NexTool Flagship Review

[ReamerPunch]

Every now and then a new design emerges from the sea of butterfly multi-tools, and takes us by surprise. A recent entry in new designs, the double butterfly is just as majestic. The NexTool Flagship Multi-tool is a tool of this design, and begs for a closer look.

AKA: NexTool NXKT5012 Flagship



Dimensions
Length: 4.25" (10.8cm)
Width: 1.37" (3.5cm)
Thickness: 0.59" (15mm) or 0.75" (19mm) if we count the pocketclip.
Tool weight: 7.58 oz (215g).

Steel used: Stainless steel
Handle fasteners: Torx 6 (Phillips and pocketclip) and Torx 9 screws.

Blade length: 2.87" (73mm)
Saw length: 2.05" (52mm)
Scissors cutting edge: 1.53" (39mm)

Price at time of review: $30.74
Warranty: Lifetime



The tool comes in a plastic presentation box and a leaflet with information in English and Chinese.


The entire tool is made of stainless steel. There are no plastic parts.
The steel handles seem to scratch easily, though.

There is a pocketclip on one handle, with just the right amount of tightness. It easily fits over a pocket, but does not slide around. Tucked to the side of the pocket, it is not obtrusive or in any danger of sliding out of the pocket.

There are metric ruler markings on one handle.
These are engraved, and easy to read, given you can see the numbers. There are no markings from 0 to 1.9cm, but they do start from the tip of the Phillips screwdriver, so it is easy to line up whatever it is you are measuring with it and get a reading. The measurements go along the whole handle, but the end is obscured by the screw, so you are restricted to 8cm of numbered measurements.



The blade has a thumbhole for opening with one hand. Blade retention when closed is great. There is no way it is coming out on its own. When opened, a backspring offers enough resistance to put any worries at ease. Still, it does not lock, so care must be taken when using it.
The shape is very nice for everyday tasks, and it was properly sharpened out of the box.



The thumbhole could use a 90 degree edge and be wider, though. As it is, it is pretty impossible to open with just one hand.

When using the blade, there are some hotspots that poke into my hand. Nothing major, though. I am aware of some edges and corners, but none are really jabbing and causing pain. Most edges are rounded off and there are no screws, locking mechanisms, buttons etc that stick out.
The blade's spine is also quite sharp, itself a hotspot when closed.



There is also a woodsaw. While short, it did cut with no issue. About one forth of its length does not have teeth. The base and tip were left blunt, so that the teeth would not hit the handle when closing the saw. Still, the unused length could be shorter.



The Phillips requires its handle to be opened in order to use it.
It is preferable to also have the pliers resting in the Phillips handle when working on screws, as this brings the screwdriver more inline to the whole tool, compared to having the pliers resting in the other handle.
The tip is well formed, and it fits nicely in Phillips 1 and 2 screws.



The other outer handle's tip is a 5mm flathead screwdriver. It is well formed, and fits screws very well.
There is also a notch for opening the handle.



The main draw of this design is the placement of a pair of scissors opposite a pair of pliers.



Many multi-tools do not even have scissors, let alone of such size and strength.
They are spring-loaded, sharp, big, and comfortable to use. They cut through most materials with ease, and with fewer cuts than most multi-tools. Size does matter occassionally.



Opposite the scissors, there are spring-loaded pliers.
The edges of the inside of the handles are rounded off and are very comfortable to use.



The pliers teeth are very well formed, the tips meet to a precise point, and the wire-cutters are fine enough to cut paper, yet strong enough to cut coat hanger wire with no flex or damage.



Conclusion
By definition, multi-tools attempt to include multiple functions in a single tool. There are many of ways to do this, and quite a vast array of features to choose from. The NexTool Flagship has many of the implements people seek. Pliers, scissors, blade, saw, and screwdrivers. Granted, not all implements are the best they can be. Decisions have to be made. What goes in? What gets left out?

In this case, the tool was built with pliers and scissors in mind. One glance is enough to realize just how good the scissors are. Not many multi-tools are focused on scissors. The vast majority of those that are, do not offer scissors this big, and they probably do not even have pliers. Indeed, the scissors on this thing are amazing, and there is also a pair of proper pliers. Add to that the properly sharpened blade, the aggressive saw, the decent screwdrivers, and the pocketclip, and this looks like a winner.

