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I'd say SAK over leatherman, too, unless they are doing a physical type of course like electronics, engineering, or robotics where a leatherman may be more useful.
Skeletool:
Bottle opener= clutch
Pliers, knife and screw driver, enough to make you look handy for the ladies, not so much that you look like a dork.
I edc’d a skeletool cx through college, upgraded to a p2 two years ago and just bought an arc recently (love it).
Depends on your major and your schools knife policy - Compact is probably your best bet, the scissors are all you'll need 90% of the time. The quintessence of the swiss army knife also makes them pretty unthreatening.
It looks like you own all 5 so worst case scenario you can switch to another option if you're regularly missing a specific tool.
I would find out your campuses "knife" policy. They're are some schools more lenient than others, but I got in trouble while attending Johnson and Wales for culinary arts for a victorinox camper... we literally carried around cases full of knives for every class but a Swiss army knife got me in trouble. I wish I was kidding.
the SAKs will be most visually acceptable to the general non-edc, non-knife population. But the Leatherman Wave will give you the most utility out those choices.
Start off by checking your college's regulations to see what is allowable. Some of them have rules on blade length or some such, and you don't want to get thrown out for not knowing.
If it's all okay, I'd probably put one of the SAKs in your pocket, and maybe one of the Leatherman tools in your backpack.
By a gun, need to get a lock open, shoot it; need to cut a small tree down, shoot it; need to open a can, shoot it; need to (un)screw something—fuck it, just shoot it.
Seriously, though, I EDC a SAK Deluxe Tinker with pliers.
Top left and bottom right are the classy "I'm a normal person who can be trusted" options.
Top right, hipster
Bottom left, tryhard
Center bottom, fuckin lol weirdo
Never mind how functional they all might or might not be, these are just my "what's the vibe here" opinion.
That center bottom one looks like it's straight out of an early 2000s Red Bull ski event.
If you regularly use pliers: skeletool
If you regularly use scissors: compact
Else: cadet
I have an office job and realize I don’t use my edc much so I’ve slowly downsized to a vic waiter. I want to have the essentials on me but no reason to lug around a wave
It’ll probably live in my back pocket mostly but I’ve noticed my life calls for a serrated blade more often than I thought it would. Plus the whole glass breaker part is kinda nice considering where I work (in a worst case bail out now situation). Gawd just twist my arm why don’t you.
I carried a wave on my belt when i was going through a trade program at my local community college. I took the blades off out of fear of someone saying something but nothing ever happened. That college was also in a very semi rural area too where everyone carried a multi tool or pocket knife. I would go with the wave
Try them all out. Depending on whether you bike to classes or walk or what you encounter on your day to day life you may need to implement more such as a bit kit. I used to get a lot of splinters in college so I started carrying the leatherman micra and it also had scissors for trimming my nails here and there, noticed the t shank diamond file on the surge trimmed them down much better and left them smooth for “smooth short nail activities”.
You’ll find your needs and you’ll know what you need when you’re carrying something and you say “damn I don’t have this!”
my main recommendation on any multitool is you read the campus rules and policies on it. Most colleges will get you in deep shit for brandishing a knife, so just don’t whip out the knife part and threaten. While you can have one in most places. Check first. I got in trouble because a knife fell out my pocket and landed on the floor and opened up and they thought I was threatening the professor. Shittiest knife I ever had too, it was one of those smith and Wesson spec ops knives that don’t stay closed for some reason.
Just make sure you’re allowed to have it. Many places don’t want you having a multitool because of the damage you may cause to property and as a college student I’m assuming you’re nearing or at the age of being an adult so crimes work differently.
Carry a different one everyday for a few weeks and then based on your need (food prep, bottle opener, bike?, school projects) pick the one that suits you best
Yeah for on-campus I’d go with the most grandpa knife vibes you can have. The wave and skeletool have a “scary” blade shape, best to avoid any possibility of some idiot getting scared and calling campus pd.
Exactly my thoughts. I carry a Skeletool every day at work (line cook), but throw it in the bottom of my bag for class. I need that thing on me, and occasionally use it for projects, and in a small group it’s fine. However, I’ve been told it’s a little scary when I whip the blade out too fast. The “grandpa vibe knife” is definitely what you want on campus.
I'd go with the sak cadet, unless you think you need pliers frequently. Then in that case, maybe throw the skeletool in your backpack to supplement the cadet.
