What do YOU use a pocket knife/pocket tool for?

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Roger Hicks

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This is obviously prompted by another thread -- http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132438 -- but as there seem to be those who field-dress elk with pocket knives (I think I'd prefer a sheath knife) and others who merely open packages, I thought it might be interesting if we all chipped in with things we've found pocket knives/pocket tools (such as the Leatherman) useful for. Here are some starters:

Picnics (cutting packaging, dried sausages, smoked fish, hard boiled eggs, cheese, bread; spreading butter; opening cans -- Swiss Army Champ)

Opening wine and beer bottles (Swiss Army Champ))

Boring and enlarging holes (Swiss Army Champ)

Straightening bent rewind crank on M4-P in the Julian Alps (Leatherman)

Cutting off strip of hanging skin/flesh from my elbow after a motorcycle accident in India (Swiss Army Champ/scissors). I sterilized the wound with some Old Monk rum

Repairing eyeglasses (Swiss Army Champ -- the little screwdriver that screws into the corkscrew)

Writing notes (Swiss Army Champ)

Cutting & bending wire (Leatherman)

Cutting and trimming walking sticks (Leatherman)

Examining small things (the Swiss Army Champ has a magnifying glass)

Minor mechanical repairs (today, for example, a strimmer; also cars, motorcycles, folding beds and more -- Swiss Army Champ & Leatherman)

Opening packages (I normally use an old Opinel where I don't mind getting sticky stuff on the blade)

Trimming fingernails & moustache; cleaning and filing fingernails (Swiss Army Champ; Leatherman diamond for filing))

Changing electrical plugs (Leatherman)

Measuring things, albeit roughly (Swiss Army Champ)

Cleaning distributor rotors and filing points (Leatherman)

If I don't have both my Leatherman and my Swiss Army Champ on my belt, I realize just how much I miss them, every time I reach for them.

Any more for any more?

Cheers,

R.
 
I have a couple of Leatherman's (different models) and I have a mini Leatherman on my key chain........I use them for so many things I wouldn't even know where to start to detail the many uses that I use them for....but I do know they sure are handy and I use the one on my keychain practically everyday....

cheers, michael
 
michaelbialecki said:
I have a couple of Leatherman's (different models) and I have a mini Leatherman on my key chain........I use them for so many things I wouldn't even know where to start to detail the many uses that I use them for....but I do know they sure are handy and I use the one on my keychain practically everyday....

cheers, michael
Click to expand...
Dear Michael,

I feel pretty much the same way, but if you felt like adding any further uses to the list above, as and when they happen, it would be interesting.

Cheers,

R.
 
I carried a knife for many years, and as I recall I used it all the time. I've not had one in my pocket for at least two years, and haven't really missed it. I now have a utility knife in the darkroom and another in the studio for opening those lovely packages from B&H, Freestyle and Archival Methods.
 
Fixing bicycles, cars, childrens toys and cameras: Leatherman Wave

Picnic and Camping: A Picnic knife, obviously (something similar to http://www.magix-photos.com/permamedia?exportclassid=CBD3E2808A8411DD8ED1FA00584D1688)

Garden: Freunde (True Friends) and/or Opinel pruning knife - I must have four or five, as they always are misplaced

Pocket/EDC: Some tiny (4cm blade) anonymous Solingen key ring thing, carbon steel, which means it probably is more than 50 years old.
 
I've found that in 95-98% of cases, my use for a pocket knife calls for nothing more than a straight, sturdy, sharp blade. In maybe a quarter of those cases, a few serrations might be nice, but when sharpening is factored in, the single lock-blade, sturdy, sharp, straight blade is, far and away, what I'm looking for.

I've carried Swiss Army and Leatherman over the years, and while all those gizmos do, occasionally, come in handy, I ended up just feeling like I was carrying around a bunch of tools (and weight) that I never used...and when the time finally arrived that I *did* want to use one of the non-blade tools, any time I used the Swiss Army/Leatherman versions, I was left underwhelmed, if not frustrated, at having to use the Swiss/Leatherman version, as opposed to a dedicated tool of that type.

