Pocket SAK/Multitool

[WhichDoctor]

Hi,

Recently I've started looking for a little SAK or Multi-tool like thing that would be small enough to carry around in my pocket, maybe even on my keyring. I've seen a few but I'm not shore how usable they are. I'm lightly to only use it occasionally but I still wont it to have a decent quality blade.

Does anyone have any recommendations for anything like this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mayfly]

I'm a big fan of the Leatherman Juice or the smaller Micra. Might be worth a look. Juice XE6 is my EDC these days, extremely useful tool. Micro better suited to a key ring though. Chris

 

[Ogri the trog]

| tend to shy away from the smaller "key ring" tools,
If I'm in a position that I want a tool to work, I want it to be effective which includes fitting my big hands. Using small tools feels like using surgical instruments rather than wood working tools. A Leatherman Surge or SAK Swisstool are my current favourites.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[leon-1]

| tend to shy away from the smaller "key ring" tools,
If I'm in a position that I want a tool to work, I want it to be effective which includes fitting my big hands. Using small tools feels like using surgical instruments rather than wood working tools. A Leatherman Surge or SAK Swisstool are my current favourites.

ATB

Ogri the trog

I agree with OTT, little tools can be awkward or uncomfortable to use. I bought a Leatherman Wave many years ago (about 1995), it gets used everyday and it's had a lot of use, I have been thinking of replacing it, but to be honest apart from one of the handles now being a little loose (nothing serious) it's still going strong.

If and when I do replace it it will be either another wave or the Charge TTi.

 

[sandbender]

I have a Leatherman crunch, which would now be legal to carry in the UK as the tiny knife blade no longer locks

Small as it is though, it's still too chunky to use as a keychain fob.

However it would appear that leatherman have produced a new lightweight tool, the 'Skeletool', see a review here...

http://www.gearcrave.com/buyers-guide/features/contests/the-leatherman-skeletool/

 

[Jared]

Doesn't the carry on key ring exclude anything with locking blades though, due to the law?

I'd go for an alox sak model, classic, soldier, or one of the others.

 

[WhichDoctor]

Thanks for all the replies :You_Rock_

I'm not really after a everyday tool, just something that I can have with me at all times even when more practical tools wouldn't be appropriate, or legal.

There are a lot of suggestions here, it will take a while to look through them properly but at first glance the alox SAK or the Leatherman Micra look like the kind of things I'm looking for.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Stuart]

What you need is a MacGyver tool!

sorry I couldnt help it.

The only two keychain size multitools I have found to be worth having are the leatherman squirt P4 and the IDL T10 (Aka Sebertech M4)

I bought a P4 for the wife:

and I have a T10 on my keys

I prefer the T10 slightly as all the tools lock and the jaws are solidly built with timed teeth, and the screwdrivers are more functional, but both are extreamly well made which is uncommon on keychain tools.

Of course these aren’t bushcraft tools, not even close, but for they are handy to have on a keyring for those unexpected day to day tasks like tightening the loose screws that are making an annoying rattling noise in the car door panel, or pulling a £1 coin out of a broken shopping trolley lock, two jobs mine has dealt with over the last week.

The P4 is here: www.leatherman.com/products/tools/p4/default.asp

and the T10 is here: www.idltools.com/products/t10/

note: Technically (by judicial precedent rather than by statute law) the T10 would be illegal to carry in the UK as the blade locks open, but considering the blade is less than 1.5" long, you would either have to be doing something really stupid or have the great misfortune to encounter an incredibly officious police officer to find yourself in court as a result, still you would have to make the decision yourself as to whether to take that risk.

 

[hammock monkey]

sak for me, i have a charge ti but its too heavy to carry about.
i think my sak is the officer, but camper (?) would maybe be better - i'd prefer to have a saw on it.
the weight is an issue to me tho, next time i'll tot up the tools i use on it and get whichever knife only has them on. All my jeans now have wear holes and faded marks where i carry it, it feels wierd not having it on me.

i've used it for eveything from carving acoustic guitar braces to putting in a cat flap...only trouble is the corkscrew's getting a bit worn

 

[shadowsun68]

How about this.....
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_8&products_id=8061
This is what im getting to start with...
Hope i helped
Chris

 

[mike.f]

I carry a Leatherman Charge TTi, but as hammock monkey said, it's a bit heavy. It’s also technically illegal if you can’t give a good reason for carrying such item.

For something lighter I carry a British Army Penknife. The blade is less than 3" and doesn’t lock which makes it legal to carry, it holds a fantastic edge and the flat head screw driver comes in handy along with the bottle/tin opener. It’s also stood up to years of being used and abused.

 

[WhichDoctor]

Oh man this is hard, so much choice. I had almost decided on getting a IDL T10 (thanks Stuart that looks really cool) and then mike.f comes along mentioning 'British Army Penknifes'. I did a search and they look grate as well. I assume you meant something like this. Now I'm really torn.

Thanks for all the help anyway

 

[leon-1]

Oh man this is hard, so much choice. I had almost decided on getting a IDL T10 (thanks Stuart that looks really cool) and then mike.f comes along mentioning 'British Army Penknifes'. I did a search and they look grate as well. I assume you meant something like this. Now I'm really torn.

Thanks for all the help anyway

That's not the standard issue knife, I have one which was made the same year as I was born. The standard knife has not got the marlin spike on it, that looks more like navy issue as they would have more use for a marlin spike than your average trog.

Same site and price this is what we were being issued with up until 2000.

They are okay, but you would be better off with the IDL10, I know that as soon as I started carrying the PST leatherman this little pocket knife became totally redundant.

 

[addo]

I'm a big fan of the Leatherman Juice or the smaller Micra. Might be worth a look. Juice XE6 is my EDC these days, extremely useful tool. Micro better suited to a key ring though. Chris

I have the Juice XE6 which is well made and seems to have everything on it including a corkscrew and most of the tools are opened as is rather than going into transformer mode. The weight and size seem middle of the road and its non locking. It also fits in that little pocket on the RHS of most makes of Jeans which I where most of the time, and this makes you almost forget you are carrying it.

 

[Jared]

Sheffield Knives as a wider selection of clasp knives...
http://www.sheffieldknives.co.uk/acatalog/Folding_Knives.html

I have a sebertech M5/IDL10, but no longer carry it, with metal detectors appearing more frequently at train stations and the like, its just not worth the risk.

 

[WhichDoctor]

Thanks for everyones help, last week I finely made up my mind and got a 'leatherman squirt P4'.

It's fantastic, amazingly small but still very finely made. It fits right on my keyring and is actually as small than the LED torch on there already. Its already been used a couple of times and has performed very well.

Thanks again :You_Rock_

 

[mayfly]

Good choice!