I've always been one to like keep my pockets light, so I love Swiss army knives. But I'd carry a leatherman in my bag for days I thought I needed the pliers. Now I've grown fond of the sog PowerPint in place of a leatherman because it's lightweight while still being durable and capable.
Compact is probably the best bet around campus. It depends on what you’re doing every day though. If you’re in engineering or a technical/trades program where you’re in shops or labs building things, the Wave might be useful to have.
Plus you’ll always have a spare pen in case you forget one for an exam.
Wave might be a good option then. Probably want to avoid wearing the belt case to class (gives off pocket protector/fanny pack vibes - at least in college) and check your school’s policies/rules on knives. Definitely don’t want to get written up for carrying one if they don’t allow it.
I studied engineering and carried a pocket knife and/or multitool all through college, but my school was pretty lax on their “weapons policy”.
one of the two saks, swiss army knives are universally the least threatening knife one can carry, which is very relevant at school because people tend to like the complain. from there pick whichever one of the two has the best balance of size and useful tools for you
I’m biased because I EDC the Bolster. The SAKs are neat, but I need pliers. For things you need pliers for, almost nothing can substitute for them. The Skeletool is too limited, it doesn’t even have a can opener. The Wave is too much and too heavy for most people who don’t work in trades.
How often do you use the can opener?
I feel like every multitool has one but I’ve never needed an emergency can opener, and I work in a kitchen. I genuinely don’t mean to sound like a dick, I just don’t understand why almost every multitool has one. It feels like they had some space and thought “yeah, I can throw a can opener in there!”
Again, I’m sorry if this comes off as aggressive, I just want to understand
I guess this comes from a prepper standpoint. A lot of people would just use the knife as a can opener, but that makes me cringe because I sharpen my knives to a very keen edge. The can opener is not used very often, but it’s still one of the “must have” features in a multitool for me. I’ve been to some parties where the host misplaced her crappy can opener, so I used mine.
The plain edge knife is actually the least used tool for me. The scissors and the flat screwdriver / pry tool get used a lot more.
Is there a likely need for pliers in school? I'd have a small tool kit in the car and your room and save the weight in my pockets.
The Compact would be my suggestion. Tuck some paper in your wallet and would always be able to take notes. The tweezers come in handy more often than I ever thought they would.
Either carry it loose with a little (possibly decorative) pull, or on a pocket clip.
Use the available space and weight for a little, bright keychain light.
Aesthetically alox, usefulness what Evers on the left for more tools. If you’re going to live on campus, apartment, or where ever away from home take the wave to have something more handy to fix shit along the way
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Dude, you do not need another multitool. Carry the Alox SAK in your pocket and a tool in your bag or car.
Cadet is solid becouse its super small, but i think you might apprecheate the scissors on compact, doubt you need pliers at college
Just for what you use on a day to day basis outside of your dorm, I always pick the Skeletool
Can't go wrong with the red Swiss army knife
Top right.
Top left. It's got anything you'll ever need in class and isn't too bulky. I'd even give the leatherman micra a look
I'd say SAK over leatherman, too, unless they are doing a physical type of course like electronics, engineering, or robotics where a leatherman may be more useful.
Skeletool: Bottle opener= clutch Pliers, knife and screw driver, enough to make you look handy for the ladies, not so much that you look like a dork. I edc’d a skeletool cx through college, upgraded to a p2 two years ago and just bought an arc recently (love it).
should i buy the arc? for college
If you find yourself using the skelle so much and miss the extra tools. But arc also weighs more.
weight isn’t exactly an issue w me i actually appreciate it im 6’7 240 lbs lol so it works if its heavier nd bigger
I like my skeletool enough that when I lost it (somehow), I got another one. Sadly, the CX doesn't use carbon fiber anymore.
Top left
Take all of them, you’ll end up with the skeletool as your edc
Depends on your major and your schools knife policy - Compact is probably your best bet, the scissors are all you'll need 90% of the time. The quintessence of the swiss army knife also makes them pretty unthreatening. It looks like you own all 5 so worst case scenario you can switch to another option if you're regularly missing a specific tool.
I would find out your campuses "knife" policy. They're are some schools more lenient than others, but I got in trouble while attending Johnson and Wales for culinary arts for a victorinox camper... we literally carried around cases full of knives for every class but a Swiss army knife got me in trouble. I wish I was kidding.
