Multitool als christmas gift?

[thom53281]

Hello everyone!

As christmas is coming in about two months, same problem as every year. What should I buy for my girlfriend? So as she is not into multitools (yet) and English boards, here seems like a legit place to ask.

Since having my multitool I don't want to miss it. So I thought, maybe she also could like one. She is an electrical engineer in self-propelled machines, so a multitool could be useful for everyday work (12V/24V -> no 1000V insulation needed). Also we plan to maybe build a house in a few years. So I think there is lots of use for a multitool as EDC. But I need a small lightweight one for her that preferred fits on a keychain. Also it should be as small as possible but not be totally useless regarding its size and should be suitable for small women's hands.

What I found is the Leatherman Squirt PS4. Yeah, it goes in the right way. But I don't like the 2D Philips driver. Also it is pricy here in Germany for such a small multitool. Maybe there are better alternatives?

I watched a Video about the Gerber Dime, but people say that quality of the PS4 is way better. Then I found the Leatherman Leap. I liked the toolset on it, but sadly it is not availiable anymore. Then I thought about the SOG Powerpint. But it is as double as heavy as the PS4, bigger and has a lot of tools which are not needed. Some alternative to the Leatherman Squirt PS4 could be the Nextool Sailor Mini. It seems discontinued(?), but I found it here for sale in Germany. It is a little bigger than the PS4 but has a better philips driver.

Tools that would be nice (Priority in this order):

• Philips and flat screwdriver - preferred not combined with a bottle opener or other tools. I think the screwdriver will be used most, so it should be as good as possible for a multitool.
• Wire cutters
• Pliers
• Knife (no serrated blade)
• Scissors

What I like about the Leatherman Leap is to remove and add the blade. I have no Idea if it is a problem to carry a multitool with a blade at her work. So she could decide at any time if it should have a blade or not. But it is the only tool where I ever saw that. The tool must be compliant with German law too, so either no single handed blade or no locking blade (preferred both of it).
With the PS4 you can not customize the tool without problems, while for example the Nextool has standard torx screws. Also at the Nextool I could replace the SIM tool with maybe a smaller flat screwdriver.


Also I thought about going much smaller. I found this thread and liked the first tool. It features the most essential tools. But I have no idea if I can buy it anymore. Did not find it anywhere.


What do you think? Did anyone of you buy a multitool for his (or her - I don't judge ) girlfriend? Should I buy her a multitool? Did I miss any interesting multitools?


Thank you!

[McStitchy]

You've done your research well 

The PS4 is cool but has its limits if the screwdrivers are used a lot. And the scissors requirement limits the possibilities quite a bit.

The Leatherman PST II comes to mind, if you can source one.
Or the Skeletool which has no scissors but a great bit driver and carries 2 doublesided bits.

[Crunchie64]

If you can find the discontinued ES4, I think that would be a great choice.

Alternatively, Leatherman has just released a batch of two different models from the Juice range, which are small, but heavy, and have plenty of screwdrivers. You’d have to get someone in the US to ship one to you, or buy second hand.

Any of these would be good choices for a handbag, purse, key ring, or workbench, but I’d want something a big bigger to build a house with.

[Crunchie64]

Another thought...the original PST is a beautiful, slim, lightweight tool with everything on your list except scissors.

If you can get your hands on a Heritage PST, still available brand new in some countries, and a Raptor, available in some great colours, you should be well on your way to converting your girlfriend into a Leatherman fanatic and collector!

 

D40380B9-CD11-4B3A-BEA7-6524D0A3517B.jpg (Filesize: 155.6 KB)

[aicolainen]

I work with electrical engineering/electronics engineering myself.
I haven't found the perfect tool yet, but a slightly modified Victorinox Cadet is very close.



I like that it's ridiculously slim and easy to carry, yet it oozes quality in a way that's not matched by many tools in this size range.
It's not a tool that you deliberately choose if you're going to build something from scratch, but it takes care of a surprising amount of the convenience type of tasks. Like the big slotted driver is able to open most electrical cabinets and enclosures that doesn't require a coded key, the 3mm slotted driver (that no longer doubles as a can opener) fits standard terminal blocks (<3.5mm), the file is short but aggressive and also doubles as a small 2D Philips.

I also have the Squirt ES4 suggested above, it's a great idea and well made, but a flawed design in my opinion. The large slotted driver is often not large enough and the combo small flat/2D Phillips doesn't have the reach required. It's just too thick and stubby to access the screw heads in terminal blocks and electrical panels. Also the plier head is not rigid enough, so it does a poor job at stripping wires - which is kind of its main trick. In retrospect I'd rather have the PS4 and don't think of it as an electricians tool, cause it's well built, just not fit for purpose.

