Nauti
Well-known member
Was doing a job today and just thought i'd post a thread about multi tools (i lead a boring life)From top to bottom is the Roxon Phantom,the Leatherman Surge,Leatherman crunch and the Swiss ChampThe Phantom is the top model from Chinese firm Roxon and has some brilliant features such as interchangeable blades and the best scissors found on any multitool,the way some of the tools open and close is also quite innovative.The top manufacturers should take note of this company because some of the features outshine the features on their models although the quality isn't quite there yet......nonetheless great tool for the money.
The Leatherman Surge.....what can i say,this is the tool i used on a daily basis when i was a maintenance operative on a holiday park.Yes it's a big tool but its the only one if you want one for a variety of jobs on a daily basis....its the closest multi tool to using proper hand tools.....built like a tank,it never let me down once and i gave it quite a hard time.Best for heavy maintenance on a daily basis and makes their other tools look a bit like toys in some ways.
The Leatherman Crunch.......never used it once,i bought this when it was discontinued because i thought it may become a bit of a collectors piece....and it has.Would it be any good as a tool for me.....not unless i specifically wanted the adjustable grips which i didn't.Is it a good tool.....too right it is,very innovative and useful if you need those grips,a hexagonal drive feature under the adjusting nut gives access to an unlimited number of driver options and the other tools are useful,if a bit small.I won't ever use it though.....i will keep it in its brand new condition as a collectors piece.
The Swiss Champ.Obviously this isn't in the same class of tool as the others but in a way these multi function pen knives are the original multitools.
So which tool do i use the most now.....well its the Swiss Champ for a number of reasons.First reason is i live in Britain so locking blades are illegal.....that prevents me carrying most multi tools......apart from the Phantom where i can remove the blade but that takes away one of the most useful features on a tool.The next thing is size,most useful multi tools are bigger and heavier than the Champ and for an edc i want something that is unobtrusive to carry.Features......in reality the Champ has everything you need for an edc,i find a use for this tool every day and rarely do you need a large pair of pliers.Stuff like the tweezers (for removing splinters),toothpick,small pin and even the magnifying glass are more useful in an everyday situation than a large pair of pliers......the small pliers in the penknife have proved useful on numerous occasions and are usually enough if this type of tool is required.The quality of all the tools in this knife are top notch too,the saw for example is a lot better than you will find on most multi tools and there are other useful tools that you don't find on Leatherman or sog and Gerber models.
This is just the right tool for me as an edc,even if i could carry tools with locking blades the Champ would be my go to tool because of its size and myriad of useful features......what are your favourites.