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Evshrug
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Oct 11, 2016
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LOL, literally bought 5 of the Signature models yesterday as groomsmen gifts, after long consideration of the different small Swiss Army knives.
This is actually the Signature Lite model for sale here on Massdrop, and is basically the same price (if they get enough orders) as Amazon. The Signature model drops the LED and has a pair of tweezers instead. This model with the White LED puts out a fairly low amount of lumens, not good for illuminating walking trail but great for inspecting something. I chose just to buy the Signature model without the light because it was cheaper to order a pack of separate button-sized LED lights (no idea if those will have good quality), but honestly Swiss Army tweezers are slippery and IMO almost useless even for splinters and trading up for $10 to get a pretty reliable light without having to carry an extra lump in your pocket is not a bad idea.
Other tools on this knife: the nail file is relatively soft, My used 2nd-hand SAK is slow to file and sometimes creates burrs, but I seem to remember the fresh one I had in my youth doing better, and in any case it's good for evening out pointy "corners" from clipping nails. The tip of the nail file on THIS model is a flat Phillips screwdriver shape, not as good as a 3D driver for really tough screws but this can tighten or unwind a typical screw... and clean the dirt out from under nails, and I'd rather use this for light prying than the knife blade. Extending the nail file also helps the SAK fit your hand better after you extend the blue rollerball pen tip out the other side. Need to jot down a genius inspiration onto a napkin? Waiter brought a dry pen to sign the check? You should never be without a pen, and this literal pen-knife makes that easy. Note: sometimes pocket lint gets on the pen tip despite that the tip is normally recessed where it won't write on your pocket, but a second of doodling cleans it up. The short but excellent scissors often surprise me with their sharpness and cutting power (I've cut my nails and hangnails with this several times... excellent for hangnails), and of course you can use them for stray clothing strings, nose hairs and ear hairs and that one hairline hair the barber/stylist always misses, and clipping coupons. The little pen knife may not be big enough to scare a mugger or TSA (sometimes I get the two mixed up), and maybe not the hardest steel, but it's very narrow angle is the best for cutting tape and paper, and if you rinse it with hot water first it will do a great job cutting an apple slice or something. To sharpen, just take your finest stone or the bottom of a ceramic mug and make a few passes on the bezel side. Finally, the key ring makes more sense to me here than on my SAK Super Tinker, anything bigger than the 58mm SAKs like this Signature Lite are obnoxious when attacked to keys in a car ignition. The 58mm SAKs also fit securely into the jeans' coin pocket, so you don't have to fish around for it or worry about it scratching your phone.
In summary, this unimposing multitool is all you need for urban EDC before reaching for a specialized tool, and help if you find a spontaneous hot date! I personally have a Rambler with a small pen replacing the tweezers, I could've/would've bought my groomsmen the Midnight Manager model except I find I almost never use the cap lifter or full 3D Phillips screwdriver. After much research and experience, I HIGHLY recommend the Signature or Signature Lite alongside a bigger folding knife, and typically the SAK will be all you need. Man Up!
Oct 11, 2016
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