I'm considering a CyberTool S, but I have no experience with it yet and I'm not totally stoked on the factory toolset, so I consider it more of a modding prospect at this point. But it's worth consideration even as it comes from the factory

[nate j]

I'm considering a CyberTool S, but I have no experience with it yet and I'm not totally stoked on the factory toolset, so I consider it more of a modding prospect at this point. But it's worth consideration even as it comes from the factory

I have a CT-S and a CT-M.  The bit driver is outstanding IMO, and capable of real work.

As I’ve stated elsewhere, the CT-S is basically a legitimate multi-bit screwdriver with a Spartan in the handle.  The CT-S is very pocketable, and I carry mine a lot during football season.

The CT-M is a great electronics toolset, but a bit of a brick in the pocket, and not quite as comfortable to use as the CT-S due to the additional width.  My CT-M lives in my laptop bag.

If you’re going to mod one, I’d submit that starting with a CT-M, removing the scissors and opener layers, and replacing the small blade with the combo tool would be about perfect.

[Farmer X]

I watched a Video about the Gerber Dime, but people say that quality of the PS4 is way better.

They'll get no argument from me. I'd be happy to extrapolate if anyone would like.

Or the Skeletool which has no scissors but a great bit driver and carries 2 doublesided bits.

The Skelly has a locking OHO blade, doesn't it?

As Thom has discovered, multis of key chain size have design constraints. That is particularly true with screwdrivers and scissors. He might have to go with a 2D Phillips or step up to a larger tool.

Though it's a bit larger than others that Thom mentioned, a Leatherman Juice S2 pushes every other button. The trick is finding a good one that someone doesn't want an arm, a leg, and a firstborn for. I'll do some digging and see if I can locate one of those SwissTech folding pliers jobs (I'm now kinda curious about them myself).

[McStitchy]

Ah, yes... you're right Farmer. I forgot the Skeletools locking knife blade.

Hey, what about exchanging the knife blade with scissors?   

Good idea with the Juice S2!

[aicolainen]

If you’re going to mod one, I’d submit that starting with a CT-M, removing the scissors and opener layers, and replacing the small blade with the combo tool would be about perfect.

Hmm.. now you got me thinking.
My initial idea was to keep the CT-S almost as it is, just replace the knife layer with a Spyderco Dragonfly blade. I say “just”, but while it’s not a big change, it’s no small task for a noob mod’er

The thing is though, I usually carry a Dragonfly or similar knife anyways, so starting out with a CT-M and just remove stuff would probably be an easier mod, and I’ll actually be left with a toolset that is complementary to my current carry, rather than replacing it and still be short of some important tools.
Removing the knife layer and opener layer should result in a not too chubby yet capable knifeless MT. I’m a bit reluctant to loose the large slotted driver, that regularly proves its usefulness on my Cadet, but I always keep a little prybar in my wallet, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Thanks for the input!

[thom53281]

Thank you for your suggestions.

For my daily use it would be no problem to buy an used Leatherman, since I know about their quality. But since it is a gift, I would rather buy a new one or at least NOS. Also I did some research on used Leatherman products and they seem to be not as common here in Germany.

Leatherman ES4: I like the idea that the tool has those wire strippers. But it limits the capability of doing other stuff with the pliers. Those kind of wire strippers are not that common in Germany, we use other tools. I only use them for fibre optics some time. Also everyone here can strip wires with side cutters if he has not the right tool in reach. I think this is, why the tool is discontinued.

Heritage PST: This is sadly way over the price range I wanted to spend.

Victorinox Cadet: I like the small swiss tools and have one on my own. But sadly no pliers, which are the second most useful tool in a multitool.

Cybertool S: Sadly, same problem. No pliers or wire cutters. I could go with the Cybertool M, but I think that is too big.


What do you think about the Nextool Sailor Mini I mentioned in my first post? It has too a flat philips, but could it be better than the philips in the Leatherman PS4? It seems better shaped.

And the scissors requirement limits the possibilities quite a bit.

Scissors are the least thing in the list. Feel free to suggest tools without scissors.
I learned that they often are very useful but in a small multitool you have to go compromises.

Any of these would be good choices for a handbag, purse, key ring, or workbench, but I’d want something a big bigger to build a house with.

We can always go bigger in a few years if she likes it and we need a bigger tool. Also I think I will do most of the work and I have a big multitool.

[SteveC]

The Nextool might be a good first MT for your partner.




https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,89929.msg2371017.html#msg2371017

[Crunchie64]

It looks okay. It’s pretty cheap, so not much of a loss if it’s not really up to the job or if she ends up not using it.

[aicolainen]

I’ve never tried a Juice S2 but it seems like the perfect solution to so many people, including this woman.

