Nessmukish Influences

[Mistwalker]

A few weeks ago I did a couple of slideshow lectures for an event with some local over-landers. One was on identification of the poisonous snakes commonly found in the hills here, but another was on alternative mechanics. It was during that lecture, while I was discussing the team(s) of tools I like to carry on road and off, that I realized how much Mr. Sears' philosophies had influenced my thinking in more ways than just woodsmanship. So I found my self inspired to write a few articles based on those influences, and one of them is published here on Andy's Fiddleback Forge website
https://fiddlebackforge.com/blogs/articles/nessmuk-ish-in-a-modern-world

I have noticed that I almost always create complementary teams of tools, whether going woodland or urban, and often the core teams are trios of tools such as the knife, multi-tool, flashlight I edc essentially everywhere I can,

But I also have other items in my teams of tools stashed in my packs and my satchel, that are accessories for other tools like the a power cord and portable battery pack I use to charge my phone (which has become one of my most used tools in the city) on the go, and a USB charger for the rechargeable batteries I use.

Sometimes I switch out tooling for tools with more intent when work in certain areas of the city...

But most of the time the tools get used for more mundane or lighthearted uses like this past New Years when I tied my multi-tool to a stick to harvest some mistletoe.

I've seen some pretty interesting and innovative new tools on the market the last couple of years. But funding a divorce that started two years ago, single-fatherhood with a badly damaged leg, and badly needing to upgrade outdated electronics has kept most of them out of my price range. So I'm curious what you guys are carrying these days and how they are working for you in your teams of tools?

 

[Mistwalker]

Anyone carrying anything new to them these days? Anyone carrying a Leatherman Crunch that has any good feedback on it? I have been looking at them online but can't find one in a local store to check out. I think it would be great for alternative mechanics in the field under deteriorated circumstances especially, but I'd like to see and hear more about it from people who have actually put one to use a while.

 

[kvaughn]

Leatherman Wave is my go to multi tool.--KV

 

[Mistwalker]

Leatherman Wave is my go to multi tool.--KV

Mine too. I had an original Leatherman when they first came out years ago, and I like the Wave much better. The Supertool 300 I have is to me too bulky and heavy for edc with the work I do these days, plus I don't care for the blade deployment, and it lives in my truck for mechanical needs on the road so I don't dirty up the Wave. I am thinking about replacing, or perhaps maybe paring it, with the crunch if I can get more feedback on the locking mechanism and locking capability from some other users before I order it online.

 

[Anrkst6973]

Super Tool is mine. Weighs a ton but built like a tank. Had the Wave for something like a decade so I'd go there but the price tag has went up a bit since I got the first one.

 

[TrainedBullets]

I typically go pretty light in the summer, largely because it’s harder for me to conceal anything in shorts and a T shirt. It doesn’t help that I have to carry reading glasses.

The two new things I’ve picked up recently are an SAK Alox Cadet and a Nitecore NTP 10 titanium glass breaker pen. Both ride in my front pocket wallet.

The Cadet is my minimalist knife and lender knife. It fits that niche nicely, with the bonus of being super light and thin.

The Nitecore pen is OK for occasional use as a writing instrument, but I wouldn’t want to use it for an essay exam. It is super light and has a nice long clip so it’s easy to carry. It’s pretty short, which also makes it nice to carry, but I suspect it makes breaking glass in an emergency a bit precarious.

In the cooler seasons I’ll also add a Leatherman mini tool (PS4 or PS Style) and a copper Promethius QR 2. I like both of those a lot.

 

[Mistwalker]

Super Tool is mine. Weighs a ton but built like a tank. Had the Wave for something like a decade so I'd go there but the price tag has went up a bit since I got the first one.

I carried the Supertool for a few years, since about 2014 I think. Lol, it's so heavy it tore its own sheath apart and I had to find an aftermarket sheath for it. I got lucky on the Wave I have. I was perusing a local pawn shop looking for some props for an article I wrote last year and stumbled across it for $25 and couldn't pass it up.

I typically go pretty light in the summer, largely because it’s harder for me to conceal anything in shorts and a T shirt. It doesn’t help that I have to carry reading glasses.

The two new things I’ve picked up recently are an SAK Alox Cadet and a Nitecore NTP 10 titanium glass breaker pen. Both ride in my front pocket wallet.

The Cadet is my minimalist knife and lender knife. It fits that niche nicely, with the bonus of being super light and thin.

The Nitecore pen is OK for occasional use as a writing instrument, but I wouldn’t want to use it for an essay exam. It is super light and has a nice long clip so it’s easy to carry. It’s pretty short, which also makes it nice to carry, but I suspect it makes breaking glass in an emergency a bit precarious.

In the cooler seasons I’ll also add a Leatherman mini tool (PS4 or PS Style) and a copper Promethius QR 2. I like both of those a lot.

Yes, I was just thinking about how I want to address that myself. I recently went down to the gulf for vacation and picked the Benchmade Bugout for a folder to take on because it was light enough to not even notice in the pocket of my shorts or a shirt pocket. But it gave me paise to wonder which light weight multi-tool I'd like to have for such occasions. I'm still looking into that. I like the Wave when I am dressed in regular clothes, but in the shorts and light-weight pants I wore while we were down there, the Bugout served me well for all my pocket knife needs and I started edc-ing since. I also took that little Klarius Mi10 flashlight off my keychain and wear it around my neck when traveling light. Something that started when I lived in Florida for a while back in 2012.

 

[Grateful]

I gave up on pliers based multi-tools several years ago, just to heavy and bulky for me to justify. Since then I carry a sak of some flavor , lately it’s been a climber and a pair of small pliers. Much more comfortable to carry imho and I can use the pliers and a screwdriver at the same time which is handy sometimes.
Nothing really new lately that’s made it into my regular edc but I am thinking about buying a alox sak, probably the one with scissors and I’m really close to pulling the trigger on a Ontario Rat 2.

