinced him to let me get the Leatherman.  Man, there wasn't anything I wouldn't try with that thing. My tool bag was just basically for things I couldn't do with my Leatherman! I loved everything about that tool. I felt so handy and useful. But I abused the heck outta that thing and one day finally lost it. At that point I had zero hesitations about spending my own money on a new one the only problem being they didn't make it anymore. I had to pick out a new one. I got a Blast and it was also great butbit was bigger and boxier and the plastic made it look cheap and for all that it seemed to have the same tools (just an eyeglass screwdriver and a saw right?). But I never gave up on Leatherman, I've been carrying one for almost 20 years and plan on inducting my son in a couple years. God knows I'll have enough of them to supply him well...

[Wspeed]

My first MT is the LM Supertool
I bought this when I was 18 and
I still have and use the Supertool
Can’t believe it’s been 24 years already 

[Jaypeebee]

It's still looking good.....

[Wspeed]

It's still looking good.....

Just shows how good the quality is 

[Jaypeebee]

I started with the cheapos. I don't remember buying them, but there was usually a crappy one in the house, which I probably received as a gift. However, I was more of a pocket knife person, than a pocket tool person. The "real ones" just seemed so expensive, and I really didn't understand all the fuss about those cheap red plastic handled Swiss things...

I decided to try a Gerber Suspension. It was a price I was prepared to gamble on, and if they were just as naff as the other garbage, I hadn't lost much. It was noticeably better. There were still a lot of inadequacies, but it was certainly a step in the right direction. I did some research, and decided to get a "proper" one. I went for the Swisstool CS Plus. The one that is the arms and walking stick in my avatar.

Wow. Just... wow. It all made sense then. These were decent pocket tools that I could actually get useful stuff done with. It was a bulky item to carry around every day though, and there's the locking blade issue too...

I figured if the Victorinox pliers tool was that good, then the knife thingies were probably worth a try after all. Again, I thought I'd just dip my toe in the water, and get a simple one. I got a Tourist.

I learned the error of my ways within a very short space of time. The knife was great, really great, but I had to keep getting the big pliers tool out, because the knife didn't have scissors. That was the last Swiss knife that I bought to carry, that didn't have scissors.

I soon realised that tools were like shoes, and different tools were better for different occasions, and different environments, and the exploration began. That Suspension has now gone, and so has the Swisstool. The Tourist now lives in the kitchen drawer. Many other tools have passed this way, and I learned a lot about them, and about my own preferences too, but they were the ones that started it all off.

I started with a Gerber Suspension....... My boss got me one and I broke the pliers the first time I used it!! So he got me a LM Surge and said "see if you can break that" I've only broke the awl and the scissors so far, but got it replaced under warranty.
That's where my love of Leatherman started and I've been trying to collect them all ever since.

[Aloha]

I used a cheap and cheerful for years.  While limited in its ability it did serve me well.  I gave it to a coworker and got a Wingman then a Sidekick.  I immediately felt the difference and got a Wave after reading up on it.  I then came on MTO to read up on the Surge.  Over the years I've pretty much stayed with the Wave/Charge format.  I appreciate the OHO tools very much.  I'm not carrying my Surge as much but its never far.   

[eTripper]

My first 'rea multi' was a Gerber Compact Sport.  I used it at work for light-duty, and still have-it in the stable. 

[Noa Isumi]

I started with an Imperial Camper in 88 then a Vic Supertinker in 92-93ish (the Camper got stolen)...
Around 1995 I got an original Gerber Multiplier and have paired a SAK/MT combo ever since.

[Old man Chris]

A Victorinox Champ @1963 , and a Leatherman PST , @ 1984 .

Best Regards ,

Chris

[gerleatherberman]

A Victorinox Champ @1963 , and a Leatherman PST , @ 1984 .

Best Regards ,

Chris

. You had a PST one year before I was born. Very cool, sir!

Do you still have that Champ, Chris? My father would have only been 13yo when you got your first Vic.

[Old man Chris]

A Victorinox Champ @1963 , and a Leatherman PST , @ 1984 .

Best Regards ,

Chris

. You had a PST one year before I was born. Very cool, sir!

Do you still have that Champ, Chris? My father would have only been 13yo when you got your first Vic.


Sadly , the Champ has been lost in the Swirling mists of time . My First Leatherman ended up in the purse contents of my second ex wife , and noe belongs to my Grand daughter !

Best Regards,

Chris

[gerleatherberman]

Thank you for the reply, Chris.

At least the PST is still in the family.

[cody6268]

SAK, Fieldmaster in the summer of '06. 

MT--PST II, around the time I joined here. In fact, I think my first post was needing help in deciding between the PST and PST II.   Before that, I had an Apex (Imperial Schrade) Ireland Hunting and Fishing Tool (based on one of the Tradesman line tools). When Granddad bought it for the tractor in the late nineties, these were like $12 at Walmart at the time.   Complete POS--drivers never slotted in anything, blades wouldn't hold an edge--then add he sparked the serrated blade and bent the smallest screwdriver. 

I still have both of them.

[Skebeng]

My first quality multitool; I bought a fuse 5 months ago. I was shocked at the fit and finish. I seriously didnt know a multitool could feel that good in my hand.

Before that I had  carried a dozen or so cheap Chinese multitools. Always lost them and replaced them (around $7 in my currency so not a train smash).

Up until a year ago when I found a jeep multi tool that is very similar to a gerber suspension. I enjoyed using it, and kept buying better ones like the Traveler series that are surprisingly good in quality.

I have given away all of them, keeping only my leathermans and a spirit. But I have held onto a few weird ones, as well as the very first real multitool I ever bought. Its a no name orange monster (2cr) that I have beaten to its last bearing I am attaching a picture of it next to my surge for a size comparison. Forgive my abuse of the blade They dont make cheap multis this big or strong nowadays.

I also have a strange white SAK lookalike with interchangeable tools my father gave me. Said it belonged to his uncle. I have never used it though. I will take a picture if I dig it up...

[Top-Gear-24]

After some cheap pocket knives, and a Chinese SAK copy (which was the reason why I didn't like SAKs for more than 20 years, I thought they were rubbish, since the Chinese SAK was a real piece of sh*t...  ) I bought my first real multitool in '94, my trusty Leatherman Supertool.  Carried it through high school and later on my first jobs.  Around '97 I bought a Gerber Multiplier (yes, Mr.Pinchy), and around 2003 I bought myself a first generation Leatherman Wave.  In 2009 I bought a Leatherman Skeletool CX, and in 2010 a Leatherman Crater C33L. 

So it took me about 16 years to own 4 plier based tools and one pocket knife ... then I joined MTO ... 

My first tool has been retired for some years now, but I did take him with me to Tim Leatherman's engraving session here in Belgium back in 2016, to get it engraved.  When I handed it to Tim he said I shared first place with one other guy for handing him the oldest tool of the day  .

Anyway, here's a pic of my first multitool, my '94 Supertool:

[Alan K.]

First was the Leatherman MIni tool which is still next to me at my desk. Second was Mr. Pinchy. I took both of them in trade from the same guy several months apart around 1992.  I considered the Mini more of a novelty and never carried it but I EDC'd the Gerber for several years before it was replaced by my Leatherman Supertool 300 and about 40 other knives and tools. Thanks MTO.

[getahl]

Yup,  and I still have it. A Charge tti purchased in late 2007, after the bug bit me. It doesn't get carried, not out of sentimentality, although it carries plenty, but because I don't use it. Not much use for a full sized pair of pliers in my everyday life, even ones with Ti covers.