A month with multitools

StuntDouble said:
So, the month long experiment is over, but the multiool and SAK's haven't left my belt or pockets. I actually carried a dedicated folder on the 1st of Feb, but always ended up going with the Leatherman when a cutting chore came up.
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I've shelved my modern, one hand open knives as well. Somewhere around Christmas I put an SAK in my pocket, a fixed blade, a Leatherman Wave and another SAK in my work bag.

For work, I run into situations where a pair of pliers is handy so - Leatherman. The fixed blade is a modern rendition of the old Sharpfinger just for backup or situations or where a fixed blade would be easier to clean. Something like cutting a sandwhich because that's what's for dinner in the hotel (work travel). I also enjoy variety and can't seem to get over that hump🙄.

So far this year, the Vic Climber has handled everything. Not only that. The scissors and the small, 1.3" blade at that (don't tell J jackknife ).

The other SAK is a Recruit that rides in the elastic of the Leatherman sheath. Again, a backup.

I'll be traveling again next week and won't be taking anything with a pocket clip. It'll be the four pieces mentioned above and the MiniChamp on my keys.

Leatherman and backup/‘how did I leave the house without my knife’ Recruit:

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jackknife said:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I'd give you a standing ovation, but I don't see an icon for applause. Good for you!!

Now thats over, looking back on it all, was there ever a time that you thought, "What am I doing? " Like a kind of pull of the knife nut obsession back to a dedicated folder?

And looking forward from this day, what is your feeling about carrying a dedicated 'knife' from now on?

I realize that talk of ditching a knife on a forum for and by knife nuts, is SAKrilegious, but there it is. :)
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You know, I never really felt that draw back to a dedicated folder. When I would get home I would pull them out from time to time and mess with them, but they'd go right back in the drawer once I got my fix. Then the SAK would go in my pocket for the rest of the day.

I can still see myself carrying a dedicated knife from time to time, and there are certainly occasions where I'd likely want to carry something other than an SAK or multitool, like when I'm kayaking for example. But, I don't really find it necessary to carry a dedicated folder as part of my EDC anymore. And, after the last couple of knives I picked up, I don't really feel the need to add anything else to the accumulation. I've got maybe 9 or 10 knives total now that I plan to keep, and I think that's more than enough to last me.

About the only thing I'm still trying to figure out is which SAK has the perfect toolset for me, and I'm pretty sure I'm closing in on that one now.
 
StuntDouble said:
You know, I never really felt that draw back to a dedicated folder. When I would get home I would pull them out from time to time and mess with them, but they'd go right back in the drawer once I got my fix. Then the SAK would go in my pocket for the rest of the day.

I can still see myself carrying a dedicated knife from time to time, and there are certainly occasions where I'd likely want to carry something other than an SAK or multitool, like when I'm kayaking for example. But, I don't really find it necessary to carry a dedicated folder as part of my EDC anymore. And, after the last couple of knives I picked up, I don't really feel the need to add anything else to the accumulation. I've got maybe 9 or 10 knives total now that I plan to keep, and I think that's more than enough to last me.

About the only thing I'm still trying to figure out is which SAK has the perfect toolset for me, and I'm pretty sure I'm closing in on that one now.
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It sounds like your journey is almost a mirror image of mine some years ago. The dedicated knife faded away, fondled now and then, then put back in the sock drawer. Eventually I did enough give aways with friends/family, and on the forums that I cut down what I actually owned. I figured if I was only taking them out to handle, then I didn't really need them. So I ended up with SAK's, a Leatherman squirt, and just a few dedicated pocket knives like my little Christy knife and a Victorinox florist knife.

For camping and canoeing and hiking, I do have one fixed blade. My old Buck 102 woodsman is my go-to for when I think I may encounter something my SAK of the day will be unable to deal with. My usual carry is the squirt and bantam. If the Bantam or cadet is too small, then its time for a fixed blade. So, my SAK/multitool of the day is never replaced, but augmented by a fixed blade. Like said, easier to clean, no nooks and crannies to harbor gunk, and no lock to fail. I've always felt that if I want a knife that will not fold on me, I'll use one that won't fold at all.

