Group test
A multitool is a toolkit in your pocket for when you need it the most. The YM team put eight popular models to the test
Multitools. What is the one knife you need in your pocket? YM put eight popular multitools head to head to find out which one they wouldn’t do without
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve made use of the blades, pliers, screwdrivers, files or saws on my multitool while cruising, saving me time by not having to access the boat toolkit.
A multitool is often considered a jack of all trades and master of none, and while using the correct tool for a job should yield better results, it’s not possible to carry a full toolkit in your pocket on board, or have all the tools on hand, especially when working alone or in the confines of a yacht.
On board my yacht, I have several ‘levels’ of toolkits, each with more tools. These are buried deeper in my tool locker depending on the severity of the problem, but a multitool lives either in my pocket while sailing, or on the chart table so I can find it night or day, in calm or panic.
There are so many to choose from and all have different features and uses. Some are also better for sailors than others, so we selected eight popular models to see how they cope with life on board.
HOW WE TESTED
No one multitool had the same tools as the next, so we devised a number of challenges typical to those one might find on a fraught voyage with the Yachting Monthly team.
The best knife in the world is no good if you can’t get into it, so all the knives were opened, if possible, with one hand, two hands, bare hands and gloved.
Next, the blades were tested, cutting rope on a flat surface and looped. Where a knife had a shackle key, this was tested; where it didn’t, we used the tool’s pliers. All knives had to have one or the other to make our selection.
Screwdrivers were tested by driving brass screws into seasoned pine, with no pilot holes, to assess the tool’s grip on the screw and whether the driver blades would fold in.
Saw blades were tested on a 2in x 2in piece of timber. While the saw blades were short, it was good to see how they would cope in an emergency.
Finally, we soaked all the tools in seawater and left them for a month in plastic bags – as tools left in wet oilskin pockets can be – to see how well they fended off corrosion.
KNIVES AND THE LAW
On a boat, a locking blade is good, but carry a knife with a locking blade around in public and you could have it confiscated or face a maximum of four years in prison and an unlimited fine.
Under Section 139 of the Criminal Justice act 1988, it is illegal to carry a folding knife with a blade longer than 7.62cm (3in) in public without good reason. Folding knifes with a locking blade are classified as lock knives. These too are illegal to carry in public without good reason. While both types are illegal in public, there is the caveat that you can carry a knife if you have a reasonable cause for doing so. The wording of the law states you can take knives you use at work, to and from work. But there is no mention of use for a leisure activities such as camping, fishing and sailing. I spoke to my local police about this and they said that sailing could be considered good reason, but it would be a decision for the courts.
Interestingly, even if you are using the screwdriver on a multitool with a locking blade in a public place, it is still an illegal weapon. If, in your haste to make it to the closest pub your knife is still in your pocket and you are stopped by the police and searched, you are neither on your way to work nor in the act of perusing a hobby – so be wary. However, if you are going to or from your car from your boat, it’s more likely for a court to consider this a good reason.