I would say that it is. The value is there, even if the quality is not stellar. The construction is good, but not excellent. There are a few tiny gaps here and there, some casting imperfections, and some screws are a bit roughed up. None of these issues affect the performance of the tool, just its looks. Still, it feels solid. There is no rattle, no play in the handles, no flex in the handles when using the tool, no blunt implements, nothing is loose. And it is quite affordable, while offering many features. It also holds arguably the best scissors of any multi-tool that also has full-size pliers.


Pros
-Greatest scissors in a multi-tool that also has pliers.
-Handle edges are folded and rounded off when using pliers and scissors.
-Inboard pocketclip.

Cons
-No information on materials used.
-Blade thumb hole is too narrow and smooth-edged to open one-handed.
-Saw has too few teeth for its already short length.

[Lynn LeFey]

Thanks for this review. It looks pretty excellent. 

Could I ask what you paid for it?

Also, weird request, but if you have a piece of 550 paracord, could you test the scissors on that? Will it cut the cord with one clean snip? And, if you have some old pants laying around, if you could see if they will cut through the seam portion in one snip as well? I know, it's a bit to ask, but these are two of the tougher cutting tasks I test scissors on. I have no doubt that they'd cut through corrugated cardboard and fairly heavy plastic just by looking at the size.

[ReamerPunch]

Off course, this multi-tool is a take on the Z design, which we first saw with the OUTU Multi-tool.
How much has it been changed, then?

First of all, it is bigger. It is longer, wider, and thicker than the OUTU. And heavier.
OUTU is 10.3, Flagship is 10.8 cm.
OUTU: 176g or 6.21oz
Flagship: 215g or 7.58oz




The pocketclip is larger, and was moved to the other handle, to make room for the cm scale.


The pliers are different, and are 0.5mm thicker on the Flagship. They also open a bit wider, and have a hard wire-cutter notch. Smaller pivot though.




The insides of the handles are all widened and rounded-off on the Flagship.




The Phillips is better formed, wider, and the piece itself larger on the Flagship. In combination with the wider, stronger handle, this does not feel as weak as the OUTU Phillips.



The blade thumb hole moved, but it is not one-handed as it is. The shape also changed, but the cutting edge is the same. Even in the OUTU, there is room to make the blade longer. Oh well.


The file was replaced by a woodsaw. A welcome change. The file was not that good.


The flathead handle is wider, and the nailnick changed location, now incorporated in the flathead tip.
The flathead is much better formed.




The scissors remained the same, except that on the OUTU they closed past each other, ripping paper with the tips, whereas the Flagship's scissors close perfectly.




So, is it worth it, compared to the OUTU?
Well, it depends. The OUTU goes for $10-12, the Flagship for about $30.
So you can get two OUTUs for the price of one Flagship, with change.
There are many improvements on the design, though. The drivers are better, the saw is much better than that silly file, the handles became wider and more comfortable, the pliers are thicker.
If the blade thumb hole had been done properly, and you were able to open it one-handed, then I'd say it is worth it. Sadly, I'd rather get an OUTU and not care whether I lose or break it.
The Flagship is nice enough, and it is nice to see the design taken down this route, larger, wider, rounder, and with a saw. Still, some screws are not crisp, the drivers have casting marks, and it is considerably heavier than the OUTU. I am excited to see more done with the Z design. If you like the OUTU design, but want better drivers, more comfortable handles, and a saw, then the price goes up. That's how it is.

[ReamerPunch]

Thanks for this review. It looks pretty excellent. 

Could I ask what you paid for it?

Also, weird request, but if you have a piece of 550 paracord, could you test the scissors on that? Will it cut the cord with one clean snip? And, if you have some old pants laying around, if you could see if they will cut through the seam portion in one snip as well? I know, it's a bit to ask, but these are two of the tougher cutting tasks I test scissors on. I have no doubt that they'd cut through corrugated cardboard and fairly heavy plastic just by looking at the size.

$31 on Amazon

Flagship and OUTU performed identically.
550 was one snip.
I only have denim, it took one cut for one layer, easy. For the seam, it took three cuts to go past it and reach the one layer.
Denim seam took just one with regular scissors, one with Bessey shears, three with Hercules.

[WoodsDuck]

I am really surprised they changed it so much, even down to the dimensions! Thanks for doing the review, RP. Very nice job 

[BePrepared]

Thanks for the review.   

I notice the NexTool does not have a corkscrew or can opener! Good!

