Multi-tool

A multi-tool (or multitool) is a hand tool that combines several individual functions in a single unit. The smallest are credit-card or key sized units designed for carrying in a wallet or on a keyring, but others are designed to be carried in a trouser pocket or belt-mounted pouch.^[1]

History

The idea of incorporating several tools in one unit is very old, dating back at least as far as Middle Roman times.^[2] Many of these were used for eating.

One venerable sort of multi tool was tool handles which accommodated different tools. An early example was Millers Falls Company's tool handle featured in their "Number 1 Family Tool Chest" in their first catalog^[3], with the handle ultimately becoming hollow and appearing in three different sizes (No. 1, 4, and 5) in their Catalog G of 1910^[4]. A slightly different approach was used by other manufacturers such as the Bonsa Tool Company where the handle had a levered catch to secure tools which were designed to fit into the opened recess and be secured when the usually spring-loaded lever was closed.^[5]

Pocket knives

Among the earliest contemporary examples is the 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, many other manufacturers now make similar knives.

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, shooting, hunting or fishing. Versions intended for cyclist may have a selection of allen (hex) and torx keys, a selection of wrenches, screwdrivers, tubeless plugs, spoke wrench, and a chain tool.

Folding multi-tools

In 1983, Tim Leatherman sold his first "Pocket Survival Tool", ⁣^[6] larger and more robust than a pocket-knife-based tool, and incorporating a set of needle-nosed pliers in a butterfly knife-style mechanism. Too large for most pockets, it came with a belt pouch.

Other multi-tools

Other multi-tool functions include a hammer,^[7] LED light, lighter,^[8] tape measure and an assortment of screwdriver bits.

Multifunction tools may be specialized for use in certain activities. Cyclists may carry a folding tool with screwdriver bits or wrenches to allow adjustment of bicycle fasteners during a ride, or for repairing a broken chain. For sport fishermen, a specialized multitool may combine common functions such as cutting fishing line, crimping weights, removing hooks or opening split rings. A specialized multitool may be used for adjustment, cleaning or minor repair of a firearm in field use. Since 2007, the repair of smartphones and electronic devices has become a prominent application for multi-tools.

References

^ "Vintage Ivan's Knife tool, hammer, hatchet, saw, etc. | #1961709696".
^ "Roman multi-tool". Archived from the original on 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
^ "Millers Falls Company History: Gunn, Amidon, Barber".
^ "Millers Falls Company : Catalogue No. G". 1910.
^ "The Lugzsonian - A Virtual Tour". 6 December 2020.
^ "The Leatherman Story". www.leatherman.com.
^ "- Sheffield Multi tools - Pocket Knives, Lockback Utility Knives »14-in-1 Hammer Tool". Archived from the original on 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
^ "LighterBro Turns Your Bic Lighter into a Multitool". Lifehacker. 20 February 2014.

External links

OSS Lockpick Pocketknife for Secret Intelligence Operatives

[1] "Vintage Ivan's Knife tool, hammer, hatchet, saw, etc. | #1961709696".

[2] "Roman multi-tool". Archived from the original on 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2016-03-21.

[3] "Millers Falls Company History: Gunn, Amidon, Barber".

[4] "Millers Falls Company : Catalogue No. G". 1910.

[5] "The Lugzsonian - A Virtual Tour". 6 December 2020.

[6] "The Leatherman Story". www.leatherman.com.

[7] "- Sheffield Multi tools - Pocket Knives, Lockback Utility Knives »14-in-1 Hammer Tool". Archived from the original on 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2014-06-21.

[8] "LighterBro Turns Your Bic Lighter into a Multitool". Lifehacker. 20 February 2014.