I'll never ever forget that tropical rain forest trip that Karen and I took in Costa Rica curtesy of our son John, who was in San Jose for business for 6months and arranged for our visit. For almost a week, we hiked and nature watched by day, and by night stayed in a campsite at a different location set up by our guides. All the guides carried a small Machete in a nice leather sheath with a 6 inch file to sharpen. They did most the work with those machetes, to include fixing dinner. Apparently a 10 inch small machete slices and dices veggies, and slices a pork roast as well as any kitchen knife. But on their belt, was a nylon or leather pouch, and in that pouch was a SAK and a Bic lighter. Different models SAK, a few tinkers, a few recruits, but all well used for the small jobs around camp. I watched one guide fix a camp stove with the screw driver tool of a SAK. Even after the trip was over, and we were staying with John at his apartment in San Jose, going around sight seeing, I saw a huge number of belt pouch mounted SAK's on peoples hips. It seems like in Costa Rica, near everyone carried some sort of SAK.

I came away from that trip with a whole different mindset. If SAK's and small machetes is good enough for professional jungle guides, then its good enough for me. I did away with all my mid size folders and went with just the SAK and fixed blade. And theres a small machete in the car trunk.
 
So, it's been a month since my self imposed challenge was finished, and other than one or two days, I've still just been carrying an SAK or my Leatherman multitool. I did pick up another SAK, a Stayglow Climber, because A) I like things that glow in the dark, and B) it has the excellent 91mm scissors. I also picked up a Leatherman Crater, but only because it was cheap, and it still has a couple of screwdrivers on it. So, I guess it technically falls into the "tool" category. Both of those together still cost less than what I would spend on a dedicated folder.

I've actually sold off most of my user knives, and I'm currently down to 5 dedicated folders that don't really see all that much use anymore. Really, the urge to buy something just to have it is all but gone. Now I have to see an actual need for it before I decide to spend the money.
 
StuntDouble said:
So, it's been a month since my self imposed challenge was finished, and other than one or two days, I've still just been carrying an SAK or my Leatherman multitool. I did pick up another SAK, a Stayglow Climber, because A) I like things that glow in the dark, and B) it has the excellent 91mm scissors. I also picked up a Leatherman Crater, but only because it was cheap, and it still has a couple of screwdrivers on it. So, I guess it technically falls into the "tool" category. Both of those together still cost less than what I would spend on a dedicated folder.

I've actually sold off most of my user knives, and I'm currently down to 5 dedicated folders that don't really see all that much use anymore. Really, the urge to buy something just to have it is all but gone. Now I have to see an actual need for it before I decide to spend the money.
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"You've take a step into a larger universe, Luke!"

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 
StuntDouble said:
I never woulda pegged you for a Star Wars fan!

And you're not wrong! I'm at the point now, where if it just has a blade, I'm not interested anymore.
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Lay the blame on our son, John. He was a real fan, and when I lectured him on something, he took to saying "Okay Obi-wan, I got it. Smart a$$ kid. But we love him!
 
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These are what I've been carrying lately. I know a couple of them aren't technically multitools, but they're knives with other implements and they're tools. So, I'm gonna count them.

The Leatherman Free P2 is on my hip ever day. That may change once I switch to shorts because I generally don't use a belt, but it'll still be in my EDC bag every day.

The Boye folder has pushed pretty much all other knives from my pocket. If I had one wish, it's that the pocket clip was reversible. I wasn't sure if I would like the marlinspike, but it has come in very handy for poking and scraping. I'm glad I let Mr. Boye talk me into keeping it on when I placed my order.

The Leatherman Crater was a nice surprise. It's replaced the SAK in my pocket for now. Other than a knife blade, I find I use standard and Philips drivers the most, so it still contains my most used tools. It can also accept Leatherman's bit adapter, so if I ever decide to pick one up, I'll just increase its utility.
 
