The EDC Tool Roll is a feature on Jerking the Trigger in which we profile various everyday-carry-worthy tools. The tools shown aren’t 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 everyday carry bag.
Feel free to comment on the tools that you carry so we can all learn! The discussion on these posts has been very valuable so far.
I wanted to clown on this thing but I love it. The 711L Mini Ratchet Wrench lives up to its name. It is “mini” in every sense of the word. It also most seems too small to be useful… until you have one in hand.
In a lot of ways it is similar to other ratcheting drivers we have reviewed on The EDC Tool Roll. It has a reversible ratcheting end that accepts standard shank bits and a fixed inline end that accepts those same bits. It also has a finger-starting wheel and a similar finish to other tools like the Topeak Ratchet Rocket Lite DX. The main difference is that it is very, very small… about 2″ long.
I was prepared to write it off as a novelty but, when coupled with regular old extension, it actually does a lot of work. I sometimes carry it with two bits preloaded and dropped in my coin pocket. If you do carry an extension, you can preload another bit there. It’s light in weight, takes up almost no space and actually works better in some situations than your typical multitool.
It’s just too cool.
Where to Buy
I bought mine on Amazon. I am not sure there are any brick-and-mortar stores carrying this brand. They actually make a number of clever tools including the extension we already reviewed: 711L Ratchet Wrench on Amazon.com
Welcome to the Cheapskate Contrarian’s Guide to Prepping. This is a series that has existed in my idea notebook for years, but I am only just fleshing it out on JTT.
If you consume a lot of online media, you can get the idea that being prepared – to fight, to survive, to weather a natural disaster – is simply a matter of buying a new gadget. But, if you boil prepping down to Concepts, there are a lot of ways to prepare that are free or at least attainable with smart money. I aim to give you some ideas you can work on that you might not have thought of until now… or maybe just that you have been putting off.
Fitness
It is a little cliche but the first topic I want to tackle is fitness. You probably saw this one coming but I hope that future installments of this series really raise your eyebrows.
I think we all know intuitively that people with a well-rounded fitness level live longer. However, you may not realize just how little it has to cost you to improve your fitness. I’m blessed to have a squat rack, weights and cardio equipment, but you can have an awful lot of fun and success without them.
This is my favorite workout rock. It has nice flat sides and weighs just about 44 pounds on the nose. It will humble you if you spend enough quality time with it.
Free
Training for free doesn’t have to be limited to calisthenics, walking, and running… both those are all good choices.
Find a rock to squat, press, and carry.
Build a sandbag to use as an awkward weight implement.
Fill a backpack with the aforementioned rock or sandbag and start rucking.
Dig that old tire out of the barn, attach a large U-bolt, and a tow strap. Now you can put the aforementioned rock and/or sandbag on it and start dragging.
Shoulder a log and carry it around.
Dig that sledgehammer out of the shed so you can slam tires and swing it like a club to get those shoulders working.
Borrow your kid’s jump rope.
Go down in the basement and do some pullups on your floor joists.
Paying for fitness equipment just buys you convenience. If you are willing to work and have some creativity, you can do a lot without paying for anything. I have done and continue to do all of the above even though I have a ton of dedicated gym equipment because I like the variety. And, I think that variety is the key to having fun while you train.
Smart Money
If you do have a little money to spend, I also have some ideas that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Again, these are all things that I use myself.
Kettlebells – In my opinion, it is hard to beat the versatility of a kettlebell. You can get a lot of work done with a single kettlebell in the 12-20KG weight range. Is it strength training or cardio… yes.
Look for one that is single cast (not a welded handle), has smoothed casting seams, and has a powder coat finish (no paint, rubber, or chrome if you can help it). Local classifieds are full of them, Amazon even sells used/returned kettlebells cheap, which is where I got most of mine.
I have a wife and three daughters so I have a lot of kettlebells. It’s a cheap way to stack equipment for the whole family.
