Being tactical requires organizational skills
In the last few weeks, I’ve lost my tactical pen and my multi-tool. I need a tactical purse.
I’m sold on the TacPen. Anyhoo, any recommendations on a new multi-tool? Anything wizbang tactical come out since the skeletool?
July 14th, 2010 at 8:53 am
Leatherman is now making a couple of gun specific multi tools , one for the ar-15 platform iirc . They look a lot like the skeletool .
July 14th, 2010 at 9:25 am
I like em all! I have three and like all three of them. One is a SOG paratool, its very ruged and works well, but I dislioke the construction of it, the way its built it can sometimes be difficult to work with. The 2nd one is a Leatherman and I dont recall which model, but it is very well constructed and it works great, I also like the individual quality of the tools in it. The last Is a military model Gerber, its like the one that comes in hte large Otis cleaning kits. IT is an awsome peice. Non reflective black finish, indexable cutter/wire stripper, high quality tools and it is the classic gerber style construction. If I had to choose between what I have and all of the ones I had looked at it would be the Gerber(aforementioned) or new model SOG that the Army is also issuing to soldiers in the field, they are both very good tools with lots of goodies in htem.
July 14th, 2010 at 9:40 am
Closest thing to what I carry every day is a Gerber Multi-Plier 600. I own several.
July 14th, 2010 at 10:12 am
IIRC, Leatherman supported John Kerry in 2004.
I don’t remember whether he supported Barack in 2008.
This probably means something to some people but nothing to others.
It’s worth knowing, though.
July 14th, 2010 at 10:17 am
I’ve always preferred Gerbers, but the Leatherman Mutt is pretty tempting simply because it’s got gun tools.
July 14th, 2010 at 10:30 am
I love my Victorinox SwissTool RS. It’s on the hefty side, but great to use–lots of tools, and rock solid.
July 14th, 2010 at 10:31 am
I gave up the multi and went with a Victorinox One-Hand Trekker. No pliers and not strong enough for tactical use (though I’d be glad to use it so if necessary), I still have it out of pocket maybe 8 to 10 times a day. I added a pocket clip (actually a stick-on ClipDraw designed for auto pistols).
Trying to figure out a way to add an LED light in one scale side.
Anyhow, I’ve found out I never needed the pliers…once I quit carrying them.
July 14th, 2010 at 10:40 am
I’ve been quite happy with the Leatherman Wave.
July 14th, 2010 at 11:56 am
I’ve had a Gerber multi-pliers for years and love it.
July 14th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
I get whatever they have at Costco, they usually come with a flashlight. There’s a WAVE in my range-bag and a BLAST in my truck, and I had a MICRA on my keyring but I used it so much I killed the scissor cutters – it was my second one… I use the pliers to pull thousands of staples on range target-backers, and the Micra scissors for everything else they’re not supposed to be used for.
July 14th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
I finally gave in and bought a man purse:
http://www.lapolicegear.com/majusve.html
Guys are always complimenting me on it.
July 14th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
For what it’s worth, a couple of weeks ago the Army issued me a Gerber Military Multi-tool when I deployed to Kuwait. It looks a lot like their 600 series tool. I had to look at their web-site and saw one specially for Military engineers. It has a tool for crimping blasting caps on to det cord, and a punch for putting a hole in C4 for your blasting cap. Cool! While I have no real need for anything like that these days, it would be fun to have one for when you’re one upping your buddies. But back to my Military multi-tool, I’ll probably leave it in my locker most of the time and carry my Gerber Crucial. It is a very nice minimalist tool. I also have an older model Gerber tool that gets a lot of use. Anyway, enough babbling, its hot here. It hit 122 degrees yesterday.
July 14th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
I still stick with my Victorinox SwissChamp. I’m on my second one in about 18 years (first one had the scissors finally wear out and I bent the corkscrew).
The most important tools, in my use, are scissors, pen, bottle opener, toothpick, tweezers, and pliers. Rarely the saw or the can opener or the inch ruler on the fish scaler. Never used any of the other crap, but it’s hard to get Just And Only What I Want…
(I also have an Original Leatherman I’ve had for about as long, which I got used. It has far superior pliers, but that’s about all I use it for.
And much like ka says, I just carry around a “messenger bag”, aka a purse. As a medievalist, the term doesn’t bother me, since it’s historically unisex, and anyone that doesn’t like it can figuratively bite me.
That way there’s no annoying filling and emptying pockets, forgetting to do either, dropping stuff, sitting on it…)
July 14th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
This x1000. This is the most valuable single item I own in terms of use derived from it.
July 14th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
I still have a Leatherman Supertool 200 that I got at the start of OIF 3, I have a couple of Gerber multitools that were issued or came with our weapon cleaning kits, and I carry a Skeletool daily.
July 14th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I carry a mid-sized Swiss army knife and 6″ vice-grip pliers. I same weight, less cost, suits my needs.
As for Gerber, back in the USMC I was in a unit where three of our four “gerbers” had tool “bits” break off. We actually had one guy buy another unit to use as spare parts.
July 14th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
I’ve carried a Leatherman Wave for some time. Use it every day. It fits me and my needs.
Really, it comes down to what tools you need in a day and what tools you want to have be that handy (on your belt so it’s with you all the time, in your range bag so if the AR pukes at the range you can fix it, etc.). Doesn’t matter what the rest of us say. Gotta find what fits your needs.
July 14th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Bill, a tool with a detonator crimper on it trumps all other multi-tools. I mean, what if you feel a need to go fishing…
July 14th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
I’m never was a big fan of Leathermans, I admit their nice tools but their just not for me. Too many things I didn’t like about them, I tried them several times and always seem to come back to my Gerbers. Don’t know, I might be biased towards them. That Leatherman Mut looks good though, especially for the AR fans out their. I’m not one but if I was I’d go grab one of those Muts.
July 14th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Leatherman Kick. Everything you want, nothing you don’t, and a blade that stays sharp for-EVAH.
July 14th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Is not Leatherman producing some kind of 1911/AR-15/firearms-in-general related multitool in the near future? Or was that someone’s pipedream I misinterpreted as a possibility?
July 14th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
… and it helps if I read the first comment in this thread…
July 15th, 2010 at 12:04 am
Countycomm.com has all kinds of neat bags.
July 15th, 2010 at 12:10 am
I haul a maratac extreme response bag around as a briefcase/laptop case. Fits in the overhead (sans EDC, which is in the checked).
July 15th, 2010 at 6:49 am
Nobody wants to say it, so I will, multi-tools suck. I own two, a generic POS that I keep in a guitar case, and a Stanley that I got as a gift. If it comes to the point, and I have to actually use one of them, the missing piece of finger meat will be well deserved.
July 16th, 2010 at 9:43 am
I have a Gerber Legend,broke off the carbide teeth cutting some thin rebar type wire I found at the beach.
Love the Fiskar scissors,the heft is good and the saw is excellent..and replaceable with a standard saw blade.
That stays in the vehicle or my tool bag at all times.
For personal carry,I have a Leatherman Micra I’ve carried on my keys since 1997.
Both tools serve their purposes very well. I wouldn’t use the Micra for jobs that calls for the Legend and vice versa..