A Fix in Your Pocket: The 5 Best Multi-Tools

Oh, the multi-tool. I keep one stashed in several key places: my everyday bag, my glove compartment, at my desk, and an extra one that floats from my camping gear to my toolbox to a backpack for day trips. They’re not all high quality – most were stocking stuffers or holiday presents from well-meaning family who snagged that 3-sizes-in-one-box from the “gifts” section of the department store that pops up in the aisle every December.    And while I love knowing that I can get to a pair of needle nose pliers or a #2 Phillips head when I need it, I can definitely tell a big difference between the “good enough” multi-tools and the actual, American-made high quality one that I’d carry with me everywhere if it weren’t so heavy and bulky. 

So, as we usually recommend on ManMade, buy the right one once, and use it for life. 

Gear Patrol has rounded up five of their favorites, each under $100, and several in the $50-60 range. 

Caught yourself trying to pry something open with a pen or a fork lately? We’d say you’re in the market for a handy all-in-one multi-tool. Sure, it won’t come close to fixing everything, but in a pinch, it’s a great “go-to” instrument that could make a difference…Multi-tools have been completing odd jobs since the original Leatherman PST (Pocket Survival tool) came out in 1983. As good as the PST was, multi-tools (or multi-pliers) have come a long way since then, today varying in size, tool type and count… In our quest to find the best, though, we also discovered that many manufacturers have abandoned their multi-tool production due to poor sales. We call it “thinning the herd”, and it’s actually for the better, as the ones that survive tend to be the most user-friendly and the hardiest. Ready to become a Renaissance handyman of honey-do lists?

Check out their recommended list – Grip-N-Go: The 5 Best Muiti-Tools