Which multi-tool do you EDC?

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vivi
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Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#1

Post by vivi »

For a long time I carried a Micra in my pocket, but last year I started carrying a full sized multi-tool.

Most days, including today, I carry a Leatherman Rebar.

I also have a Rev for when I want a pocket clip option or want to carry a slightly lighter tool.

I'm planning to buy a new multi-tool, but I'm having trouble deciding which one.

Pretty sure I'll go with a Wave or Surge.

I want whichever I buy to have a pocket clip option.

I like the tool selection on the Surge much better. It has an Awl and no useless (to me) eyeglass driver. I like that it can use jigsaw blades, has more robust scissors, and has a wider selection of screwdrivers. I like the large flat head drivers for prying.

The Wave weighs 4oz less though, which makes me think it'd make the more practical EDC. The tool selection is not nearly as good, but it still has the majority of what I'm used to having with me on my Rebar.

What do you carry?
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knivesandbooks
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#2

Post by knivesandbooks »

I always have my Surge around me. I like it more than the wave except I find the file/saw thing fiddly. I do like the idea that I can replace the file and saw blades if I ever wear them out though. But I don't carry the Surge on my body. I always have a satchel with me and it rides in there with a bit kit, flashlight, and other things.

I tried carrying it in pocket and in a sheath when I worked in a warehouse and it was just too much. That's why I bought the Rebar.

Nowdays it is the Surge in my bag and a Vic of some variety in my pocket.

The Swisstool Spirit X looks really nice. I have a regular Swisstool and it is very bulky but well made. Lives in the kitchen utlity items drawer
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vivi
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#3

Post by vivi »

knivesandbooks wrote:
Mon Jan 07, 2019 12:35 am
I always have my Surge around me. I like it more than the wave except I find the file/saw thing fiddly. I do like the idea that I can replace the file and saw blades if I ever wear them out though. But I don't carry the Surge on my body. I always have a satchel with me and it rides in there with a bit kit, flashlight, and other things.

I tried carrying it in pocket and in a sheath when I worked in a warehouse and it was just too much. That's why I bought the Rebar.

Nowdays it is the Surge in my bag and a Vic of some variety in my pocket.

The Swisstool Spirit X looks really nice. I have a regular Swisstool and it is very bulky but well made. Lives in the kitchen utlity items drawer
The Swisstool Spirit would be my EDC if it had a pocket clip. I have the full sized swiss tool and it does many things better than Leatherman.

I'm doing a little more research on sheaths and pocket clip mods. Out of the box I think the Wave or Surge is what would work best, but if I could attach a clip to a rebar or swisstool spirit one of those would be the ticket.
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#4

Post by Daveho »

I have a rebar in my pack-I actually fixed a tenants dishwasher with it just today.
I got an alox cadet for Christmas I keep in my pocket as it’s pretty work safe and just sits in a slip with my pen
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#5

Post by Sjucaveman »

Gerber center drive
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#6

Post by Tims »

Watching this thread with interest as I’ll be looking to pick up a multitool this year. My requirements are similar to yours Vivi.

In the past I’ve pocket carried a Micra and it was ok until it fell out of my pocket and was lost.

I’ve currently got a Gerber suspension which I carry in a small edc bag and I find myself using it a lot but it’s way too big and heavy to carry on my person. I’d like something a little higher end also.

On days I would carry a multi I wouldn’t carry a knife. That kinda sucks
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#7

Post by Evil D »

Vic Spirit. It lacks the clip option but it has the best tool selection combo I've found. I've learned to live with the belt sheath even though I honestly hate them, I've managed to carry it for about 8 years now and it's second nature. Really I'm not sure where I'd clip it if I could since I have a knife in my RFP and a flashlight in my RRP and my cell in my LFP and my keys tucked in my LRP so belt sheath is sorta my last option anyway.
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#8

Post by npad69 »

LM squirt. I used to EDC a SAK swisschamp but its too heavy for daily carry for me
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#9

Post by ChrisinHove »

I swapped the PE blade on my Surge for a second file holder. Shaping the liner lock ramp was interesting. I also swapped one of the flat tools for a mini driver. It’s a hefty tool that I carry when I know I’ll be needing that level of capability, but for my just-in-case edc option it’s a Vic Spirit, Cybertool 41 or SwissChamp.

I find myself reaching for the Cybertool, with its micro bit driver and on-board bits, more and more often. If I’m staying somewhere away for a few days or more, I most likely take the Surge, LM accessory hex bit holder (or the Vic angle driver), and the Cybertool. A pocketwrench ii, aaa flashlight and pencil all stay in the Surge holster.

On a motorcycle trip, I’ll swap out the standard bits to torx, and add my Motion Pro multitool as well.