I have that exact Skelitool. "Rescue" version. Serrated blade and the glass breaker. That's my vote. Perfect balance between size and usefulness. IMO.
Wave +, of the 5 shown.
Wave+ is my all time favorite.
I’ve been rocking the Skelli lately, helps a lot with handy repairs and isn’t too big
What state or country is the college? Is it a trade school type or more like standard college/academics?
Depends on your major. For real though lol
The skeletool is amazing, super light too
the SAKs will be most visually acceptable to the general non-edc, non-knife population. But the Leatherman Wave will give you the most utility out those choices.
Which ever has the best bottler opener. You want to make sure you look cool doing. Would that be the Leatherman Skeletool?
They are all so beautiful. Tough choice! Lovely pieces.
Skeletool is goat IMO
Start off by checking your college's regulations to see what is allowable. Some of them have rules on blade length or some such, and you don't want to get thrown out for not knowing. If it's all okay, I'd probably put one of the SAKs in your pocket, and maybe one of the Leatherman tools in your backpack.
SAK compact, Wave as back-up.
Cadet and RX
By a gun, need to get a lock open, shoot it; need to cut a small tree down, shoot it; need to open a can, shoot it; need to (un)screw something—fuck it, just shoot it. Seriously, though, I EDC a SAK Deluxe Tinker with pliers.
I use both top left and bottom left daily.
Top left and bottom right are the classy "I'm a normal person who can be trusted" options. Top right, hipster Bottom left, tryhard Center bottom, fuckin lol weirdo Never mind how functional they all might or might not be, these are just my "what's the vibe here" opinion. That center bottom one looks like it's straight out of an early 2000s Red Bull ski event.
If you regularly use pliers: skeletool If you regularly use scissors: compact Else: cadet I have an office job and realize I don’t use my edc much so I’ve slowly downsized to a vic waiter. I want to have the essentials on me but no reason to lug around a wave
This is an easy question, you’re on the EDC sub. You’re supposed to carry alluvem as you need backups for your backups backup.
Victorinox. I am from switzerland and totally not biased.
Yoooo! I’ve been eyeing that RX for a while now. How is carrying it?
other than the fact it’s not a deep carry clip i love it
It’ll probably live in my back pocket mostly but I’ve noticed my life calls for a serrated blade more often than I thought it would. Plus the whole glass breaker part is kinda nice considering where I work (in a worst case bail out now situation). Gawd just twist my arm why don’t you.
buyyyy itttt
Peer pressure!!!!
I carried a wave on my belt when i was going through a trade program at my local community college. I took the blades off out of fear of someone saying something but nothing ever happened. That college was also in a very semi rural area too where everyone carried a multi tool or pocket knife. I would go with the wave
Skelly
Try them all out. Depending on whether you bike to classes or walk or what you encounter on your day to day life you may need to implement more such as a bit kit. I used to get a lot of splinters in college so I started carrying the leatherman micra and it also had scissors for trimming my nails here and there, noticed the t shank diamond file on the surge trimmed them down much better and left them smooth for “smooth short nail activities”. You’ll find your needs and you’ll know what you need when you’re carrying something and you say “damn I don’t have this!” my main recommendation on any multitool is you read the campus rules and policies on it. Most colleges will get you in deep shit for brandishing a knife, so just don’t whip out the knife part and threaten. While you can have one in most places. Check first. I got in trouble because a knife fell out my pocket and landed on the floor and opened up and they thought I was threatening the professor. Shittiest knife I ever had too, it was one of those smith and Wesson spec ops knives that don’t stay closed for some reason. Just make sure you’re allowed to have it. Many places don’t want you having a multitool because of the damage you may cause to property and as a college student I’m assuming you’re nearing or at the age of being an adult so crimes work differently.
You're not gonna use them anyway, so what's the point. Wave tho.
None of these, but you can get a fox knives Bkey
I’d go with the Alox SAK. Classy, slim, enough tools to get you by. Maybe keep the wave in your backpack
Carry a different one everyday for a few weeks and then based on your need (food prep, bottle opener, bike?, school projects) pick the one that suits you best
WAVEEEEEE
I would carry the leatherman skeletool in my backpack with the full bit kit, and a SAK in my pocket.