Back when they were available, I just didn’t realize how it could be useful to me. I didn’t EDC any tools back then and wasn’t even familiar with the term.
I used MTs for work and outdoor, and only carried / packed them on the work site / certain trips.
For work, I’m sure I deemed it to be too restricted in it’s capability. Having good, capable tools were much more important than saving an ounce or two.
Not sure how I missed the backpacking potential though. I wasn’t very weight conscious back then, but rather money conscious… so I guess that affected my judgement.

Hope Leatherman is aware of the void this series left behind, and the market potential that’s up for grabs.
In the mean time we’ll just do the best we can with what’s out there.

Maybe I’m just biased, but I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the Cadet. It’s true it falls short of your requirements, but to some extent, everything will.
The thing about the Cadet that you won’t find in much else at this price point is the feeling of quality. I have no experience with NexTool, and it may be much better than I expect, but as a Christmas gift for my girlfriend I don’t think I’d even consider a cheap Chinese option.
I don’t know your girlfriend, but most girls don’t inherently appreciate these things like we boys do. Giving her something that looks good, is nicely made and carries very comfortably, independent of it’s function, may appeal more to her than something of less tactile feeling of quality, that tries to do more.

You also say cable stripping notches aren’t important as they have dedicated wire stripper as well as side cutters they can use for that type of work. Maybe she has access to pliers as well and they aren’t as important as you think? I sure don’t need them as often as I believed I did. I would feel better if I had a tool with pliers all the time, but without the Juice S2 around, the compromises I have to make to get a plier in my EDC MT is not worth making IMO. I also have complementary tools, like the Knipex Cobra XS, that I add to my carry if I expect to need it. That’s also one way your gf can progress if she finds these pocket tools to be useful.

[Farmer X]

I looked into the SwissTech Micro-Tech. Sure enough, they're discontinued. There are some available in US eBay, starting at about $15. One of those teamed with a Classic SD could be a good keychain combo.

[thom53281]

The MicroTech looks promising. Did not consider it cause I didn't see the wire cutters.

It looks okay. It’s pretty cheap, so not much of a loss if it’s not really up to the job or if she ends up not using it.

Same was I thinking.

Maybe she has access to pliers as well and they aren’t as important as you think?

Sure she has access to all needed tools at her work. But in my opinion, a multitool is not for the work you plan to do and prepared for it. Knowing I have to do something, I always take the right tools or my big toolbox with me. But for example, a few weeks ago I was fixing a roof. One screw was totally worn out, so I was happy to have pliers with me. I did not plan to need them.

It are those types of task where I think a multitool could be helpful for her.

[thom53281]

Yesterday I did some more research. I can not buy the SwissTech Micro-Tech here in Germany. So the tool is out. Also I found the Gerber Vise. It is too a very small tool, but sadly has no scissors.

But at around midnight, just for fun, I startet to watch some videos about the Nextool Mini Sailor. I found this video and it changed my opinion completely.



Not about the Mini Sailor, but on the Nextool Mini Flagship. I thought that it would be too big. Since the language in the video is neither mine nor English, I didn't understand much. But the pictures told everything (0:44-1:20 and 07:44-07:54). Seeing it along with the Leatherman PS4 and Mini Sailor it is not that much bigger, since the side with the scissors is only half tool width.

In looks, I think the Mini Sailor is a little bit better, but form follows function. I think the toolset on the Mini Flagship is much better since both screwdrivers are longer. Also I use the scissors on my multitool often to cut zip ties open and you could do that with the scissors on the Mini Flagship without any problems.

So I made a list about my preference:

• Nextool Mini Flagship in green
• Nextool Mini Sailor
• Leatherman Style PS4
• Gerber Dime
• Gerber Vise

I think the next few days I will give the Nextool Mini Flagship a try. Also I can purchase it without any problems here. Or are there any points I missed? I found something about broken parts, but not that much. Others seem to have no problem with their multitool. So as the posts are a while ago, maybe the quality has improved since then?

[Farmer X]

I have no experience with the various Nextool models, so I cannot vouch for their quality. However, I'd advise against the Gerber Dime unless its quality has been improved since 2016. The Style PS would be a solid choice.

[thom53281]

So, the Nextool arrived and I could not resist to unbox it and play a little bit to look if everything is ok. She will understand.

Size is very close to what I wanted and quality is good on the first look. The blade is very sharp, I cut my finger the first time I closed it. Also I tested the half flat philips on some screws and it worked perfectly every time. Very happy with it. To fit it on a keychain I got a  small carabiner like this one (Just an example), so she can take it off easily to work with it.


The only thing I would change is the can opener. We have a big can opener in our kitchen and it is the only place where I would ever open a can. So I am thinking about modifications to make it more useful. Things I came up with:

• File a little sharp groove to make it a package opener.
• Make a second smaller flat screwdriver.
• Make a combined awl + can opener like shown here. With that you would not loose this function but get an awl to drill and punch holes too.

I will not do any modification before christmas. Just collecting ideas yet.