Multi-Tools

Kershaw Pub Review

Well, it’s finally happened: After several years of buying almost all of the models I really wanted, my knife purchases are slowing down dramatically. (Heretical, I know, but bear with me.) Today, I have a drawer full of knives with great ergonomics, good steel, and excellent blade shapes for particular tasks. I also have several knives that deliver superb combinations of those qualities at tremendous value. Recently, I’ve read glowing reviews for knives like the Civivi Ortis and Kershaw Link, but I’ve yet to bite on a purchase. I’ll sometimes ask myself, “How different are these from what I already have and am already comfortable with?” It’s a question that has chilled many an impulse buy.

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Let’s come at this from another direction: I imagine that a lot of you are like me in that you know how to cook a steak or make a martini just the way you like it. And if so, you’ll understand why it’s hard for me to go out to a restaurant and pay top dollar to get something more or less equivalent to what I have at home. Instead, I’m attracted to bizarro cocktails and esoteric ingredients when I eat out.

By the same logic, If I do buy a new knife, I’m drawn to designs that offer me something I’ve never seen before. I won’t necessarily say that I’m jaded, or even that I’m picky, but there’s something about a knife like the Kershaw Pub that makes me smile. And let me tell you, it’s all the more thrilling when a product like this turns out to be more than just mere novelty.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

In the hand, the first thing you’ll likely notice about the Dmitri Sinkevich-designed Kershaw Pub is that it’s light and flat. There’s not much bulk at 1.87oz, and the knife is only about 5/16” thick. Laterally, the Pub sits about 1” wide and just a touch over 3.5” long. Here it is between two industry stalwarts: the Spyderco PM2 and the Ontario Rat II.

About that blade—Boy, howdy—this thing slices all out of proportion to its lilliputian size. With a hollow grind that begins to narrow aggressively starting a quarter inch or so from the spine, the Kershaw Pub is like a miniature straight razor in the hand. While this wouldn’t be my choice for breaking down boxes, opening them is stupid easy with the Pub in hand.

Blade steel is 8Cr13MoV. 8Cr13MoV is an inexpensive Chinese steel. It easily takes an edge and holds it for a decent amount of time. All in all, this is serviceable steel that fits the sub $30 price point.

In addition to the blade, you get a flathead screwdriver and a bottle opener. Both are certainly better to have than nothing.

That said, in almost all cases it’s better to use a screwdriver that actually fits the slot of what you’re working with. This isn’t what I’d use to disassemble Grandpa’s heirloom-grade Winchester rifle. As for the bottle opener, it certainly works, but not nearly as well as whatever you have laying around your home bar.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry Options

The Pub follows the Kershaw playbook of having the scale material on the “show” side and leaving the other face stainless. The only real texturing is along the spine of the blade, which I think is unnecessary for the light use the Pub is designed for. This is not going to be the first thing you reach for when you need to split a cord of firewood.

Kershaw has a few options for the scale material, including a blue anodized version, a black G10 model, and the carbon fiber pictured here. The upgrade to the carbon fiber was a whole four dollars, so I was happy to pay it.

Ergonomically, and let’s be honest, the Pub is not going to amaze. For nearly everything you’d want to do with this knife, you’re going to most probably settle into a pinch grip with the thumb resting along the flat of the handle. That’s more than enough purchase to accomplish the normal gamut of opening boxes, letters, tape seams, and various kinds of scraping tasks.

While there’s a scallop on the frame that one might suspect is intended to work as a finger groove, it’s (curiously) on the wrong side. Open the blade and it’ll now be filled by the spine of the knife. If the Pub had a more pronounced cutout for the index finger on the opposite side, it might be better adapted for more vigorous push cuts through thicker material. Without this feature, it seems a little slippery for me to entrust it to anything more serious than light office and household tasks.

As you’ll note, there’s no pocket clip here. In transitioning from the open to the the closed position, the rear portion of the Pub’s blade can be hooked around a belt loop, key ring, or carabiner in order to stay put on the move. A handy touch.

Deployment and Lockup

I would imagine most people who see the Kershaw Pub for the first time engage in a fair bit of mental gymnastics as they try to figure out how it works. I certainly did. Until you get the knife in your hands, it’s not wholly apparent from most product shots as to how it transforms from a weird keychain looking thing to a tiny, futuristic wharncliffe.

In essence, the Pub is foldable metal origami. With this non-locking friction folder, the user simply rotates the blade to overcome the detent, which will then hold the blade in the open position after 180 degrees of travel. That’s all there is to it. Just a pivot and some clever angles.

Can you deploy this one-handed? It’s slow and awkward as all get-out, but possible. Most sane people will use their weak hand to grasp the body and their strong hand to pivot the blade out and around. It’s actually easier to close the knife one-handed by holding it upside-down with the strong hand and pushing the spine of the blade against your leg or whatever other surface is handy.

I did have some gripes with the construction. The blade is secured by two opposing pairs of T8 screws that really, really want to back out from one another. I’m not a guy who likes to disassemble knives unless they’re not functioning correctly, so I’m constantly re-tightening my screws to get the detent into that “goldilocks” spot of being neither too stiff nor too loose. Those who really want to throw their Kershaw Pub on a belt loop for a mountain biking trip would be advised to grab some Loctite, assuming my problem is representative of all Pubs.

