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What I have in mind for the "companion tool" is the sawblade, the metal file/metal saw, magnifying glass, and possibly pliers. Plus whatever else they can fit without making it any wider.

The problem is that they sell a knife that has everything my knife has on it, plus some or all of the above list. (Example: the Craftsman) I don't want the weight or bulk of a single tool with all of that stuff.

There are entire sites dedicated to everyday carry (EDC) with some sites focused on flashlights, knives, Atwood tools, etc. You can spend a lot of time and money on EDC "research" :-)

Front pocket (in approx. order of use)

• Cell phone with $20 behind cover
• ---
• Burt's Bees lip balm with a keyring cap
• Victorinox Swiss Army Manager Pocket Knife w/ toothpick on a McGizmo Nano clip (20mm #1)
• Olight i3S EOS LED flaslight with lithium AAA battery
• some inch-wide Gorilla Tape and elecrical tape wrapped around a black Sharpie Mini
• 64 GB USB 3.0 flash drive (Kanguru for write-protect switch; FlashBlu30 but considering SS3) on split ring and metal #0 Nite Ize S-biner
• silicon ear plugs and half a Q-tip in a key fob (approx. same diamater as lip balm, slightly shorter)
• $20 bill wrapped around BIC Mini lighter on a Keeep-It holder
• all connected with other split rings and clips on an older Munroe Mega Dangler
• -

Other front pocket (in approx order of use)

• white LED Photon freedom with car keys on the snap ring
• True Utility TU245 key shackle with 3 keys, #2 Phillips key, grocery card, and Uncle Bill's Sliver Gripper Tweezer
• house key cut on green KeyLights on clip that came with True Utility key shackle
• $20 wrapped around a 0.5 oz (15 mL) Purell hand sanitizer in jelly wrap holder
• all connected with a split ring
• ---
• leather billfold with slots for six cards; cash $1s/5s/10s/20s, bandaids, a hair pin, and Plop Boot Manager on a credit-card sized CD-R
• -

Shirt pocket--you *always* have a shirt pocket, right?

• Zebra Clip-On four-color pen + 0.5 mm pencil
• Monteverde Stylus Tool Pen with ruler, level, and screwdriver
• a handkercheif wrapped around a small (2.5" x 4") Moleskine book

All this security and I was still able to bring a Swiss Army Knife and a magnesium campfire starter in my carry-on luggage on a flight into the States recently.

They make them without the blade:
http://www.swissarmy.com/multitools/Pages/Category.aspx?category=presentation+pro&

Allyn Malventano
Storage Editor, PC Perspective

Just remember to take it out of your pocket before getting back on that plane.

I'd be interested in one without the knife as something to play with, but I'm not sure I want to carry all the rest of it around with me (I'm not some knife freak, but I want a USB stick to be just a USB stick).

If it is anything like their presentation series, then

1. The usb stick is detachable from the knife portion, so flying is not a problem, and
2. They offer a version that does not include all of the knife "stuff"

I saw a self-destructed sample of this unit at CES in January. It did not self destruct from an opening attempt, as opening those is quite easy. The drive is enclosed by a simple clear plastic shell (not epoxy filled). The 'destruction' was caused by presumably supplying voltage in excess of the USB spec. You could literally pry the plastic off of the USB drive with the included knife, and it would work just fine (sans enclosure).

Also, it would be nice if PCWorld at would at least get the name of these things correct:
http://www.swissarmy.com/multitools/Pages/Category.aspx?category=presentation+pro&

Perhaps the USB-only part is dubbed 'Secure', but you won't ask for that name when you want to buy one.

Allyn Malventano
Storage Editor, PC Perspective

I just noticed that according to this timeline, Swiss Army knives went extinct in 2001. So, er, what's this, then?

Depends on the knife, a robust Swiss Army Knife has a can opener inlcuded.

Parent has a very funny and insightful post BTW.

I've also always regarded Perl as the swiss army knife of scripting languages too.

I've also always regarded Perl as the swiss army knife of scripting languages too.

I second the backpack idea. http://www.swissarmy.com/TravelGear/Product.htm?ca tegory=backpacksmessengersbackpacks&product=31141& I've got one of thier older backpacks that's similar to that one, and I couldn't be happier with it. After 2 semesters with my 15 inch laptop and a calc book or two I've seen no rips or tears, usually I go through a backpack every semester or so. Its reinforced like crazy, the straps have elastic on em and are extremely well padded. The top handle (usually the 1st thing to go) is reinforced by a steel cable. No zipper jams at all in about a year. has a very handy top pocket for PDAs, phones, and the like. I've even dropped it once from 5 feet or so, and several from less, with no real damage to anything inside.

http://www.swissarmy.com/TravelGear/Product.htm?ca tegory=backpacksmessengersmessengers&product=30181 &

It's spacious and has pockets for just about everything techy that you'd want to carry. It even has a nifty padded part made especially for laptops :)

If you don't fancy a messenger style bag then check out the rest of their range. Being Victorinox all the bags are sturdy and will last you absolutely ages so the prices aren't bad when you consider the lifespan of the things.

