The EDC Tool Roll is a new feature on Jerking the Trigger in which we profile various every day carry worthy tools. The tools shown won’t be multi-tools but rather real tools, that by virtue of their compact size, light weight, usefulness, or unique functionality, can find a place in any range kit, emergency kit, or every day carry bag.
Feel free to comment on the tools that you carry so we can all learn!
German tool manufacturer, Knipex, makes a number of my favorite tools but their 5″ Cobra Pliers (87 01 125) are at the top of that list. These extremely compact pliers are extremely big on usefulness.
I bought the Cobra Pliers because I was tired of the pliers on my multi-tools never quite being the right tool for the job. The 5″ (125mm) Cobra Pliers are only slightly longer than most multi-tools in the folded position but they boast all the same features as Knipex’s larger pliers including drop-forged steel construction, push-button adjustment, and hardened jaws that self-lock into nearly anything you are trying to turn.
They are just under 5″ in length and just under 3 ounces in weight. This makes them easy to carry in pocket, small bag, compact tool roll, or in the built in admin organizer of your pack.
In spite of that small size, they can be used to turn nuts (or round material) up to 1″ in diameter. They grip material so tenaciously that I have used them to turn nuts that were nearly completly rounded. The forward portion of the jaws lets me do fine work like gripping webbing to pull through a tight tri-glide, while the inner portions of the jaws are recessed to mate with nuts, bolt heads or round stock like pipes and caps.
These have a place in The EDC Tool Roll because they are the pliers that I wish came in my multi-tool.
I have purchased these locally from Sears Hardware stores or online from Amazon. See the Knipex Cobra Pliers at Amazon.
