We need pocket knife kits

[Frank S]

Like Marv said, also especially useful for those tight places where there just is not enough height to get a standard nut or screw driver

[Jon]

I backed it. $14 with shipping. I thought the campaign was presented well too. They also have a website at Bit-Tender.net .

[zarembak]

Very interesting.

[wizard69]

If any of that is true it is certainly most interesting. It also highlights the problem with many people in politics in that they are often involved in laws they don't or won't obey. For example carrying a knife in England, Ireland and some other places over there can be illegal. Last I knew a kid can leave home to go out on his own at 18, but yet can't buy a set of knives for his new apartment.

Elizabeth, Queen of England, is almost never seen in public without her handbag. Folks have often speculated over what she carries in that bag. After all, she doesn't need a driver's license, passport, or even money (well she does carry a £5 note for the church collection plate).

A documentary I watched last night revealed that among expected things such as compact, lipstick, fountain pen and reading glasses, she carries dog treats for her beloved Corgis and an S-shaped hook which she uses to suspend the purse from a table so she doesn't need to bend over to pick it up.

But the most amazing revelation was that, harking back to her days as a Girl Guide, she carries a combination pocket knife! (The picture showed something that looked similar to the Victorinox Tinker model.) Sadly, the show did not elaborate on what the Queen intends to do with this knife or has done with it in the past.

I was immediately struck with the thought that this fine lady would probably appreciate a knife she could customize to the particular demands of her singular job. Things like a small sable brush for crown dusting or a miniature scepter for opening impromptu meetings of Parliament.

Another interesting thing learned from the documentary was the fact that she uses the purse as a signaling tool for her staff. If the Queen places her handbag on the table at dinner, it signals that she wants the event to end in the next five minutes. If she puts her bag on the floor, it shows she’s not enjoying the conversation and wants to be rescued by her lady-in-waiting. On walkabouts, Her Majesty may choose to "drop the bag to one side in a certain manner, telling her staff it's time for her to move on". A lady-in-waiting will then join the conversation, allowing the monarch to slip away without causing offence.

[wizard69]

Not a pocket knife, but a relevant Kickstarter. Behold "The bitTender" - a pocket-sized bit driver. $2,960 pledged of $8,705 goal, with 19 days to go. I just invited the inventor to post about it here. GIF and photo below.

That is pretty neat but really needs to be expanded into a larger tool. Sort of like mixing this with some of the concepts mentioned in this thread.

[wizard69]

My biggest problems with knives, multitools and combo tools, is that they go missing far too often. Usually right inside my home.

As for a multi tool that is more flexible consider the various handles one can buy for Sawzall blades. These can be from a couple of vendors usually in daily hefty form. In my case I have one from Milwaukee that I keep in the truck for emergency. What is desirable here is the ability to take a number of blades that can cut just about anything (with enough manual effort) and more importantly in blade lengths that are actually usable. A 3" sawtooth saw blade doesn't appeal to me much.

Now its the context of making a useful multipurpose tool, an adapter that supports such blades is very desirable

[Jon]

bitTender was not funded on Kickstarter; €3,370 raised of €7,500 goal. However, I just got an email from the creator saying that "The end of the project is not the end of our idea." They're shipping out the bitTenders in their pre-production run, which you can order by emailing them at order@bit-Tender.net.

This is a clever solution to an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign, and a good idea to fuel the next step of their project.

[Make Everything]

Last year, I bought a chinese mini pliers，Some of its tools are totally useless，they are easy to replace,You can create some，But they are too small。

[ACinSV]

Where's the Langstrom 7" gangly wrench (for Finley sprockets - errr...sockets)?

[Jon]

Just got an email from bitTender notifying me that the first units are ready to ship, and they attached a few pics to the email:







It's interesting to see how a project that wasn't funded on Kickstarter is moving more rapidly than successfully-funded projects. For example, I'm still waiting on my Maker's Vise, although I'm reasonably confident in that one being delivered. However, I've now been waiting 5 years for my Cole-Bar Hammer! I can't even tell if it's just taking forever, or if Cole-Bar is just a great scam.