Tired of needing screwdriver + scissors, but already have a knife

Comeuppance

Comeuppance

Fixed Blade EDC Emisssary
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
4,765
I've come to the conclusion I need some kind of relatively robust screwdriver and scissor combo, but I already carry loads of stuff and need something pretty light / small. I'm pretty ignorant of the multitool/SAK world and don't even know where to begin - I'd like scissors that don't make me want to throw them against the wall and a legit Phillips bit (along the lines of what's on a Vic S111) if that's feasible as well.

I might just pick up a Vic S111 and deal with the bulk and redundancy, but I would love to hear more informed suggestions! I only even know of the S111 because my dad unsubtly hinted at wanting one, so I got him one of those and a Boker Plus City Carbon Fiber 5 so he can pick which one he likes for any given day.
 
After a few years I quit trying to fit all my EDC tool needs into one knife or multi-tool. The main problem is that if I was without it for some reason, I was out of luck. I have a few small items I carry daily, and some redundancy is good, in my opinion. I started carrying several individual little tools instead of of one large one. These days I have a Gerber Shard on my keyring, and my keyring tools now are: Gerber Shard (the Phillips driver on it works okay for #1 and #2 Phillips), Mini-Maglite, Veritas "bagel" screwdriver, pill capsule, and a Victorinox "Cavalier" (discontinued, has scissors and a couple other useful little tools.) I used to have an old Mosin-Nagant rifle tool for prying/digging, bit I replaced that with the Shard. I have a Victorinox Huntsman that I carry when I need full-size SAK tools.

The Victorinox S-111 is a two-layer SAK, so if you wanted to stay with that size, a Victorinox "Compact" with an added keyring Phillips driver (look up "X-Tools") might work for you.

Good luck and keep us posted on what you decide.

~Chris
 
Comeuppance said:
I've come to the conclusion I need some kind of relatively robust screwdriver and scissor combo, but I already carry loads of stuff and need something pretty light / small. I'm pretty ignorant of the multitool/SAK world and don't even know where to begin - I'd like scissors that don't make me want to throw them against the wall and a legit Phillips bit (along the lines of what's on a Vic S111) if that's feasible as well.

I might just pick up a Vic S111 and deal with the bulk and redundancy, but I would love to hear more informed suggestions! I only even know of the S111 because my dad unsubtly hinted at wanting one, so I got him one of those and a Boker Plus City Carbon Fiber 5 so he can pick which one he likes for any given day.
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The S111 does not have scissors. The S16 does, and substitutes a nail file for the small blade.

I EDC a Victorinox Traveller Lite. It has the scissors and the screwdrivers , including an inline Phillips and a nice little eyeglass screwdriver that lives in the corkscrew, bottle and can openers and awl,a pen, and a pin, also a light, and a clock, alarm clock, timer, altimeter and thermometer. A needle and thread are stored under the openers.
It's one more layer than an S16, but a lot more functionality.
 
Rich S said:
IMHO what you want is a Vic Super Tinker.
Rich
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After browsing through all the models kicking around at present, I'm torn between the Tech Tool 5 and the Vic Mechanic. It looks like I'm going to abandon the scissors in favor of pliers, given that I always have my Spyderco Roadie on hand whose sheepsfoot blade generally substitutes for scissors pretty well.
 
If you want a small package with pliers plus scissors, and don't mind going with a flat Phillips, consider the leatherman style ps.

Comeuppance said:
After browsing through all the models kicking around at present, I'm torn between the Tech Tool 5 and the Vic Mechanic. It looks like I'm going to abandon the scissors in favor of pliers, given that I always have my Spyderco Roadie on hand whose sheepsfoot blade generally substitutes for scissors pretty well.
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I carried a Vic Mechanic for a while. Found I rarely used the pliers. Now I've been carrying a Tinker at home since I have tools handy, but carry a Vic Deluxe Tinker in a belt pouch when out and about.
Rich
 
Comeuppance, I had a Tinker Deluxe with the pliers, my experience with that pliers is that for real small stuff it's great but I always ended up trying to use it on bolts and such that it had no business being used on. That's just me. I find leatherman knives to be nice but kind of precarious to unfold the tools, seems i couldn't unfold just one.
If you can handle a 4 layer SAK, check out the Explorer. I've been carrying an Explorer Plus and it's the end all for me. Even the scrawney little pen is hard to do without. I figure if I need a pliers I'll just get one to carry on a belt sheath someday,but as yet haven't felt a need for one. The Explorer has a good scissors and an inline phillips,which I prefer, and that way I can still have the corkscrew, which is great for untying knots amongst other things. The magnifying glasses are indispenseable when I accidentally leave my glasses at home.
 
Comeuppance said:
After browsing through all the models kicking around at present, I'm torn between the Tech Tool 5 and the Vic Mechanic. It looks like I'm going to abandon the scissors in favor of pliers, given that I always have my Spyderco Roadie on hand whose sheepsfoot blade generally substitutes for scissors pretty well.
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I love my Vic Mechanic and I use the pliers more than anything else. I never use the Phillips and it is rare that I use the blade.

