# What kind of pocketknife or multi-tool do you routinely carry? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2019, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211 "2019-08-25T12:57:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/1 "2019-08-25T12:57:43Z")
I like to carry a small, simple little pocket knife on my person as I go about my daily business. I don’t want to carry anything too big and bulky and I have no need of the huge multi-tools with nineteen different “features” that do nothing but add weight and cost. For many years, my preferred blade has been an “Old-Timer” similar to [THIS ONE.](https://www.cabelas.com/product/SCHRADE-CUTLERY-OLD-TIMER-FOLDING/3278424.uts?productVariantId=1630379&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=50020644&rid=20&ds_rl=1246543&ds_rl=1246546&ds_rl=1247984&ds_rl=1252079&gclid=CjwKCAjw44jrBRAHEiwAZ9igKCeKD5nhhjDliqrDiNFDFoJwnkg-FuKKCgIU_4V7UMOGuLSqKRS2aBoCOWEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) As far as I’m concerned, for my needs, a pocketknife doesn’t need to get much more complicated than this. With that being said, my old trusty has grown legs somehow and rather than just buy another out of habit, I thought I’d throw it out to the boards and find out what the wizened ones carry. Maybe it’s time for an upgrade? I wouldn’t mind finding one that can go on my key chain. Maybe I wouldn’t lose one every decade or so like I’ve been doing. If it has a convenient bottle opener that can be used without unfolding anything, so much the better. Thoughts? What bladed tool is in your pocket right now? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/2 "2019-08-25T13:03:33Z")
I have a small (yellow) Victorinox Swiss Army Knife from a camping store. No scissors or corkscrew. I love the big red ones, but keep losing them. This has a limited selection of blades I actually use. I really like Boy Scout knives too, for the same size/utility ratio. Also, unlike the Swiss army, I was actually a Boy Scout. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/3 "2019-08-25T13:14:22Z")
I have a small Swiss Army Knife that I use often. I also carry around a multitool that I rarely use; it’s not particularly good at anything. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/4 "2019-08-25T13:35:04Z")
Very small Case single blade pocket knife. I think it’s probably their smallest model. Until retirement I carried a multi-tool in the side pocket of my lunchbox, but I don’t want anything bulky or large in my pocket. Like you (OP), I can do 99% of my knife needs with the tiny one. Don’t get me started on the new hunters with their giant “tactical” knives. My hunting blade is also very small (3"). I think most people really go overboard on knives, but that’s just my opinion I guess. The only time I’ve carried a really large knife was when it was a requirement for my job. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/5 "2019-08-25T13:41:51Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > The only time I’ve carried a really large knife was when it was a requirement for my job. Crocodile Dundee…? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/6 "2019-08-25T13:46:40Z")
Another small Swiss Army Knife user here. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/7 "2019-08-25T13:50:05Z")
About a 2.5" Buck lock back. Nice wooden handle. It, I think has a little class and is a very strong tool. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/8 "2019-08-25T14:03:50Z")
I carry a Gerber mulitool. On a regular basis I use the pliers, blade, scissors, and open paint cans. It goes in a belt pouch on my right hip. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/9 "2019-08-25T14:22:05Z")
Swiss Army Knife. Huntsman’s model. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/10 "2019-08-25T14:27:29Z")
A [Kershaw Scallion](https://www.amazon.com/Kershaw-Bead-Blasted-Glass-Filled-Single-Position-Pocketclip/dp/B0009VC9UY/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=CjwKCAjw44jrBRAHEiwAZ9igKARI5asTg8kP24EVIeK3IkV7G4PMCUS3IwnEXE9vEsbkkWGxcM3gjRoCSWgQAvD_BwE&hvadid=174273640248&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9061081&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12223556104475996305&hvtargid=kwd-2794259541&hydadcr=9376_9621491&keywords=kershaw+1620&qid=1566743087&s=gateway&sr=8-1). Spring-loaded one hand opening, and holds an edge really well. I use this on a daily basis for a variety of things and hate leaving it at home when I travel. ---
**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:** [August 25, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/11 "2019-08-25T14:36:17Z")
I _would_ carry a utility knife, but the knife laws here in Ohio are complex and dependent on municipality. I have heard stories of people being arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon for carrying a knife. Until Ohio changes their laws on this, I’m not carrying one. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/12 "2019-08-25T14:44:29Z")
Depends on what your daily business is, doesn’t it? But I think it is safe to say that an authentic old-timer’s folding knife for general utility, the type that has been around for centuries, has nothing but a single carbon steel blade. Maybe a corkscrew/bottle opener built into the handle if you want to get cute. That doesn’t mean you should not get a Leatherman Micra type of tool (or even thinner) that hangs on your keychain if you find that’s what you actually end up using on a daily basis. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/13 "2019-08-25T14:48:11Z")
I carry one of the large, locking SAKs in my pocket. It is the same model they sell to the German military albeit with a smooth, not serrated, edge. There is a Leatherman Wave in my purse. All of my keychains have some kind of little tool with a blade on them. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/14 "2019-08-25T15:02:19Z")
A box cutter, one of those that fold like a pocketknife. I use it as a moneyclip. I simply never learned to like sharpening knives, so now I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/15 "2019-08-25T15:27:48Z")
I own a single-bladed locking old timer, which I like. But right now my daily carry is a little knife that fits on my key chain: [https://www.cabelas.com/product/SOG-KEY-KNIFE/3129341.uts](https://www.cabelas.com/product/SOG-KEY-KNIFE/3129341.uts) It’s a surprisingly sharp blade, holds its edge, and while it takes a little more effort to cut something large, like an apple, it’s a useful blade that weighs almost nothing and takes no room in my pocket. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/16 "2019-08-25T15:48:58Z")
I use the smallest Schrade with a loop for my key chain. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/17 "2019-08-25T16:00:51Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I own a single-bladed locking old timer, which I like. But right now my daily carry is a little knife that fits on my key chain: > > [https://www.cabelas.com/product/SOG-KEY-KNIFE/3129341.uts](https://www.cabelas.com/product/SOG-KEY-KNIFE/3129341.uts) > > It’s a surprisingly sharp blade, holds its edge, and while it takes a little more effort to cut something large, like an apple, it’s a useful blade that weighs almost nothing and takes no room in my pocket. I bought a two-pack of those key knives back in 2017. I ended up giving them, on separate occasions, to coworkers who expressed a liking of them. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/18 "2019-08-25T16:23:44Z")
I have a Leatherman Micra. The scissors actually work well and that’s what I use the most. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/19 "2019-08-25T16:28:35Z")
I couldn’t carry a knife or pocket tool when I was working so I got out of the habit of carrying one. ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211/20 "2019-08-25T17:10:31Z")
I often carry a Leatherman Freestyle. It’s about a 3-inch blade, with some small pliers and a wire cutter, and that’s it. Small and simple, and most of the time that’s all I need. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-pocketknife-or-multi-tool-do-you-routinely-carry/839211.md?page=2)