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StuntDouble said:
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These are what I've been carrying lately. I know a couple of them aren't technically multitools, but they're knives with other implements and they're tools. So, I'm gonna count them.

The Leatherman Free P2 is on my hip ever day. That may change once I switch to shorts because I generally don't use a belt, but it'll still be in my EDC bag every day.

The Boye folder has pushed pretty much all other knives from my pocket. If I had one wish, it's that the pocket clip was reversible. I wasn't sure if I would like the marlinspike, but it has come in very handy for poking and scraping. I'm glad I let Mr. Boye talk me into keeping it on when I placed my order.

The Leatherman Crater was a nice surprise. It's replaced the SAK in my pocket for now. Other than a knife blade, I find I use standard and Philips drivers the most, so it still contains my most used tools. It can also accept Leatherman's bit adapter, so if I ever decide to pick one up, I'll just increase its utility.
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Well, thanks to you bud, I haven't carried either my trusty Opinel number 8, or my beloved Christy knife for quite a while now. I've been inspired enough by your 'experiment' that my daily carry now consists of my well aged squirt and either a Vic alox bantam, or the cadet. A little redundant on tools, but the SAK gives me a knife blade capable of cutting a sandwich in half. The alox SAK's don't take up any room at all in the pocket and weight almost nothing.

The Leatherman Crater is interesting. It seems like most the time I reach for something, its a knife to open a package. But, theres the need for a Phillips very very often, since the whole world in now held together with small to medium Phillps screws. But...the Vic combo tool makes a good Pillips driver when the inner corner or the combo tool is used. So, I may be able to resist any new purchases for now. Maybe.

So far, I'm not missing the dedicated knife as much as I thought an old knife nut like myself would.
 
jackknife said:
Well, thanks to you bud, I haven't carried either my trusty Opinel number 8, or my beloved Christy knife for quite a while now. I've been inspired enough by your 'experiment' that my daily carry now consists of my well aged squirt and either a Vic alox bantam, or the cadet. A little redundant on tools, but the SAK gives me a knife blade capable of cutting a sandwich in half. The alox SAK's don't take up any room at all in the pocket and weight almost nothing.

The Leatherman Crater is interesting. It seems like most the time I reach for something, its a knife to open a package. But, theres the need for a Phillips very very often, since the whole world in now held together with small to medium Phillps screws. But...the Vic combo tool makes a good Pillips driver when the inner corner or the combo tool is used. So, I may be able to resist any new purchases for now. Maybe.

So far, I'm not missing the dedicated knife as much as I thought an old knife nut like myself would.
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The Crater certainly isn't without its faults. It's a bit thick for its size and the number of tools it offers. I haven't weighed it, but I'm sure it's a bit heavier than an SAK of a comparable size. The ones I got had a couple of sharp spots on the handles that kinda bothered my hand, but those were easily fixed with a light sanding. Other than those minor issues, I love the Crater. If I had one wish for something I would have liked to see on it, it's a pair of scissors. There are just some times when they're handier than a knife.
I'm kicking myself for not picking a Crater up when they were still being made, because they were an amazing deal back then. They're getting harder to find now, so if you're interested in one, it might be best to move quick. I recommend checking out Leatherman's website. That's where I picked mine up for cheap. I like it so much, that I'm tempted to buy a backup.
 
Just another minor update. I say minor because not much has really changed. I still carry the Boye folder and Leatherman at work, supplemented by the Crater when I need pliers and a driver at the same time. When I get home from work, all those come out of my pocket, to be replaced by a Victorinox Climber and/or a Leatherman Squirt. And that's pretty much all I've been carrying.

Honestly, the biggest challenge for me has been resisting the urge to pick up another SAK, one with more functions for those "What if" moments, when in reality the tools I already own would likely do just fine. Do I really need an SAK with pliers when I own a pliers based multitool or have the Squirt? Probably not.

