Everybody’s trying to come up with the next gotta-have-it multi-tool like the try-square. Great Neck Saw’s attempt packs 10 measuring tools in one device. The Mayes Squangle is basically a square with an extra adjustable arm that swings from 45° to 90° and locks with two thumbscrews. To increase their tool count, they threw in a bubble vial.

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While leafing through my “Ideas for TM Posts” file, I found a page I had cut from the Feb. 2009 issue of Popular Mechanics that mentioned the Klenk DA86450 Select-A-Bit™. It’s a ratcheting screwdriver with a 4:1 gearing produced by holding the nose piece (which causes the bit to turn four times for each single turn of the handle). The 4:1 option is for driving screws and nuts in low-torque applications; the 1:1 ratio is recommended for higher-torque.

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The Cole-Bar Hammer is a new multi-purpose tool with a ratchet that locks at any angle between 0° and 180°. This means the hammer can be opened into a full crow bar, used as a square, or used as an angle tool. In addition, the ratchet section is removable for use as a socket wrench, or cat’s paw. Apparently not yet in production — at least I could not find anything on the web — the saw’s designer named it in honor of his son who passed away in an accident not long after they had invented it. A video of the tool in use is available on the web site. This tool is one of those in the Cool Tools Inventor’s Challenge to be aired Thanksgiving weekend — could be a good thing to watch, although I tend to avoid Cool Tools because the host, Chris Grundy, is just a little too intense for me.

Would you want one of these multifunction hammers? How much would you be willing to pay? Let us know in comments.

Cole-Bar Hammer [Manufacturer's Site]

Leatherman multi-tools and accessories have been a popular topic on TM (3/4/08, 5/22/08, 3/18/09, 7/7/09 and 7/24/09 to list a few). Well, their “original super-duty Leatherman is back.” The Super Tool® 300, 4.5″ long (closed) and weighing in at 9.6 oz. with stainless steel handles and body has 19 tools “for the working man.” The 300’s tools include “larger” regular and needle-nose pliers — which are really just different sections on the same jaws, but I guess you have to count everything to get up to 19 tools — file, saw, straight-edge knife, serrated knife, bottle opener, can opener, awl, and wire cutter for both regular and hard wires (the small notch at the base of the wire-cutting area is the hard-wire cutter). The wire cutters are removable so you can sharpen, perhaps with the 300’s own file, or replace it if needed. (more…)

I’m one of those horribly old-fashioned types who prefers using cash over plastic money, but here’s one bit of processed petrochemical I wouldn’t object to carrying. The Swisscard Lite has the same footprint as a credit card, and is about as thick as four of them — it doesn’t take a Nobel laureate to note that it’s perfect for wallet carry.

The surprising part is the number of functions Victorinox packs into the Swisscard. Knife, scissors, tweezers, a pin, a pen, light, and a small mirror, which is pretty much a list of things I don’t remember until twenty minutes into the morning commute. Okay, maybe not the mirror.

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The normal order of most low- to mid-grade “multi” products is a great number of tools Frankensteined onto a familiar platform. The 13-Piece DIY Utility Knife Kit from Garrett Wade is no exception. The problem here is it looks pretty handy.

Here’s the thing — it’s a standard folding utility blade that comes with variously shaped blades that can be swapped in and out and are suitable for cutting all sorts of material you might run into like wood, leather, paper, cardboard, linoleum, or carpet.

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Here’s an interesting looking tool from Trend. The Multiscribe Pro has a rotating block that can be locked in at any angle with respect to the steel blade. The blade has markings in both 3/16″ and 1/4″ increments and comes to a point on one end. The block sports a pencil sharpener, a bubble vial, and two holes for sticking a pencil through, which is useful for scribing.

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When you practice catch-and-release, every second counts. The longer you have the fish out of water, the worse its chances of survival. You grab your forceps or other hook-remover only to figure out there’s no way you’re getting the hook out without damaging the fish. So you need to waste precious seconds to grab another tool to cut the line. If you were holding a pair of Hemocuts, you’d already have the fish back in the water.

The Hemocut is a combination of the Kelly forceps and bandage scissors. It’s marketed by two different companies for two entirely different fields. EMI manufactures and markets the Hemocuts to the medical field and William Joseph markets them to fisherman, including a few modifications like an open-finger loop and a rubber coating for a better grip in wet conditions.

The medical Hemocuts start at $6, while the ones specialized for fishing run $15.

William Joseph [Corporate Site]
HemoCut [The Fire Store]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

This was going to be a simple post comparing the Gerber Artifact with the Mini SuperKnife as a keychain knife/tool. As I started gathering details, it was turning into a Gerber vs. Gerber post: Gerber was acquired by Fiskars in 1986, and in 2005 Fiskars Brands acquired Superknife and integrated it into their Outdoor Recreation division, Gerber Legendary Blades. One big happy conglomerate…

Anyway, I decided to add a couple more similar-sized tools alleged to fit on a keychain, and solicit your opinions. From right to left in the picture (not to scale): the folding blade SOG Micron, 1.5″ blade length and 3.44″ overall length when opened, costs around $10. The Mini SuperKnife, 1.77″ long closed and 2.95″ long opened, is a small folding utility knife that costs about $5. The Utili-Key, 2.75″ long, goes for approximately $7 (TM mentioned this device 7/24/08, 5/1/09, and 8/20/09). The Gerber Artifact, 3.5″ long closed and 4.8″ long opened, is available for $6-7 (TM had a 9/15/08 post on the Artifact).

What’s your choice for a small keychain knife/tool: A knife-only option, or a pseudo multi-tool?

SOG Micron Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Mini SuperKnife Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Utili-Key Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Gerber Artifact Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Over the last few years a host of multitools have hit the marketplace with almost every conceivable combination of tools known to man. The Xtreme Tool Kit goes one step further with the addition of actual sockets. We’re guessing the marketing team was desperately searching for something to set their new rig apart.

