# Essential Tools/Gadgets/Hardware etc... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 31, 2017, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165 "2017-08-31T11:55:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JHBoom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/13edae/32.png) [@JHBoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JHBoom)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/41 "2017-09-01T23:40:51Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Tell me more about this “safety wire” you speak of. [Safety wire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_wire) is good stuff. Stainless steel so it doesn’t easily rust, malleable so it’s flexible, and fairly strong. I’ve used safety wire almost as much for personal uses, as I’ve used it as a helicopter mechanic. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/42 "2017-09-02T00:19:08Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Now I’m intrigued. What kinds of things do you do each day that require this tool? Useful tools in my SA knife are: Scissors - for all sorts of things (including tie-wraps and very small wires) Screwdrivers - especially the Philips Bottle opener - beer Knife blades - many jobs; very handy for opening those “tamper-proof” bubble packages Magnifying glass - helped me find and remove a splinter today Tweezers - also used during splinter removal Corkscrew - not used as often, but when someone shows up with a bottle of wine and no way to open it (more common than you might think), I can save the day ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/43 "2017-09-02T00:19:27Z")
> [@JHBoom](#): > > [Safety wire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_wire) is good stuff. Stainless steel so it doesn’t easily rust, malleable so it’s flexible, and fairly strong. I’ve used safety wire almost as much for personal uses, as I’ve used it as a helicopter mechanic. Hmmm…I think I need to have this… ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/44 "2017-09-02T00:56:51Z")
A leatherman-type tool/knife and a P-38 can opener on me. And if I you go to just handy add a roll of duct tape and a can of Nuts-Off. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/45 "2017-09-02T10:08:33Z")
A metal nail file. It will do most of what your SAK will do, and the SAK nail file is usually shite. - open bubble sealed packages - cut (or saw) through anything I need to day-to-day - the tip works for both flathead and phillips screws - poke a new hole in a leather belt You get the drift. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/46 "2017-09-02T14:39:39Z")
**Epoxy** There was a time when I would use glue to fix things, make things, etc. But I use epoxy almost exclusively now. The stuff is amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Plumpudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Plumpudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plumpudding)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/47 "2017-09-02T15:54:01Z")
I cut old bike tubes into strips to tie things with. Since they’re rubber, the knots doesn’t slip or open up by themselves, but they’re easy to open. Very nice for organizing and tidying cables wiring, tie things together temporarily etc. I also always carry a lighter, but I’m not sure if it counts, as I’m a smoker. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/48 "2017-09-02T21:13:48Z")
I carry a small toolbox in my car at all times, the main things I use are screwdrivers, knife, dikes, channel locks, small hammer, mechanic wire and tape. If I din’t have it with me it would not be a big deal though. ---
**Author:** ![JHBoom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/13edae/32.png) [@JHBoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JHBoom)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/49 "2017-09-03T00:10:54Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I carry a small toolbox in my car at all times, the main things I use are screwdrivers, knife, **dikes** , channel locks, small hammer, mechanic wire and tape. If I din’t have it with me it would not be a big deal though. Can’t say that anymore; offensive. The acceptable slang for diagonal cutters is now “alternative lifestyle pliers”. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2017, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/50 "2017-09-03T00:36:31Z")
I carry a micro fiber cloth for keeping my glasses clean and one or two tissues at all times. This is why even my PJ’s have pockets. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/51 "2017-09-04T04:27:25Z")
How about a needle and thread and good scissors…came in handy many times in my car…always carry them ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/52 "2017-09-04T06:54:44Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > **Epoxy** > > There was a time when I would use glue to fix things, make things, etc. But I use epoxy almost exclusively now. The stuff is amazing. The two part “Plumber’s epoxy” especially. It looks like clay, one part light grey, another part a darker grey. You slice off a chunk and kneed the two parts together. It’s flexible and workable for a while and then hardens like metal. I’ve used it to repair things that SuperGlue and other types of liquid epoxy can never fix. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/53 "2017-09-04T08:36:55Z")
