Originally Posted By: AKSAR
Originally Posted By: Treeseeker
I would also agree that pliers are nice to have, but a Leatherman probably weighs 3-4 times as much as a Tinker, so I don't EDC one. I do have one in my Go bag though.

Originally Posted By: hikermor
The nice thing about L tools is that they are offered in a variety of sizes. Pliers are available on something like the PS4, which is on my key ring right now, through Juice and Skeletool models, up to the Wave, and beyond.

For me it depends on what I'm doing and where I'm doing it. If I'm someplace with lots of mechanical things to fuss with, I like having a multitool. If I'm out hiking the weight of the multitool becomes a factor, and in that situation a good knife is generally sufficient.

I generally always have a Swiss Army "Spartan" in my pocket attached to a Fenix E-01. In town I often also EDC a Leatherman "Kick", a discontinued model with just the basics (pliers, phillips and flat screwdriver, knife, can and bottle opener). If I'm hiking the Spartan is usually all I need (except for a tiny Gerber LST buried in the bottom of my pack for backup).

If I'm hiking with a stove and other such gadgets that might need fixing, besides the Spartan I might also carry a Leatherman Juice C2. It is a good compromise between having pliers hefty enough to be useful, but is still lightweight enough to carry when weight is an issue.

My problem with keychain sized multitools is just that...they are keychain size. At some point if you try to make a pliers too small, it just doesn't have the strength to do pliers type jobs. I also don't have much use for the bit driver kits on multitools. Seems like I always need a bit that is not in the kit.

That's my $.02 worth. Your experience and needs may vary.


I EDC'd a V-nox Tinker for years before switching to a LM PS4. I've found that the pliers are worth their weight in gold, and I can get by with a peanut size blade if I keep it shaving sharp. Make no mistake that these are not heavy use knives. Heavier use means either adding a locking folder knife or a Deluxe Tinker depending on the requirements.
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