So imagine you're at a fancy dress party, and there is a big plate of hors d'oeuvres sitting on the table. But alas, there are no more forks! "Darn." You think to yourself, but you remember you have your trusty sidekick, Leatherman Flair on your belt! What can a Leatherman be any good to you at a fancy dinner party anyway? Well, let me show you.

All I can say is, “Wow!”

From the moment I opened the box it was clear that this was no ordinary multitool. On the contrary, it may well be the most industrial-strength multitool ever produced. No thin, flimsy sheet metal construction is to be found on it anywhere. The handles are all solid cast aluminum, just like a big Rigid brand pipe wrench. The shears themselves are two slabs of hardened stainless steel ground to perfection, and they pivot on a massive 1/4” diameter bolt. The whole device simply oozes quality and strength.

I used to carry a well known name brand multi-tool until I found a couple superior options ( based on 40+ years as a fire fighter, police officer and bomb disposal ( EOD ) technician ). I have owned most every multi tool out there and abused them all ( that's why the good ones have a lifetime warranty ) . The two best suited for emergency service in my opinion are the SOG Powerlock S60 Made in the USA and the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife SwissTool RS made in Switzerland, both with lifetime warranties.

Sooner or later all good things must come to an end and us old guys get put out to pasture to allow the young blood(s) in an organization rise to the top. Semi retired now I find my self more in the teaching mode of the nuts + bolts of how things work rather than being on the front lines leading the charge. Consequently with more free time to work around the house, truck and and other boy "toys" I took a serious look at the two multitools I had carried over the years and evaluated them against getting something more fitting for my current needs, something that would be used everyday, lighter weight and not have all the life saving tools featured on my previous EDC ( Every Day Carry ) multitools I had been carrying on the job. It should be noted there is a SOG S60 in the console of my Avalanche and a "RS" in my wife’s Honda Pilot glove-box just in case !

Columbia River Knife and Tool entered the multitool world last year with the release of the ZillaTool. While it was praised for it's design and innovation many people including my self may have passed on it for it's hefty size and length. Some people said that while they liked the tool it was just to long to carry around and use with the pocket clip. While it looks like the people over at I.D. Works (the design division at CRKT that came up with the ZillaTool) were listening for this year they released a smaller more pocket friendly version of the Zillatool aptly named the ZillaTool Jr.