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comment by nowaypablo
nowaypablo  ·  4017 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: How can I pick out the best Swiss Army Knife?

Well except for the pliers every tool on a Leatherman needs two hands to open too. I also won't be going too heavy duty, I may be getting a decent hunting knife (from Gerber) to go along with it when camping/hiking, but you're right about practicality. most sak's aren't gonna get any big jobs done in one piece. It does have a toothpick though!





kleinbl00  ·  4016 days ago  ·  link  ·  

If you use them long enough they loosen up. I had a pair that I could flip out like a balisong knife.

_refugee_  ·  4017 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Nah, you can totally swing the blade open on a leatherman one-handed (use your thumb on the blade). There are some tools accessible from the outside of the leatherman that you don't need two hands to open but most of them are contained inside. It depends on which kind you get.

My leatherman isn't going to help me hunt though I'll very much give you that.

In fact on the page for the wingman it says everything can be opened and operated one-handed. I don't know it gets a little tough to get the interior tools out especially the correct interior tool (sometimes you end up pulling both out and then lowering the tool you don't need, this is really hard to explain without demonstrating) and some of the tools are stuff like "bottle opener" where yeah sure you can use it one-handed but your other hand's going to be busy) but anyway something to consider, i know for sure you don't need to use both hands to access all leatherman tools, given the right leatherman.

nowaypablo  ·  4017 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Ah okay. My claim was based on using my friend's Leatherman, and when you mention swinging it open I'm assuming my friend's was rusted or poorly maintained otherwise, because there was no swinging to be swung on that thing, more like wrenching to be wrenched.

_refugee_  ·  4017 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Fun story the one time I thought I had killed myself on WD-40 it was trying to fix a friend's offbeat Leatherman that he had let rust into a very sorry state. For everyone who tells me not to use WD-40 on rust, yeah, okay, I know now guys.

But did YOU know they have a national hotlife for WD-40 safety?

nowaypablo  ·  4017 days ago  ·  link  ·  

If my mom ever asks if I've ever gained anything from wasting time online, I'm finally prepared. That said, I respect your bravery in using WD-40 in the first place. I still struggle putting a sandwich together, I'm afraid the industrial-grade construction equipment will have to wait.

kleinbl00  ·  4016 days ago  ·  link  ·  

The best solvent of my childhood was called "Aircraft remover." I understand Rustoleum owns them now and it's not the same stuff.

The warning label on the original shit said "will be fatal if swallowed." There was no prevarication.

humanodon  ·  4017 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Which Gerber are you thinking, and do you want a hunting knife or a camp knife?

nowaypablo  ·  4017 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Camping, I meant camping. See why I needed to make this post? :D

humanodon  ·  4017 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Yep. I see.

Look. When it comes to buying knives there's a lot of hype around certain companies and even around certain steels. Basically, 440A or 440C are pretty crappy stainless steels which take an edge ok, hold and edge ok and stay shiny. However, it is not super durable. If you're interested in buying a tool that will last you a good long time, I suggest you do some research or at least read some reviews of products you are interested in.

In general, these reviews will tell you that Gerber kind of sucks and from what I've seen of their products, I am inclined to agree. If you are looking for a bare bones camp knife, I would recommend the Cold Steel Bushman (the standard style, not the bowie). Also, ignore the videos on that site because they are nuts. Anyway, this is an affordable camp knife, made of a single piece of good steel that has a nice coating on it so you only have to worry about taking care of the edge. Plus, the new version comes with a fire steel and a sheath. I had one of these guys for years and years and I could do everything with it: chop wood, chop veggies, cut cloth, cut rope, cut anything really. Plus, it has a hollow handle so you can turn it into a spear (as if that's something that happens to most campers).

Anyway, when I bought it, it cost $37 bucks. Now it costs $42 and I still think it's worth it.