Minimalist Multi Tools : Plierless Sidekick
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- When I envision a minimalist multi tool, this is the type of tool that I think about. While Leatherman has their own current versions of a minimalist tool, I personally have never been a fan of the T2 and T4 offerings. This creation by my friend Kampfer Lin however, this is a type of tool I would personally carry. I would like to see Leatherman develop a tool in this styling, but preferably with all locking tools. Let's take a dive into Mr. Lin's awesome minimalist tool.
Leatherman Sidekick - amzn.to/34ygDKN
Leatherman FREE T2 - amzn.to/3vNbXN2
Leatherman FREE T4 - amzn.to/3yJP6El
Gerber Armbar Drive - amzn.to/3wNYTr9
Gerber Armbar Slim Drive - amzn.to/3p5wuKr
Leatherman Sidekick - amzn.to/34ygDKN
Leatherman FREE T2 - amzn.to/3vNbXN2
Leatherman FREE T4 - amzn.to/3yJP6El
Gerber Armbar Drive - amzn.to/3wNYTr9
Gerber Armbar Slim Drive - amzn.to/3p5wuKr
Just wanted to mention as an owner of the armbar drive, grabbing the screwdriver halfway down, wrapping your finger under the bit holder is much more comfortable and almost fully prevents the folding of the screwdriver.
Great job on that Sidekick mod. I would buy one of those. Leatherman should take a crack at it.
Leatherman needs to hire some of these modders as consultants, seriously. Some are far more creative and inspired than the current team, and also understand real-world things like the fact not every single person needs *yet another* knife blade on a multitool. When they can offer 25 different tools and let you pick your own 5 or 10 from the website, they will finally create the "perfect" tool. Maybe that is exactly what stops them from doing it?
Yeah, how many people actually use a can opener in the field? Yet most MT's have one. Same goes for the cap lifter. Valuable real estate that could house something more useful.......
@@swnorcraft7971 I've used the can opener multiple times camping and backpacking. An I use the cap lifter all the time because my lady and I love the imported cokes in glass bottles.
Yes yes yes. I want a tool with a bit driver, scissors, non serrated knife, and saw. Nothing else. No pliers, no awl no bottle opener, no measuring stick.
You will not see corporations start having true creativity without a major shift in our societal culture. They refuse to hire people without ‘degrees’ and that is antithetical to critical thinking/creative IQ.
Tell your buddy he made a great modified leatherman! I am very impressed! Happy to see!
That custom Leatherman.. I'd gladly pay $80 for one.. Leatherman should talk with the dude who designed this.
Leatherman doesn’t need to go crazy with things like the T2 and T4 when a half handle multi tool is pretty much perfect.
Is your friends selling the pliers-less sidekick ? That’s an amazing tool, textbook definition of minimalist.
Does he a tutorial on how he modified it? Would love to build my own version :D
Hello - Ben - good video - my complements to Mr. Lin for his efforts - if he had used a Wingman, we'd have the package opener!
Maybe it's time to show the multiforce knife conversion hehe. It's even better imo.
I have it on the list!
I clicked on the video thinking leatherman finally fixed the free series… why does leatherman want me to go to Etsy to get what I want ?
I quite like the look of the Gerber Armbar Drive but won't buy it since as you say it's major failing is the non-locking bit driver and the way it's built means that it would fold fairly easily, I reckon. Actually for me in the UK it would be great if they put the lock on the driver, and had the blade slipjoint. Wenger had a patented system on the opener/flathead driver whereby it does lock when pressure is applied, this has been incorporated into Victorinox evolution/Delemont models which are a continuation of the Wenger line, because when they bought out Wenger knives they didn't actually close down production or ''streamline'' staff, so presumably they also bought all the Wenger tooling and are able to continue manufacturing Wenger components and products. Btw Wenger are still going, they make good low-priced watches, the cheapest Swiss-made watches out there.
I’ve been selling Leatherman tools for over 20 years. I hate how difficult it is to deploy the knife blades on the T2 and T4. It is the primary tool on the multitool and should have been given the easiest accessibility.
I love the Plierless Sidekick. I agree with you that Leatherman should consider this as a part of their lineup.
