Military Personel Multitool of Choice?

Morablades · Aug 29, 2008

Question for all you military personel out there. What is your multitool of choice and why?

Wildone39 · Aug 29, 2008

I use to be in the Army and the tool we carried the most was a Leatherman of some sort. They were just the best at that time. That was from 87 to 96 for me. I know some guys who carrys SOGs now.

caine · Aug 29, 2008

LEATHERMAN all the way. The swiss seem good but I havnt used them. We get issued gerber and cant stand them. Ive seen more gerber break than any our tool.

Morablades · Aug 29, 2008

caine said:
LEATHERMAN all the way. The swiss seem good but I havnt used them. We get issued gerber and cant stand them. Ive seen more gerber break than any our tool.

What do you use your Gerbers on? Rather, your multitools in general? I'm assuming that Military Personel must put their tools under more harder use. I have only broken one tool (Leatherman), but that was out of stupidity.

I.V · Aug 30, 2008

From my experience the people who used their multitools for the heaviest work were the mechanics, most of those that had them seemed to gravitate towards SOGs Swisstools and the beefier Leathermans (Pulse, ST200, Crunch).

For us regular soldiers, the multitools of choice were usually the lighter and more comfortable to carry, I saw alot of Waves and a huge number of Leatherman Sideclips. The knife, pliers, wire cutters and can openers were probably the most used tools.

Now as for my own personal choice during my army service. I started out with a Leatherman wave which I got as a gift and has served me well but later on I switched to a Victorinox Spirit because I liked all the useful features it had, it's relatively small, easy to carry and the grip on the pliers is very comfortable. I still carry it today for work.

znapschatz · Aug 30, 2008

I.V said:
From my experience the people who used their multitools for the heaviest work were the mechanics, most of those that had them seemed to gravitate towards SOGs Swisstools and the beefier Leathermans (Pulse, ST200, Crunch).

For us regular soldiers, the multitools of choice were usually the lighter and more comfortable to carry, I saw alot of Waves and a huge number of Leatherman Sideclips. The knife, pliers, wire cutters and can openers were probably the most used tools.

Now as for my own personal choice during my army service. I started out with a Leatherman wave which I got as a gift and has served me well but later on I switched to a Victorinox Spirit because I liked all the useful features it had, it's relatively small, easy to carry and the grip on the pliers is very comfortable. I still carry it today for work.

Whew!

Reading these posts, I can feel my whiskers turning white(r)

. My multitool was an Imperial Kamp King I had got as a Boy Scout. Of course, my service was in the late 1950s/early '60s, shortly after the army had transitioned from flintlock muskets, and Tim Leatherman was still a schoolboy.

As a mechanic, I had access to all the tools needed, either at our shop or carried by an M113 APC (armored battalion) in the field. That included, in addition to tools for vehicle repair, an axe, shovels and other things necessary for outdoor living. The KK was handy for opening C-Ration cans (easier to use than a P38), popping bottle caps BT (Before Twistoffs), cutting food or other personal stuff. I never missed having a pliers based multitool, but those were simpler times.

I should have waited.

RickJ · Aug 31, 2008

The Army actually issued me a Gerber before I went to Iraq! That was before the Core! I gave that free Gerber away because well, It Sucked! and I carried a Leatherman Wave. Since the newer models have came out I went with the Core! Overall the best tool I have ever used. I would love a tool like it with scissors as well and maybe a metal cutting hacksaw blade, would be the ultimate tool. And I know about the Surge but a I don't like that wimpy screw driver bit thingy, just is not as good as the screw drivers on the Core.

RickJ

mdauben · Sep 1, 2008

RickJ said:
I gave that free Gerber away because well, It Sucked!

I'm kind of supprised at all the negative sentiment about the Gerber multi-tools. I've have one of the first ones they came out with years ago and I have never had a problem with it. Addmittedly, I'm not a mechanic so it does not see a lot of hard use, but still thats well over a decade of trouble free service. :thumbup:

I picked up the Gerber instead of the Leatherman originally becuase the Gerber had a square ended plier head, instead of the needle-nose pliers on the Leatherman models, and I always found that more useful for my purposes.

Millhouse · Sep 1, 2008

mdauben said:
I'm kind of supprised at all the negative sentiment about the Gerber multi-tools. I've have one of the first ones they came out with years ago and I have never had a problem with it.