[Leatherman Surge](https://www.google.ca/search?q=Leatherman+Surge&dcr=0&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib25u8j4vWAhWXHsAKHQ-sBykQ_AUICigB&biw=1360&bih=650) Insanely useful. I end up using mine at least once a day and often much more frequently. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/54 "2017-09-04T09:54:13Z")
Other than SKA, I carry an Opinel, some carabiners and some paracord, and I always have some [Sugru](https://sugru.com/) at hand. > [@Bullitt](#): > > I always called the SAK tool a leather punch, which is what they’ve (SAK) called it. Actually, they call it a [reamer/punch](https://www.victorinox.com/global/en/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Large-Pocket-Knives/RescueTool/p/0.8623.MWN), and even that’s pedantry, as it [used to be called the awl](http://www.sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Reamer), and it’s called the [reamer/punch/sewing awl](https://www.victorinox.com/global/en/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Medium-Pocket-Knives/Junior-03/p/2.3913.SKE) when it has an eye (which seems to be more common). Personally (as someone who does a lot of leatherwork) I have no problem calling it an awl, as I consider a leather punch to be something that actually cuts out a little bit of leather when it makes a hole, not just forces a hole through, which is what my stitching awls do, and the Victorinox tool does. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2017, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/55 "2017-09-23T13:12:05Z")
What about a whistle? (MPSIMS: Indiana man locked in cave for 60 hours, forgotten by group: [https://goo.gl/gAz9WZ](https://goo.gl/gAz9WZ)) That MPSIMS thread reminded me that it might be a good idea to carry a whistle. The man screamed but no one could hear him. > [@](#): > > Indiana University freshman Lukas Cavar was on a spelunking trip to Sullivan Cave about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Bloomington when he became separated Sunday afternoon from 12 other members of the university’s Caving Club. > > When he eventually reached the cave entrance, Cavar found club members had padlocked its gate, unaware that he remained inside. He couldn’t get a cellphone signal and screamed for hours, hoping motorists passing on a nearby road might hear him. A whistle is a more effective way to signal loudly. Referee whistles like the Fox 40 Sonik Blast can be heard up to one mile away. They are LOUD and can cause pain in close quarters. In a self defense situation, it may cause temporary pain and give you time to get away. While your own ears recover. 🙂 I have the ACME Tornado 636 Slimline on my key chain ([$3 at gunDogSupply](https://goo.gl/5VHZEe)). But now I just bought the Fox 40, $9 at Walmart: [Fox 40 Sonik Blast CMG Safety Whistle, Lanyard, 120+ dB, Black - Walmart.com](https://goo.gl/XiQzLU). I want to see how loud that is! Whistles are small, inexpensive, simple and effective. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/56 "2017-09-29T10:56:47Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I have the ACME Tornado 636 Slimline on my key chain ([$3 at gunDogSupply](https://goo.gl/5VHZEe)). But now I just bought the Fox 40, $9 at Walmart: [Fox 40 Sonik Blast CMG Safety Whistle, Lanyard, 120+ dB, Black - Walmart.com](https://goo.gl/XiQzLU). I want to see how loud that is! > > Whistles are small, inexpensive, simple and effective. The Fox 40 arrived and is a bit louder than the ACME Tornado 636 Slimline, but it’s bulky. And the little ACME Tornado 636 Slimline is loud enough, and is convenient on my key chain. So the Fox 40 will be kept in the glove box of the car. The ACME Tornado 636 Slimline will stay on my keys. ---
**Author:** ![Dancer\_Flight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dancer_flight/32/7601_2.png) [@Dancer\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancer_Flight)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/57 "2017-09-30T22:00:09Z")
My EDC: [Leatherman Skeletool](http://www.leatherman.com/skeletool-18.html), A [Pelican 1910](http://www.pelican.com/us/en/product/tactical-dive-flashlights-headlamps/small-light/standard/1910/) flashlight, and a disposable lighter. I use the knife blade almost daily, the pliers and screwdriver more than weekly. The flashlight is handy but not used as much. I started carrying the lighter because when I was working in a saw repair shop, there was never an easy way handy to melt the ends of the pull cords we replaced. The lighter and flashlight ride in elastic loops on the sides of my [cellphone holster](http://www.kunysleather.com/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=SC88&id=71), the knife in my pocket. -DF ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/58 "2017-10-02T18:01:44Z")
SAK, the awl and eyeglass screwdriver are the most used. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/59 "2017-10-02T21:58:20Z")
> [@JHBoom](#): > > Can’t say that anymore; offensive. The acceptable slang for diagonal cutters is now “alternative lifestyle pliers”. At a bike shop I used to frequent, they were called Beckys, after an alternative lifestyle customer. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165/60 "2017-10-03T20:21:02Z")
3 simple tools for life: Duct tape if it is loose and shouldn’t be. WD40 if it is tight and shouldn’t be. SAK if it is in one piece and shouldn’t be (or needs a hole in it). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-tools-gadgets-hardware-etc/795165.md?page=4)