Help- want a thin, pocket clipped, EDC knife with standard and phillips & 3.5" blade

Z

zimm

Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
16
I EDC from an assortment of Benchmade knives, the griptillian being my favorite. But I'm finding myself needed a screwdriver way too often. I've tried to buy multipurpose knives, and haven't liked a single one. So far on the failed list:

Gerber multi tool- way too big and heavy
Leatherman Juice, skeletool, H502 (too fat), C304 (better, but blade too small at 2.5")

So far the C304 is the best fit as it has the tools I need. I just wish I could get a bigger 3.5" blade like the benchmade has.

So is there a better/bigger version with a great half serrated blade, phillips, regular, and a bottle opener is a bonus?
 
There's a lot of custom SAks being made these days. Maybe some sort of modded Trekker-based knife?
 
Good luck, I've not been able to find a "one knife for all" and still be able to enjoy my love of owning and using multiple knives. I carry a Leatherman Squirt PS4 on my keychain and find the screwdrivers usable for most of my chores and there are larger screwdrivers and tools at home, in the vehicles, etc if needed. So I have my tools with me regardless of which main blade I choose. Also like the combination of Leatherman Style PS and Victorinox Alox Soldier which gives a good back up blade and sturdier screwdrivers.
 
I dont know of any higher end knives with screw drivers, but at a budget level the kershaw select fire has 4 drivers and a pocket clip. They sell for under 15 bucks and are actually better than I expected them to be for the price.

472585721_975.jpg
 
Syph007 said:
I dont know of any higher end knives with screw drivers, but at a budget level the kershaw select fire has 4 drivers and a pocket clip. They sell for under 15 bucks and are actually better than I expected them to be for the price.

472585721_975.jpg
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Wow,that thing is just cool.The China Kershaws i've handled have all been great quality.
 
I picked up a lightly used Select Fire a couple weeks ago for around $10. They are pretty handy, although not as solid as a real screwdriver. You can feel the handle flex just a bit if you twist hard enough on a stuck screw. Hasn't caused any issues, but I imagine that's where it would break after lots of use.

Still, it's a $13-15 quality knife - the fact that it even has functioning bits and a driver at that price is pretty sweet ;)
 
Is the Leatherman Skeletool sufficient for your needs? It has the pocket clip, small blade, and two dual-ended bits.

DSC_6623b.jpg
 
zimm said:
I EDC from an assortment of Benchmade knives, the griptillian being my favorite. But I'm finding myself needed a screwdriver way too often. I've tried to buy multipurpose knives, and haven't liked a single one. So far on the failed list:

Gerber multi tool- way too big and heavy
Leatherman Juice, skeletool, H502 (too fat), C304 (better, but blade too small at 2.5")

So far the C304 is the best fit as it has the tools I need. I just wish I could get a bigger 3.5" blade like the benchmade has.

So is there a better/bigger version with a great half serrated blade, phillips, regular, and a bottle opener is a bonus?
Click to expand...

I solved this problem by carrying a SAK along with my one hand knife for a number of years. Lately I carry a Leatherman Wingman along with a real knife.
 
Well I just lost the C304 after carrying it for a month. The little clip didn't hold it in my pocket like my benchmades do. I'm willing to sacrifice and just get a nice blade with a phillips blade too. I can pop bottles with the base of the blade... Anything out there?
 
There is also the Leatherman Expanse series and the c55 series with a large blade and bit driver.
I own the E33t, C33tx, and a C55b. They are great edc tools. I like the larger blade on the C55, but I prefer the integrated tools on the smaller models rather than the bit driver on the larger one.

They say they are retired on leatherman's website, but a few online retailers still have them. (I dont know the forum rules on posting retailer links - but if its allowed I can edit this post, otherwise feel free to PM me).
 
Thanks for the input. I'm avoiding bits- too many parts to loose. I like the fixed phillips on the smaller leatherman. It's just really nice to be able to tighten up a screw without having to go find a screwdriver. So far it's fixed a hotel shower head that was pointing straight down, and loose door knob on a shed that was too far from a screwdriver, and even the quick-turn fasteners on a military helicopter tail gear box cover (shhhhh.... don't tell anyone that- they don't like pilots "working on" the aircraft- supposed to get a maintainer to "fix it" which requires 30 mins of proceedures to check out a screwdriver, tighten the fastener, etc, etc). So they are really useful...
 
The crkt picatinny ctc multi tool seems nice, but weighs 4.7 oz. so it might be bulky.
 
The C33TX showed up yesterday. I really like it. Same size as my mini griptilian blade. Feels much thinner than the old version. The pocket clip is much larger and holds on better. Screwdrivers are easier to pull out.
 
zimm said:
The C33TX showed up yesterday. I really like it. Same size as my mini griptilian blade. Feels much thinner than the old version. The pocket clip is much larger and holds on better. Screwdrivers are easier to pull out.
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This very item (actually, the PE version) has been my pocket companion lately and I like it a lot. It handles well enough as a dedicated knife and the screwdrivers are the real deal, designed to stay put even without locking. Another feature; the Ph driver accepts Leatherman's accessory removable bit holder, providing extra utility that came in handy for me only yesterday when I needed to torque down some T10 screw heads.
In general, I'm not fond of pocket clips and have found very few I would trust to not lose my knife, the c33T's not among them. Instead, I prefer to carry it clipped with the carabiner to a split ring hanging from my belt into my RF jeans pocket against the back seam, where it disappears until needed.
Just BTW, the flipper is serious fun.
 
35studio said:
There is also the Leatherman Expanse series and the c55 series with a large blade and bit driver.
I own the E33t, C33tx, and a C55b. They are great edc tools. I like the larger blade on the C55, but I prefer the integrated tools on the smaller models rather than the bit driver on the larger one.

They say they are retired on leatherman's website, but a few online retailers still have them. (I dont know the forum rules on posting retailer links - but if its allowed I can edit this post, otherwise feel free to PM me).
Click to expand...
I own an Expanse series myself. It was my only EDC fora recent move and the phillips and flathead served me me well. So did the carbiner bottle opener:)
 
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