Gentlemen, thanks for the advice! Right now I'm leaning either toward the Squirt or Benchmade Benchmite.

If you have any more ideas please feel free to share. Just keep in mind that I'm looking for a small, light blade for discreet and legal carry, something that doesn't have "tactical" written all over it and would easily fit inside a pocket without indexing too much. So no Spydercos or Leatherman Wave, please - I EDC those already but now I need a backup folder for going to places where bigger, meaner folders and multitools are either illegal or inappropriate.

I have one, and I much prefer the lower end of the Juice range. The S2 is much slimmer and has all the basics - knife and scissors, flat and Philips screwdriver, bottle and can-opener, pliers and wire-cutters.

(I actually carry the next one up, the Cs4, which adds wood saw, awl and bottle-opener, none of which would be important if I was as concerned about space and weight.)

I have one of those, too. The pliers are mostly useful as tongs. I suppose it depends on what you want it for. The blade is OK for opening packages and a great many similar light jobs. It's not a survival knife by any means. Nothing at this end of the range would be good for batoning.

I tend to carry a little Squirt P4, SAK Classic, and a mini-Griptilian. Covers all my basic likely daily tasks. The pliers on the P4 are great for *light* use. The Classic has the scissors, toothpick, and usable nail file. The mini-Grip has the blade.

Sounds like your main focus is a decent small blade - I would say go with the Benchmite over the Squirt then. The Squirt is a handy tool but the blade doesn't lock, is a bit awkward to use due to the multi-tool thing and while it is sharp it is profiled like a chisel (ground on only one side). On the other hand the Benchmite does have a locking blade with reasonable quality steel and a decent edge profile. With a small lanyard on the handle the ergonomics aren't bad and are definitely better then for the Squirt.

I have had both for several years and I tend to carry the Benchmite in my pocket while the squirt is relegated to my portable kit (a usb memory stick container) that is close by but not always on my person.

Try out the benchmite, you might also look at the Ken Onion Chive knife by Kershaw. It is about the same size. I tried one and prefer my Benchmite.

In the discreet category another small folder comes to mind - the Wenger Alox moneyclip. Swiss army knives are pretty innocuous and one that is obviously a money clip is even less likely to attract attention. It doesn't lock but the blade is much better than the squirt and the scissors come in pretty handy occasionally.

Similarly several smallish swiss army knives from Wenger and Victorinox have locking blades - for example the Wenger Evolution S10 has a 2.5" locking blade and its looks should be pretty discrete. A co-worker swears by his Victorinox Adventurer, it is a bit bigger but still looks pretty "harmless" since it is obviously a swiss army knife.

Find a good knife store (or do some surfing online) and see what will work for you.

- Eric

One question.
Does it have to be a locking blade knife?

If it doesn't then you suddenly have many more choices.
Everything from Shrade to Seki.

I love my Gerber Clutch and use it just about every day. I have the Shortcut as well, but find I use the pliers more. I've had it on my keychain for 3 years, and despite looking well-worn, it still works perfectly.

I am also going to look into the Leatherman. I like the pointier knife on it, and I think the screwdrivers might be a little better.

Hi Izzy. I bought one of those from CountyComm, and cord-wrapped it like in the demo. But I haven't tried sharpening it. My uncle's giving me a decent grinder next time I visit him in Ohio -- does sharpening the obvious edge leave enough surface to act as a pry bar? Will it keep the edge? And once sharpened, what do you use for a sheath? (If anyone else wants to add their input...) Thanks. -Gary

Whoa, really? Does this include the CX models?

What are you wanting to do with your utility knife? On the utility side, I'm always a SAK fan. I carry more than one knife though. If I had to only have one, it would be a SAK...just for the utility. They are what I reach for most often. I have a micra on the keychain, but use it infrequently. I have a Spiderco that I rarely use. I've stopped carrying my Buck 110 (but still love the knife...sentimental I guess).

I do carry a SAK and a VIC Spirit. I also have one bigger rescue knife. But as mentioned above...the SAK is usually #1 and gets frequent daily use.

I was going to suggest the delica, basicly a short endura or an emerson stubby. Fullsize handle, but with a california legal sized blade...but it seems you wants a utility knife that won't scare the "gentle masses"
In that case I'll second (or third or whatever number we're up to lol) a simple swiss army knife. Rarely raises an eyebrow except for the worst knife-a-phobics, cuts well and "should" be legal anywhere a sharp is permissable. I perfer Victorinox over Wenger, for no tangible reason...
If a locking blade nesecary go for the Wenger if you want the classic sized swiss army knife, or Victorinox makes some locking models in there slightly larger offerings like the trekker.
Best of luck to ya

-Bill Liptak