On a harder-use knife, I’d be a little more concerned about a design that could theoretically shake itself apart, but considering the use and price this isn’t something I’m going to lose sleep over.

Kershaw Pub Review – Final Thoughts

Is there such a thing as “house” EDC? When I get home at the end of the day, I dump my pocket contents: keys, phone, wallet, and whatever other gear I decided to pack. However, there are a lot of days where the Pub doesn’t get thrown into a drawer, but instead stays in the pocket—I like having a usable utility blade on me without any consideration of bulk or weight.

Beyond that degree of everyday performance, I like what the Pub represents: a “budget” knife that doesn’t cost a lot simply because it’s, well… simple. The budget category is often populated by a lot of knives each trying to give you the biggest blade with the strongest construction and the best metal that price will allow. That’s been a real boon for consumers as a whole, don’t get me wrong, but it’s refreshing to fiddle with a knife that’s running in a completely different race. Based on what Kershaw and Sinkevich have given us with the Pub, I’d love to see more products like it.

Kershaw Pub Multifunction Pocket Knife, Stainless Steel Blade with Bottle Opener, Screwdriver, Pry Bar and Key Chain Attachment, Stonewash Blade and Carbon Fiber Handle

MULTIFUNCTION POCKET KNIFE: Featuring a bottle opener, screwdriver, pry bar and key chain attachment, the Kershaw Pub Pocket Knife is an ideal everyday carry knife.
STAINLESS STEEL 1.6" BLADE: Made with high-performance 8Cr13MoV stainless steel blade, the Pub offers excellent corrosion resistance, sharpening ease and toughness. Stonewash coating provides additional protection.
CARBON FIBER HANDLE: The carbon fiber handle is designed for function and comfort, providing a secure grip during any task. Textured material adds stability.
MANUAL OPENING mechanism offers quick and easy access with simple, one-handed opening. Open and close carefully as you access the blade and other tools.
ATTRACTIVE, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN: Stainless steel design and stonewash coating helps hide scratches, making the knife look cleaner longer. This EDC knife is sure to turn heads wherever you go.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Pub at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

5.11 Operator Axe Review

by Travis Pike 4 Comments

The military tradition of a tomahawk or axe, is quite long. To this day, the military still issues a tomahawk with individual units as a smash and escape tool. SEAL Team 6 famously carried the Winkler tomahawks, and they are often bought as personal items by troops heading downrange. From my own experience, I remember tomahawks and small axes being quite popular with Marines in my unit. Overseas they were used for just about everything. They served as knives, hammers, pry bars, wood splitters, and even breaching tools.

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Find a locked box buried with what’s likely weapons inside? Chop the top off. Encounter a padlock? Chop it off. Making fire to cook the chicken you bought from the market? Split the wood and slaughter the chicken with a tomahawk. The long tradition has turned tomahawks and axes into multi-use tools. The 5.11 Operator’s Axe is an excellent example of a multi-use axe or tomahawk. Kyle Lamb of Viking Tactics and former Delta Force operator designed the Operator Axe off of a tool he carried overseas.

5.11 must-have jumped on the opportunity to produce them, and they are currently producing this full-sized model and a slightly more compact option. The 5.11 Operator’s Axe is designed with military and police use in mind but is a convenient tool if you adventure and explore. It’s just as much an outdoor tool as it is an urban tool.

Tool breakdown

The 5.11 Operator Axe has quite a few tools to it, and I wanted to count those off before we jumped into the review. We get the following:

● Axe Head
● Hammer
● Pry bar
● Metric and Standard Hex Drivers
● Small and large socket drivers
● ¼ inch bit driver
● Built on ruler
● Sheet metal cutter

It’s handy for field conditions and gives one tool that can do quite a bit.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The head of the 5.11 Operator Axe is split into three different tools. First and foremost, we have the axe blade that features a long beard. The rear side of the device has a rather large hammer head. In the middle and at the top we have a pry bar with a nail puller cut into it. On the opposite side, at the very bottom of the tool, is a sheet metal cutter.

The axe head can cut and smash through wood and thin metal doors, and it can split wood and clear brush when necessary. It’s also a great tool to have when digging and running into roots. The Operator Axe has a very long beard that gives you a good solid hook, as well as a place to choke up with your hand for more delicate cuts. The beard of the axe is excellent if you need to pull something that you don’t want to touch or can’t safely grip. The axe head is also decently sharp, not razor-sharp, but it will cleave on through thin trees without an issue.

The hammer is another smash tool but also drives nails very well. The pry bar at the end of the Operator axe gives you an excellent tool for breaking into doors, windows, and getting in and out of nearly anywhere. The foot-long handle gives you plenty of leverage to pry.

The total length of the Operator Axe is 15 inches, and it weighs 1 pound and 10 ounces. It’s a bit large compared to most tomahawks, but still rather compact for easy carry. The Operator Axe is a real smash and crash tool with its primary tools.

The 5.11 Operator Axe is made from SCM 435 stainless steel. I will admit I know nothing about this steel, and I can’t find much information on it. As a tool made to smash and slice stainless steel makes sense. It’s less brittle, less like to chip, and will retain an edge longer. It’s harder to sharpen, but since only one of the many tools on this axe are bladed, it seems like strength is a more critical requirement. Here is a link to a material sheet on SCM 435.

The hammer head is welded on, but the rest of the axe is made from one piece of solid billet stainless steel. The tool is 7mms thick, which makes it over a quarter-inch thick in Freedom units.