Really, it's all been part of a complete change in mindset the past few years. It used to be that self defense use was part of the consideration when I was trying to figure out what to EDC, whereas now it's the furthest thing from my mind. It's not that I don't know that bad things happen, but since I'm not already involved in criminal activities and don't really have any conflicts with those close to me, it's not something I feel I need to worried about on a daily basis. Life's a lot more relaxing when you realize that most people don't even pay attention to your existence, let alone have it out for you.
 
StuntDouble said:
Just another minor update. I say minor because not much has really changed. I still carry the Boye folder and Leatherman at work, supplemented by the Crater when I need pliers and a driver at the same time. When I get home from work, all those come out of my pocket, to be replaced by a Victorinox Climber and/or a Leatherman Squirt. And that's pretty much all I've been carrying.

Honestly, the biggest challenge for me has been resisting the urge to pick up another SAK, one with more functions for those "What if" moments, when in reality the tools I already own would likely do just fine. Do I really need an SAK with pliers when I own a pliers based multitool or have the Squirt? Probably not.

Really, it's all been part of a complete change in mindset the past few years. It used to be that self defense use was part of the consideration when I was trying to figure out what to EDC, whereas now it's the furthest thing from my mind. It's not that I don't know that bad things happen, but since I'm not already involved in criminal activities and don't really have any conflicts with those close to me, it's not something I feel I need to worried about on a daily basis. Life's a lot more relaxing when you realize that most people don't even pay attention to your existence, let alone have it out for you.
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Great post! :thumbsup:

StuntDouble, you really hot a few nails on the head in this. Especially the needs vs wants thing.

Really, if we have a SAK or two, and a multitool, do we really "need" anymore? Like think about our fathers and grandfathers who when through life with a pocket knife and some bailing wire. Or like my folks, survivors of the Great Depression and WW2. How much do we really need? We obsessed knife/multitool fan boys can drive ourselves to drink worrying about the "what if" moments that may never happen outside of an action adventure movie. Most folks going abut their everyday life, commuting to the office cubicle, or retail store, or whatever the work place may be, actually need very little in the way of tools/knives. We're not driving a wagon over the plains to 'town' for supplies, or living in a cabin in the wilderness. But...a small sharp cutting tool is sometimes needed to open a package. Or a screw driver to fix a loose screw situation. Or a bottle opener for that cold brewski.

But mindset does indeed change as we age. When I was a young stud full of vinegar, I was prepared for all kinds of "What If..." scenarios. Just short of practicing yelling "WOLVERINES!" Someplace along the way age seeped some wisdom into me by some process, maybe getting married and having kids made me finally grow up a bit. Its hard enough to think about what new knife I needed when you balance lacrosse practice with soccer league, base ball practice, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, a 'Honey do..' list, all with three kids and conflicting schedules.

Somehow, in all those years with all that was gong on, I got by with a well worn Buck stockman and a SAK. I somehow did running repairs on baseball cleats, lacrosse sticks, camping equipment for the scout troop, Interestingly, the only time I needed anything for self defense was a few occasions when I was off by myself. A solo backpacking trip, and a solo drive back from Mission Viejo California when we had a visit with our Daughter Jessica's family. Karen flies and I drive because I hate the airlines with a bottomless passion.

Now as a retired senior citizen my mindset has changed yet again. I now realize how little I truly need in my day to day life. Now, as a certified old fart, self defense has moved up in importance as I realize that we have moved up to the top of page two of the predators menu. I've cut down the size of my SAK/multitool, but added a small handgun to the EDC. That little palm size shooter solved the sticky situation at a deserted rest stop on I10 just east of Ft. Hancock, Texas just after dawn. A SAK or multitool would not have worked.

We have to be on guard against the needs vs wants. It's like a constant temptation for the obsessed knife nut, or like myself, the reformed knife nut. Its like we have to remind ourselves that what we're got, is most likely good enough for most scenarios we will run into in our daily life in 21st century suburbia. Excluding enemy paratroopers, of course.
 
