It’s an old-fashioned manly habit that’s worth taking up. Five everyday problems, obstacles and frustrations that a multitool solves.
I am frequently startled when I encounter men who do not have a knife of some description on them. I can understand women not carrying them; women’s clothes are deliberately designed with painfully inadequate pocket space. Men’s clothes, however, tend to have plenty of pockets, so there’s no good reason not to have a decent multi-blade tool on you somewhere.
Myself, I carry a Swiss Army Knife, though many others like to pack a Leatherman or something similar. Poke around and you can find endlessly tedious arguments about which brand or style is superior, because people will always have those arguments and nothing can stop them. Myself, I think they’re both quality items, but I’ve been carrying Swiss Army Knives since I was nine, and I’m set in my ways. There are also smaller multitools that vanish into keys, credit cards, keyrings, and similar little items; there’s really no excuse for not carrying one.
The most common reason I hear guys cite for not carrying a knife or multitool is that they don’t think it’d come in handy that often. These are guys who’ve never carried one, clearly. I find that I reach for mine around four times a day. That’s roughly 1500 times a year that the solution to a problem is no further away than my pocket. That’s good value however you look at it. Here’s five of the top reasons that I put my knife to use every day, and you could too.
1. Screws
I’ve fixed my car with my knife. Also assembled furniture, repaired eyeglasses, opened those screwed-shut battery cases, and lots more. Think of every time you’ve asked yourself “Where’s a screwdriver?” and think how nice it’d be if the answer were “Right here.”
2. Packaging
“Clamshell” packaging, aka Satan’s Little Gift To Retail, is only the tip of the iceberg. Every invulnerable zip-tie, every infinitely stretchable sheath of shrinkwrap, every maddeningly un-pullable safety seal, all of them just cease to be problems. Imagine living in such a world.
3. Wine and Beer
Corkscrew: check. Bottle opener: check. Party: saved.
4. Clothing Adjustments
Loose threads are history. Seams can be ripped open at will. You can turn jeans into cutoffs in moments, cut wet shoelace knots, remove tags, slice off hammer loops… you’d be amazed how often this comes in handy.
5. Personal Grooming
Nails too long or broken? Grab the scissors and cut ’em. Sharp corner on one? File it. Ingrown hair or sharp cuticle? Tweeze it. Missed a spot shaving and now you’ve got this little patch of whiskers driving you insane? Whip out a blade and shave ’em off. (I keep my knives shaving sharp and recommend that you do the same.)
Even leaving out the more obscure uses of some of these tools, one purchase is all that’s between you and a thousand-plus times a year when you can just solve a problem right there. It’s worth doing.
Photo—Public Domain Photos/Flickr
Why is it “Manly”?
Because men can deal with their environment…
Me I carry a Swiss Army and an EDC M-16 by CRKT that would make a fine fighting knife.