The steel is finished with a subdued black oxide coating to improve the axe’s overall durability and corrosion resistance. Stainless steel is quite rust-resistant as is, but every little bit helps, right?

Handle and Ergonomics

The ergonomics are simple. It’s a straight line of a handle that is ribbed for a better grip. There are no added handles, it’s just steel. The downside is this rectangular shape gets uncomfortable quickly when using the axe head for doing typical axe tasks. Splitting wood and chopping down trees gets uncomfortable fast. It tires and pains the hand. This type of handle could benefit from some panels, or you should invest in half-decent gloves.

Using the hammer to drive nails is comfortable, but using to smash things is like using the axe head. It gets uncomfortable fast. The pry bar works wonderfully and will yank nails out and is thin enough to get into a door jam and rip it open. The sheet metal cutting tool is easy to use and quite comfortable to cut long strips of tin. There are lots of compromises with this design.

The handle of the axe has to be flat to allow you to use the variety of drivers milled into the handle. These drivers are handy and do work, but as you can imagine, they are a little unwieldy on axe. In a pinch, they are convenient, and I doubt most of us carry a socket or hex wrench with us everywhere we’d take an axe. I do wonder if scaled handles to improve comfort would be more valuable than these drivers.

Sheath

The sheath is very dynamic and made from molded kydex. It covers the axe head, the pry bar, and leaves only a small portion of the hammer exposed. A leather thong goes around the sheath and keeps the axe secure. There is a lot of friction in the design, so it’s not just relying on the leather strap. The sheet metal cutter also has a friction fit sheath that sticks on nicely and doesn’t come off with a good tug.

The main sheath is equipped with MOLLE or belt compatible clips. These can be swapped for left or right-hand use and for mounting at different angles on your gear. It’s incredibly handy. It’s just as easy to carry on a pack as it is on your belt or on your plate carrier.

5.11 Operator Axe Review – Final Thoughts

The 5.11 Operator Axe isn’t for everyone, and to be honest, even as much as I love the outdoors, this axe is more suited for military, police, and fire-rescue personnel. That doesn’t mean I don’t like it. It’s tough, rugged, and packs a lot of tools in a lightweight, 15-inch package. The steel is a little mysterious, but after clashing, smashing, and splitting a variety of materials, it seems to hold up alright. The sheath is very well made, and I’m a big fan of the modularity it offers, as well as the various ways it can be carried.

The main downside is the discomfort in using the main tools for more extended periods of time. The rectangular design gets downright painful after a little bit of work. Admittedly the design is sleek, slim, and lightweight. Plus, the flat design gives you access to more tools. The 5.11 Operator Axe allows you to knock down doors, cut through car doors, split wood, smash windows, as a destructive tool. At the same time, it can be used to drive nails, loosen, or even tighten all sorts of screws. It’s a versatile tool, and it’s reasonably priced. I’m happy to have it just because it’s America and I can.

5.11 Operator Compact Tactical Axe, Style 51144, Black

COMPACT SIZE - 10 inch length. We have reduced the size and weight without compromising the utility.
TACTICAL UTILITY - This operator axe comes with benefits featuring a dual Hex Bit (#2 Phillips + Flat Head), Pry bar/nail puller & notches for paracord wrap handle.
FOR CHOPPING AND POUNDING - The 5.11 compact operator axe features a waffle textured-hammer head, ideal for various survival or utility tasks.
MOLDED HARD SHEATH INCLUDED - Keep your axe secure and safe with the included mold sheath with retaining strap.
WHY 5.11 - Apparel that is built for your environment. 5.11 creates products for both professionals and consumers that embody our mission to create purpose-built tactical gear for the most demanding missions. Always Be Ready

Editor: I recommend buying the 5.11 Operator Axe at Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Victorinox Hiker Review

by Travis Pike 3 Comments

The Swiss Army Knife is likely to the most well-known knife in the world. Something about its name, distinctive red handle, and the fact it was one of the first successful multi-tools has cemented its place into our cultural collective. Swiss Army Knife is even a misnomer because American GI’s couldn’t properly pronounce the German phrase for Officer’s Knife. However, the new name stuck. The Swiss Army knife became an icon that went to the moon, gave MacGyver a favorite tool, and became a Boy Scout’s best friend.

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The Swiss Army knife is more than a knife, as I mentioned above it’s a multi-tool. It contains anywhere from three to a dozen or so different tools. The Swiss Army Knife I have from Victorinox is called the Hiker and packs 9 tools in a pocket-sized package. The Hiker’s size, price, and tools make it one of my favorite Swiss Army knives. The Victorinox brand is the only real Swiss Army Knife and the Hiker is a great representative of the brand.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Hiker is a mid-size Swiss Army Knife with a long and short blade. The long blades is roughly 2.5 inches long and the short blade is 1.5 inches long. The handle is 3.5 inches long if you just measure the handle, with the lanyard attachment ring it’s about 4 inches total. The blade is a drop point that’s not exceptionally pointy.

Pointy enough to poke things and to open up cardboard, paper, and plastics. There is no lock on this model and this is a traditional slipjoint style knife. The blade has a nice fat belly to it for cutting deep with a short blade. Perfect for cutting up oranges nice and clean during a picnic, or cutting through thin rope and cordage. It’s a blade well suited for 99% of the tasks I put knives through. 95% when hunting season is in play.