Sventhelumberjack said:
View attachment 1799982View attachment 1799983
Surge and Crater in coyote tan skinth with some other stuff along for the ride. The Leatherman Surge is a large and capable multitool. I dont frequently have a need for the ratcheting bit driver, wrenches or pry tool, but they are very little extra weight and add some capabilty options. I have several multitool setups but this is a favorite. Forgot to add that I have about a 9-foot skein of small-diameter paracord tucked into the bottom of the skinth sheath to keep the top of the Surge raised up for easy access from the surrounding tools.
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jackknife said:
We have to be on guard against the needs vs wants.
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I agree, but that doesn't stop me from fulfilling my wants as well as my needs. However it is important to know the difference. T-A
 
the-accumulator said:
I agree, but that doesn't stop me from fulfilling my wants as well as my needs. However it is important to know the difference. T-A
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There's definitely room for doing both. But, it's definitely possible to let things get out of hand trying to fulfill either of them. I think just as many of us go buying crazy because of our "needs" as the people buying just because of their wants. I know I've fallen into that trap a couple times.
 
I tried this and decided that I could definitely EDC my Leatherman charge TTI+ if it wasn’t for one thing, the flimsy ass pocket clips that break too often. I don’t want to deal with that and replacing them. So it stays in its pouch in my bag and I continue to just carry a folder. If it weren’t for that one issue though I probably could carry it and never miss having a folding knife. I’d still carry an OTF auto some though.
 
Living where I do (Australia) I can carry basically whatever I want (that's legal, so no autos or balis) with a lawful excuse. That's a pretty wide category, but it has to at least make sense. Thankfully "Obvious utility" covers swiss army knives, penknives and presumably multi-tools. So I go with one of the spidy slipits or a sak on most days, but always a pliers based multi when working. That means that if I do get another knife, I need a reason. That helps with the "Wants vs. needs" internal debate, so if I'm fishing or hiking, I've got a knife for those. The other thing it does is put some things into a better perspective. Sure super-steels are cool, I can focus on the newest, or I can focus on my real use. If I'm fishing, I'm in salt water, so spending on something in H1 or Lc200n makes a whole lot of sense. If I'm going to look at "survival" knives, well, I live in the sub-topics, so that means I need to make some compromises based on what I can actually reasonably use the knife for, when many of the trees will giggle when chopped at. It really focuses away from the marketing and pushes the "how can I actually use this". I can still have the "want" side, but I know when it's the presiding factor, and don't cheat myself with thinking it's a "need".
 
gadgetgeek said:
Living where I do (Australia) I can carry basically whatever I want (that's legal, so no autos or balis) with a lawful excuse. That's a pretty wide category, but it has to at least make sense. Thankfully "Obvious utility" covers swiss army knives, penknives and presumably multi-tools. So I go with one of the spidy slipits or a sak on most days, but always a pliers based multi when working. That means that if I do get another knife, I need a reason. That helps with the "Wants vs. needs" internal debate, so if I'm fishing or hiking, I've got a knife for those. The other thing it does is put some things into a better perspective. Sure super-steels are cool, I can focus on the newest, or I can focus on my real use. If I'm fishing, I'm in salt water, so spending on something in H1 or Lc200n makes a whole lot of sense. If I'm going to look at "survival" knives, well, I live in the sub-topics, so that means I need to make some compromises based on what I can actually reasonably use the knife for, when many of the trees will giggle when chopped at. It really focuses away from the marketing and pushes the "how can I actually use this". I can still have the "want" side, but I know when it's the presiding factor, and don't cheat myself with thinking it's a "need".
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I think that's the one downside to sticking with mainly multitools where I work. I'm in a facility full of salt water tanks and even with the stainless steel construction, it's only a matter of time before I'm going to need to clean off rust of my Leatherman. I'd love to see someone come out with a multitool in something like H1 or LC200N, but man, I can't even imagine how much that would cost.
 
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