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Kitchen and table knives	Boning Boti Bread knife Butcher knife Butter knife Caidao Cheese knife Chef's knife Cleaver Electric knife Fillet knife Grapefruit knife Lame Mezzaluna Parmesan knife Pizza cutter Splayd Steak knife Tomato knife Japanese kitchen knives Deba bōchō Maguro bōchō Nakiri bōchō Santoku Sashimi bōchō Udon kiri Unagisaki hōchō Usuba bōchō Yanagi ba
Other knives	Aircrew Survival Egress Knife Athame Balisong/Butterfly Ballistic Ballpoint pen knife Bayonet Boline Bolo Boot knife Bowie Cane knife Ceramic knife Clip point Coin slasher Combat knife Commander Corvo CQC-6 Deba bōchō Diving knife Drop point Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife Gerber Mark II Ginsu Golok Gravity knife Guna Hacking knife Higonokami Hunting knife Husa knife Ivan's Knife Jacob's ladder Karambit Kard Kirpan Kitchen knife Kukri Laguiole knife Machete Mandau Marking knife Military knife wz. 98 Misericorde Mora knife Multi-tool Navaja Neck knife Nontron knife Opinel knife OSS Escape Utility Knife Palette knife Pantographic knife Parang Penknife Penny knife Pesh-kabz Pirah Pocketknife Phurba Putty knife Puukko Rampuri Resolza Sabatier Sami knife SARK Scalpel Seax Sgian dubh Sharpfinger Sheath knife Shiv Sliding knife Smatchet SOG Knife Straight razor Strider SMF Survival knife Swiss Army knife Switchblade Taping knife Throwing knife Trench knife Tumi Ulu Utility knife Verlängerungsmesser Warrior knife Wedung X-Acto Yakutian knife Yarara Parachute Knife Yatagan
Daggers	Anelace Applegate–Fairbairn fighting knife Arkansas toothpick BC-41 Bagh nakh Balarao Baselard Bichuwa Bollock dagger Cinquedea Dha Dirk Ear dagger Emeici Facón French Nail Gunong Hunting dagger Jambiya Jile Kabutowari Kaiken Kalis Katar Khanjali Khanjar Kris Kunai Liaoning dagger Mark I trench knife Microtech Jagdkommando Parrying dagger Poignard Pugio Push dagger RAF Aircrew Knife Rondel dagger Seme Shobo Sica Stiletto Tantō U.S. Marine Raider stiletto V-42 Yoroi-dōshi
Manufacturers	Aitor Knife Company Al Mar Knives American Tomahawk Company Aritsugu Benchmade Böker Buck Knives Camillus Cutlery Company Cattaraugus Cutlery Company Chris Reeve Knives Chroma Cnife Clauss Cutlery Company Cobray Company Cold Steel Columbia River Knife & Tool Cuisinart Cutco Dalian Hanwei Metal Dexter-Russell Ek Commando Knife Co. EKA Emerson Knives F. Dick Fällkniven FAMAE Fiskars Gerber Legendary Blades Füritechnics Glock Ges.m.b.H. Imperial Schrade Ivan's Ka-Bar Kershaw Knives Korin Japanese Trading Company Kyocera Leatherman Mad Dog Knives Marble Arms Medford Knife and Tool Microtech Knives Morseth Muela Murphy Knives OLFA Ontario Knife Company Opinel Randall Made Knives Ranz Cuchillos Rösle Sabatier Shun Cutlery Slice, Inc. SOG Specialty Knives Spyderco STI Knives Strider Knives Thiers Issard TOPS Knives Tramontina Victorinox W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. Carl Walther GmbH Wenger Western Knife Company Wilkinson Sword Wüsthof Yoshida Metal Industry Global Zero Tolerance Knives Zwilling J. A. Henckels
Knifemakers	Rex Applegate James Black Tom Brown Jr. Blackie Collins John Nelson Cooper Jack W. Crain Ernest Emerson Jerry Fisk Bill Harsey Jr. Phill Hartsfield Gil Hibben Jimmy Lile Bob Loveless William F. Moran Ken Onion Ralph Osterhout Bo Randall Chris Reeve A. G. Russell Jody Samson William Scagel Mike Snody Robert Terzuola Michael Walker Buster Warenski Daniel Winkler
Associations	American Bladesmith Society Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association Knifemakers' Guild
Category:Knives / Daggers