A.k.a. the world’s oldest Swiss Army Knife, this beauty comes from the U.K.’s Daily Mail via Gizmodo. It was “probably made between AD 200 and AD 300,” and is currently being exhibited in the Greek and Roman Antiquities Gallery of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England. The 3″ × 6″ knife, made from silver with an iron blade, also has a spoon, a fork*, a spike, a spatula, and a small toothpick. A Mediterranean excavation more than 20 years ago uncovered the knife, which the museum acquired in 1991.

*The Daily Mail link includes interesting — and very British — comments about the history of forks.

The Roman Army Knife [Daily Mail]

A cable ripper is a simple tool with one function: removing the outer jacket on ROMEX and other electrical wires. One of Ideal’s versions, the Lil’ Ripper Stripper, incorporates some other commonly-used tools to let you rip, clip, strip, loop, and twist with one tool.

Besides ripping the outer jacket of ROMEX, the tool also clips it. It also can be used to strip insulation from wires, form loops in wires for screw terminals, and get a better grip on wire nuts with wings. The grip is injection molded elastomer and a measurement scale is molded into the side for measuring the correct amount of wire to strip.

You can pick up Ideal’s Lil Ripper Stripper for about $6.

Lil’ Ripper Stripper [Ideal]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Lil’ Ripper Stripper [Sears]

Whether it’s labeled as Klutch (Northern Tool), Commercial Electric (Home Depot), or some other house brand, this electrician’s multi-tool has an aluminum handle with a non-slip grip and several stainless steel tools including:

• 10-20 gauge wire strippers
• Pliers
• Knife
• Wire hook
• Philips screwdriver
• Large slotted driver
• Small slotted driver
• Saw
• Cable splicing blade
• File

The multi-tool comes with the obvious disclaimer to not use the tool on live circuits because it’s not insulated — if you couldn’t figure that out for yourself, somebody should probably come take your tools away.

The Electrician’s Multi-Tool includes a belt pouch and runs $19 at Northern Tool. You might be able to find it for less at your local big box, though.

Electrical Multi-Tool [Northern Tool]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

When I first ran across Black & Decker’s SPT100 powered multi-tool I thought it was some sort of joke.  After Googling it I discovered multiple retailers sell it, yet Blac & Decker seems to disown it — there’s no reference to it on their website. Maybe they didn’t want Stanley to see it.

Designed as an “all-in-one” wiring tool, it strives to replace a powered screwdriver, LED flashlight, live-wire detector, needle-nose pliers, cable ripper, wire cutters, and wire stripper with one awkward tool.

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Speaking of multi-tools (e.g., TM 11/20/09), I just saw the Level Best2 in one of those card pack mailers — PRODUCTS FOR WOODWORKERS. RECESSION BUSTING DISCOUNT COUPONS INSIDE! — that I usually toss into the recycle bin. This “ideal portable tool” comes in 12″ and 6″ sizes, and, if you order one 12″ version now using code LB2, you will “Get One 6″ Tool FREE!” — only $19.95 plus S&H, which appears to be $4.95. If you don’t like yellow, you can get a Level Best2 in blue, violet, or pink, also. They are pretty clear on its four uses: level, plumb, square, and ruler.

Web pricing starts around $6 for the 6″ and $10 for the 12″, so, depending on S&H from other sites, the bundle from the manufacturer could be a good deal. But is this a useful tool? What do you think?

Level Best2 [Manufacturer's Site]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

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]