What's blue, and quicker than an egg-shaped villain? No, not Sonic but another hedgehog who's stealing the spotlight! Vosteed continues to come up with creative names for their products, and this is no exception. Hedgehogs are unique critters, having many things that make it special in the animal kingdom. This new knife from the creative mind of Yue Dong, has many cool features that make it special too.
Kansept collaborates with numerous designers, some of whom are well-known and others who are gaining recognition. One designer who has just retired from the US Coast Guard is Greg Schob, who is getting back into knife making. Greg Schob is a metal fabricator by trade, and he began making knives about 6 years ago. He enjoys making knives, leather, and anything EDC related. Greg collaborated with Kansept to make the Fenrir model.
Because multitools have been around for decades there's literally hundreds to choose from. This has caused many a thread here on the forum, Facebook, or even Reddit to be created by folks needing help finding the perfect tool for their needs. With varying degrees of sizes and implements, it's a lot to sort through. Even through all that, there's folks who aren't happy with what's already out there. There are tools that are close, but don't quite check all those boxes. To solve this problem people got into modding their tools. Thanks to the community here at multitool.org and other places around the globe, people now have the means to make the perfect tool.
However, not everyone is savvy enough to modify their tool even with help. Enter in the new era of multitools, the modular design. With a modular design customers can take a tool and build it from the ground up with the tools they want. No filler or redundant tools that waste space and go unused. Don't need a can opener because you don't go camping? Leave it out in favor of an Allen key for instance. This simple idea is going to radically change the multitool landscape. The pioneer, or shall we say the first modern iteration was by Michael O'Donnell from GOAT Tools. This tool features a set of standard tools with the ability to purchase additional tools and swap them out. The GOAT has quite a following but like every tool has its pros and cons. Though not perfect it was a proof of concept, showing that a modular design could fix issues people had with customization.
We love our gadgets, from pocketknives to fidget toys, they get the job done, and entertain all at the same time. Those cleaver folks at Pichi Design found a way to give us both a high-quality knife that's also fidget friendly. Till recently I've only used my job specific box cutter at work, I honestly didn't consider anything else. Over the last 6 months I've come across some very high-quality creations, and I had never considered adding a utility blade to my everyday carry.
There are quite a few options out there for camping, and outdoor eating utensils. I don't spend any time outside like I used to. I used to be into camping, mountain biking, hiking, etc. Since moving to the south of the United States I don't have much of a desire to do those things anymore, maybe it's the humidity. I did however get to play with a very cool combo tool made for such a outing called the CMB Made Knives Titanium 2 in 1 Folding Fork and Spoon Combo. Now I won't be taking this on any walks in the woods but thought this might be a great take along for my meals at work. I usually take leftovers because they save us money and most place, I go have a microwave handy. I've been taking the spoon-fork combo along with me, and this is my thoughts. Due to the super long name this product has I think I'll refer to it by its model number which is CMB-E01.
I've carried a pocketknife on my person for over 20 years. My knife gets used for everything from opening mail, food prep, and the random thing that needs doing. I've used my knife even at work where I open boxes and break them down. I sometimes use my dedicated box cutter which is a Pacific Handy Cutter S4 model. It does things I can't do with my knife because it's specifically designed for a task. Lately I've come across many companies that produce everyday carry box cutters and thought I would touch on a few. Why do we have EDC box cutters? Because there seems to be people who want a quick access disposable blade that can be used to do dirty work. Work that they wouldn't use their pocketknife for, then again there's the no sharpening aspect as well. Needless to say, there's a market for these items and companies are delivering. Today we're checking out the Exceed Designs TiRantV3, a very high end take on a design that's used by everyone.
There are a lot of great things that come out of Canada: ice hockey, maple syrup, and poutine for example. Evidently Canada has lots of small companies who are looking to make a change in the world. One such company that's grabbed my attention is Pichi Designs. They've been established for 10 years now, previously focusing on designing and manufacturing for the military and some commercial companies. They make several incredible products which I'm going to be covering, the first being the Kootenay.
With each new year we watch SHOT and Blade Show with anticipation of what companies have in store for us. Anticipation builds from announcement to launch, absorbing YouTube reviews and other media till it shows up in your mailbox or at your local dealer. One knife that has created such a response is the Kansept Loki. The Loki design is by Steven Dunnuck who's a mechanic by trade, and loves making things that are fast, sharp, or deadly. The Loki was originally designed as a custom fixed blade, the Loki has since evolved to an EDC knife. Let's take a look at this new knife and see how it edges up.