At least, that’s what we’re hoping happened. The Xtreme Tool Kit features 5 screwdrivers — mini and regular flathead — Phillips and mini torx, an LED flashlight and a multi-wrench with 6mm, 8mm and 10mm sockets.

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Columbia River Knife and Tool designed the Get-A-Way Driver Multi-Tool to be part of their ID (Inspired Design) tool system, but it also stands alone as its own tool. It carries four insert bits with spring-loaded detents which keep them secured in the bit driver. It also functions as a flashlight, 10mm wrench, bottle opener, and oxygen bottle wrench.

Weighing only 1.9 oz., the tool is only 3.75″ long and 1/2″ thick. The bit driver can be placed at the end of the tool and used as a straight screwdriver or placed on the side and used as a right angle driver for when you need extra torque. The flashlight requires two R927 3V lithium batteries.

CRKT sells two models of the Get-A-Way driver. One model comes with 2 flat and 2 Phillips-tipped drivers, and the other comes with T5, T6, T8, and T10 Torx bits. They claim the tool uses standard insert bits so maybe you can carry other bits you commonly use. Pricing for either model starts at $11.

Get-A-Way Driver [CRKT]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Meteor’s Spark Doctor is yet another multi-tool, but this time they’ve specialized it for working with spark plugs. This multi-tool boasts eight different tools for removing, tuning, and cleaning your plugs.

As always, we’re skeptical about the number of tools a multi-tool packs — sometimes marketing departments like to be sneaky and claim a lanyard hole or carrying case as a tool or function. So let’s enumerate the tools, shall we?

• 5/8″ socket
• 3/4″ socket
• 13/16″ socket
• Brass brush
• Metal file
• Metal pick
• Gap gage
• Gapping tool

The metal file and metal pick are part of the same tool, kind of like the wire stripper is part of the flat screwdriver blade on Leatherman and Swiss Army Knives. If they can get away with it, why not Meteor? All these tools fold into a soft-grip handle.

The Spark Doctor can be had for less than $20 before somebody tries to gouge you with shipping.

Spark Doctor [Meteor]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Spark Doctor [Sears]

Many multi-tools seem to be a flimsy sampling of little knick-knacks. We’ve seen different versions for ages, but they rely on a simple straight-edged pocket knife to do most of the real work. However, Leatherman’s interesting Charge ALX model is a little different. It does away with many of the old issues multi-tools faced, like those Phillips drivers which always seemed to be less than helpful.

They have been replaced by a clever interchangeable bit system, much like what you’d find on an electric screwdriver. There are two of these sockets on the Charge, allowing you to keep multiple common bits ready for immediate use. Extensive kits with drivers for many different head styles are available and store nicely inside the same sheath as the tool itself.

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By itself, Doc Allen’s Versatool is a handy and easy-to-carry tool kit that costs $13. It comes with 11 hex bits and a 2″ extension adapter. Its 1/4″ hex adapter slides around the ring so you can find a suitable torque position, and the adapter can be removed and used as a finger driver. But you can beef up the versatility by adding a few items that conveniently fit in its small 3″ x 4″ zippered pouch with belt loop. For example, I have added a stainless Pocketwrench™ (an older “original”; the newer Pocketwrench II™, shown below, is available for $10 - $11 from Lee Valley or McFeely’s), a Swiss Tech Micro-Tech™ 8-in-1 tool that I had gotten as a trade show gift ($10 from Amazon), a pair of pin-point tweezers ($5 for Uncle Bill’s from Amazon or $8 from A.G. Russell), a Leatherman Micra ($15 from Amazon), and there’s still some room left.

Because the Versatool uses standard hex bits, you can add a few more bits of your choice.

What do you think — is this combination preferable, or easier to carry, than one of the big multi-tools?

Doc Allen’s Versatool
Uncle Bill’s Tweezers [What’s This?]
Pocketwrench II™ [Corporate Site]
Swiss Tech 8-in-1 [What’s This?]
Leatherman Micra [What’s This?]
A.G. Russell [Corporate Site]
McFeely’s [Corporate Site]

Are you sure you want to carry that sharp and dirty painter’s 5-in-1 tool or putty knife in your pocket?  With FastCap’s new folding pocket putty and combo putty knives you don’t have to worry. Both tools use the same folding handle as the rest of their pocket tools to protect the blade and keep your pants clean and free of holes.

The pocket tools feature a thin, flexible blade made from heavy-duty stainless steel that can get behind molding without damage or spread fillers. The combo putty knife also allows you to scrape, dig, and clean rollers like any painter’s 5-in-1 tool.

Either pocket tool will run you $10, plus Amazon will ship the tools for free if you purchase over $25 — you’ll just have to throw some extra tools on the order.

Pocket Putty Knife [FastCap]
Pocket Painter’s Tool [FastCap]
Putty Knife Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Painter’s Tool Via Amazon [What’s This?]

You’re not going to build a house with the Measure ‘N Mark tape measure and ballpoint pen combo from General Tools, but that’s not the point of the tool.  You’d carry one for the same reason you carry a Leatherman — so you have something available when you need it, even if it isn’t the best tool for the job.

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When you need a little more leverage prying the lid off a five-gallon bucket, you might want to try this long-handled bucket opener from Warner Tools.  The heavy-duty, cast-aluminum 3-in-1 tool opens buckets, cuts lids, and hammers them back into place.

If you only open a few five-gallon buckets this year, Warner’s 3-in-1 bucket opener might not be worth the $15.  On the other hand, if your paycheck depends upon getting into five-gallon buckets, the money might be justified.

Bucket Opener [Warner Tools]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]