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It's that time of year again! 2018 is here and while we are all excited about what new tools and gear are going to be announced at the 2018 SHOT Show, we also need to take a moment and look back on the gear issued in 2017!
As with last year's poll, each member has the opportunity to vote for up to three tools on the list, because let's face it, we all have a hard time just picking one!
As we get closer and closer to SHOT we are starting to get more and more info on what kinds of things we are likely to see from each of the big manufacturers. This year the folks at BladeHQ are giving us our first looks at what Leatherman is releasing, something the folks at Leatherman were't happy about when I announced their new tools before they did a few years ago during the Sidekick and Wingman debut.
Just announced, the new Maxpedition Entity series of Non-Tactical/Tactical (NTT) bags designed to look unassuming, yet afford the organiazional options needed for covert operators. Yup, insert rolling eye smiley here. The marketing is over the top (as usual), but the reality of having a non-ninja type bag but with all of the organizational possibilities we are used to in miilitary style gear would probably come in handy to those of us that don't commute to and from war zones.
Here at Multitool.org we pay close attention to industry trends and changes to legislation that could impact our Members. As always, we promote the safe and enjoyable use of multitools, fixed blades, folding knives, one piece multitools and more.
A Canadian love affair with folding knives.
Many of our Members are campers, hikers and general outdoorspeople. We use folding knives as tools for our everyday life - as useful extensions of ourselves. Folders (folding knives) are extremely popular for a multitude of reasons, especially safety and convenience.
Although extremely popular, fixed blades have been known to pop through a leather sheath or two, but a folder tucks neatly inside itself for safety's sake. Their modest size makes them the perfect carrying knife for cutting up apples on a hike, to cutting a piece of rope while setting up camp.
One handed opening folding knives are extremely convenient for the busy Canadian camper. Cold, wet hands can making opening up a traditional Swiss Army Knife quite difficult. Whereas one-handed opening blades like the Victorinox one-handed Trekker are simple and efficient.
This week, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) rendered a decision in Appeal No. AP-2017-012, T. LaPlante v. President of the Canada Border Services Agency regarding knives which open automatically by centrifugal force (centrifugal knives).
Why this decision matters.
CBSA has modified their prohibited weapons classifications to include a very large selection of folding knives. And they're calling them 'folding knives' by name! Not just 'centrifugal or gravity knives'. That means, that this large selection could no longer be legally imported into Canada. It's also worth speculating that they could become prohibited weapons by law in the future. This is setting precedent.
The new definition states that centrifugal knives will be classified as prohibited weapons if the following conditions are met:
A) a knife has a blade that opens by centrifugal force, when the blade is released from the handle into the fully ejected and locked position with a simple and brisk outwardly flick of the wrist; and
B) it includes knives that require some preliminary or simultaneous minimal manipulation of either a flipper or other non-edged parts of the blade.
But what does it really mean for folding knives in Canada?
When you look at point 'A' it doesn't cause much of a concern. But “B” changes everything. A non-edged part of the blade could include an opening thumb hole or a stud. It could mean that you gently released the blade yourself with your thumb along the side of the blade. Once released, many if not most folding knives will open easily or after 2-3 tries with a 'brisk outwardly flick of the wrist'. The full CITT decision allows for multiple attempts. We are extremely concerned that the majority of folding knives in Canada will be classified as prohibited weapons as this new definition lacks specificity.
We tested the CBSA definition on common folding knives – the results weren't good.
We went through our vast collection and tried out many folding knives found at Canadian Tire, Cabela's and other popular stores. Of course, some folding knives were easier to open than others. But once you add the definition of knives 'that require some preliminary or simultaneous minimal manipulation of either a flipper or other non-edged parts of the blade' - almost all of the folding knives we tested failed the test.
For example, the popular Swiss Army Knife, the Victorinox Trekker or the Forrester M Grip (seen in the gif) failed the test and would be classified as prohibited based on the CBSA definition. With a very slight manipulation of the thumb hole, and with a 'brisk outwardly flick of the wrist' the knife blade locks into place. We also tested the Pictou, NS Canadian-made Grohman R300S Lockblade – it failed the test and would be classified as prohibited as well.
Multitool.org's stance on the CITT decision and CBSA notice regarding Centrifugal Opening Knives
We believe that the CITT decision and CBSA notice do not reflect the Canadian government's intention or the spirit of the law.
The Criminal Code of Canada classifies a prohibited weapon (knife) as ' a blade that opens automatically by gravity or centrifugal force or by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in or attached to the handle of the knife'.