Victorinox doesn’t advertise its steel type, but it’s nothing fancy. On a sub 30 dollar multi-tool, you can’t expect 154CM. The blade can get pretty darn sharp and it’s also really easy to sharpen. You can get it licked up in about 3 swipes per side on a wet stone. The downside is that it gets dull fast.

Not like after a day of work, but like an hour’s worth or even less. It dulls quick, one day while stocking the office printers I dulled it cutting through the plastic wrap around the paper boxes and the plastic straps holding their lids on. If you carry a pocket sharpener you can quickly get your edge back though. You can also swap to the smaller blade and keep going should the larger get dull.

Corrosion wise the knife holds up. Summers in Florida are no joke and they make me sweat a ton. Anything in my jeans pockets is going to be exposed to sweat, and this knife has never rusted. Living in a coastal air the salt is in the air and still it’s never seen a lick of the red death.

Handle and Ergonomics

The Hiker is a small, but a somewhat fat knife. The total length of the handle is 3.5 inches, but it’s also a little over half an inch thick. It’s thick because have to contain 7 folding tools, a tweezer, and a toothpick.

Five tools fold in the front and two in the rear. In total, you get three different drivers, a can opener, a bottle opener, a saw, a reamer, and the aforementioned tweezers and toothpick. While thick, the iconic, red plastic grip scales round it out for a comfortable overall grip.

The grip allows you to employ every tool comfortably. It’s thick and supportive nature does make it easy to work with and avoid pain and fatigue when doing something that takes time, like opening a can. As a side note, I’ve only used it once to open a can of Hormel chili and it works, just slowly. That thick handle is a must-have for opening cans or using any other leverage-based actions. It’s thick and isn’t going to bend, break, or slip.

The grip is texture free and doesn’t necessarily grip your hand. If your hands are wet you may not be able to keep a great grip when doing heavy work. While the tools all stick out just a hair from the handle I don’t find their presence uncomfortable when gripping the Hiker. My only discomfort is that key chain attachment piece hitting my pinky and annoying me when I use the blade.

The Hiker is a very light tool and only weighs 2.7 ounces. I often forget which pocket I put it in because I can hardly feel it. The smooth handles certainly make a comfortable to carry knife since nothing pokes or rubs your leg throughout the day.

Deployment and Lockup

The slipjoint system makes sure the tools and blades all stay in the handle until you force them out. There is never a worry of a tool or blade deploying in your pocket. The tools are all relatively easy to pull out, but you will need both hands to do so.

Once a tool or blade is out it takes a fair bit of force to put it back. However, you can close the tool with a single hand. Many of the tools are combination types and the lock-up and deployment work just as well when you are opening a can as it does when driving a screw.

Victorinox Hiker Review – Final Thoughts

The Victorinox Hiker is a handy little knife for everyday carry or the occasional trip to the woods. This little Swiss Army knife packs a ton of capable tools in it’s small and easy to use package. The Hiker is also a great choice for keeping a knife in a bug out bag, or in a car in case of emergency. It covers all your basics whilst still being relatively cheap and affordable.

It could also be a great choice for a young boy or girl responsible enough to own a knife. The Hiker is the absolute last knife many would compare to a weapon, and it’s short blades and lack of a lock ensures it’s legal across the board. Additionally, the somewhat dull point and easily dulled blade limits a young person’s ability to hurt themselves. The need for a good fresh sharpening will also hone their skills with a whetstone.

Whatever reason you choose the Hiker you can know that it’s a great knife at a low price.

VICTORINOX SWISS ARMY Hiker Pocket Knife

Editor: I recommend buying the Victorinox Hiker at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Victorinox Bantam Alox Review

by Seth Vietti 14 Comments

Victorinox makes the most popular pocket knives in the world. That’s not hyperbole, it’s just a fact: globally, Victorinox sells more folding knives than any other cutlery company and it isn’t even close. The Swiss Army Knife is an icon, lionized by media (MacGyver) and government (NASA) alike. They’re so well-known to be useful tools that the phrase “Swiss Army Knife” has come to represent the idea of multipurpose utility, itself.

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Out of the hundreds of Swiss Army Knife variants, the Alox Cadet seems to be the “gear geek” consensus choice for everyday carry: a winning combination of durable Alox construction, pocketable size, and useful tool selection. But what if I told you there might be an even better knife for the job in the Victorinox catalog? Allow me to (re)introduce you to the Alox Bantam.

General Dimensions & Blade Details

The Bantam, like the Cadet, falls in the middle of the current Swiss Army Knife (SAK) size range. At 3.3 inches (84mm) long when closed, it’s a sizable step up from their keychain models, but noticeably smaller than their “full-sized” pocket knives. Here it is between a Rambler (58mm) and an Alox Farmer (93mm):

Unlike the Cadet, which has a second backspring to accommodate separate can and bottle openers, the Bantam has a single tool for opening both nestled beside the main blade. This single-layer construction, coupled with skinny aluminum scales, makes the Alox Bantam literally wafer thin. Or, if you happen to have some Ritz handy, cracker thin:

The blade shape on the Bantam is quintessential Victorinox: a drop point with a slightly bulbous tip. Everything you’d expect a 2.5-inch slipjoint to do, this blade does well. There’s enough belly to make cutting on a board feel natural. It’s thin enough to cut with even after it gets a little dull (which it will, and fast). And while I do wish the tip was a little more acute, it’s not as blunt as it looks – it still pierced clamshell packaging with ease and cut out printed shipping labels with precision.