I like drivers for separate standard hex bits because you can customise / upgrade / replace the bits as you need or as they wear.
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Peter1960
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#10

Post by Peter1960 »

Vivi wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:25 pm
What do you carry?
Victorinox Spirit in my EDC pouch ...

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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#11

Post by James Y »

I EDC'd my Victorinox Swisstool Spirit for a few years, but now only carry it when doing work around the house. My EDC includes two Swiss Army knives, and I rarely need the other features on the Spirit. I would take it with me in a road trip, though.

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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#12

Post by Crux »

Leatherman Skeletool CX Pocket-Size Multi-Tool

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Can you find it and can it cut? :eek:
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#13

Post by knivesandbooks »

Crux wrote:
Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:01 pm
Leatherman Skeletool CX Pocket-Size Multi-Tool

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I wish they would give this one a redesign.
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#14

Post by Crux »

How so? My daughter uses it daily where she works at wildlife preserve and seems to love it. It doesn't need to be opened to extend the knife and the pliers are heat-treated so as to fairly strong. It's light and easy to clip on and off. #1 best seller for EDC tools.
Can you find it and can it cut? :eek:
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#15

Post by Daveho »

knivesandbooks wrote:
Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:03 pm
Crux wrote:
Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:01 pm
Leatherman Skeletool CX Pocket-Size Multi-Tool

Image
I wish they would give this one a redesign.
I agree-
With leatherman offering repayment cutters for their pliers, some nicer steel on blades and so on I think they could bring out something in the same vein but isn’t as hideous.
Blade shape is nice though.
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#16

Post by Crux »

I think it's got style. I have a dozen other EDC tools and they all have plus and minuses but when I researched to get one for my daughter, this one was the best I could find that was light and had just the tools she needed. I got her some compact bear spray to carry since that 22 yo intern here in NC was killed by a tiger a few days ago while she cleaned the cage. Tiger escaped and cornered her in the cage. Horrible stuff which is why I'm not especially happy about her being around big animals. She loves it so what can I say. At least I get to buy her knives. :)

I gave her one of these when she went off to college.

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Can you find it and can it cut? :eek:
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#17

Post by ThePeacent »

Vivi wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:25 pm
For a long time I carried a Micra in my pocket, but last year I started carrying a full sized multi-tool.
I like the tool selection on the Surge much better. It has an Awl and no useless (to me) eyeglass driver. I like that it can use jigsaw blades, has more robust scissors, and has a wider selection of screwdrivers. I like the large flat head drivers for prying.

The Wave weighs 4oz less though, which makes me think it'd make the more practical EDC. The tool selection is not nearly as good, but it still has the majority of what I'm used to having with me on my Rebar.

What do you carry?

hey Vivi, as you might now I am more into multi tools than I am into knives :o
The Surge is a brick. I mean, this is often said by people who are used to carrying SwissTools, Waves, ST300s, Gerber MP600s and big honking SOGs among other gear.

It's the most common drawback you'll see about it on every forum, board and probably everyday life.
I carry it often, but I do carry lots of things so it's a minor difference in weight in my EDC compared to a Spirit or Rebar :p

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the clip is good on the Wave/Surge and easy to put on or take away. It also has a nice lanyard hole. Usually the clip is wobbly on the Surge and dances a lot, on the Wave it's often straighter and more firmly installed.
They draw attention due to the shiny finish but I know you have no trouble where you live with tha :rolleyes:

re: toolset, I have two Surges, both the old model which I prefer (with an awl, no replaceable cutters, and other differences) . You could search for one, but modding the eyeglass bit driver with a small bit that is sharpened as to be an awl is easy. With security torx bits is easy to tinker or mode the Wave/Surge, and swap the implements

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(old Surge)

adding a clip to other Leatherman tools or Gerbers is pretty easy task :)

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the Wave is noticeably lighter, t's scissors are for light use, very precise. The Surge scissors are superb, tough, and very handy for most EDC tasks from big to small, unlike the Wave's. Also they are outside accesible, a big plus. The saw exchanger is fine and you can add lots of stuff and blades, if you have a use for hem and a carry method
Neither has the rust resistance or clocklike precision of swiss tools, but they don't get gunked up as easily and are more mod friendly, the OHO is a bonus that is lessened by having a great Spydie with you ;)

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(carrying the Surge will cancel any effort that you've made to lighten ounces on your EDC knives, lights and gear :( Definitely not ideal for hiking, mountain trailing and running )

I like to pair the Surge/Wave with a complimentary SAK that has different tools to cover all base between the two or three, but the Leatherman tools will be very versatile on their own for 90% of things. You can't go wrong with any of them, and now there's the Wave + too
ChrisinHove wrote:
I find myself reaching for the Cybertool, with its micro bit driver and on-board bits, more and more often. If I’m staying somewhere away for a few days or more, I most likely take the Surge, LM accessory hex bit holder (or the Vic angle driver), and the Cybertool. A pocketwrench ii, aaa flashlight and pencil all stay in the Surge holster.

