I Want to Hear a Tool Story

[Captain Hook]

We've all read those stories of a pocket knife or a multitool saving the day. I want to hear your stories below! If it's about how you got out of a jam, or just helping save the day at the office I want to hear it.

[Alan K.]

I was at the info booth at the Renaissance festival when someone came up pushing an old guy in a wheelchair and asked if they could come back later because his oxygen bottle was empty and although they had brought a spare bottle they had forgotten a bottle wrench to open it.  I offered to open the bottle for them as I had a multitool in my pocket.  I know turning a valve isn't very exciting, but they didn't have to leave.

[Syncop8r]

That's a great story Alan. 

(It wasn't the oxygen bottle wrench in the OHT was it? )

[Alan K.]

Don't have a OHT. It was probably Mr. Pinchy.

[Poncho65]

Still a nice story and a great outcome

Having a MT always saves me time at work as we never carry dedicated tools and as a bricklayer we never normally have a screwdriver of any type well everyone but me doesn't have one anyways

I love being able to fix something at work and having everything I need in my pockets or sheath

The other day one of the guys brought me a water hose that had formed a hole in it and needed fixing. We cut it apart at the leak and after getting the correct pieces from the truck I proceeded to fix it without having to look for a tool of any type

[Sos24]

I was at the info booth at the Renaissance festival when someone came up pushing an old guy in a wheelchair and asked if they could come back later because his oxygen bottle was empty and although they had brought a spare bottle they had forgotten a bottle wrench to open it.  I offered to open the bottle for them as I had a multitool in my pocket.  I know turning a valve isn't very exciting, but they didn't have to leave.

That is a great one.  Turning a wrench might not be too exciting, but helping someone in need always is a good one.

[Captain Hook]

This is a story about how I fixed a lawn mower with a PST, a drill and a zip tie.

About a week or so ago my dad got the mower out and started mowing, the cable that was for the self propel broke. The hardware store was closed so we couldn't just buy new parts. I remembered we had a mountain bike that was supposed to be going to the scrap heap just rusting away in the back. So I used my PST and cut a length of the cable off of it, then I took some nuts and bolts off with the pliers. Next I tied the old and new cables together and sinched them down with a zip tie, and then I used a drill to make a wider hole on the lever for the bolts. I tightened the cable under the bolt and viola our mower was operable again!

My dad said I truly lived up to my nickname that day.

[ReamerPunch]

I was at a friend's house for his daughter's birthday. His son comes up to us with a corked bottle of wine. "Mommy said she can't open it." He goes "How am I supposed to open it?" And I reach in my pocket and hand him my old Huntsman knock-off. "There you go."

I later gave it to my brother, to replace his cheapo sak-alike, with the silver scales. You know the one. And I started looking for a SAK, and got a SwissChamp and a Fieldmaster. Eventually I decided on the Deluxe Tinker, and gave one to my brother too.

[getahl]

My wife's grandmother passed in 2013, and we were clearing out her home. There was one couch that was just barely too large to fit through the office door. Not standing up, straight on, etc. If we could only remove the feet, it would fit, but they had these recessed bolts and the tiny socket set I had wouldn't fit the head of the bolt. Neither would the channellocks or crescent wrench. Just for kicks, I tried using the Charge TTi that I'd forgotten about in my tool bag to try turning the bolt. Took some doing, but eventually loosened. Wash, rince, and repeat 4x. It worked.

[nate j]

Let's see...

On multiple camp outs, I've used the can opener on whatever SAK happened to be in my pocket to open cans of everything from marinara sauce to baked beans to pie filling, when the dedicated can opener that was supposed to be in the cook kit either went missing or was found to be non-functional.  (In my view, the can opener is also a difficult tool to find an acceptable substitute for.  I have no desire to dull/abuse any of my knife blades by using them as can openers.  And with due respect to the many YouTube stars posting videos about "How to open a can without a can opener" using rocks, spoons, needle-nose pliers, cinder blocks, etc., those are all pretty poor substitutes IMO, especially when I might have to open 2-3 #10 cans and or 6-8 16-ounce cans at one go.)  I know some folks complain about having/don't want a can opener on their SAK/MT because they've never used it and probably never will.  I admit I don't use it often, but the times I have needed it, it has really saved the day! 

A number of years ago, I was at a fair where one of the booths was selling root beer in old-fashioned (I suppose) glass bottles with corks.  Whilst walking around the fairgrounds, I came across a couple who had gotten the cork jammed too far into their bottle, and were struggling to get it out.  She was holding the bottle while he attempted to pry the cork out with the single black blade of his folding knife.  Feeling certain I was about to witness a bloody accident, I hurried over and used the corkscrew on my Climber to easily extract the cork.  The couple was duly appreciative.  While it is possible their approach would ultimately have succeeded with neither husband nor wife the worse for wear, I believe I probably saved someone an injury that day, or at least saved their root beer!

A few years ago, we were staying at a cottage in Maine.  The first morning we were there, I locked up the cottage after carefully pocketing the key, and we went out to get breakfast.  Upon our return, however, I discovered that the key would fit into the lock, but wouldn't unlock the front door.  I tried the side door and the back door, but the key wouldn't unlock either of those doors either.  We had tickets to go whale watching about an hour later, and needed jackets, diapers for our toddlers, etc. out of the cottage before we could go.  The caretaker was nowhere to be found.  However, I noticed the back door was a bit loose in the frame.  So, I very gingerly used my PW2 to push the door as far from the strike plate as it would go, which gave enough clearance to slide the main blade of my Climber between the door and frame and depress the latch.  We were back in the cottage with plenty of time to spare, and without damage to the door!

I may remember others later; so many problems become non-issues with just a few small, simple tools.

[tosh]

Mine was last year. I take sports photos of sons soccer matches ( have done for past 5yrs) Bad tackle and a player is limping, he eventually gets called off and I suddenly notice there’s a commotion. My partner runs over and asks if I’ve got a multitool. His foot had swollen and managers were trying to get his boot off. I always keep a Explorer in my camera bag. So gave her that. End of game manager walks over to give it back. Keep it I says. He now brings it to all the matches!!
Yes, I put another Explorer in my bag when I got home. Still not used it yet!!