My first proper multi tool was a non locking palm pinching Gerber needlenose. But it was great. Held up to all the abuse I gave it. In my opinion, all the negative comments about Gerber have come since they introduced their new line of tools which are made in the far east. I like a lot of Gerber's designs and innovation, but I wish they would bring production back to the US and use higher quality materials.

znapschatz · Sep 1, 2008

RickJ said:
The Army actually issued me a Gerber before I went to Iraq! That was before the Core! I gave that free Gerber away because well, It Sucked! and I carried a Leatherman Wave.
RickJ

Every time the topic of army issue Gerbers comes up, I am reminded of what one of the first astronauts said when asked what went through his mind as he sat in his rocket waiting for liftoff. He was thinking about how every component in the contraption was supplied by the lowest bidder.

Morablades · Sep 1, 2008

My older Gerbers work great. I recently picked one up on a trade and used it today. It's the new ones that I've tried that aren't up to par. Granted, the tools don't have as much reach as the Leathermans, but I haven't had a negative happenings from my older gerber tools.

stockman242 · Sep 1, 2008

znapschatz said:
Whew!

Reading these posts, I can feel my whiskers turning white(r) . My multitool was an Imperial Kamp King I had got as a Boy Scout. Of course, my service was in the late 1950s/early '60s, shortly after the army had transitioned from flintlock muskets, and Tim Leatherman was still a schoolboy.

As a mechanic, I had access to all the tools needed, either at our shop or carried by an M113 APC (armored battalion) in the field. That included, in addition to tools for vehicle repair, an axe, shovels and other things necessary for outdoor living. The KK was handy for opening C-Ration cans (easier to use than a P38), popping bottle caps BT (Before Twistoffs), cutting food or other personal stuff. I never missed having a pliers based multitool, but those were simpler times.

I should have waited.

How about the good 'ol cs 34 pouch with some TL-13A snips and the trusty TL-29? Ever seen them around??

Now that is my multitool of choice( I do have a couple of LM's though, a Core and a kick)

Peter

SPHayes · Sep 1, 2008

I carry a the Sog Power lock in Garison and a Gerber Suspension in the field. I much prefer the SOG, but can afford to loose the Gerber.
Patrick

znapschatz · Sep 2, 2008

stockman242 said:
How about the good 'ol cs 34 pouch with some TL-13A snips and the trusty TL-29? Ever seen them around??

Now that is my multitool of choice( I do have a couple of LM's though, a Core and a kick)

Peter

Nope, never came across those. Weren't they electrician kits? I worked on wheeled and track vehicles, just using regular automotive shop tools.

A few years ago I was watching a Veterans Day parade, which included some active duty contingents and their equipment. With the exception of the 2 1/2 ton truck, there was not an item of vehicle, weapon and gear I had trained with or serviced. Some of the machinery that rolled by, I couldn't even guess what they were supposed to do.

I like the Core, too. :thumbup:

stockman242 · Sep 2, 2008

znapschatz said:
Nope, never came across those. Weren't they electrician kits? I worked on wheeled and track vehicles, just using regular automotive shop tools.
[..]
I like the Core, too. :thumbup:

Yeah it was signal corps equipment, but I heard that some people carried 'em anyway(you can always use a knife and some pliers - especially a knife

)

A little of topic, but its a multipurpose knife: Since you were a mechanic, you might be able to assure me, that the Motor Vehicle Mechanics Tool Set included the TL-29 electricians knife? I'm trying to build a similar tool kit.

Peter

znapschatz · Sep 2, 2008

stockman242 said:
A little off topic, but its a multipurpose knife: Since you were a mechanic, you might be able to assure me, that the Motor Vehicle Mechanics Tool Set included the TL-29 electricians knife? I'm trying to build a similar tool kit.

Peter

Regrets, it has been too long ago, I can't remember that detail

. At the time, I had no particular interest in knives, as such, and can't recall using them much in my work. Like most people, I had no regard for tools so long as they did the job and didn't break. It has only been in the last dozen years, or so, that I really paid attention to such things. I do, however, clearly recall how to replace a fuel filter on an M113 gasoline engine, even though they were only in use one year before being replaced by diesels. Funny how the elderly mind works.

JNieporte · Sep 10, 2008

Leatherman Wave, hands down.

mnblade · Sep 10, 2008

I'm curious about if any active duty guys forgo a multi tool all together and opt instead for just a SAK.

Rustolium · Sep 12, 2008

I prefer Gerber over Leatherman. I think they are a more quality tool. Excellent customer service too.

sixgunner455 · Sep 12, 2008

I carried my issued Gerber Multiplier. Always satisfied with it. Sits in my desk at work as my office toolbox, while I carry an SAK. I also carried a Vic Tinker. Overseas, sometimes I carried both, but if I just had one, especially stateside, it was the Tinker.