In response to this recent post, Toolmongers have come out strongly in favor of pocket knives. Almost everyone agrees that pocket knives come in handy all the time, even if you don’t always have the right tool for a given situation. But if your pockets are big enough to carry this 87-tool Swiss Army knife, you will always have the right tool for the situation.
The online community at EDC Forums focuses on the everyday carry lifestyle/obsession, which is basically an interest in items that you always have on you: knives, tools, keys, packs, etc. A small portion of the members take the interest further by customizing tools for specific individual needs, which is pretty cool — one of the coolest is the Keyman mod.
The mod consists of a stripped-down Leatherman with filed-down keys substituted for the tools. EDC Forum member shadeone created the compact, jingle-free, key-carrying solution shown above. You can check out more picks of this and other mods via the links below.
Shadeone’s Post [EDC Forums]
EDC Forums [Official Site]
The other day at my local hardware store, I ran across a Stanley tool I’d never seen before — the Stanley MaxDrive 15-piece Locking-Flex Ratchet System. Apparently Stanley released this tool in April 2006, but we’ve yet to cover it on Toolmonger.
With interchangeable heads you can convert the MaxDrive from a socket driver to a bit driver and back again as easily as changing sockets on a ratchet. The flexible head swings 180° and can be locked into 15 different positions. For about $25, the system comes with the flexible-head handle, a 3/8″ socket driver head, a 1/4″ bit driver head, and 12 driver bits.
The flexible head can reach places other ratchets and bit drivers can’t touch, and you can get a lot of torque on a screw by turning the driver head 90°. So, is this the next gotta-have tool? Or would you rather carry a separate bit driver and flexible head ratchet in your toolbox? Let us know in the comments.
MaxDrive [Stanley]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon
Taking measurements down can be a task unto itself — it requires you to keep track of your tape measure, paper, and pencil. That might be a lot for some Toolmongers, so finally the tool market has delivered an aid for you. The WristWriter can hold your tape measure, paper, and pencil, all on one weighed-down wrist.
With their 6-in-1 rescue tool, Channellock has beefed up a pair of linesman pliers to specialize ‘em for rescue work. The extra-coarse texture of the pliers provides a stronger grip, and hardened cutters will cut through almost any wire. A hardened steel point on the tip of one handle will shatter safety glass, and a spanner wrench allows you to tighten or loosen standard hose couplings. The other handle functions as a pry bar and as a wrench that’ll fit over standard gas valves.
We stopped to chat with the Leatherman reps about the vaunted Skeletool. We had to wait about five minutes for the throng of people to complete their assault on the poor guys behind the booth, but we finally got our shot to ask the same question that everyone before us had asked — when can we have one?
The answer is soon. To be a little more accurate, the Skeletool is technically out now, but they aren’t going to be shipping more to stores just yet. Demand is through the roof, and they’re stepping up production to get the next batch in stores by May.
Skeletool CX [Leatherman]
The tool market seems to offer a multi-tool for every possible need. Now Leatherman, seeing a niche to fill, offers the Crunch, which sports the usual assortment of tools plus the addition of locking pliers. If you often need things to stay put, hands-free, you might want this multi-tool in your pocket or on your belt.
Gerber’s Shortcut might remind you of the tiny pocketknife your grandfather carried, sometimes referred to as a “gentleman’s pocketknife.” Much like your grandpa’s knife, it’s small, useful, and good looking — unlike that knife, it packs a small set of stainless steel scissors as well as other implements for hacking, cutting, and fixing.
In the Shortcut’s 2-1/2″ frame (4.13″ fully extended), you also get a file, two flathead screwdrivers, a crosspoint driver, a nail cleaner, and the obligatory bottle opener. The frame, made of aircraft aluminum, comes in either “Red Tail Hawk” or “Special Ops Gray.” Street pricing is about $15.
ShortCut [Gerber]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon (B0009JVEKM) [What’s This?]
Are you the type of Toolmonger who has an assortment of tools on you at all times? Can you loan someone a pen, cut open a package, and fix a pair of eyeglasses at a moment’s notice? Then Commando tools might make a nice addition to your everyday carry arsenal.