The guys at Vosteed never cease to amaze me. They are a company that's constantly breaking the mold and pushing the envelope. Co-founder and in-house designer Yue Dong is the wizard behind a lot of what the company produces. Having worked at Kizer as a product development director, he knows what it takes to bring something from concept to completion. A very large project that he's been working on has just been released on Kickstarter. Dubbed the Ankylo after the Ankylosaurus dinosaur that lived about 68 million years ago, this knife is the embodiment of of its namesake.
Roxon Flex multitool pre-order is now live. The tool/pliers are $40 with individual tools running $4-8. Someone could get the tool and the implements you want for around $100. Pre-orders are currently for US residents only.
https://roxontool.com/products/flex
We got a chance to check out the new Roxon Flex. Check out the video below and see what makes the new Flex heads and tales above the competition.
TSProf is a Russian brand that got its start back in 2010. Thier goal was to make comprehensive sharpening available to all by using only the best, safest and most sustainable materials. The company produces the sharpening systems in Izhevsk, and it's known for its defense, engineering and metallurgy industries. TSProf wanted to reflect the craftsmanship that Izhevsky was famous for. All the parts of their sharpeners are CNC machined with extremely tight tolerances, while all final assembly and inspection is done the old-fashioned way.
Today we're taking a look at the company's latest model, the Pioneer. It's the most compact and lightweight system TSProf has made, coming in at 1.4kg (3.08 lbs). TSProf's models share similarities but you can see that each model fits a niche, some are better for some things than others. The Pioneer is meant to be extremely compact and have the ability to fold down and be disassembled with ease. That's a cool feature, because the company's other models can dominate a tabletop like the K03.
Gerber has dabbled quite a bit in the box cutter or utility blade market for a while. Whether it's an EAB, the Edge, or maybe a Prybid series tool, we've all got one stashed somewhere. We all have them because they're great for beating on and they go places we don't want our pocketknives going. Gerber has listened to feedback from its Prybid series and have added a much-needed accessory, a pocket clip. This may feel like something that should have been added right from the get-go but who knows why decisions get made the way they do.
There are a few players in the multitool market, but only one is synonymous with the product. It's hard to deny the juggernaut that is Leatherman. They just celebrated their 40th anniversary and they have no intention of slowing down. Just before this anniversary, new information emerged about a tool Leatherman was developing. Dubbed the Arc, it had a lot of features we grew to love on the FREE series. What really excited people was the fact that it solved a lot of issues people had with the FREE series and said to have a Magnacut blade.
These rumors and speculations fueled heated discussions, and anticipation of a product that some thought was a pipedream. I can't think of a single tool since I've become a fan that has created this much hype and anticipation. If this tool became a reality, it would fix the shortcomings of the toolset on the FREE series. Also, it would solidify Leatherman as the innovator that it is, a testament to its leadership in the industry. As their anniversary came around, they announced a limited-edition tool, which for all purposes was an Arc with a different coat of paint.
I tend to cover a lot of sharp things but rarely talk about things made to keep them sharp. On social media I've been bombarded by advertisements for a sharpening device by Tumblerware called a rolling knife sharpener. I thought it seemed strange, maybe even gimmicky compared to other systems I've used in the past. I started reading the comments in these posts to see what people thought. Mixed in with the comments was folks pointing out that this sharpener was a copycat, and they stole the ideal from a company called Horl.
Otmar Horl and his son Timo launched the first Horl sharpener in 2016 and in 2020 launched the Horl 2 collection. This collection includes accessories like additional stones, and a leather strop for refining the edge. The Horl rolling sharpening system consists of two parts, an angle guide that holds the blade in place for sharpening, and a double-sided cylinder that's rolled back and forth to hone the edge. The Horl 2 system has a diamond disc on one side and a ceramic disc on the other. The diamond disc is designed to fix your edge, while the ceramic one helps further refine the edge.
The Thunderbird is a legendary creature in American Indian history and culture. It's considered a supernatural being of power and strength. It's said to create thunder by flapping its wings, and lightning by flashing its eyes. Vosteed does a great job of naming their products, and the Thunderbird is no exception. The company has done a great job of creating a knife worth of such a namesake. The knife has awesome specs to boot; g-mascus handles, M390 blade with a tanto grind, and their Trek Lock. Let's take a walk around this bird and see what she's got.
What kind of people would write collect and review multitools? Quite simple really- we are designers and do-ers, outdoors types and indoor types, mechanics, doctors, problem solvers and problem makers. As such, we have, as a world spanning community, put every type, size and version of multitool, multifunction knife, pocket knife and all related products to every test we could manage in as many places and environments as there are.