Does having the compact version beat having nothing at all when you need it? Absolutely. Is it a big enough deal to justify hauling around such a multitool for those occasions? Well...for some (many?) it may well be. For me, it didn't come close.

In the end, I realized that the tools I used most in a multitool were: straight blade, bottle opener, philips head screwdriver...and occasionally pliers.

For the blade, bottle opener, and screwdriver, using them on a chunky multitool was an exercise in compromised ergonomics. For the pliers, ergonomics were just fine. Ultimately, I found that in situations where I really needed the philips, there was usually a dedicated Philips screwdriver to be found nearby with a bit of effort...same with the pliers. Sure, there are occasional situations where it would be nice to have those two things...but for the 2-3 times a year where this is the case, it doesn't justify the weight & bulk.

Currently, I carry a lightweight, single fixed blade, and keep a dedicated metal bottle opener on my keys. This covers the two most used tools, and only adds a tiny bit of weight, that is all but unnoticed on a day-to-day basis.

Of course, this leaves me wishing I had the Leatherman 2-3x each year...but once I carry one for a week or two, it slowly finds its way back to a drawer at home, in favor of a lighter single blade.
 
removing the base of light bulbs broken off in the socket (Leatherman)

opening packages (Gerber First Responder)

fighting Al-Qaeda (K-Bar)

as screwdriver when needed ( Leatherman )

can opener ( Boy Scout knife)
 
Swiss Army Super Tinkerer and Leatherman Wave. What the one won't do, the other will try.

Repairs of all sorts, opening packages, Christmas packaging and assembly, camera repair, trimming film leaders, trimming and filing fingernails, peeling fruit, etc, etc.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Dear Michael,

I feel pretty much the same way, but if you felt like adding any further uses to the list above, as and when they happen, it would be interesting.

Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...


Ok, in the last 24 hours I used the mini Leatherman (the one on my key chain) to open a bag of dry cement ( I made a skateboard spot on my street), I used the knife to open the bag of cement....

this morning as I was ironing my shirt I used the scissors to cut off some loose threads.....I also cleaned under my fingernails and filed them down today on my lunch break....I seriously use the one on my keychain everyday for some of the most random things (examples above)......

cheers, michael
 
Roger,

I use mine as a money clip, but a Damascus steel blade that hold's an edge that stays scalpel sharp is a lot of overkill for opening packages and letters. Also know that my knife is a limited edition Benchmade 1/125. It also serves as a piece of jewelry.

I haven't had to use it, but I always carry a knife for self defense. Somewhat cultural adoption of ancient tradition of "Warrior Class" I carrying a weapon and would feel naked without one.

Cal
 
In the UK, the stasi frown upon carrying any kind of blade 🙁 . I've used my leatherman to fettle lenses (remove mount, mark aperture ring for filing etc) and to writhe off broken filters when necessary.

Better to have one and not need it, than to need one and not have it.
 
Lately, I've been carrying a multi-tool. Has the usual uses of a pocket knife, such as sharpening pencils. Most of its use is to work on my spot-gun in the woods, so I don't have to hike back to the truck to use regular screwdrivers and pliers. Sure saves time while taking up a small space in the cruiser vest.
 
Daily:
Opening packages, breaking down boxes, lunch (apples/pears/cheese).

Occasionally:
Wood carving, firewood prep, gardening work, other assorted camp/outdoor related.

Hopefully never (knock on wood):
Self defense/Survival.

For what it is worth - culturally, having at least one small knife on you at all times was expected. Old habits die hard, especially when they prove so useful.
 
I used to carry around a pocket knife but after having it restrict my access end even getting a few confiscated I've just stopped carrying them. I have a cheap pocketknife at home I use for opening packages, I keep a leatherman knife/multi-tool in the car for emergencies, and a topeak multi-tool in my backpack when I go bicycling for adjustments/repairs.
 
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