The idea was first thought of by Tim Leatherman at a time when he was touring through Europe. He discovered that Swiss Army Knives were able to deal with his heavier duty work and designed a tool that made use of a strong pair of pliers, in addition to other elements a person would assume to see in a Swiss Army Knife: screwdrivers, a knife as well as a can opener.

Other firms ahead of him built comparable tools on a far smaller basis, but Leatherman introduced multi tools in big quantities. Almost three decades later, Leatherman is still the sector leader.

Variations with Swiss Army Knives:

The most notable change between multi tools and Swiss Army Knives remains the set of pliers. Although some Swiss Army Knives are equipped with pliers, they can only be used for minimal jobs. A multi tool also feels slightly different: it is greater in size, allowing you to clench it in your grasp far easier. The size of multi tools is possibly a disadvantage: you usually get additional tools per weight in a Swiss Army Knife. Most people have the opinion that the quality of Swiss Army Knives is incomparable in present day multi tools, so that is a second option.

Which Option to go for?

If you require pliers, you surely need a multi tool. If you require knives, it comes down to personal liking, but understand that the blades in different multi tools and Swiss Army Knives are in some cases not quite as good as high grade knives. People who depend on knives often pack both a knife plus a multi tool.

If you will use screwdrivers it would be a good idea to test various products of both multi tools and swiss army knives, due to the fact that manufacturer's ideas of what is a small or a phillips screwdriver differ hugely. There is different Swiss Army Knives and multi tools that are available with bit holders.

If you are looking for a tool for tough tasks, opt for a large multi tool, possible options are the Leatherman Super Tool 300 or the Leatherman Surge, or even the Victorinox Swiss Tool.

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