Leatherman has a tendency to do whatever they want and not necessarily with the public request, but it certainly would be nice to see more minimalist versions of multi tools from them.
wdym for t2? u just push the top of tool it’s so easy
Fantastic idea. And the name SIDEKICK seems more appropriate in this minimalist form too. Seems like his work to the can opener makes it also a package opener now?
Thanks for sharing
You know, I thought the exact same thing!
Where can I buy one of those sidekick that your friend built?? Need it badly!
Great thin design concept. I would definitely consider buying a unit like that; to use or to put in my collection. Thanks for sharing the info with all of use. Cheers and God Bless You.
I'd like to see Leatherman produce a titanium(body of course not the tools) version of its multitools. I recently tried to EDC a Wave on a small scabbard with other tools & the overall weight is too heavy, so much so that I was constantly pulling up my pants. I know it would be considerable more expensive but I'd pay.
I know the perfect name for the tool.....The "LDC"...leatherman daily carry.
This is a totally awesome idea and I absolutely love it!!! Please make this a real thing Leatherman...
If it included scissors, I'm in!
Thanks, Ben. 👍🤗👋
Absolutely
That sidekick is very nice. Personally i have never used a can/bottle opener on a multi tool and have never found them to be a selling point for me. Not aure why it's a mainstay on every single one.
With the huge array of edc gear, it’s surprising how few decent knife/scissors/driver-prybar tools have been made. I’m tempted by the T-4, but you’re probably right about the magnets. Even with the tiny magnet on the SOG Powerpint, it’s been collecting grit... I don’t even work with metal, so the tool is either grinding itself, or there’s magnetic grit in the soil (I work on a farm). (Other than the poor scissors and somewhat slow tool deployment, the PowerPint is pretty great.)
I would buy this if available. 👍
I would absolutely buy an official plierless sidekick by leatherman!!! Everybody send this to Leatherman comments.
I filed the flat blade on my sidekick, too. It was too thick to use on most screws. There doesn't seem to be a good standard at Leatherman. The same can be said for their phillips drivers; the ones in the Free series and the Sidekick are too thick for some pocket holes. Contrast that with the drivers in the Bond and Rebar which are sized very well. They need better standards.
I'm in agreement with Ben. The truss style of phillips screwdriver is the best built in design that Leatherman offers. Couple that with the excellent add on bit driver attachment that allows the use of standard 1/4" hex bits, and you have a winner.
Gerber has never made a tool without a major flaw.
The amount of wasted plastic space in the Leatherman Free knives really annoys me !
Wow a leatherman multitool knife that isnt a bulky mess
Amazing ! This is also what I've dreamt of for a while. Is Lin selling his creation ?
Came here just to checkout the custom sidekick. That is awesome 👍
Did this with the leatherman rev. It took no molding to get it to lock up well. Just took a bit of fiddling.
That plier-less Sidekick would be super neato if it had a bit driver (ratchet access would make it so versatile) instead of the sidekick drivers. It’d definitely take a bit of work to get that driver receiver to fit, tho.
I honk I’ve seen a driver extension that mounts on the Leatherman Philips and uses standard hex bits. That has placed this conversion on my list. Add a separate mini slip joint plier and it rounds out my needs for a mini EDS kit.
@@brxtmp106 the extension you’re talking about works with the full 3D Phillips driver found on tools like the Rebar and Supertool. The one on the sidekick would need to be ground down to fit, and even then, I’m not sure I’d trust the strength of the thinned tool for driving.
Keychain swiss army knife with the tip of the nail file ground off for a flathead screw driver.
The Classic SD does have the nailfile ground flat for a small flathead (hence the SD - screwdriver - designation) but it's for really light tasks only as I don't think it can tolerate a great deal of torque. Regular 91mm or even better 93mm (alox) SAKs are a bit more robust and you have 2 sizes of flathead on the openers, the smaller one functioning well for most Phillips heads.
I've been wanting to do a mod like this to one of the budget Leathermans or the skeletools. The multiforce mod is great too
The Rev is basically a Wingman without scissors. Works great.
This is a very compelling tool. I think this would take some business from Victorinox depending on the price. I’d be interested in your thoughts on that.