Large scissors and pliers, blade, and screwdrivers --- I wonder how it compares with a LM Juice?

[ReamerPunch]

I am really surprised they changed it so much, even down to the dimensions! Thanks for doing the review, RP. Very nice job 

I guess I had seen its dimensions somewhere, but did not think about the size much. It certainly surprised me to see just how big this thing is. 

[ReamerPunch]

Thanks for the review.   

I notice the NexTool does not have a corkscrew or can opener! Good!

Large scissors and pliers, blade, and screwdrivers --- I wonder how it compares with a LM Juice?

Thanks! 
yup, no openers. Which I like.

It's a weird comparison. The Juice S2 has the same tools (more flatheads though), but are smaller than the Flagship's tools. The thing is that the S2 is tiny, and lighter than this thing.
S2 is 123g. Flagship is 215g.
S2 is 3.25" long, Flagship is 4.25".
Quite a difference.

[ThePeacent]

thanks for the review! 
I enjoyed the OUTU while I had it, and this one seems to address many of the issues that the previous one had.

A good design that would be killer if made by Leatherman or another of the big companies.   
Enjoy yours!!! 

[Lynn LeFey]

Thanks for those additional scissor tests. These sound like excellent scissors. 

[geefreck .]

Excellent information and review.

As an owner of the OUTU I'm really interested in this model. It's everything I like about the OUTU but refined and enhanced. I'm not as much of a fan of the even newer KT5020; it started adding in all the typical misc extras you find on other tools (can opener, bottle opener, etc), which I don't care for and actually appreciate the absence of on the OUTU and KT5020.

Can anyone possibly help me find a KT5020 in this thread? In the states? Amazon has said currently unavailable all year (2019). I can only seem to find a few vendors in Europe - so far. I've tried contacting a few; none so far have responded to me yet.

I'm pretty devoted to finding one now. If anyone can help me do it, I'd be very grateful, and you're awesome.

[ReamerPunch]

NexTool KT5024




 
Same size as the Outu, much better quality.
Oho blade (slipjoint)
Woodsaw (liner-lock)
Needle nose pliers
Monster scissors
Removable ferro rod
Phillips
Flathead with bottle opener
Pocket-clip
Sheath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp-_wKS7U54

[ReamerPunch]

NexTool Flagship Pro

[mikekoz]

   I have the latest Nextool Flagship model and really like it except the Philips driver. It is on the end of the line cutter and looks like it would twist and bend if any force was put on it.  Nextool must change this model quite a bit. There are about four versions of the tool pictured in this review thread! 

[ReamerPunch]

Too bad about the Phillips indeed. The original Flagship has a very robust Phillips.

Three NexTool multi-tools so far. I do not know if the original Outu design is from NexTool or not, but it is great. Even the cheap one is not bad. And NexTool is taking the design to new directions, which is wonderful. 

[geefreck .]

Interesting news. Thanks for the update.
Nextorch / Nextool keeps changing things up. I love the z-design, but I'm more of a fan of the simpler NXKT5012 flagship. I get that they're moving to the more traditional fold-out tools with the screwdrivers (that's how everyone else does it). Me though,I really appreciated having the flathead and phillips integrated into the end of the handles.

I have the original Outu. I like it and use it all the time. The handle-integrated screwdrivers are incredibly easy to access and use strait away. No pivot to accidentally fold while using. Long reach, one less point of failure.

Unfortunately last week the blade broke on me. Damn. I was using the blade for cutting through several wide sheets of cardboard at work, and with all the pressure the blade eventually just snapped off. No joke. What the hell. Well, I had it for a couple years; and it was cheap after all.

ReamerPunch - your post here is the only reason I even became aware of the NXTK5012 you reviewed originally. God I really want one. It's no longer available on amazon. The only companies who say they have it are in europe. I haven't been able to contact them (yet), although I've sent some messages their way. Nextorch / nextool are based in china, I've tried contacting them, no luck (so far).

Do you have happen to have any idea where I can get one? It's a personal quest now, lol.
I guess I'm in love with the nxtk5012 

[ReamerPunch]

Sorry, no idea. It looks like they discontinued it, which would be a shame.
Perhaps you could arrange something with a forum member who lives in Europe.

[geefreck .]

It's cool, thanks for the reply.
If I manage to figure out a way, I'll post it here.
Appreciate the reviews.