the Cybertool is an excellent SAK to pair with almost any MT, but I find that the Wave/Surge/Skeletool have the "weird bits" matter covered with their bit kits and bit drivers :)

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Crux wrote: How so? My daughter uses it daily where she works at wildlife preserve and seems to love it. It doesn't need to be opened to extend the knife and the pliers are heat-treated so as to fairly strong. It's light and easy to clip on and off. #1 best seller for EDC tools.

the Skeletool is great, in fact I've had three, and I am not trying to start a war, but one of its attributes is definitely not strong pliers. Not just in my experience, it lacks strength and solidity compared to almost any multitool out there, and its breakages and failures are common and widely documented :confused:

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Also, the Wave and Micra are better sellers for Leatherman, but I concede that the Skele is definitely popular (enough so that it comes in six colors, two blade types, two handle materials and now in 2018, halved as to be standalone knives in the new line of products from LM :D )



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so, the Spirit with a clip and OHO blade would be the perfect tool for most, but it has none of those, alas the Wave becomes the most obvious (and most successful in sales) option :rolleyes:
Here are some of my favorite knives and multitools of all time, old and new, current production or discontinued :spyder:

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vivi
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#18

Post by vivi »

Thanks for your post peacant, I was hoping you'd chime in. You've given me a lot to think about.

Whether I go with a Wave, Surge, Signal or Swisstool Spirit, I'll be getting the black version for rust resistance. My Rebar is black and has stayed rust free so far, while my uncoated multitools have developed rust in the pivots.

I didn't realize modding a Leatherman would be as easy as you make it sound. That makes the Wave more appealing. I'd like to replace the eyeglass driver with an awl. Though I will say I'm giving the eyeglass driver another look after spending time with my 3 year old nephew. He always seems to have a toy that needs new batteries, and most of them have those tiny philips screws. Might come in handy after all.

While the swisstool spirit seems like it'd have the most comfortable pliers and best fit and finish, there are a few details it seems to lack. No one handed opening tools, no diamond coated file (that was my favorite feature on the Wave I used to own), no clip, etc. In a lot of ways it is more refined, but the more I think about it, the more I think a Leatherman is a better fit.

I'm leaning towards both are the moment. I'm picturing my setup being like this:

1. Leatherman Rev - Light weight EDC multitool
2. Leatherman Rebar - Light weight hiking / camping multitool (Lack of one handed opening is a plus when tossing it in a pack, nothing will come open by accident
3. Leatherman Wave - Go to EDC multi
4. Leatherman Surge - EDC when weight is no concern (Winter, heavy pants and belt on, not going running).

The Surge looks like the best tool out of them all, it's just heavy and large. But my current carry method works well enough with my 10.5oz full sized swiss tool, so I know I could carry a Surge comfortably this time of year at least. I have cargo pants that have vertical dividers in the cargo pocket, so a multitool rides vertical even when jogging around. I just know when I switch back to shorts this spring, the pocket clips will really come in handy.

The Wave looks much more practical to carry every day, even if it doesn't have every feature of the Surge.

I'm moving away from single blade folders. I've been carrying fixed blades and multitools lately and I really like that combo. My Rev weighs as much as my Manix XL but offers a lot more utility. My second knife that I pair with the multitool just needs to be something comfortable with a blade shape that works well for food. Today that's my L T Wright Frontier Valley, days when I want a bigger blade I have my Spyderco Street Bowie.
Crux wrote:
Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:05 pm
How so? My daughter uses it daily where she works at wildlife preserve and seems to love it. It doesn't need to be opened to extend the knife and the pliers are heat-treated so as to fairly strong. It's light and easy to clip on and off. #1 best seller for EDC tools.
I EDC'd one for a few months. I didn't like how the bit exchanger dug into my palm when I used the pliers, and the Rev offers more tools for half the price at the same weight.
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#19

Post by MacLaren »

Vic Spirit. I love it too...
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Re: Which multi-tool do you EDC?

#20

Post by Evil D »

I've never really thought about one hand opening tools on my MT's. The main thing I want in that regard is accessible tools from the outside while it's folded closed.

What exactly is a diamond file being used for? Man I all but hate those things in most file situations. I've had real metal file needs and the file Vic uses is very good.

The Spirit is far from perfect but it's my best compromise so far. Eventually I'll probably mod a Rebar and add the bits I want. There are so many Leatherman that are so close but missing bits I need or have poor examples of them (sorry I HATE the little bit drivers).
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