Best Buy

BEST FOR:CUTTING
GERBER MP800 LEGEND £69
Gerber’s Legend incorporates nine separate tools, including a bottle-opener and four screwdriver heads. It stands out for cutting, whether with the ultra-sharp Fiskars scissors, the replaceable jigsaw blade, or the triple-edged cutter that is capable of cleaving through steel wire. The aluminium handles are the most comfortable of the models on test, particularly when being worked hard, and the fact that the pliers are spring-loaded gives the Legend another edge over the opposition.
Verdict: Seriously tough multitool, and stylish with it

www.gerbergear.com

BEST FOR:MECHANICS
BYRD BYRDRENCH £69.95
The ByrdRench neither looks nor performs like any other tool here. Its flip-out, lockable blade is fairly standard, but that’s where convention finishes, because at one end it has two-position, slip-joint pliers, and at the other a 9/16in adjustable wrench. It also separates into two tools, so you can use the jaws and screwdriver functions simultaneously - ideal for cycle repairs andsmall DIY jobs. With only a half-dozen functions, it’s not ideal for the outdoorsman, but is useful for minor mechanical mishaps.
Verdict: Great for gripping, twisting and turning

www.heinnie.com

BEST FOR:CHOICE OF TOOLS
SWISSTOOL SPIRIT £67.95
The Spirit encompasses SwissTools’s usual meticulous manufacturing standards and provides 27 tools, plus a quality leather pouch. A single, slight curve in the handles is the only nod to contemporary design, but you won’t care what it looks like once you start using the raft of tools, all of which click beautifully into place. The slightly narrow handles make it a little less comfortable than the Gerber under conditions of heavy use, but that’s a minor gripe.
Verdict: A great all-rounder, but not recommended for heavy duty

www.swisstool.co.uk

BEST FOR: EASY OPENING
SOG POWERLOCK £76.95
This multiplier’s cog-and-cantilever opening mechanism is smooth, although the projecting gears dig into the palm. Pull-out side covers keep the 14 tools in place and protect the fingers, but are a bit of a fiddle when it comes to actually accessing the tools. This is compounded by the fact that they all open from the inside of the device (on more recent designs, the tools are conveniently positioned on the outside). And although all were supposed to lock in place, the scissors stubbornly stayed loose.
Verdict: Solidly made with plenty of tools, but feels dated

www.heinnie.com

BEST FOR:LIGHTNESS
LEATHERMAN SKELETOOL £57.95
Weighing in at a mere 5oz, this multiplier’s weight-loss programme starts with multiple holes in its chassis. Although this looks stylish, the flipside is that the handles bite into your fingers when you have to apply plenty of pressure. In addition, the tool count has been drastically reduced to just a smallish pair of pliers, a blade, two double-ended screwdriver bits and a bottle-opener. And it doesn’t even come with a pouch, as it’s designed to clip onto a belt.
Verdict: Lightweight and reasonable value, but overall a barebones tool

www.leatherman-tools.co.uk

Prices of tools tested are the best found online

WORLD’S WEIRDEST TOOLS

LASER The 2lb 11oz, £500 Wenger Giant Knife, the world’s largest multitool, has 110 tools, including a 300ft-rangelaser pointer
PHARMACEUTICAL SPATULA The £100 Victorinox Swiss Champ XLT’s 50 tools include a chemist’s spoon for mixing drugs CYBORG REPAIR KIT In Terminator 3, Arnold Schwarzenegger uses a Gerber multiplier tool for some gory self-repair. The tool was then rereleased as the limited-edition T3

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