Victorinox doesn’t advertise their blade steel anymore, but it’s no secret that whatever they use doesn’t hold an edge for very long. Thankfully, it’s also inexpensive and impressively stain-resistant. For my money, it’s a compromise I’m willing to work around, especially since I’m usually carrying the Bantam alongside a larger and more capable folder. Plus, the steel’s softness / lack of wear resistance means you can maintain it on just about anything abrasive. For example: after the blade lost its keenness cutting two large cardboard boxes into strips small enough to fit in my undersized recycling bin, it only took a minute of stropping against that same cardboard to bring it back. Unfortunately, those sorts of tricks only work for so long before it’s time for a proper re-sharpening.

Handle, Ergonomics, & Pocket Clip

The first time I held the Bantam, I had to repress the urge to put it in my mouth to snap it like a chip. The waffled, wafer-like texture of its thin Alox scales coupled with its barely-there weight makes the Bantam feel more like a popsicle stick than a pocket knife. The more I used it, however, the more I came to trust it (and the less I subconsciously associated it with snacks). The riveted all-metal construction is rigid and the handle texture, while not aggressive, provides some traction even when wet.

Measuring in at 3.3 inches long, the handle of the Bantam is long enough to wrap all four fingers around, but thin enough that I wouldn’t really want to bear down on it. It’s practically two-dimensional: whichever tool you have unfolded, the handle presents as a simple, flat, oblong shape. Not exactly comfortable, just impossible to hold incorrectly. Once you get used to its exceptional thinness the Bantam basically disappears in use, allowing you to focus on the task at hand instead of how you’re holding the tool.

I avoid carrying anything loose in my pockets if I can help it. So, with neither pocket clip nor lanyard loop to anchor it from twisting, swinging, or knocking around in there, the Bantam was not something I expected to enjoy carting around. To my surprise, I struggled to notice it was even there. It’s hard to overstate just how slim and light this knife is – I’ve pocketed CVS receipts bulkier than the Alox Bantam.

Deployment & Lockup

The backspring tension on the Bantam is well-balanced: strong enough to keep the tools firmly in place when open, but not so strong as to make them awkward to unfold. Opening either one is always a two-handed operation. After more than a year of use, neither tool has developed any play, though they’ve picked up a fair few scratches.

Equipping a pocket multi-tool with a dedicated can opener has always been baffling to me. Even if we set aside the fact that pull-tabs on cans have become ubiquitous, I can think of a dozen other tools I’d need before encountering a single unopened can. Victorinox clearly disagrees, because nearly every full-sized SAK includes a can opener. Here on the Bantam it’s been cleverly integrated into a “combination tool,” which also lifts off bottle caps…

…drives screws…

…and scrapes, prods, and pries if need be.

It’s become my favorite Victorinox tool by far, and it makes the perfect companion to the Bantam’s light-duty blade. It’s not a crowbar or an impact driver – obviously – but in the daily struggle against encroaching entropy, the combo tool is often enough to tweak, tighten, or undo the issue on the spot without a walk to the toolbox.

Victorinox Bantam Review – Final Thoughts

Goldilocks would agree with me: the Bantam is just right. The keychain-sized SAKs are useful to have around (who doesn’t love those tiny scissors?), but far too feeble to replace a dedicated knife. The larger SAKs are also great, but tend to be loaded with tools I don’t use often enough to justify carrying them around all day. The Bantam is just enough knife for most cutting, plus it’s capable of work that a blade alone can’t (or maybe just shouldn’t) do.

I don’t think there’s another knife on the market that packs so much utility into such little mass. For me, this is where the Bantam really pulls ahead of the Cadet as a daily companion: it offers 80% of the functionality at half the size. Unless you absolutely need a nail file or can’t live without a lanyard, the Bantam wins by sheer efficiency. And even though the Alox variant is about $10 more than the red plastic-handled Bantam, the durability, grip, and next-level thinness the Alox scales provide are well worth the upgrade.

Some, I suspect, won’t see the Bantam’s ultra-minimalist design as a selling point. If you’re looking for a multi-tool that’s more “off-road” than “office,” I would point you elsewhere. But if you’re looking for a polite companion to a larger knife, or want the multipurpose utility of a Swiss Army Knife without any extra frippery, I would enthusiastically recommend the Alox Bantam.

Victorinox Bantam Alox Swiss Army Knife, 5 Function Swiss Made Pocket Knife with Large Blade, Screwdriver and Bottle Opener – Silver

A CUT ABOVE THE REST:Compact, agile and ready to face any adventure head-on. Our range of Swiss Army Knives have been established since 1897 and continue to be an icon of utility and smart design.
DURABLE CONSTRUCTION: Swiss made stainless steel construction encased in our popular scales offers a slimmer profile and is extremely resistant.
COMPACT CARRY: Bring this knife with you on your daily adventures without sacrificing space.
FIT FOR ALL TASKS: At their heart, all our pocket knives are a survival tool; multitaskers that deliver in any situation. At their most evolved they have surpassed basic function to pioneer space travel and restart engines.
TRUSTED QUALITY: Made in Switzerland; Victorinox provides a lifetime against defects in material and workmanship. Making a lifetime commitment has never been so easy. No assembly required, money back guarantee.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Victorinox Bantam at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please keep in mind that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Leatherman Skeletool CX Review

by Grayson Parker 13 Comments

I’d like to open with a small update from my review of the Leatherman Charge TTi. In the conclusion, I stated that even though it was too large to carry, I’d hold onto it because it was handy, well made, and could always be tossed into a bag if needed. I’ve since sold it, perjuring myself in the process. While the complaints in the review were a factor in that decision, the primary reason was that I already had a multitool that handled all my needs: the Leatherman Skeletool CX.

