Multitools

There is nothing more seductive in the world of tools than an entire toolbox that fits in a pocket.

Everything modern has circuits, chips, and software. Cameras, watches, and cars, and even many bicycles these days are essentially just computers. Everything has been poisoned with "smart" technologies, software, bluetooth, and awful apps. Every year there are new smart devices. Smart TVs, smart rings, smart fridges, and smart pens. There is seemingly no end to man's desire to put a chip in it. All of these things depend on batteries or worse, constant software updates. Inevitably after about 3 years they become disposable junk.

Leatherman have been making multitools for 40 years and their tools and many others can last forever if you take care of them. A hunk of polished stainless steel takes us back in time to when things were simpler. If something broke, you could fix it, if you didn't know how, you could figure it out just by taking it apart. Something about a world like that inspires confidence that all things can be put right no matter what they happen to be.

Some models even let you replace hard wearing parts like saws, files, bits, and wire cutters. This allows the tool that can fix almost anything to be fixed itself, and that fact is elegant and beautiful.

Do I need a saw, wire strippers, and a diamond file every day? Have I ever needed these things unexpectedly? Have I ever needed them at all? I don't know, and you're asking the wrong questions.

Most tools are purchased for a purpose, and they sit in a tool chest until they are needed. A multitool is purchased for all of the endless possibilities one may encounter and it is carried everywhere. Whatever forks open in whatever roads are traveled, with a multitool in a pocket, one feels as if they may follow whichever prospect holds out the greater adventure. When you think about the freedom that comes with one little box in your pocket, it is an exhilarating rush. Am I going to hot wire a car today? I haven't decided yet, why don't you tag along and find out. (Don't worry, I won't).

My current daily driver is a Leatherman Wave+. It strikes the perfect balance between having not enough and too much. It's heavy, but not too heavy to carry in a pocket. While there are many lighter tools and a few heavier, the Wave+ is perfect for people with desk jobs that tackle occasional projects around the house and in the garage. It's always been up to the task whenever I have needed it.

In a modern world where everything is cheap and disposable, a quality multitool is still a fine thing that can last a lifetime with proper care. More than that, a well made one inspires the imagination every time it's picked up off the dresser, or held in the hand, and as each tool is unfolded and neatly put back, one is free to wonder what trouble will find them next.