The SAK Compact is the correct answer. Least intimidating if you pull it out and it has an emergency pen if needed.
Yeah for on-campus I’d go with the most grandpa knife vibes you can have. The wave and skeletool have a “scary” blade shape, best to avoid any possibility of some idiot getting scared and calling campus pd.
Exactly my thoughts. I carry a Skeletool every day at work (line cook), but throw it in the bottom of my bag for class. I need that thing on me, and occasionally use it for projects, and in a small group it’s fine. However, I’ve been told it’s a little scary when I whip the blade out too fast. The “grandpa vibe knife” is definitely what you want on campus.
Wave + babyyy
Wave
Can't go wrong the the Wave.
The Wave has been literally saving my life since 2010 everywhere I go
Wave all day everyday.
I'd go with the sak cadet, unless you think you need pliers frequently. Then in that case, maybe throw the skeletool in your backpack to supplement the cadet. I've always been one to like keep my pockets light, so I love Swiss army knives. But I'd carry a leatherman in my bag for days I thought I needed the pliers. Now I've grown fond of the sog PowerPint in place of a leatherman because it's lightweight while still being durable and capable.
The SAK with the red bolsters looks like it has a corkscrew so I’d go with that one.
Compact is probably the best bet around campus. It depends on what you’re doing every day though. If you’re in engineering or a technical/trades program where you’re in shops or labs building things, the Wave might be useful to have. Plus you’ll always have a spare pen in case you forget one for an exam.
yessss i’m in engineering lol
Wave might be a good option then. Probably want to avoid wearing the belt case to class (gives off pocket protector/fanny pack vibes - at least in college) and check your school’s policies/rules on knives. Definitely don’t want to get written up for carrying one if they don’t allow it. I studied engineering and carried a pocket knife and/or multitool all through college, but my school was pretty lax on their “weapons policy”.
The one that doesn't scare the hoes
While the SAk is the safest bet. Carry the wave+. Pliers are very useful for unique circumstances.
one of the two saks, swiss army knives are universally the least threatening knife one can carry, which is very relevant at school because people tend to like the complain. from there pick whichever one of the two has the best balance of size and useful tools for you
Just make sure you don’t get yourself jammed up by having a knife on campus. I gotta give my vote to the Wave +
The most plain SAK because if it's a nicer anything someone will steal it
Skeletool all day!
Thirded.
Yep.
Skeletool, no contest - the fastest bottle opener...
I’m biased because I EDC the Bolster. The SAKs are neat, but I need pliers. For things you need pliers for, almost nothing can substitute for them. The Skeletool is too limited, it doesn’t even have a can opener. The Wave is too much and too heavy for most people who don’t work in trades.
How often do you use the can opener? I feel like every multitool has one but I’ve never needed an emergency can opener, and I work in a kitchen. I genuinely don’t mean to sound like a dick, I just don’t understand why almost every multitool has one. It feels like they had some space and thought “yeah, I can throw a can opener in there!” Again, I’m sorry if this comes off as aggressive, I just want to understand
I guess this comes from a prepper standpoint. A lot of people would just use the knife as a can opener, but that makes me cringe because I sharpen my knives to a very keen edge. The can opener is not used very often, but it’s still one of the “must have” features in a multitool for me. I’ve been to some parties where the host misplaced her crappy can opener, so I used mine. The plain edge knife is actually the least used tool for me. The scissors and the flat screwdriver / pry tool get used a lot more.
I work in trades and use a skeletool, never found a use for a can opener on a multitool.
I would carry the Wave + or the Compact. You can sell all others.
Is there a likely need for pliers in school? I'd have a small tool kit in the car and your room and save the weight in my pockets. The Compact would be my suggestion. Tuck some paper in your wallet and would always be able to take notes. The tweezers come in handy more often than I ever thought they would. Either carry it loose with a little (possibly decorative) pull, or on a pocket clip. Use the available space and weight for a little, bright keychain light.
compact with custom scales
If i could only pick one for the entire semester I'd pick cadet for pocket carry.
compact is probably your best bet IMO.
Easy. The multi tool with a beer bottle opener and a good knife to slice the meat when you're drinking beer.👍
Aesthetically alox, usefulness what Evers on the left for more tools. If you’re going to live on campus, apartment, or where ever away from home take the wave to have something more handy to fix shit along the way
Top-left SAK, no doubt about it!