Ultralight EDC | The Best Lightweight Pocket Tools

Multis became popular because they combined several tools into one. Now, we're at the point when we should carry several instead of one. The Circle of EDC.

The advantage of the separate plyers is that they can be used to hold a nut while tightening with the driver tool. It is also easier to change up the kit to match a situation. The two tools to compare are the Milwaukee Fast Back with bit driver plus a 4.5 inch Vice Grip (fits in Leatherman holster).

Ooh this is right up my street as I've been experimenting with similar EDC combinations over the last few weeks - the Knipex Cobra XS is a gamechanger! Stand by for a long comment. Living in the UK there are only 3 currently produced legal carry full sized multitools from reputable manufacturers: Gerber MP600 bladeless, LM Rebar knifeless, and LM Bond. All 3 lack a tool I like to carry on a daily basis whether that be blade or scissors. The MP600 is very big also and tbh the drivers are okay but very uncomfortable and awkward to use it lives in my toolbox providing needlenose pliers (I have dedicated bluntnose, made in W. Germany, still pristine), file and scissors. Depending on your needs the Cobra XS is better than multitool or dedicated needlenose pliers as it can be used as a crescent wrench/adjustable spanner, normal pliers can't really cope with nuts & bolts, when you turn the handles are forced open and they slip. It does however lack wire cutters but I hardly ever need those. In itself it's a multitool : pliers, tweezers (it's accurate enough to pull nose hairs lol), adjustable spanner, bottle opener, pry bar, and pot lifter if you're going camping which it does very well. I keep mine in a Phillips leather iPod Nano case I got new on ebay for a fiver, perfect fit, and it doesn't slip to the bottom of my pocket and I don't risk pinching myself, I can still pull it out with one hand as the leather slip stays in place. Weight in pouch is 72g, combined cost £28. A bit driver was the hardest to find a solution for. The best out there is the Big Ideas Designs Ti EDS but at £130 ($160) it's too expensive even for a gear freak like me. For just an extra £10 I can buy a Vic Spirit X with ratchet set and leather pouch on Amazon. Other designs are either not capable or poor quality for the money you pay (LeverGear BitVault), too small (Maratac/County Comm Nub) or too big (Vic bitset and wrench). Finally I settled on a Sealey mini ratchet (also sold under the brand Sabrecut), combined with Wera Bitcheck 7 plus (extender & 2 each slot, Phillips & Pozi bits), in another of those iPod leather cases. All fits perfectly, next to the Cobra XS. The mini ratchet differs from others in that it has an inline bit driver in the end of the handle and that's what I bought it for, and it's only 85mm long so just a tad shorter than a regular SAK, but it isn't light coming in at 111g with extender/bits in pouch, but it is compact and doesn't bump or jangle around so that's more important to me than a couple of ounces. At least as an inline driver it's bombproof being machined stainless steel and not skinny, as to the ratchet, so far so good but it's no Wera. If Wera added the inline bit holder to the handle of their mini ratchet that would be the bees knees. This setup has the advantage that it can be used in 4 different configurations with each bit: stubby inline, extended inline, flat ratchet, and L shape ratchet + extender. So even better than the Ti EDS in terms of utility. If I'm going on my bike I swap out some of those bits for hex/Allen bits (again Wera, top quality). Total cost £13+£10+£5 = £28. Add my Spyderco Urban to that and I have a toolset outclassing imo the LM Skeletool, total weight 239g, total cost £129 so not cheap, but I can use all elements separately in different combinations. If I want to add scissors I too go for Vic but prefer the 74mm Moneyclip as that serves as a pocket clip, the blade is a fair bit more capable as a backup blade, although the scissors are barely larger than on your Classic. It's slimmer than the Classic and the smooth alox scales are more durable plus I happen to think that it looks better That adds 26g and also cost me £28 so that foursome weighs 265g, costs £157. Today I am just rolling with the Knipex and a Vic Climber with plus scales and pocket clip, total weight is 159g, total cost £62 if I factor in the cost of the replacement scales. Yesterday I went on a bike ride on canal towpaths so I took my Vic Farmer X with the bit driver & Knipex, total weight 293g so it's not light, even heavier than the Bond with the Farmer X which is only 279g combined, but a very rugged and versatile toolset and better suited for minor bike adjustments/repairs. Tomorrow I'm going on my bike to a barbecue at a friends' place so I'm rolling with the Vic Spartan, Knipex & bit driver kit. The Spartan was a secret santa pressie from a girl who's going to be there bless her, but really it's ideal for that as I won't need scissors or woodsaw, and I know the bottle opener and corkscrew will come in useful. Total weight 243g. Last but not least my most recent acquisition is a Vic Swisschamp. If I carry this it's without the bit driver kit as it technically has 5 drivers itself but the inline Phillips was the reason I chose it over the Handyman. For some it's a bit of a brick but it sits snugly in the 5th pocket of my jeans and I hardly notice it. If I want a super duper toolset I carry that with the Knipex, and my Cobra XS as sometimes I want the one handed opening quickly deployed knife. I'd argue that the scissors and woodsaw on it are better than on any Leatherman, and the file/metal saw can hold it's own too plus there are loads of other useful prodding, pulling, poking and scraping implements on it. Total weight of those 3 is 313g so again not light but very pocketable, like all of the configurations I described above, everything fits comfortably and fairly discretely in the right pocket & 5th pocket of my jeans. I told you at the beginning that it would be a long comment. I should really start my own channel too.

