According to our friends over at Knifenews.com (full story HERE) the famous firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson has purchased Taylor Brands LLC for $85 million.  For those who don't know, Taylor has long produced knives and multitools with the Smith & Wesson name on them, and I have often commented on the quality (more accurately, the lack therof) of Taylor knives, whether they are marked S&W, Schrade, Uncle Henry or Imperial. 

For years I had labored under the impression that the folks at S&W were blissfully unaware of the crap that Taylor was producing with their name on it- I am a big fan of Smith & Wesson firearms, and that name has become (in my mind at least) synonomous with quality revolvers.  I had assumed that someone at Taylor had arranged for a dump truck full of cash to arrive on a bi-monthly schedule at the house of S&W's licensing manager, and that as a result, he or she just didn't ask any questions.  It seems that isn't the case, and that S&W is fully aware of the crap that Taylor is producing, and that is very disapointing to me.

The worst part is that S&W doesn't appear to even want to fix it- they seem content to merely take advantage of the distribution network that Taylor has, so that they can make their own in house accessories more available.  As if having their name on crappy knives wasn't damaging enough to the brand, now Smith & Wesson will be selling their actual merchandise on the shelves right next to crud, strengthening the connection.

This is one of those times when I really hope I am wrong.  As I said, I have lots of respect for S&W, and I hate to see them take a bad decision (like giving a license to Taylor in the first place) and make it worse.

Def

Pry tools seem to be a dime a dozen these days with everyone wanting to get in on the action. Pry tools used to be something only the higher end knife makers made as a way to save users from using their knives in ways they were not intended to be used. Since the Atwood craze, the mafket has been flooded by all kinds of styles and designs. Some are very creative and interesting while others giving you the impression that they are out to make a buck.

Were you looking for an expert on multitools, Swiss army knives, outdoor gear and more? Well, you won't find just one here. You'll find a few thousand. This is easily the best place to find up to date and historical information on multitools and more.

Whether you stay here on our website or browse and join our active Multitool Forum you'll be among experts.

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.

The results are quite exceptional- we have a vast and comprehensive shared experience with virtually any tool that one can be curious about- and we continue to push the boundaries with more tools in more places and situation.

Multitool.org is the brainchild of Grant Lamontagne, a guy with the desire to do more and go further than he did yesterday. Respected in the outdoor gear industry, Grant made his mark testing and using multitools, knives and many other outdoors products while shooting, kayaking, camping, cycling and Jeeping his way across the vast Canadian Wilderness. On lazy days he stays home and clears plugged drains, changes locks and paints walls and fixes things.

Grant is joined by his partner Megan Blumenthal, a former outdoor gear marketer and avid outdoorswoman with a love of archery, paddling, fishing and campfire cooking. Anything but a glamper, Megan dreams of tenting in every Canadian National Park. The second she leaves the office she's outdoors cycling, kayaking, camping and more. 

Multitool.org has a crack team of technicians and designers such as Micah Johnson and Esteban Soler, who maintain the vehicle that brings Grant’s testing and experiences, plus those of a planet full of members via our forum and Facebook page.

Thrunite has a wide range of practical lights from big to small, flooders to throwers, with various user interfaces for whatever you need, and now they've got some room to get their fancy on.  Presenting the T20T Neutral White edition:  titanium body, neutral beam, and clicky tail switch!

Thanks to Thrunite for providing the T20T NW for review.