- Joined
- Jan 24, 2005
- Messages
- 2,792
I've had a Classic SD on my key chain for years.
I've also got a Rambler, mostly because folks said Ramblers were better than Classics. I totally disagree. The tools of the classic make a smooth edge on both sides when closed. Both sides of the Rambler are bumpy, especially the side with the cap lifter. The file on the Rambler faces out which means it collects pocket lint like nothing else. The classic hides the face of the file against the blade. The Rambler is noticeably thicker and heavier (which matters on a key chain).
I wanted to like the Rambler, I really did, but it's a lumpy, bumpy, dirty, and heavy little thing compared to the simple elegance of the Classic.
Also, the cap lifter is terrible. The phillips head screwdriver seems like a decent tool, but I don't seem to ever run into screws that size unless I'm at my desk where I have actual precision screwdrivers available to me.
If I want something bigger than the Classic, but still small, I'll reach past the Rambler for the Leatherman Squirt without even thinking about it.
If you prefer the Rambler, then I'm happy for you. But it's not for me. Really, I tried.
Ever since I was a kid I've had some variation of keychain SAK on me - whether they be Classics, Executives or Ramblers, I feel naked without one.
It's funny, I recently replaced my long-carried Rambler with a Classic (after finding a bottle opener that I liked well enough to permanently have on my keyring - your observation about the one on the Rambler is spot-on) and, while the difference in weight and girth is not substantial, it is noticeable.
I really couldn't say about the felt differences between the Classic and Rambler with keychain carry because I never carry mini-tools on my keychain. About 95% of the time, they go into my jeans 5th pocket, where each of those, or Micra or Squirt P4, feel pretty much the same. The knock on the Rambler bottle opener is puzzling to me. Sometimes it takes an extra bite or two, but I have used the cap lifter successfully many times, on occasion "just because" when there was a dedicated opener also available. And once in a while, the magnetized #1 (#0? ) finds a use unscrewing battery compartments and the like. My usual take on these matters is that if there is no significant tradeoff in weight and bulk, more is better than less. And don't forget the proper placement of the key ring on the Rambler as compared to the annoying one on the Classic.
But I will certainly agree to disagree :angel: .