The answer, in my opinion, is simple: real !@#$in’ pliers! Some pocketknives come with pliers, yes, but those things are just too darn small and fragile to do a lot of jobs I’ve wanted to do. Of course, not everyone will find a use for having a good set of pliers on them, but you will really never know until you try it. After carrying a multi-tool for a while, I now use those pliers quite frequently!