Leatherman needs to hire that guy. That thing looks awesome
I think the best minimalist multitool option is the SAK Tinker and if you need pliers, pair it with a Knipex Cobra.
Great modification to the sidekick. I would probably buy one of these.
This is good, but I'd love to do it with a slightly larger one to get the saw on there too, but that may just be me having a lot of need for a saw very often.
Leatherman designers: Take Notes!!!
Very nice, agree totally, leatherman need to jump in where gerber have failed with the armbar.
If you need pliers your going SOG.
As in Powerpint if you want something in between a medium/full size LM and a keychain plier-based multitool?
@@simonh6371 if that's the size tool that works for you yeah.
@@icba4907 I like the look of it but I can't EDC it since it has a locking blade (I'm in the UK) plus I'm not convinced of the quality of SOG as I think they're all made in Taiwan, with LM you're always getting US made products, and with some Gerber. I wasn't making a statement rather asking you the question. You said if you need pliers go SOG. Why SOG and not a medium/full size LM like Surge / Wave if locking blades are not a legal issue? I'd EDC my Rebar if the law permitted it here. As it is, my lightweight pocket only EDC is a LM Squirt PS4, if I'm on the bike I have a SOG micro toolclip in my puncture repair kit, I may add my Gerber MP600 bladeless to that if I want more heavy duty tools. All of those 3 multitools are always carried with a 91mm or 93mm SAK, or a Bokerplus Atlas in my pocket.
@@simonh6371 just my opinion but SOG have the compound leverage pliers, these are better imo than any other multitool companies efforts, just as victorinox seem to make the best scissors. Now the other tools on a SOG may not be up to the standards of a lm but if
@@simonh6371 if you want a tool predominantly for pliers then as said, their the best.
Yeah it’s everything it used to be.... without pliers.... there used to be a company that just made that. They were red, with a cross in a shield symbol.....
And didn’t come with locking tools or a pocket clip.
@@txtoolcrib some of them have locking blades. However I am unaware of any models with pocket clips.
@@tonythies1827 they make attachable clips for saks that go in the key ring hole
Yeah and you can get em for $10 used in great condition all day long on eBay and pick your tool configuration. And although the blades don’t lock they will do what you need unless you are brutalizing these knives and leatherman blades are junk steel anyway
A fantastically useful video ! Thanks! Фантастически полезный ролик ! Спасибо!
So a victorinox
My thinking too. A 93mm alox preferably as they're a bit more robust.
I am a big fan of the files, bastard and diamond well worth it, longger in length the better. Only reason I buy the wave once that changes I don't know what ill do
I did the same thing with a Multiforce. However, my combination was a:
1 Knife (locking)
2 Scissors
3 Can Opener
4 Flathead/Pry tool
5 Pocket Clip
And adds:
6 Saw (locking)
7 Bit holder (locking) with 1/4 bits
and an extension holder for the bits.
I added a stainless bolt pen (3inch)
A Mech Army flashlight and titanium carabiner
and a 3-inch charging cable for the flashlight
Everything fits in the Multiforce pouch which is quite solid.
(The only thing missing is a file.)
So your costly replacement .. has no locking drivers AND no bit flexibility AND no angling of tools physics meaning the tool shouldn't close and can't if held on the gerbers rounded comfortable thumb cut out driver shank?
Gerber also has the EXCELLENT pry tool/~hammer.
I historically dislike gerber for many reasons but their armbar is perfect pocket EDC with no print sad thing is like the SOG power pint few realise it, more complain, so the echo chamber destroys good cost effective minimalism for lesser poorly thought out revenue kickers like the slim drive lol
Wow nice mod , I'd do it with the charge, gain a file and a nice black handle.
I did it with my signal. As I am using now a knipex cobra 125, the learherman pliers became outclassed, so I am only carry now the knife arm, it have pocket clip, locking knife, awl, can opener and bit driver, all in about 100g . The signal arm leaves a hole, a space where the pliers fit, and tou can fit something in there, like another bit with small magnet, or tweezer...
Very nicely done half side! Would it be possible to do a bit driver instead of the dedicated Phillips and straight blade? Or are they too different?