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Mind, the Skeletool isn’t a new design. It debuted in 2007, and judging from the number of variations that have been released, it’s sold well. Tony of Everyday Commentary published a review of it back in 2011. You might be asking yourself why a review of a decade old design is warranted. The simple answer? I moved (for the second time this year) a few months back, and in so doing carried the Skeletool so often I thought it deserved the attention.

General Dimensions and Pliers

The Skeletool CX measures in at a closed length of 4 inches and a weight of 5.08 ounces. While those numbers might not sound noteworthy at first glance, bear in mind that most full size multitools weigh upwards of 8 ounces. Most of these weight savings can be attributed to the tool selection (which we’ll talk about farther down), but the skeletonized, asymmetrical frame is also partially responsible. In addition to lowering the weight, the handle design is ergonomically impeccable, regardless of which tool is being used.

The pliers on the Skeletool are well made and suited to a variety of tasks. I’ve used them for everything from splinter removal to furniture assembly. If I had my druthers, the jaws would come to a finer point like on the wave and charge models. There’s room in the frame, and pliers this size will be used as needlenose more often than not. I can’t rightly say that the pliers have ever been too thick, so take that criticism with a grain of salt. I haven’t had occasion to use the wire cutters yet.

More than one online review notes that the pliers are prone to breaking, although my own experiences don’t back those claims up. One memory in particular stands out: I had locked myself out of the company vehicle, and was trying to use some thick wire to unlock the car door. Lacking any sort of a pry bar, I jammed the pliers into the seam between door and frame and leaned in, creating a gap wide enough to slip the wire through. I failed to unlock the door, but the Skeletool shrugged off the abuse. In the event that the pliers do break, Leatherman’s 25 year warranty will make it right.

Additional Tools

Apart from the pliers, the Skeletool CX comes equipped with the bare essentials:

Plain-edged blade
Large it driver
Double-sided Phillips bit
Double-sided flat bit
Bottle opener/carabiner

Compared to a full-sized multitool, this list might look a tad anemic. I can’t blame anyone who has that reaction; I did as well. Even after owning the Skeletool for years, I thought it lacked in a few areas. That was actually how I justified purchasing the Charge TTi. Over time, I found that even with the Charge available, I reached for the Skeletool, even for heavy-duty tasks. My reasoning was simple: whenever I needed something more capable or specialized than the Skeletool, I just needed an actual tool, not a bigger multitool. Furthermore, the Skeletool is only focused on doing a few things, and because of that it can do those things far better than a less focused tool.

The best example of this is the Skeletool CX’s blade. It’s made of 154CM (one of my favorite blade steels) and has a modified drop point (one of my favorite blade shapes). There’s plenty of belly for slicing cuts, but not so dramatic a belly that it slips out of material during push cuts. The .10” thick stock is taken down to a serviceable edge by a flat grind. It’s not something you’d reach for in the kitchen, but it works just fine for preparing a picnic lunch. The previously mentioned ergonomics are at their best here, as the humped spine of the blade and the curve of the handle produce a grip rivalled only by Spyderco’s famed ergonomics.

Instead of making each driver its own tool, the designers of the Skeletool put a bit driver in the tail end of one of the handles, and a slot for an extra bit in the other handle. It’s a clever way to maximize the utility of the Skeletool using the minimum amount of space. There’s no lock to worry about, as the bit driver doesn’t fold into the handle, and the tapered handle lets it fit into nooks that’d refuse a full-size multitool. As an added bonus, the Skeletool is fully compatible with the Leatherman Bit Kit and Bit Extender, should you need more options or reach.

The tool set is rounded out by a bottle opener that doubles as a carabiner. I’d like to say that this is the least used tool, but that’d be a lie. Suffice to say that I’ve put this particular implement through extensive testing. It lifts the cap off with a single pull, every time.

Pocket Clip and Carry

What truly sets the Skeletool CX apart from every other multitool on the market is that it carries like a modern pocket knife. Most multitools are designed to be carried on a belt or in a bag, with the option (however ill-recommended) of carrying it with a pocket clip. That isn’t the case here. The Skeletool was designed from the ground up for pocket carry, and the end result is a multitool that you don’t need to force yourself to carry. Consider this: it’s less than an ounce heavier than my ZT0900, yet has a blade just as long, pliers, a bit driver, and a bottle opener.

Build Quality

On the whole, I’m impressed by the Skeletool’s fit and finish. The plier jaws mate perfectly, the blade locks up rock solid, and there are no odd rattling sounds or loose tools. One feature that I particularly admire is the slipjoint system built into the frame. It acts similarly to a half stop on a traditional knife, granting the plier jaws and the frame a bias towards closure, as well as a reasonably crisp ‘detente’ that needs to be overcome.

