As Co Founder of Multitool.org David has been a multitool enthusaist since the 90's. David has always been fascinated with the design inginuity and uselfulness of multitools.
David is always looking forward to what's new in the industry and how the humble multitool continues to evolve as it radically changes and improves the lives of users.
Back in 2020 Gerber launched a new series of tool that was meant to be an in-between in their product lineup, somewhere between a pocketknife and a full-fledged multitool. Gerber want to create something like your Swiss Army knife, and it would help prevent users from abusing their pocketknives.
Gerber launched with the Armbar Drive and the Cork, they seemed like a pretty good launch for the company and were followed up by the Armbar Slim Drive and Armbar Slim Cut in 2021. For 2023 Gerber adds two new models to the successful Armbar lineup, the Scout and Trade.
One company that's always grabbed my attention is Giant Mouse, formed by two Danish knife makers (Jens Ansø and Jesper Voxnaes (Vox), along with an American friend of theirs Jim Wirth, they decided to build a better mouse trap so to speak. Their goal was to create a knife brand that would have incredible designs, and amazing production quality while at a fair price.
When I think of those famous designs produced by the Danish duo, I see a knife like the Ace Grand. One look at it and you know who the designers are, and it's iconic in the industry. The name comes from a favorite hotel of the two designers, The Grand Hotel Nuremberg. It's an old hotel with a long history and a great name for a knife of this statue.
Rihe Designs have been a design house for knives since 2018. Like many others in the industry, they decided to branch out on their own and offering knives under their own branding. They started with a handful of models, offering designs that would challenge the norm, and offer them at a competitive price. We're taking a look at one of those models that they launched with, the RH288 model.
Revo Knives have kicking around a few years and have been bringing new and interesting designs to the industry. They believe that no one should be without a high-quality tool. They feel too often someone will go with cheap low-quality knives because they feel quality knives mean a higher price tag. Revo has been out to change that, with a high-quality product with focus on maximum value. Combined with that their team is comprised of not just knife enthusiasts, but people who have been users for decades. Today we're checking out a design they've had out for a little while, it's time tested, and popular with consumers, the Ness.
The Rexford RUT has been around since 2011 and has been used and loved by many. Todd designed the RUT not as a replacement for your pocketknife, but more as a companion for it. Todd says that he abuses razor blades and uses them like they are free. He wanted a small blade that you could get in those hard-to-reach places, and not worry about getting it nasty. Using a blade that's small like a razor may be all you need, even though popping open your knife is satisfying it can be overkill, plus the smaller blade can be used in public without raising eyebrows.
Some companies have a unique visual style, I love being able to identify a knife based on pocket clips, handle shape, etc. Finch Co. is one of those companies, founded in 2019, Finch follows a design style that harkens back simpler times, and have a vintage feel to them. The company loves traditional folders, they have infused that feel with modern materials to produce products that are visually stunning yet warm and nostalgic.
One of those modern traditionals is the Flint, the knife gets its name from a single-shot muzzle loading firearm that used flint to create a spark that ignited gunpowder to propel a lead ball. This Flint doesn't possess any explosive properties, but it's sure to get your attention. Let's check out the Finch Flint.
Located in northeast Kansas is Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, it opened in 1906 and was the nation’s first maximum security prison. Some of its iconic prisoners include “Machine Gun Kelly” and “The Bird Man”. This institution is the stage for Finch Knives latest release, the Shiv. A shiv is a homemade knife-like tool fashioned in prison. Created behind unimaginable walls by desperate and resourceful people.
The Shiv is a pretty compact EDC knife, coming in at 3.7" closed, blade length of 2.8", for an overall of 6.5". The knife comes in two variations, a satin blade with black G10 handle, or black blade with a jade G10 handle. The one we're looking at today is the black/jade variation.
In the knife and tool industry there's usually two sides, those who make a single blade knife and those who create multitools. There are others that kind of meet somewhere in the middle, they still have a blade as their primary function but dabble in being multipurpose. Revo has come up with a new pocketknife that's a blend between the two, offering the convenience of a modern pocketknife, yet offering some versatility in its design.
Vosteed is my favorite knife company right now, if you catch me fan girling there's a reason. This newish company never ceases to amaze me, whether it be customer service, attention to detail or the community it has developed. I'd like to think all of our big companies out there used to be like this, it's a model I hope they continue to use. Today we're checking out the Vosteed Corgi, it's just as cute as it sounds and won't mess up the carpets.
With so many titanium pry bars out there, you would think the category has been done to death. With a slab of titanium there's only just so many things you can do artistically to give the tool more functionality. Well, the folks over at Ant Design have done just that and it's pretty ingenious.
Called the E-One, this pry bar comes in at 3 1/2 inches in length and 3/4 of an inch in thickness. This certainly is a thick boy compared to other pry bars out there, but it has a secret weapon. Some of the included features of the E-One include: a removable clip, bottle opener, nail file, ruler, file and prybar. The pry bar comes in a few style options; the pry itself comes in either brass or titanium with the option for an inlay of copper, brass, titanium or timascus.
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.