I would much rather have the excellent awl than the serrated blade.....well done! The profile grind on the can opener could serve as a clamshell package opener. I am overall impressed with this creation as well. Thanks for sharing.
He did a great job. Very nice
your friends sidekick is an amazing tool, ....perfect to me with a better bouth side file :D
Very nice job. Its a bit like a Victorinox, but sturdier and with the locking capability.
I’m going to have to make a mod like this… this one is BRILLIANT! Thank you so much for sharing!
You should try out the plierless leatherman signal that maxlvledc does all the time.
I 1,000% agree to that first statement about there Gerber Armbar Drive, I personally own one. It was to me a great combination of tools, exactly what I was looking for: scissors, knife, drive and bonus emergency hammer. HOWEVER that drive has closed on my fingers more times than I can count...ow. If they would've just made it locking, it'd be the perfect tool for me. I switched to the Leatherman T4 to save my fingers.
so stupid gerber .....no lock
Sign me up for the Plierless Sidekick. And I have the T4.
Hey you twitter, I've modified my own version, wanted to get your opinion on it. Thanks.
what are some similar minimalist multitools to consider? some that are just a good knife with extra stuff
Beautiful.
Question: Do you not like having pliers?
Personally, I do. Not everybody has the same needs that I do though.
I would cary this over a Victorynox!
#leatherman
So can I send him my sidekick for that mod? Haha would be cool
I bought a T2 for a minimalistic Leatherman
Tony stark made this is a cave with a box of spare parts!!!
man, that mod is insane! does he sell these by chance? if so, please lemme know!
I would rather carry a plierless wave than a sidekick
I would buy this sode kick light! Wow!
If this be done with the wingman keeping the scissors instead. That would make an amazing TSA friendly multi tool.
I just wish that the Wingman had better scissors.
@@txtoolcrib yes like from the surge
This plier-less Sidekick is cool.
I'd buy that if it was on the market
Looks really great 👍🏻
The Rocktol 12-in-1 is my minimalist multitools knife of choice. It’s on amazon for about $20. The ball detention double bit does not lock but uses like a slip joint type “lock”, but is really good and it hadn’t slipped on me yet. The tool is also about 4” long and comes with a LM Surge size scissors that I really love. I wish it came with tweezers built in and it be nearly perfect for my uses.
Exactly what i need... I think i will copy it. Greetings from germany. Maybe with one of these beautiful CPM blades from a Charge
I love my armbar from gerber. It's a toss up between that and my milwaukee knife with driver
The sidekick ?? What's it ? I don't understand... Thx
coustom made sidekick
I would have preferred that the Gerber Armbars had locking screwdrivers and non-locking blade as locking blades are not allowed for EDC in the UK and other countries.
I want Gerber FIT ☹️.
I’d buy one. I’d carry that more than my full-size Leatherman.
Mr Lin should do a instructional video. I have a sidekick and wish to make it like this. Pls pls pls do a video!!
Great video.
The T4 has scissors
Molto interessante, ma io non lo trovo da nessuna parte? Dove potrei acquistarlo? Se non ho capito male non esiste, deriva da una pinza sidekick? Complimenti per i video molto belli e professionali! Buona Vita!
Have u seen the victorinox cybertool small one..?
My minimalist multitool has only a screwdriver.
Is the Armbar slim Drive a good multi tool?
@maxlvledc made me a modded Leatherman, specially for whittling. He makes absolutely cool mods!
He absolutely makes some pretty cool mods!
😧👌🏻
I like it I would buy it I think it would work.
What's Kampher doing out of the Cold Steel group? I'm telling Pete Campbell lmao.
😆
I love this I think this is a great little tool
I like it,I’d buy one.
I absolutely agree
Leatherman Crater C33T has all the good bits of the Free T series but without the magnetic system.
Sadly discontinued though.
Sorry, I misspoke. I was referring to the bit exchanger versions.
@@txtoolcrib I think they are phasing it out unfortunately, but for now you can still get the T version with a flathead and Phillips driver alongside a really nice blade with a very unique 1 hand opening mechanism. I'm bummed they're getting rid of it as I think it's a great low profile EDC.
So cool 🤘😎
You should look into GOAT tools mutlitool
I’m very interested in that new modular tool. I hope it lives up to the hype.