Oh, and they offer global tracking of your bag. Not sure how that works though.

I use the Cybertool from Victorinox, and rarely reach for another tool.

http://www.swissarmy.com/MultiTools/Product.htm?ca tegory=doityourself&product=54919&

I like the smaller one (model 29) because it lives in my pocket all the time.

Additionally, how do you have a growing repair shop with the price of modern computers?

Besides, you can get your data out of the other kind of notebook with the proper tool. You can then cut & paste, or import into a three-ring system with another tool.

(How far can we stretch this joke? :) )

Go to http://www.swissarmy.com/ and look under Multi-tools-->do-it-yourself-->CyberTool

Torx bits, Pozidrive bits, mini-screwdiver (perfect for fixing glasses), plus all the usual swiss army fun.

In USA are you allowed to keep the knife in your 'checked in' baggage?

It looks like the USB Knife is on the same pattern of the executive line, so that's just about a two-inch blade, but most Swiss Army knives have bigger blades; around three or four inches. My old favorite was the Tinker because it had a phillips head screwdriver. (Honestly, did anybody ever use that stupid corkscrew?) But I've since replaced it with a Leatherman because of the pliers. Unfortunately, it looks like the only part of the Leatherman line that has blades of two inches or less are the Squirt, Micra and Mini-tool.

In USA are you allowed to keep the knife in your 'checked in' baggage?

It looks like the USB Knife is on the same pattern of the executive line, so that's just about a two-inch blade, but most Swiss Army knives have bigger blades; around three or four inches. My old favorite was the Tinker because it had a phillips head screwdriver. (Honestly, did anybody ever use that stupid corkscrew?) But I've since replaced it with a Leatherman because of the pliers. Unfortunately, it looks like the only part of the Leatherman line that has blades of two inches or less are the Squirt, Micra and Mini-tool.

In USA are you allowed to keep the knife in your 'checked in' baggage?

It looks like the USB Knife is on the same pattern of the executive line, so that's just about a two-inch blade, but most Swiss Army knives have bigger blades; around three or four inches. My old favorite was the Tinker because it had a phillips head screwdriver. (Honestly, did anybody ever use that stupid corkscrew?) But I've since replaced it with a Leatherman because of the pliers. Unfortunately, it looks like the only part of the Leatherman line that has blades of two inches or less are the Squirt, Micra and Mini-tool.

In USA are you allowed to keep the knife in your 'checked in' baggage?

It looks like the USB Knife is on the same pattern of the executive line, so that's just about a two-inch blade, but most Swiss Army knives have bigger blades; around three or four inches. My old favorite was the Tinker because it had a phillips head screwdriver. (Honestly, did anybody ever use that stupid corkscrew?) But I've since replaced it with a Leatherman because of the pliers. Unfortunately, it looks like the only part of the Leatherman line that has blades of two inches or less are the Squirt, Micra and Mini-tool.

How about huntsman lite ruby? The light works by pressing on the Victorinox logo, so it's not a toggle, but the pin can be used as a reset switch, so this has everything you want I believe....

All the geeks here should look into the Swiss Army Cybertool. I have used it to fix countless computers, and I never have had a task it couldn't handle. The range of screwdriver bits it has is great. I even fixed a clock radio with stupid Torx screws with it.

What you were linking to is the Swisstool, not the Swiss Army Knife. Rather look at this page for reference. Ok, I have to admit that yours look more like a Leatherman Tool after all ;)

No, this is a Swiss Army knife. Please cease and desist advertising the DMCA as a Swiss Army knife immediately or we will use the DMCA against you in court.

--Swiss Army Brands, Inc.

Not directly from my company, but from one I used to work with most days as part of my previous position; a rather nifty Cross ION Pen. Arrived in the post this morning, and actually worked straight out of the box (i.e. no endless scribbling across nine pads of A4 before the ink decides to flow). Also has a smart keyring attachment that clips over the nib, so it's now taken pride of place on my house keys (finally replacing my very old - and quite knackered - micro Swiss Army knife).

The Swiss Army CyberTool 41. Gotta love a tool that has (among everything else) a wood chisel, a hacksaw, and interchangeable Torx bits.

I'm also dying for a Garmin Moving map GPS