However, the Skeletool isn’t without issues, and most of them are related to the blade. It’s off-center to the extent that it rubs against the handle, the grind is choppy at best, and the tang is just sharp enough to scrape your hand if you have to reach past it for something in your pockets. None of these issues are deal breakers for me. Only one of them (the aggressive tang) impacts the function of the tool, and even then it’s more of an annoyance than a failure.

Leatherman Skeletool CX – Final Thoughts

To sum up, the Skeletool CX is such a good piece of gear that it makes most of my knife collection look frivolous. The few complaints I have are negligible when weighed against the utility of the design. It isn’t as fun as a framelock flipper, and it doesn’t have have the charm of a traditional pocketknife, but if I was relentlessly practical, I’d carry the Skeletool six days out of seven.

How does it stack up to the competition? Well, there are cheaper options. The Leatherman Wingman comes in at less than half the price of the Skeletool CX, but is significantly heavier and made from cheaper materials. I can say from personal experience that the Leatherman Charge TTi (though it boasts more features and better materials) isn’t useful enough to justify the increase in cost, let alone weight. If you’re on a tight budget, the plain Skeletool is a fine option. It’s the exact same design, but with a half-serrated blade made of much cheaper steel.

Who would I recommend the Skeletool CX to? Honestly, everyone. It’s nice enough that I wouldn’t want to abuse it, but that’s not what it’s designed for. At the end of the day, a multitool is meant to save you a trip to the toolbox, not replace the toolbox itself. Do yourself (or a gear geek you know) a favor and pick one up. You’ll be surprised at how capable a tool it is.

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I recommend purchasing the Leatherman Skeletool CX at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Leatherman Wingman Review

by Dan Jackson 11 Comments

It has taken me a long time to “get” full size multi-tools. I don’t think I am alone with this. They sound great in theory, but they are so big and bulky that for the average person they are more trouble to EDC than they are worth. Sure they come with belt sheathes, but lets face it, unless you work in the trades or some other physical job you can’t get away with carrying one of these on a belt sheath.

Buy on Amazon

I suspect this is why Grayson didn’t care for his Charge TTi, and this is why my Leatherman Wingman spent months on my desk after I bought it. I liked the spring loaded pliers on my Micra and Squirt, so I decided to pick up the Wingman. It was cool but I didn’t find much of an occasion to carry it.

But all of that changed when we bought a fixer upper house. Suddenly, instead of spending Saturday morning drinking coffee and writing knife reviews I was out at the new house, demolishing, shoveling, hauling, sanding, scraping, hammering, priming, and painting. A house like this isn’t a project; it’s a hundred small projects, all of them requiring the use of basic hand tools.

On a whim I decided to take my Wingman with me, strapped to my hip in a belt sheath. Only then did I finally understand the point of these multi-tools.

Several weeks later and the Wingman has transformed from glorified paper weight to coveted construction site tool. I am surprised at how excellent and practical this ~$40 tool is.

Also, I apologize for the pictures of the clapped out Wingman. Usually I photograph my knives and tools before carrying them extensively. In this case I did not.

General Dimensions and Pliers

The Wingman has an overall length of 3.8″ (closed), weighs 7.0 ounces, and is made in the USA. This is Leatherman’s budget full size multi-tool. They released this a couple years ago along with the Sidekick, which is basically the same tool, but has a saw instead of scissors. I figured I’d get more use out of scissors than a saw.

What drew me to the Wingman is the fact that it came with spring loaded pliers, and that it was cheap. For around $40 I was willing to take a gamble on the Wingman and see if I liked the spring loaded pliers and pocket clip.

The pliers are excellent. The teeth are fine, and the jaws line up nicely with each other. The spring loaded feature is awesome. I used these pliers extensively for all kinds of jobs; pulling staples and nails, manipulating bolts, and getting into tight spaces. Leatherman is known for their pliers-centric tools, and even the budget Wingman doesn’t disappoint in the pliers department.

The wire cutters are also handy. I ended up using them to hang pictures and install light fixtures. The wire cutters don’t close all the way like on my Blast, but they still cut wire easily.

Additional Tools

The Wingman comes with a host of additional tools:

Partially Serrated Knife
Scissors
Flathead Driver
Phillips Head Driver
Can Opener
Bottle Opener
File
Ruler
Plastic Clamshell Opener

The knife and scissors are accessible without opening the tool. This is a great feature, as the knife was the tool I used the most next to the pliers.

I did not EDC a stand alone blade when I was working on the house, instead relying on the knife supplied by the Wingman. This is a 2.6″ blade, which is more than adequate for most folding knife jobs. The blade is a partially serrated reverse tanto with a partial hollow grind. The knife is accessed with an oval thumb hole. The blade runs on little phosphor bronze washers, and I am able to open the blade with one hand. This is another feature that came in handy all the time.

I used this knife quite a bit for a wide range of construction related tasks. Everything from trimming expansion foam, cutting open tubes of caulk, scraping away paint, trimming wood shims, cutting rope, cutting fiberglass insulation, breaking down boxes, and the innumerable other random tasks that come up in a day of varied manual labor.

I found the knife to be more than adequate. It held a good edge for several weeks. When I was ready to sharpen it I noticed some edge deformation on the serrations, but I was able to sharpen it away on my SharpMaker. It gets extremely sharp with little effort. On the subject of serrations, I like the ones used here. They are mild and easy to sharpen. Normally I’m not a big fan of serrations, but found them handy on a tool like this. At one point in the project I forgot to sharpen my Wingman and the serrations could still cut long after the plain edge dulled.

