The pocket tool category seems to have exploded in the last year or so. I am continually finding more folks who either make custom pocket tools or companies who are just joining the market. We thought since the release of the Artifact and Shard tools from Gerber; there would be no other big companies who would jump on the bandwagon. Well seemingly out of nowhere a company called MK7 announces that they are going to start producing pocket tools that are going to be made of high quality materials similar to custom makers like Peter Atwood. The first tool on their list to be released was the Piranha; this tool has started more of a stir in the knife/tool community than the Gerber tools ever thought of doing. It’s really a mess and in this review I am not going to choose sides or dispute issues of who stole what intellectual properties. I am going to lay out the facts like they are and you can draw your own conclusions.
Having never handled any Blackhawk tools or knives I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered the HawkHook. At an MSRP of about $40, I figured it was worth a shot, and I'm glad I decided to.
Some ideas are so simple and straightforward you just have to smack yourself in the forehead for not thinking of it yourself. The ScrewPop tool is one of those ideas- basically a bottle opener with a built in screwdriver- a must for any technical student!
Like many other folks, my first thoughts on the new CRKT Eat'n Tool were less than serious, and I wondered how any real multitool enthusiast or user would make use of this tool. After carrying and using this tool I realized I was looking at this tool all wrong- it's not an Every Day Carry (EDC) type tool, it's a specialized tool for a camper or hiker who wants a lightweight spork with some extra functionality for maintaining equipment. For the type of user who really cares about weight, the Eat'n Tool might just be the ticket.
For years the Leatherman Crunch has been the only player in the folding, locking plier head category- many other companies like Kershaw and Schrade have tried locking plier tools, but none seemed to be that successful, leaving the Crunch the only one available to anyone needing a locking tool. Gerber has now thrown their hat in the ring with a locking plier tool, which also incorporates Gerber's traditional sliding head to boot!
What kind of people would write collect and review multitools? Quite simple really- we are designers and do-ers, outdoors types and indoor types, mechanics, doctors, problem solvers and problem makers. As such, we have, as a world spanning community, put every type, size and version of multitool, multifunction knife, pocket knife and all related products to every test we could manage in as many places and environments as there are.