Multi-tool or knife for electrician

dewingrm

dewingrm

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My nephew recently graduated high school. He’s apprenticing for an electrician. Any suggestions for a multi-tool or knife for an electrician?
 
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With (locking) flat screwdriver/wire stripping blade:
TL-29
"Radio Jack"

Non-Locking(?) blades: SAK "Electrician" (or other SAK of choice. The Hercules might be an option, since it had useable pliers, scissors, two phillups screwdrivers, large and small flat blade screwdrivers, and a sharp, easy to resharpen blade. A clip added to the split ring lets it be hung from a belt loop. A lanyard**** can also be added to ensure it isn't lost or left behind on a job.)
View attachment 2239041
****"Lanyard": Long chain, strap, or small diameter cable, 32 to 34 inch over-all length with swivels attached to the tool and anchored to a belt loop (or split ring on a belt loop). 32 to 34 inch is sufficient so the knife does not have to be removed from the lanyard when using it.
A retractable belt key ring can be used for a lanyard.
If using a chain, cable, or strap, the loop formed when the knife is clipped to the belt can be stuffed in a pocket to ensure it does not catch on something.
Here is a picture af a 34 inch over-all chain lanyard I made. Chain is "40 pound capacity" hanging plant/blackboard chain. Swivels are 150 pound saltwater fishing swivels. Both off the bigriver site for under $8 total, if my memory is functioning, for enough chain and swivels to make four lanyards.
View attachment 2239047

W/O screwdriver:
Barlow (2 blade, the Pen blade works well to strip wire)

Multitool ... Pliers based Leatherman of choice with replacable wire cutter blades?
I have a Charge+ TTI, (The Charge+ would also work, has a S30V blade, and G-10(?) handle covers. Costs considerably less than the TTI which has a CPM 154 blade and Ti handle covers. Both have replaceable wire cutter blades. I am not sure if the standard Charge has that feature.)
View attachment 2239074
(Shown with lanyard attached, and (incomplete) "Bit Set Numer 1" and (complete) "Bit Set Number 2". The bit sets fit in a pocket inside the sheath/holster. I think they come with the bit set Number 1. Igot mine used. I bought the bit set Numer 2 when it became available on Leatherman's site. I plan on getting a replacement (complete) Bit Set Number 1 when they are back in stock seperately. I am not sure which 4 + the eye glasses screwdriver I am missing.)

Standard 1/4 inch drive bits are not usable unless you have the LM Extention or LM Ratcheting Extension. I bought a inexpensive 1/4 drive ratchet, and carry it in one of the sheath/holster side pockets.
 
Tools for the job are pretty personal. I do a lot of fine DC work, so my wire strippers are the main blade of my LM Surge, and my flush cutters. That being said, a lot of the other guys who have to work with heavier cable like a good replaceable blade knife since half of their day is jacketing heavier cable, or breaking boxes. Also, depending on where he is, some of the tools need to be specific high-voltage tools which are pretty expensive, or he may need to factor in company policies for the next few years. So I'd ask what tools he thinks need an upgrade. A good pair of knipex cutters make a difference, but they are pretty expensive for an apprentice. Find out what kind of work he's currently doing, and then see what knife or tool fits in that method. It might not be glamorous, but if you need to have a certain specific tool, the good version is probably pretty pricey.

Or go full "hobby" mode since apprentices lose a lot of tools, and get his something for his time off, and then save the good gift for when he gets his stamps.
 
Rich S said:
But Radio Shack has been out of business for many years. Is that model still made (under another name maybe)?
Click to expand...
There are 8 for sale on the bay right now, but it looks like the price has gone up.
 
I worked in a production wire shop/R&D lab for about six years (For a large American company that builds commercial kitchen equipment). Our favorite (only) personal tools were Kershaw Leeks. They were great for scoring wires if we had nothing else. For the bulk of production we used hand-held cutters, strippers, and crimpers. Most of those tools are pretty specialized. Typically made in Germany. We probably had fifty hand-held tools that cost around $1000/ea no matter how we sliced it. Some of our favorites were out-of production eBay scores.

I also serviced arcade games at cinemas for a few years. Carried a Leatherman Wave but almost never used it. The tools that work best are the ones that are made for a specific task. There’s no magic to it, and you could use a Leatherman, but I never found it ideal. It was better to come prepared.

All that to say, if I was going to go back to it, I’d just slip the same Kershaw Leek back in my pocket. But a Leatherman is probably better if you can’t carry a tool bag with you. Some of those “do it all” tools can ruin a thing when you need it most, and fast, in my experience.
 
When I was an electrical technician, the one I used most was the Victorinox Super Tinker:

  • Small blade for cutting cable jackets
  • Wire stripper notch in the bottle opener/screwdriver VERY occasionally for stripping smaller wires
  • Large screwdriver was just the right size for most flat head screws I encountered
  • Large blade as a back-up, as I dulled the small one pretty quickly sometimes. (otherwise, I tried to keep it back as the "clean blade" for cutting fruit)
  • Reamer was used more than I would have guessed as a general purpose light duty poky/pry tool
  • Scissors for cutting electrical tape without having to stretch the hell out of it first
Here she is, in all her glory:
SAK_1_4703__S1.jpg



When I found how quickly I was blunting that poor small blade, ↑ I also started carrying a Spyderco Walker, which was a small liner lock knife. Unclip it from the pocket, deploy with one hand, cut a ring around the insulation and a slit down its length, close it one-handed and back in the pocket. Very handy, and then the Vic's blades were back-ups.

Unlike a pliers-based MT, it rode along in the pocket forgotten.

Victorinox makes an Electrician model on the old alox Soldier platform, with the can opener replaced by a special electrican's blade. It was a short sheepsfoot, with a sharpened serration at its base to help strip wire. The blade stock is thicker than that of the officer's models. (with plastic handles) and so is the bottle opener/screwdriver. The inline awl is treasured by a lot of folks here:
SAK_0_8120_26__S1.jpg


The Spirit X has one multi-purpose tool with several different sharpened edges: A chisel at the tip, a V-shaped and U-shaped notch on the side. Very useful for stripping varying sizes of wire and cable. It's the one at 9:00 in this pic:
SA53814.jpg


All tools (except the pliers) are accessible from the outside and all lock.

Gerber Center Drive would also be a good choice. It has that center axis screwdriver that takes standard 1/4" hex bits and is handy. The blade is outside accessible and can be opened with one hand. (so the second knife isn't needed) It's liner-locked, so it can be closed one-handed too. The pliers can be deployed one handed and are spring-loaded, which is very handy. The bottle opener has an angled, forked tip, for pulling up nails by the heads. Serrated blade is inside, so you don't need to abuse the plain-edged one on tough things. File is always handy. (coarse on one side, fine on the other.) Wire cutters are carbide and three-sided, so you get some good life out of them. The awl is very sharp and seems useful for starting the pilot holes or just as a general pokey thing to keep you from abusing the knife tip for that purpose. Made in the USA, too!
resource_gerberamericas_30-001193.jpg

Comes with a nice quality belt pouch too, that can be carried horizontally or vertically.
 
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