Swiss army knives, etc

[T i m]

Agreed. For similar reasons I also carry my phone in an horizontal belt pouch, that way I'm less likely to put it down or have it fall out of a pocket. It's also reasonably well protected there (I normally put it in there with the glass towards me).

I think you can go too far though with all the extra / addon bits you can get with some of these tools nowdays etc. [1]

When I worked for Kodak as a (walking) Field Tech they gave us a very well appointed tool case and when we wandered (struggled) into to work from the training school for the first time to start work, the 'old boys' reminisced and chuckled about what we were all carrying. Slowly but surely we all started to leave tools in our lockers and also all bought smaller tool-cases ... until we had refined them down to just the 'must have' stuff. That is where I think I am with the Leatherman PST II and why I bought a second hand replacement as that tool is no longer available new.

Another 'gotcha' is although you can often find a multitool that has all that is required, they often come with locking blades and that makes it very difficult for 'everyday carry'. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[1] And even if it does come with say some hex bits, unlike screwdriver bits you really do need the *exact* right one and the chances are that isn't a size carried in the set. ;-(

[news]

After a colleague got pinched in a local shop for having his knife on a belt I relegated my leatherman wave to the toolkit. He got off because he could prove he had just popped in to buy something on his way home but too much hassle to risk.

I bought a Leatherman mini, unfortunately no longer made as it is easy to nip bits of skin in use, which I always wear on the belt pouch. The blade is adequate at 33mm but does not keep its edge at all well.

I use the pliers, blade and screwdriver but very seldom the bottle and can opener. I use it most days.

AJH

[Tim Lamb]

Huh! This is urban fringe. The chances of successfully blocking a right of way are lower than TNP and Dave accidentally shaking hands:-)

Actually I don't mind sharing but it would help if they left the tennis ball thrower at home and kept to the line of the path.

>

[T i m]

What sort of 'knife' was it OOI?

Because it has locking blades (even sub 3") and therefore 'illegal' to be carried in public (without good reason) presumably?

Quite. Ironically pretty well anything could be classed as a point or sharp (presuming it has either ) and even blunt things can be used offensively. ;-( [1]

I think we have one of those somewhere.

No, being stainless steel I have also found that but it is quite strong and often used as a scraper (where being too sharp wouldn't be an advantage). I think if I needed a very sharp blade on my I'd probably just use a straight quality (non ss) penknife.

About the same as me then and probably, about the same as most 'practical' people. I wonder how many are bought for people as presents but end up in a draw because they are simply too big or heavy (because of the tools that most people would rarely if ever use)?

I often feel 'lost' without it and get that heart sinking feeling like you get when you go for your phone or wallet and find it is missing. I'm also like a bear with a sore a$$ if I've potentially only left it somewhere (safe), not just because I don't want to lose it but often because I need it!

The Leatherman was upstairs the other day and I just needed to undo a couple of medium flat bladed screws in a 13A plug top. Of course I could *only* find either massive or tiny flat bladed screwdrivers or every size of Pozi they ever made in the handy draws or toolbox downstairs. So, I went upstairs and took the Leathernan off my belt knowing that not only could I easily undo the two slotted screws but also cut, strip and trim the wires.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. If I lost this PST II, and the one I bought as a spare , I really don't know what my upper limit would be re me buying replacement. ;-(

[1] Because the blade on my PST II is non locking and worn a bit loose, I think there would me more chance of cutting my own fingers off than getting it to stick into someone/thing! ;-(

[Roger Hayter]

Yes, I shouldn't have responded to your valid point, but two mile barbed wire fences transecting right to roam areas are a pet irritation of mine. You must have to put up with a lot in a semi-urban area!

[news]

What's an OOI knife? He was wearing a sheath knife as we had been planting.

Yes, I had good reason but as I said the mini did the job without attracting attention.

Therein is a question I would like the answer to: disposable razor blades are ss and do the job.

I also use an opinel 8 which is quite handy, not ss, and I can get an edge on it good enough to cut the hairs on the back of my hand but it dulls quickly. I often use it to cut cardboard boxes for the fire and it needs honing after a few cuts.

I also have a sandvik hand axe that sharpens and keeps an edge better than the opinel.

I asked here some time back about using an induction heater to harden the very edge of the blade but haven't tried it yet.

AJH

[T i m]

Out Of Interest. ;-)

I think you would have to be very careful about *always* having a 'good reason' to be carrying an 'illegal' knife (and why you don't now). ;-)

Not sure cutting hair is the same as being asked to cut all sorts of stuff though is it. ;-)

Oh. That said, my Uncle worked in a cucumber nursery and he used a fairly short knife, like a paring knife against his thumb to cut the cucumbers down. They didn't last long as he was sharpening them pretty regularly and they ended up looking like a tiny scythe. ;-)

Strange.

That's one of those things the Samurai armourers were good at apparently. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Adam Funk]

+1, I was pleasantly surprised by the prices for toothpicks & tweezers. I didn't know the scissor springs were easy to change --- thanks.

[Bob Eager]

Take a look. The end of the spring is looped, and simply presses into a snug hole with a slot for the spring to emerge.

[Adam Funk]

Is it just a matter of pushing the old one out with something (e.g., a punch) the right size, then forcing the new one in?

[Bob Eager]

Yes, although the amount of force required isn't that great.

[Graham Nye]

I have a Swiss Army Champ and a Gerber suspension multi-tool[1] which is a Leatherman style tool with large pliers:

I use my SAK much more than the Gerber. I think the choice comes down to the pliers. If you need a large pair of pliers then the Leatherman style is for you. (I haven't used mine to cut through a fence yet, but thanks for the tip.)

However the other tools on the Gerber seem inferior to the SAK. Sometimes it's because the tools have to be shorter to fit but all the edged tools are blunt and the cross-head screwdriver is rather compromised by being only 2.2 mm thick. Conversely the cross-head screwdriver in the SAK gives a positive fit in common cross-head screw sizes. (It's 5 mm across the tips in both directions.) In general the SAK is suitable for smaller tasks (and for larger tasks I'll dig out some proper tools).

As far as compact screwdriver kits go I use either my SAK, proper screwdrivers or reasonable quality multi-bit sets. Nothing consisting of sets of moulded cheese bits that fit in their handle.

[1] Bought in a US supermarket. If I had an Arizona driving licence I could have bought a firearm from the same counter.

[Andy Burns]

For £1.50 less you can get knife that by itself sells for £14 (and a gift tin).

[Graham Nye]

I just added the link for the picture rather than as a buying recommendation but, yes, that would be better value. Note the blade on the knife locks open so you'd need to be careful where you take it.

I did mention buying it in a US supermarket:

(currently $22.99)

[Adam Funk]

Thanks again.