Commando Products makes a line of tools that can travel easily in your pocket, housed in colorful anodized aluminum tubes around a 1/2” in diameter and about 5” long. You can get precision drill sets, screwdriver kits, precision oilers, or scrapers. With a built-in chuck, the carrying tube doubles as the handle for the variety of bits inside.
Not satisfied with the mere five ounce weight of their new Skeletool, Leatherman is planning the release of an even lighter and more stripped-down multi-tool, the Freestyle. The Freestyle is heavily based on the Skeletool, and it’ll feature a 420HC straight blade, lightweight pliers with wire cutters, a combination Phillips/flat driver, and a hybrid bottle opener/carabiner.
Leatherman makes this bit driver extender/adapter for the current generation of multi-tools and knives which accept Leatherman’s proprietary removable bits. The bit extender increases the tools’ reach by 3-1/4″ and accepts both Leatherman’s unique flattened bits and standard hex bits. This greatly expands the driving capabilities of these tools since the flattened bits are costly, in limited variety, and sometimes hard to find in a timely manner.
Leatherman originally scheduled the Skeletool’s release for Nov. 2007 — finally, after a number of delays, they released it two weeks ago. The Skeletool CX is still on hold until possibly later this week, and its list price on Amazon has almost doubled in the last week. Presales of the Skeletool and Skeletool CX have supposedly outstripped the initial production run according to comments on Amazon’s customer forum.
Toolmongers had a lot to say about this new multi-tool when we featured it back in Sept. Did Leatherman create an over-hyped frenzy, or have they hit on something? Have any of you got your hands on one, or are you still waiting? Let us know in comments.
Skeletool [Leatherman]
Skeletool CX [Leatherman]
Skeletool Via Amazon
Skeletool CX Via Amazon
To celebrate their upcoming 25th anniversary Leatherman is releasing a special edition of the Charge multi-tool, one of their top products. Leatherman makes many versions of the Charge family of multi-tools, with slight tool variations and aluminum or titanium handles. This special edition, however, will be hand-crafted from sterling silver!
The BCB Mini Work Tool looks like a miniature version of the ATAX tool that Toolmonger featured a few weeks ago. This credit card-sized piece of stainless steel integrates 11 tools in its simple frame, including a knife, saw, bottle opener, flat screwdriver, and a hole that can be used as a wrench.
“Bluebird Wax Stranger” isn’t some strange news headline from The Onion, but rather the name of a pocket-sized multi-tool from the attitude-laden snowboard accessory company Bluebird Wax. Okay, so it’s only four screwdriver tips (two Phillips, two flathead) that hook up to a fancy-blue ratcheting handle — but it retails for about half of most other ratcheting multi-screwdrivers. Check out the gnarly pitch from the folks at Backcountry.com:
Don’t let a loose screw or poorly adjusted binding ruin your day snowboarding. Be prepared with the Bluebird Wax Stranger Pocket Tool. You hardly notice this small ratcheting screwdriver in your pocket, and its Phillips and flat-head screwdriver bits fit about any binding out there. When your friend says “Dude, I think my binding is loose,” hit him with the Stranger Pocket Tool and get back to riding.
So, for half the cash you can keep your ride in good condition and help the less driven on the slopes — but I’d bet on this one being handy in the shop, too. Dude.
Bluebird Wax Stranger [Backcountry]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
You’ve probably seen these hammer/screwdriver combination tools — maybe in your junk drawer, or by the cash register at your local hardware store. Drillspot.com is running a deal that gets you a dozen of these things for less than $2 each, complete with a fancy “Art Nouveau” finish.
The claw hammer serves mostly as decoration — it’s a bit hard too swing. The screwdrivers only come in progressively tinier sizes. That being said, think of the satisfaction of being able to lend these out, and not being sad if they don’t come back. They’re perfect for giving away for IKEA furniture assembly, or to some poor tool-less soul.
Hammer/Screwdriver Combo [Drillspot.com]
The Byrdrench multi-tool adds a few twists to the typical knife and pliers combo we’re all familiar with. One difference: you get a pair of slip joint pliers rather than the standard needle nose pliers you find in most multi-tools. And the Byrdrench splits apart into separate tools, which really sets it apart from the pack.
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