A modified Mechanic would be great. Get rid of the Phillips, add a corkscrew with a screwdriver for eyeglasses. Add a file (or metal saw as the Swiss say) and what do you have? A knife with tools for fine detail work.
 
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I always carry a two-blade Barlow as my "knife" in right front pocket. Then an SAK Pioneer or Farmer in belt sheath typically or in cargo pocket as one my tools. A 20+ yr old Leatherman Classic is on the other hip in sheath to round out my kit.
 
Mora2013 said:
If you want a small package with pliers plus scissors, and don't mind going with a flat Phillips, consider the leatherman style ps.
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I can second the Style PS. Cheap, light, thin, but extremely functional. Some have said the scissors are better than Victorinox's, the pliers work great, screwdriver works great, and it has a hidden pair of tweezers.

I EDC mine every day in addition to my primary EDC blade.


EDIT: Or, if you really wanted some nice scissors, go with the Style CS. Full size scissors, a small knife blade, and a flat screwdriver.
 
Style PS is good choice. Also consider maybe that new Bladeless Rebar for larger tool. It has fantastic robust phillips driver and the scissors are pretty nice too.
All the drivers on that have huge reach for an MT.
 
Comeuppance said:
I've come to the conclusion I need some kind of relatively robust screwdriver and scissor combo, but I already carry loads of stuff and need something pretty light / small. I'm pretty ignorant of the multitool/SAK world and don't even know where to begin - I'd like scissors that don't make me want to throw them against the wall and a legit Phillips bit (along the lines of what's on a Vic S111) if that's feasible as well.
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Sorry for the delay in seeing this. I recommend the Leatherman Micra.

Untitled by Pinnah, on Flickr

The Micra doesn't give you the full phillips head, but in practice, this has been a non-issue for me. The 2 prong phillips is quite good and works just fine at the limit of torque that you can/should generate with a tool this size. It's a classic trade-off situation.

The scissors on the Micra are unsurpassed if and only if you commit to sharpening (DMT credit card works great) and tuning them (may need to bend the blades or re-peen the pivot occasionally). The scissors are closer to mini-shop shears and will cut through light flashing and heavy zip ties with ease.
 
Might consider something like the Vic Explorer. Big advantage is it has a Phillips that operates off the end of the tool, not the side:

explorer.jpg


Other currently available models with this Phillips orientation include the Hercules, which actually has two sizes of Phillips on the end of the tool, scissors and pliers. But that results in a fatter tool:

hercules.jpg
 
I'm currently looking at the Vic Rambler, Manager and Minichamp, all of which seem to be pretty much 100% what I'm looking for, and are all in the $20-30 range. I'm tempted to go with the Rambler mostly because it is the more compact one of the bunch. I do like the idea of the Manager, though, as the addition of a pen is noteworthy.
 
I had the same problem and after some research I bought a Leatherman Juice S2. I have been carrying it for the past several months and it has come in very handy. I still carry a knife, usually a Delica 4, but enjoy the multi-tool. I looked at some of the smaller ones but went a little bigger to get better performance. Really don't even notice it in my pocket.
 
I always pair a OHO folder with a SAK, especially for the scissors, drivers, prying and poking capability. I love the alox line, especially the Pioneer X.

I have a Rambler on my keys, but I almost never use the scissors, they are really small, too small to cut zip ties for instance. I prefer the larger scissors on the Explorer or Pioneer X. The small philips, toothpick and tweezers on the Rambler are quite handy.
 
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Comeuppance said:
I'm currently looking at the Vic Rambler, Manager and Minichamp, all of which seem to be pretty much 100% what I'm looking for, and are all in the $20-30 range. I'm tempted to go with the Rambler mostly because it is the more compact one of the bunch. I do like the idea of the Manager, though, as the addition of a pen is noteworthy.
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After you use a SAK for a while they become somewhat addictive and you start questioning the need to carry other knives. I know you like to carry a fixed blade, but as you said in another thread, that may not be a reasonable choice if you go back to school. I find the scissors on these tools to be something used only when I have to. They are small and that turns me off somewhat. If you use a scissors a lot, the Leatherman Micra with the scissors on the end isn't a bad choice. The comment about the location of the phillips head is somewhat important. I don't use the phillips head or flat head on SAKs a lot and generally use the blade the most on a SAK. I like the Style PS multitool for little things which I run into working. But not good for robust kinds of activities. When I am browsing SAKs and other multitools, I tend to visit a large knife store that carries most of the models and I spend a good amount of time handling them before I choose. You pay more at those places, but they have a great selection.
 
I have these small SAKS all set up with your implements in mind: Rambler, Rally, Escort & Midnite Manager. Each comes with a variation of the 4 tools: large blade, file-screwdriver, scissors & cap opener-phillips head.

Started out big and kept downsizing to the bare essentials. Picked up all 4 used for $20. Not my choice colors, but beggars can't be choosers.

Rambler is your setup. Rally is the same sans scissors. Midnite adds a LED and pen at the expense of some slimness. I started with the Midnite, but now mostly just carry the Rally. Blade is a acceptable substitute for scissors for me too.
 
Don't have the rambler, but IMO the Minichamp is a true classic, hard to beat.

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Packs a lot of stuff, and I even like the non-alox better because of the pen.

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Alox is sexier, though...:D

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