The blade locks open with a liner lock. There is a little up and down play in my knife, but I was too busy using the tool to care. I used this knife hard and never had a problem.

The scissors saw a lot less action than the knife, but they come in handy for more delicate tasks like trimming away heat shrink from electrical cables, cutting weather stripping, and other more precision oriented tasks. The scissors are sharp, and they are a good size, but I wouldn’t want to use them for extensive cutting. They are also accessible without opening the handle, and they lock open with a liner lock as well.

You need to open up the handle to get to the other tools. The tools inside the handle that I used the most when fixing up the house were the screw drivers. I used a screw gun a lot, and had a good assortment of manual screw drivers with me, but having the Wingman on my belt meant that I always had a flathead and Phillips driver on me, wherever I was, so both drivers got a lot of use.

The Phillips driver is excellent. It is a true 3-D driver and works great on normal screws. The driver comes to a fine point so it even works on more delicate screws as well.

The main Flathead driver is also servicable. It’s thick and wide. I found it to be great for light prying and regularly used it to open paint cans. There is a finer Flathead driver on the file for more delicate tasks like replacing outlet covers.

I must confess that the can opener / bottle opener didn’t see a lot of action, but these are handy to have, especially at a camp site.

The file also didn’t get much use. It’s a single cut file and it’s a decent size. I used it to remove the burr on some aluminum, and it did a good job. The file has a tiny ruler on the back side. The ruler is less than an inch long and is basically worthless. I’d prefer a double cut file on that side, but if they did this to keep costs down I won’t complain.

Rounding things out is a plastic package opener. This is for slicing through heavy plastic clamshell packaging without cutting the contents of the package or your hand. I used this to open up the plastic packages containing batteries and new locks for the exterior doors. This is kind of an odd tool to find, but it works well. It came in handy after countless trips to the hardware store.

Pocket Clip and Carry

An interesting feature to the Wingman is the inclusion of a pocket clip. I thought it might come in handy, and I did try to EDC this tool using the pocket clip a couple times. I found that the tool was too heavy for this to work well. I had an extra Leatherman nylon sheath lying around and found that was the way to go.

Ironically, when using the Wingman with the sheath I found my fingernail catching on the pocket clip a number of times when removing the tool from the sheath. This was fairly painful. I think I will remove the clip at some point as I prefer a belt sheath, and the clip gets in the way.

Build Quality

I think it’s worth commenting on the general construction and build quality of this tool. For $30 I wasn’t expecting a whole lot. The Wingman is surprisingly solid. it is assembled from stamped parts, which is how they keep the cost down, but the steel they use is thick and it feels substantial. Just like on the Micra and Squirt PS4, I am impressed by how well made these tools are for the money.

Leatherman Wingman Review – Final Thoughts

I’ll admit that I’m not the best person to do these multi-tool reviews. Most of the time I’m just not doing enough cool stuff to test out a tool like this fully. Most of the time I am at a desk shuffling paper around. When I exercise, it’s usually in the controlled environment of a gym. But buying the fixer-upper house was a great excuse to take this Wingman for a spin, and I ended up spending a lot of time with this multi-tool.

At the end of the day, I have a lot of respect for the Wingman. It was very helpful to have. I used it all the time and everyone else working on the house was asking me for it at some point.

Carrying it on your belt is the way to go. I quickly forgot it was on my belt until I needed it. In my opinion this is much better than fishing around for it in your pockets or using the pocket clip.

The Wingman is a budget multi-tool, but I think for real work that is a good thing. People who work construction for a living beat the hell out of their tools. They don’t carry $100 pocket knives; they carry $5 folding box cutters. The ~$40 Wingman is a definite upgrade over box cutters, but it’s still at a price point where I didn’t care if I got caulk all over it, or if we needed it for a messy job involving quick-crete. It took a beating and got the job done time and time again. My EDC when working on the house was this Wingman, my Casio DW-5600E, and a Streamlight MicroStream (compliments of Ben). This was a rock solid EDC. All of these tools are simple, rugged, and reliable.

I highly recommend the Wingman. It’s not just a great tool for the money; it’s a great tool. The spring loaded pliers and easy access knife and scissors are luxuries I didn’t have on my expensive Leatherman Blast. All the tools work well except for the ruler. The wire cutters could close all the way. Beyond that, I find little to complain about.

The Wingman is a great inexpensive multi-tool. Buy one and find something cool to work on.

LEATHERMAN, Wingman Multitool with Spring-Action Pliers and Scissors, Stainless Steel with Nylon Sheath

ONE OF OUR BEST: A classic, designed and assembled with premium materials; The Wingman is your go-to tool for projects around the house, on the job or at the campsite
14 TOOLS IN 1: Equipped with 14 tools to handle almost anything: knife, pliers, screwdrivers, wire cutters, a wire stripper, scissors, a package opener, bottle and can openers, a file and a ruler
OUR GUARANTEE: We’re proud to stand behind every product that leaves our factory in Portland, Oregon; That’s why we offer our 25-year warranty, so you can be confident your Leatherman lasts a lifetime
ONE-HAND OPENING: Open all the tools with one hand, even the ones that aren't accessible from the outside; And with a locking blade, you can cut with confidence
ALWAYS ON HAND: With its compact size, lightweight design and removable pocket clip, your Wingman is always within reach and ready to work

I recommend purchasing the Leatherman Wingman at Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.