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Big teeth: The Bear Jaws
I recently acquired my first outside-opening tool (thanks to supratentorial) in the form of a Bear MGC (now known as Bear and Sons Cutlery) Bear Jaws. I have been resistant to outside opening tools for some time, mainly due to the exposed nature of the tool compartment and the seemingly easy access this would give dirt, dust and other miscellaneous crap. After carrying and using this tool for only a week or so I have realized that even if the tools are bare to the elements the easy access to said tools heavily outweighs the supposed detriment.
Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT for short) has been well known for their fair priced knives made from well known and respected members of the knife community. CRKT makes a knife for virtually every kind of task you can think of and the only thing they haven't ventured into is the multitool market, until now that is.
About six months ago CRKT announced on their website that a division of their company called I.D. Works (which is an acronym for Inspired Design) is producing two multitools that will be released in June. The multitool enthusiasts and the general market alone was not only welcoming them with open arms, but the market needs a fresh face to it. So many of the tools out there are being made by manufacturers that have been making them since time began, and it was time for someone new with a fresh perspective to add something to the picture.
Nowadays the multitool market is quite diverse. Ordinarily we focus on the higher end tools, but I recently received some more affordable tools that are available at many chain and hardware store. I was impressed with the overall quality for the price, especially with the Mountaineer.
Leatherman’s Blast model was a pleasant surprise when I received it. After having the Kick for a while, then moving up to the Fuse I appreciated the locking mechanism but I was so disappointed by the new scissor design that I think it jaded me. It took the Blast to really get my attention again in this series.
While the PowerLock seems to be the first tool that comes to mind when one thinks of SOG tools, the Pocket Power Plier is perhaps my personal favorite. The more compact size of the Pocket Power Plier seems to be the more “carry-able” version of the big powerhouse.
This is another one of those things that I looked at for years and could never really see the point of. In fact, I couldn’t even figure out how the darned thing worked from most of the pictures I saw, so I never really paid it that close attention. Until now.
It seems lately that most manufacturers are trying to make the biggest tool because that equates to the heaviest duty and the best bang for the buck. Well, the Core is the replacement to Leatherman’s Super Tool and Super Tool 200 , and the predecessor to Leathermans other big boy, the Surge .
Leatherman’s Crunch is a unique model that really has no peers in the multitool industry. Certainly there are a few locking plier tools out there such as the Schrade ST6 and the discontinued Kershaw locking plier tool, but each of those tools is clunky due to the permanently fixed head. The Crunch’s greatest strength is the folding head that allows it to fold into the size of a regular full sized multitool like the PST series , Wave or SwissTool Spirit .
Several months ago the idea of a Multitool.org logo imprinted tool began being discussed. Since I sell promotional products and have managed the SOSAK Knife Project, our fearless leader, Defender asked me to see what I could find. I stumbled upon a company named Hard Hat Knives and Flashlights. They offer imprinting on a wide variety of tools in their catalog including Leatherman and SOG. The most intriguing tool was the Hard Hat Journeyman.
The engineers from Gerber were listening, and finally addressed a couple of long-standing opinions about their multitools. You all know what I’m talking about; the way Gerber Multi-Pliers have always been “loose” and “rattly.” And the tendency Gerber tools have of pinching the palm of your hand, because the inside of the handles get so close together when you clamp down with the pliers on a thin object.
I’m pleased to report that both of these issues have been improved with the Diesel.
After being so pleased with the Juice KF4 I received a couple of months ago, I decided it was time to take the plunge and get the big boy of the series, the XE6. Mostly, I missed the scissors of the S2 .
One of the most overlooked little tools in the multitool industry is Leatherman’s Micra. I say this because little is ever said of this keychain wonder, and yet just about everyone has one- at least had one judging by the vast number of used tools available at TSA auctions! Much like the Victorinox Classic or Wenger Esquire models, the Micra is one of those tiny little tools that you completely forget about until you need it, and you probably use it a lot more often than you realize, which is something you will only find out after it’s gone!
Ordinarily I'd find a pretty, shiny new tool to take pics of, but this time I felt it best to show off my battered old Micra to illustrate how useful this little gadget really is!
SOG products are well known for their innovative designs and forward thinking that has made them one of the more popular toolmakers in the industry. Before receiving the CrossGrip and CrossCut, I was expecting something closer size wise to a half pint Pocket Power Pliers ; instead I was surprised to see something more along the lines of my Gerber Clutch . Initial impressions; I was fascinated by the quality and how SOG keeps making tools with those gears, but this time on a much smaller scale.
Gerber Legendary Blades has been making multitools for what seems like forever, they seem to be about as old as Leatherman themselves. Before Gerber was owned by Fiskars they had released their first tool and it has definitely changed over the years. The first version had no locking system (much like the LM PST) and was simple in nature. Time progressed and locks were added as well as some small changes in tool design, but the 600 stays true to its roots as a testament to what kind of tool that Gerber tools were made of. The 600 can be seen as a classic or a retro tool; it reminds us of the multitools of our past. Sure Gerber has new tools like the Freehand, Recoil and the Diesel etc. And the 600 gets a lot of trash because it’s being compared to the current designs on the market. I mean; come on…how many of you remember when the PST had 3 different screwdriver blades…..all the same, did we complain then?
What kind of people would write collect and review multitools? Quite simple really- we are designers and do-ers, outdoors types and indoor types, mechanics, doctors, problem solvers and problem makers. As such, we have, as a world spanning community, put every type, size and version of multitool, multifunction knife, pocket knife and all related products to every test we could manage in as many places and environments as there are.