Portable Folding Bench and Dumbbells – Like I said, I have squat rack and some other nice quipment out in my barn. I’ll share a secret with you though… sometimes its cold out there and I just want to lift in my house. That is where the smartest money I have ever spent on fitness equipment helps me out.
Years ago, I bought a portable adjustable weight bench. I already had a great flat bench that I use in my barn but I wanted something I could use inside and then store in a closet or under a bed when I wasn’t using it so I bought a Flybird folding bench. That was SMART money. I use that thing multiple times weekly and so does my wife.
Couple that bench with some dumbbells, preferably adjustable, and you have an incredibly versatile weight training setup for strength and hypertrophy. I have fixed and adjustable dumbbells, but given the progressive nature of weight training and the amount of space they take up, I think affordable adjustables are the smart money.
The Flybird weight bench I use is the darling of the internet and it is excellent. I can’t say enough good things about this dirt cheap bench. Adjustable dumbbells can be found at very affordable prices and almost any type will do as long as you are comfortable with weight increments. I like Powerblock because local classified ads seem to be full of them for pennies on the dollar and they are known to last forever. I have used their more affordable Elite EXP dumbbells for years.
You may not become a beast overnight but every bit of work capacity you build now is work capacity you’ll already have in the tank when the stuff hits the fan. Fitness doesn’t have to cost a dime but it is worth something.
Soft Loops, especially those with Pull-the-Dot snaps, are an oft-forgotten and VERY underrated way to carry small to medium-sized EDC fixed blades. These simple, affordable, and versatile sheath attachment loops are worth having just in case you need them.
I like Discreet Carry Concepts and Ulticlips as much as the next guy but I don’t find that they are always the answer. However, there are times when I do not prefer them. Adding a simple soft loop to a sheath lets me move the knife to my belt, freeing up space in my pockets or on my waistband for other tools.
I should also mention that soft loops are significantly more affordable than clips. I bought a big bag of them years ago and I still have plenty left. They are affordable if you buy one or two at a time and dirt cheap if you can get them in bulk. Don’t spend more than $5 on a loop with hardware.
There are also other great upsides to soft loops. They are compatible with almost any sheath as long as it has a single rivet or hole that can accept a Chicago screw and is narrow enough to wrap the loop. They can also be used as dangling belt loops for larger knives. They last pretty much forever as long as they have real Pull-the-Dot snaps.
Finally and perhaps more importantly, they are actually good. They allow the knife to be carried in an almost ideal position: horizontal (or slightly canted) on the center-line of the body, accessible from either hand. To be clear, I am not talking about double loops in “scout” carry. I am talking about using a single loop and carrying in front of the hip, with the handle in toward the center of my body. This position provides easy access and comfort, even when sitting for long periods, without blocking access to other tools.
These are widely available online from places like Amazon or your favorite holster maker: Soft Loops on Amazon.com
The Vosteed Raccoon is one of those knives that is easy to recommend to just about anyone. While Vosteed makes several knives that I like, it was the Raccoon that stood out as uber-recommendable. Well… There is another knife for everyone in the Vosteed lineup now – the Porcupine.
Specs
You can see the full specifications of the Porcupine at Vosteed.com. Check out the highlights below.
Blade Length:2.99″ | 75.98 mm
Overall Length:7.20″ | 183.00 mm
Blade Thickness:0.118″ | 3.00 mm
Blade Material:14C28N
Handle Material:Micarta
Weight:3.19 oz | 90.50 g
Observations from Use
This is a knife for everyone. That was my major takeaway from my time with this review sample. The handle? Comfortable. The blade shape? Versatile. The lock? Safe, strong, and easy to use. Easy to live with? You bet. I could just stop there but I’ll be a little more specific.
The Porcupine has a very excellent blade… for pretty much everything. 14C28N is, as we all know by now, a great steel. It is tough, corrosion-resistant, and holds an edge well. The drop point blade shape has an almost continuous curve and a very acute point. The tall flat grind tapers down to an appropriately thin edge.