And we firmly believe that the spirit of this law is to protect Canadians, especially law-enforcement. We do not believe that Canada's Parliamentarians would call for a ban on basic folding knives which are so popular from coast to coast to coast.
What can we do?
Continue to be law-abiding users of the tools you own. If you're in Canada, reach out to your Member of Parliament and let them know your concerns. Let them know that you believe the CBSA notice does not reflect the spirit of the Criminal Code of Canada.
It seems that more and more companies are giving the multi-tool format a whirl. In recent years, Ganzo is yet another company producing these useful and quirky steel butterflies.
In an attempt to gauge their quality, usability, and value, we will be looking at their most expensive and popular multi-tool, the G302-B.
With the introduction of the new black Gerber Center-Drive I thought it was about time to do a Group Buy on them. We should have also done one when the Center-Drive was originally issued, but we were a bit tied up with another Group Buy at the time, and when we got around to Gerber, everyone already had one.
It's my birthday and I'll give stuff away if I want to.... give stuff away if I want to..... give stuff away if I want to..... You'd give stuff away too if it happened to you!
Ok, now that I am going to have that song stuck in my head all day.... #facepalm
Here's this year's Birthday Extravaganza Giveaway:
It's a SOG PowerPlay with molded sheath, which I personally prefer over their nylon sheath because it's easy to clip on to virtually anything. The nylon sheath is actually really good too, but in this instance the molded nylon one is pretty sweet!
How are you going to get this excellent tool? Well, this year I am 43 years old, and I scoured the internet looking at numerology sites, scientific sites, occult sites and so on and found absolutely nothing special about the number 43 that I could use as a gimmick for the giveaway, so to commemorate that there's nothing at all special about being 43, I am calling it the Def's 43 Nothing Special Birthday Extravaganza!
Here's what you have to do- just make a post IN THIS THREAD wishing me a happy birthday (since I'm so narcissistic I want everyone to participate!) and you are entered into the draw I will make tomorrow morning (October 21st) for the SOG PowerPlay!
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
As a special little twist (you know, since there's nothing special this year! :P) if you post a pic of your EDC in your happy birthday post, I will throw in a little extra surprise if you win. Only those who post their EDC pic will be eligible to win the extra, whatever it is.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S EVEN MORE!
Seriously? Isn't the free tool enough?
NOPE!
Because here is something extra- for the next 24 hours, everything in The Multitool.org Store is 10% off when you use the code BIRTHDAY at checkout! No fooling!
I don't know what else to say, but that all of this seems like a pretty exceptional birthday celebration for a nothing special birthday to me!
In the off chance you have not yet seen it, CRKT has released a new plier based multitool, the Technician:
The SOG PowerAccess is all new for 2017, and is perhaps the best looking multitool we have seen in a long time. With it's stonewashed finish and angular handles it is just as much a work of art as it is a tool, and as it features a pocket clip instead of a sheath, it is more likely to be there when you want it! The PowerAccess has been likened to one of SOG's previous designs, the PowerPlier, which is almost universally lauded as one of the best tools to ever come from SOG- and that's high praise indeed for a company that also brought us the original Tool Clip!
In an early morning announcement on Instagram, company founder Mick Strider states that after 25 years, Strider Knives is closing it's doors.
Ever have a secret that you want to tell but you can't? It gets a lot worse when it's a case of you can't tell yet. I have- in fact, I have been really resisting the urge to go public with something that we have been working on for a while, but it's finally time!
This is it, the Grande Finale! Buckle up boys and girls!
The ending may surprise you somewhat, but it was absolutely, 100% as objective as I can personally get, and I stand by it. But, enough rambling about it- let's get down to it and find out once and for all, which multitool is better!
And, if you haven't seen the first three parts to this shootout you may want to check them out before this one:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |
To continue our epic battle between large sliding head plier tools from both Leatherman and Gerber, today we are looking closely at the blades. Since both tools feature plain and serrated blades, we thought we would put them together and see how they stack up. Since blades are among the most used functions on a multitool we thought it was only fitting to dedicate an entire battle to just them.
As we begin, both the Center-Drive and the One Hand Tool (OHT) are tied at six points after Leatherman's early lead in Part 1 and Gerber's almost total domination in Part 2. Both tools are going to try to pull ahead today, as the final challenge is tomorrow, and time is running out!
Yesterday I brought you the first part of the epic battle between the Gerber Center-Drive and the Leatherman One Hand Tool. When the smoke cleared from Round 1, Leatherman stepped out with three points, completely shutting out Gerber and their Center-Drive. With that much of a lead right out of the gates, can Gerber come back? The contest is far from over, so let's find out in Round 2.
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.