Best/Favorite cutlery based multitool?

[NJSailor]

So I've always eyed the Case Hobo but it always seemed pretty expensive to me.  And then I'd seem to always almost bite the bullet and pick up a Leatherman Flair.  Now Victorinox has a new model out, the Cheese Master which looks pretty awesome.  Anyone have a favorite pack and go cutlery based multitool?  Maybe something they made?

[nate j]

I spent some time investigating this question a few years ago, when I was putting together mess kits for my son and me to take camping.  The TL;DR (or BLUF, if you prefer) version is that non-folding eating utensils are easily a superior choice to folding eating utensils.  There are several important reasons for this:  ease of cleaning and sanitizing, weight, and cost.

With regard to ease of cleaning and sanitizing, non-folding utensils simply have fewer cracks and crevices to trap food than folding utensils.  Also, any utensil that is made only of metal can be sanitized by placing it in boiling water if necessary without any ill effects, but any utensils with plastic, bone, or other handle scale materials might not fare so well.  Enough said about that.

With regard to weight and cost, let's examine some of the options in the market place.  I'll use the format Make Model; Weight (in ounces); Approximate Sale Price (not MSRP); Comments:

• Case Hobo; 7.7; $100+ depending on handle material; includes knife, fork, and spoon
• A.G. Russell Boxcar Jack; 3.7; $80 - $90; includes knife and fork, but NO spoon
• Kabar Hobo; 5.6; $15 - $20; includes knife, fork, & spoon
• UST SS Utensil Set; 2.2; less than $10; includes knife, fork, & spoon, and if you're willing to ditch the knife from the set and use your pocketknife to cut food if needed, the weight of fork & spoon only would be well under two ounces
• Coleman Camper's Utensil Set; 3.2; less than $10; includes knife, fork, & spoon
• Light My Fire Titanium Spork; 0.7; $15 - $20; spoon & fork, one side of fork is serrated but I would plan to use my pocketknife to cut food if necessary

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but some trends should start to become apparent.  There are the premium hobo-style knives, which are on the expensive side and also generally fairly heavy relative to other options.  Then there are the budget hobo-style knives, which are much cheaper and have a cost more or less on par with non-folding utensils, but still tend to be significantly heavier than non-folding utensils.  So, while they may not be the most exciting options, a servicable quality non-folding spork (and if you get one of these, get one with a more or less normal spoon and fork on opposite ends of the same handle like the Light My Fire version above, not one that has the really tiny short tines on the end of a spoon) or utensil set is the way to go IMO.

[NJSailor]

I spent some time investigating this question a few years ago, when I was putting together mess kits for my son and me to take camping.  The TL;DR (or BLUF, if you prefer) version is that non-folding eating utensils are easily a superior choice to folding eating utensils.  There are several important reasons for this:  ease of cleaning and sanitizing, weight, and cost.

With regard to ease of cleaning and sanitizing, non-folding utensils simply have fewer cracks and crevices to trap food than folding utensils.  Also, any utensil that is made only of metal can be sanitized by placing it in boiling water if necessary without any ill effects, but any utensils with plastic, bone, or other handle scale materials might not fare so well.  Enough said about that.

With regard to weight and cost, let's examine some of the options in the market place.  I'll use the format Make Model; Weight (in ounces); Approximate Sale Price (not MSRP); Comments:

• Case Hobo; 7.7; $100+ depending on handle material; includes knife, fork, and spoon
• A.G. Russell Boxcar Jack; 3.7; $80 - $90; includes knife and fork, but NO spoon
• Kabar Hobo; 5.6; $15 - $20; includes knife, fork, & spoon
• UST SS Utensil Set; 2.2; less than $10; includes knife, fork, & spoon, and if you're willing to ditch the knife from the set and use your pocketknife to cut food if needed, the weight of fork & spoon only would be well under two ounces
• Coleman Camper's Utensil Set; 3.2; less than $10; includes knife, fork, & spoon
• Light My Fire Titanium Spork; 0.7; $15 - $20; spoon & fork, one side of fork is serrated but I would plan to use my pocketknife to cut food if necessary

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but some trends should start to become apparent.  There are the premium hobo-style knives, which are on the expensive side and also generally fairly heavy relative to other options.  Then there are the budget hobo-style knives, which are much cheaper and have a cost more or less on par with non-folding utensils, but still tend to be significantly heavier than non-folding utensils.  So, while they may not be the most exciting options, a servicable quality non-folding spork (and if you get one of these, get one with a more or less normal spoon and fork on opposite ends of the same handle like the Light My Fire version above, not one that has the really tiny short tines on the end of a spoon) or utensil set is the way to go IMO.

What a great write up!  I agree with everything you have mentioned.  Especially when speaking to some of the sporks with the really short tines, I can't stand those.

Have you seen the new cheese master by Victorinox?  They added what they call a "fondue" fork.  And it also has a bottle opener.

[nate j]

What a great write up!

Thanks!

Have you seen the new cheese master by Victorinox?  They added what they call a "fondue" fork.  And it also has a bottle opener.

Only in pictures online; I haven't seen one in person.  It seems like such a niche tool, I can't imagine they will sell very many.  More surprising to me is that Victorinox is apparently making one new implement, the cheese blade, so they can put it on only two models, and another new implement, the fondue fork, for exactly one model.

[ReamerPunch]

For me it's this!