The handle should fit just about anyone. It is large enough to get a full four-finger grip (for my medium-sized hands). It is flat but hand-filling and well-contoured. I find it to be very comfortable and more hand-filling than the venerable Raccoon.
The Porcupine has Vosteed’s top liner lock. This is a great choice for a true all-around knife. This lock offers plenty of strength with a crisp detent and incredible ease of use. It is just about ideal as an all-around option.
I really like the ease-of-use elements Vosteed baked into this design. The micarta handle slabs offer great grip without needing to be heavily textured so your pockets don’t get shredded. The wire pocket clip, which is new for Vosteed, has great tension and a minimal visual footprint. The blade has some extra jimping out near the tip so you can use your index finger to control the tip during cuts.
Wrap Up
The Porcupine is versatile. It is the kind of knife that a knife guy can just see in a picture and know it will work for anyone. I am running out of ways to say that this knife is good for anything and anyone. This one is EASY to recommend.
Every once in a while, Kizer likes to remind us all what they are capable of when it comes to premium knives. That is exactly what they’ve done with the Feweed. This is easily their best premium offering since they set the knife world on fire with the Militaw. I expect (and hope) that the Feweed will take off on a similar trajectory as the Militaw… because I really want to see what else Kizer can do with this design.
Specs
You can see the full specs at Kizer.com. The highlights are below.
Overall Length: 7.09″ / 180.1 mm Blade Length: 2.98″/ 75.7 mm Blade Thickness: 0.11″/2.8mm Handle Length: 4.11 “/ 104.4 mm Weight: 3.22oz/91.3 g Lock Type: Frame Lock
Observations from Use
Let me first point out that my review sample is the KI3694A1 variant of the Feweed with Purple Haze Fat Carbon and S35VN steel. There are 4 versions at different price points with varying finishes and blade steel options. All of them are decidedly premium but they become increasingly more so as the surprisingly competitive price increases.
The Feweed was designed by Vũ Huỳnh Nam Anh and what a design it is. This knife is angular, faceted, futuristic, and somehow graceful. It is also very clever. For instance, the titanium handle is milled out for large Fat Carbon inlays in such a way that these milled pockets act as weight relief and the inlay acts as an overtravel stop for the frame lock. The uniquely shaped thumb studs are another example. They fit the aesthetic of the Feweed well with how they neatly nest into the handle in both the open and closed positions. But, they are also perfectly shaped to help the blade rocket out when you apply some thumb pressure against the crispy detent.
This is a great study in form meeting function. For all it’s good looks, the Feweed is still a well-executed and comfortable-to-use cutting tool. The full height flat grind renders a thin, slicey edge and the blade shape is well suited to a variety of tasks. You would think it would feel sharp or angular in the hand but the edges are all so nicely broken that it is extremely comfortable to use.
The action… oh, the action… The Feweed has such a crispy detent and smooth bearing action that it is almost difficult to roll it open slowly! If you push into the thumb stud or apply some pressure to the easy-to-use front flipper tab, THWAK! It flies open.
There are plenty of other highlights to mention too. The jimping is basically perfect and it extends all the way up and over the front flipper which is how it should be. The lock bar is easy to access thanks to a machined pocket. The machined titanium pocket clip fits close to the knife but has plenty of clearance for thicker materials like denim. The fine, blasted finish on the titanium scales feels great in hand. There is just a lot to love here.
I generally like to end reviews with something constructive but I am at a loss on this one. There really isn’t anything I would change about this knife… other than wishing there was a larger version but given how quickly this one sold out, I suspect I won’t have to wait long for that.
Wrap Up
This knife sold out at most retailers quickly and it’s pretty easy to see why. Hopefully, we will see Kizer continue to riff on this design as they have with past successes like the Drop Bear and Militaw because I would love to see a larger version in the future.
The Feweed is lovely to look at, a joy to use, and a ton of fun to fidget with. It feels like a special thing, like a fine watch or pen, and it manages to do it at a very competitive price. With this and the Mini Mystic, Kizer is on a roll to kick off 2025.
