|
A multi-tool is a portable, versatile hand tool that combines several individual tool functions in a single grip or in the shape of a credit card.
Multi-tools are small enough to be carried in a trouser pocket or wallet. Many models also come with a pouch to wear them on the belt.
This multi-tool from the Middle Roman era was created A.D. 201 — A.D. 300. It may have been intended for exclusively for eating. It contains a three-pronged fork, spatula, pick, spike and knife.[1]
Among the earliest contemporary examples is the famous Swiss army knife as supplied by makers Victorinox and Wenger. The actual version supplied to the Swiss army includes a knife blade, a reamer, a bottle-opener/screwdriver/wire stripper, and a can-opener/screwdriver.
Besides Victorinox and Wenger, other manufacturers of this type include Buck Knives and Spyderco.
Other versions may include items like a nail file, tweezers, folding scissors, a tooth pick, a magnifying glass, screwdriver bits and others. There are also versions that have special tools for specific sports or outdoor activities like Golf, horseback riding, hunting or fishing.
Another well-known type is based on a pair of strong folding pliers, usually with wire cutters, and also has a folding knife blade as well as assorted other folding tools. The best-known product of this type is the Leatherman tool whose name has become a genericized trademark for multi-tools. Other makers include Coleman, Gerber Legendary Blades, Kershaw Knives, Schrade, SOG Knife and, again Victorinox with the Swisstool series. Many unbranded types are produced in low cost production regions (eg, China) as well as copies (ie, fakes) of branded multi-tools.
Models like the Wenger SwissGrip, Wenger Pocketgrip, Al Mar 4x4, and SOG ToolClip, and CRKT Zilla-Tool are similar in style to older multi-tools, which were precursors to the leatherman type. The Pocketgrip, for example, is basically a Swiss army knife with integral pliers that lock down when not in use.
New designs are now also emerging; for example the new design from Spyderco, that does not resemble either type above.
References
 |
This tool article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
