Help me pick multi-tool or knife for graduation gift for my son.

rev98 said:
Soon to be 18. Going to college in Texas.
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Texas! According to HB 1862 (2017) which applies statewide, he can pocket carry any knife with a blade less than 5.5 inches anywhere. Knives worn on the belt and knives with blades 5.5 inches or longer may not be carried in schools, school buses, bars and liquor stores, government courts and court offices.

https://www.houstoncriminalattorney.us/laws/texas-knife-laws/

If he is a sensible, level-headed boy who knows how to stay out of trouble, not temperamental or quarrelsome, I would buy him an automatic knife AKA switchblade which is legal to carry now in Texas. It is not a practical choice, but nothing would have made me happier when I was 17.

When I was 17, one of my school friends talked his parents into financing a two week summer trip to Mexico, "to improve his Spanish." He had taken Spanish all through high school, joined the Spanish Club, etc. And being a street smart kid speaking fairly good New World Spanish with an amateur Mexican drawl, he had the time of his life unsupervised in Mexico. Before returning, he bought three automatic knives and carried the biggest and best back in his pocket. With money to blow and time to kill, he took the Texas Eagle from El Paso to St. Louis and rode in a railroad dome car.

800px-Missouri_Pacific_Planetarium_Dome_1961.JPG


One of passengers, an attractive young woman, was sewing something and asked "Does anyone have a knife?" After repeating her request with no response, my friend sauntered up and produced his 4" automatic stiletto. This was 1964, when people were still in recovery from West Side Story, and there was a general intake of breath all over the car, but the young woman was very glad to get that chiv because she was mending a jacket with nylon thread.

Did that make a lasting impression on me at 17? Am I telling you the tale 57 years later?

There are lots of good suggestions in the Automatic Knife / Switchblades forum.
 
rev98 said:
My oldest is graduating from high school and going to college for computer engineering. I already have a watch (gshock gwm500f) and flashlight (olight baton 3) picked out and I want to add a multi-tool or knife. Black and blue color scheme if possible (he likes this color combo)

I'm considering Swiss Army Cybertool, Leatherman skeletool, juice, squirt, or maybe just a good knife like benchmade mini 945. I have also considered a good precision screwdriver set.. Help me out everyone. What suggestions do you have?
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Do you know what kind of pocket knives or multitools he’s into?
 
rev98 said:
My oldest is graduating from high school and going to college for computer engineering...I want to add a multi-tool or knife. ...I'm considering Swiss Army Cybertool, Leatherman skeletool, juice, squirt, or maybe just a good knife like benchmade mini 945. ..What suggestions do you have?
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those aee all great choices there already.
perhaps you might consider throwning
in this too... (if but for the likes of a bit driver)
 
Sawl Goodman said:
Do you know what kind of pocket knives or multitools he’s into?
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He is not the enthusiast that I am (yet), but he appreciates knives and multitools. I got him a SAK (compact) years ago, but he hasn't used it much lately. It's hard when you go to public school and you can't carry a knife on you regularly. I let him pick out a knife from my collection a year ago for when he works on the farm with his grandfather. He picked out the Boker Mini Strike. Right now I am torn between a blue SAK (tinker or cybertool if I can find one) and a Benchmade 945 (black g10 with blue accents). I think he would enjoy the fidget factor of the axis lock. Or maybe a leatherman ps4 or skeletool.
 
Most used tools would be a small pliers, phillips and hex driver (Yeah HP, like you couldn’t be bothered to use Phillips to mount your HDD’s like ALL the other vendors). Sometimes you need something to pry a computer case open. A lot of the other tools would be application specific, like crimpers and cable strippers for making patch cords.

That Gerber Armbar looks pretty cool, as does the SAK Cyber tool.
 
rev98 said:
It looks like the cybertool blue is discontinued. I see some overpriced ones on ebay. Does anyone know where is still might be available?
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Just get a red one, and then buy some replacement scales in the color of your choice. They're very easy to find on ebay or etsy.
 
I think the Victorinox Pioneer X in blue woukd be my choice. I have two PXs and get a lot of use, especially the scissors. Knifecenter or DLT has this in blue and I think black.

this useful tool can be slipped into a pocket or carried in a slip.
 
I recommend the Leatherman Crunch and a Victorinox Rambler.
Very versatile without being threatening or bulky.

And the fidget factor of the Crunch cannot be underestimated.
Most novices are perplexed by the Crunch, but when you show them how it works there is that "AHA!" moment.
 
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