thx for the vid,awsome video like always, your videos help me alot for creating my ultimate EDC pocket tool kit. Thank you

Another banger piece Marcus!! Loved the new camera angles as well. -Cain

Just found your channel a couple days ago. Great content mate and this is another quality video. I’m new to EDC and just thinking about a lightweight EDC and I think I personally prefer the separate tools approach so this has really helped 👍

I carry a lot more than this in a larger pouch and it is still lighter than/or same weight as the Leathermans I own, except for the Skeletool. I've been working on this kind of lightweight thing for a couple of years now and streamlined what I now carry so that it is lighter in weight. That includes the Knipex XS set, not just the Cobra. I know Knipex is starting to lose favor in the EDC community as a never used item but the set has saved my bacon a few times, so I still carry them. I also own the 5" set but for what I carry and use them for, the XS set works best for me. I have a small pouch in a larger pouch. It has everything I would need in it for any situation. The larger pouch fits into my jeans pocket without any noticeable bulge. It's all about finding what works and then streamlining it all as much as possible. It also means thinking outside of the box and also finding items that serve more than one purpose. I'm pretty well covered for any situation but it took a long time to get there and to perfect...in my case anyway. Everyone is different so it is a whatever works thing.

Very cool video Marcus! I really like your choices here, lots of good ideas. Thanks for the shout out.

I really enjoy your content. I very much appreciate your attention to detail and high quality videography. I carry the Knipex XS minis, Victorinox Compact (or Cadet in the summer), Victorinox Signature, and Robyvon A1. This EDC works really well for me! Happily subscribed.

I remember when i started working in I.T dealing with alot of issues needing to carry around some tools for everyday task i started of with a leatherman but i quickly realized its just too heavy and bulky for most of what i needed. After much trial and error i finally landed on my current edc which i feel is great to fill in all these categories. Knafs lander for the blade, I3Teos TI for the light, leatherman style PS and CS for pliers and scissors (best scissors ive ever used) and my most recent purchase the Microcarry Strikerbit for a lightweight pocketable screwdriver. Im finally happy with what i carry and serves me perfectly day to day.

Just found your channel. Great lighting, great sound, great content that's well thought out and scripted. Multiple cameras in use with solid B-roll. Liked and subbed. Glad to join you.

If you'd rather carry victorinox scissors than the classic, it's possible to buy replacement swiss card scissors for around a tenner.

Ease of access and quick deployement is the advantage of the multitool. Your bigges noghtmare is that someone finds the correct full size tools before you are finished with fiddlibg around woth your edc pouch

Great videos man! Cannot wait to see what else you put out! ✌️I only found you yesterday and I’m almost finished all of your videos! 😂 It’s great to see a fellow Irishman producing quality content!

Seperate tools have a huge advantage of being by able to distribute the weight across belts and 4/5 pockets. EDC separates all the way! Thanks for the video 💪🔥

Very nice video, I think for the Leatherman because I own that tool as well, it’s interesting trying to swap it for multiple tools. I typically only carry mine when I know I’ll be using multiple tools such as days when I’m working on a bike or in a garage. The rest of my time I’ll only carry a knife as part of my EDC. This was a really fun challenge though but I think your solution is very accurate to what I would do myself

To match up exactly with P2 I’d go Knipex Cobra XS + Victorinox Super Tinker. If you want a one hand blade insert your choice here. I feel like you have to be lighter and simpler to carry. The knipex snd victorinox alone would disappear in your pocket vastly better, be vastly lighter, and loose little to no capability. I carry an Arc everyday as my only blade/tool. In my pocket. Had a P4 before that and Rebar + one hand knife before that. So I clearly lean on the side of Leatherman but I do keep those Knipex and a victorinox in my bag as compliments.

Nice kit Marcus looks very lightweight and useable. I put together a kit similar with the Knipex 87-100 pliers. For my screwdriver replacement I used a Prestacycle PrestaRatchet it comes with the small slim ratchet and an extension which can also be used to form a T-handle tool for removing tight screws and both the ratchet handle and extension accepts 1/4 in bits. For a backup knife I got a Victorinox Bantam Alox plus some extra bits, a notebook, #2 pencil and small AAA MagLite and put them in a Hide & Drink zipper/3 pocket pouch that will fit nicely in your jeans pocket. Anyway great 👍 video and ideas

I would recommend Victorinox SwissCard Nailcare. It is more compact than the classic sd, has emergency pen and is TSA safe. Also Nitecore Tiki flashlight, it weights only 10g.

Look up Topeak Ratchet Rocket. It's a bike tool but accepts regular driver bits. It comes with a good variety and can either just be a ratchet or you can get the tire lever and chain tool too.