 

[Mikel_24]

Plier based multitool manufacturers will always tweak their designs to come up with something different and keep the users excited, but the truth is that the concept, as a whole, is not new at all. Replaceable saw blades in the newest tools could be the latest serious improvement I could think off.

I own an original PST and a Charge TTI, but none of them see much pocket time. Intended use dictates the choice of tools and my daily basis does not call for pliers. However a SAK is always welcome. If I am driving my only vehicle, there is a fully kitted tool box there, so I don't need a leatherman either.

Mikel

 

[Mistwalker]

I gave up on pliers based multi-tools several years ago, just to heavy and bulky for me to justify. Since then I carry a sak of some flavor , lately it’s been a climber and a pair of small pliers. Much more comfortable to carry imho and I can use the pliers and a screwdriver at the same time which is handy sometimes.
Nothing really new lately that’s made it into my regular edc but I am thinking about buying a alox sak, probably the one with scissors and I’m really close to pulling the trigger on a Ontario Rat 2.

Most of the time all I have on my person is a small knife and a small flashlight on my necklace, and then a small maxped case in my computer bag with several things in it including a multi-tool. I've had some similar experiences that had me thinking along the same lines, but I've also had some experiences that make me like the idea of a vice-grip based multi-tool, so thanks for the food for thought.

Plier based multitool manufacturers will always tweak their designs to come up with something different and keep the users excited, but the truth is that the concept, as a whole, is not new at all. Replaceable saw blades in the newest tools could be the latest serious improvement I could think off.

I own an original PST and a Charge TTI, but none of them see much pocket time. Intended use dictates the choice of tools and my daily basis does not call for pliers. However a SAK is always welcome. If I am driving my only vehicle, there is a fully kitted tool box there, so I don't need a leatherman either.

Mikel

Thanks for the input. Yes, use usually dictates carry for me too, but there is always an ebb and flow, based on my environments and activities. On a recent trip to Florida, at an Air B&B I used the pliers and the screw driver of the wave more than any other personal tools with me. For most cutting I used the knives in the kitchen, and seldom needed to cut anything while out and about. But it was a five day vacation date not a fishing trip. Had circumstances been different I'm sure tool needs would have as well.

 

[Mistwalker]

I gave up on pliers based multi-tools several years ago, just to heavy and bulky for me to justify. Since then I carry a sak of some flavor , lately it’s been a climber and a pair of small pliers. Much more comfortable to carry imho and I can use the pliers and a screwdriver at the same time which is handy sometimes.
Nothing really new lately that’s made it into my regular edc but I am thinking about buying a alox sak, probably the one with scissors and I’m really close to pulling the trigger on a Ontario Rat 2.

Two days ago, while tightening a bolt on a friend's son's bike seat, I found and occasion where I wished I had a small pair of pliers to complement my multi-tool. But I did have a small socket set back at my truck.

 

[22-rimfire]

I keep a larger pliers based multi-tool in my truck all the time (among other things). Won't carry one on my person unless I know I'll need it. But I do carry the Leatherman Ps4 Squirt that I find very handy from time to time.

Electronics upgrade.... I did that a couple years ago. But it is something you can't ignore completely. Make sure you back stuff up regularly (pictures in particular). When I download pictures from my camera, I back up immediately. I generally create a downsized copy file of the pictures for use in reports.

 

[Mistwalker]

I keep a larger pliers based multi-tool in my truck all the time (among other things). Won't carry one on my person unless I know I'll need it. But I do carry the Leatherman Ps4 Squirt that I find very handy from time to time.

Electronics upgrade.... I did that a couple years ago. But it is something you can't ignore completely. Make sure you back stuff up regularly (pictures in particular). When I download pictures from my camera, I back up immediately. I generally create a downsized copy file of the pictures for use in reports.

After carrying the Super Tool 300 for a few years, the Wave I edc now feels light to me lol. I used it daily though so there is that too. I like the rapid blade deployment of the wave over the ST 300 so I don't usually carry a folder anymore like I did with the ST. I usually have my Tibo or other small knife around my neck and the Wave for cutting tools now.

Yes, after a recent PC crash I had a good reminder in that. I back up all my images now as soon as I have gone through them, before I delete from the SD card or phone.

 

[JV3]

Anyone carrying anything new to them these days? Anyone carrying a Leatherman Crunch that has any good feedback on it? I have been looking at them online but can't find one in a local store to check out. I think it would be great for alternative mechanics in the field under deteriorated circumstances especially, but I'd like to see and hear more about it from people who have actually put one to use a while.

i used to own one but sold it here (i think close to ten years ago?). it's a very well made tool if that specific jaw fits your use-case. otherwise it's crazy expensive for what it is...i ended up buying a mini vise-grip that has a longer nose (although not quite a needle nose) and it suits my uses better.

 

[Mistwalker]

i used to own one but sold it here (i think close to ten years ago?). it's a very well made tool if that specific jaw fits your use-case. otherwise it's crazy expensive for what it is...i ended up buying a mini vise-grip that has a longer nose (although not quite a needle nose) and it suits my uses better.

Thanks J! Yeah, see this is what I needed to hear, for food for thought. I have two sets of mini vice grips I keep in a truck kit. They work for lots of things. They can even be used like hemostats to stop a brake line or wheel cylinder from hemorrhaging brake fluid in a pinch. I have taught that in alternative mechanics lessons in over-landing survival classes. I thought the grip could be used in a similar way in a pinch, but they are crazy expensive to be used for that and pretty specialized. I think the wave is likely much more versatile.