Archive | The EDC Tool Roll

The EDC Tool Roll: Knipex Pliers Wrench (86 03 125)

By Matt on February 27, 2017 in EDC, Reviews, The EDC Tool Roll

The EDC Tool Roll is a feature on Jerking the Trigger in which we profile various every day 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 every day 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.

Knipex Pliers Wrenches might be my favorite tool in my tool chest and my EDC Tool Roll. I say this not only because of how well they work but because of how clever they are. What I mean is, I really like how they work but I love the idea of them too!

Knipex Pliers Wrench (right) shown with Cobra Pliers (left).

If you can imagine adjustable pliers that have been retooled with some engineering magic to have parallel opening jaws, you have the idea of the Pliers Wrench. They open and close like pliers but have the flat, parallel opening jaws of a wrench. The result is a tool that can “ratchet” by simply loosening your grip, has very fine adjustability, lets you easily control the pressure on the fastener with your grip, and can handle much larger fasteners than similarly sized adjustable wrenches.

These parallel jaws allow other uses like straightening sheet metal. They can also be used to push in roll pins and work especially well on stubborn pins like the bolt catch roll pin on an AR-15 lower receiver. You just place the Pliers Wrench over the pin and squeeze your grip to push it into place.

I own 3 different sizes of the Pliers Wrench but the one I carry daily is the 5″ version (86 03 125). It is the same size as the Knipex Cobra Pliers that I also carry and between the two of them, I can get a lot done. This tool is surprisingly small but it can be adjusted wide enough to turn 7/8″ diameter fasteners.

One thing that makes the 5″ version especially well suited to everyday carry or range bag use is how thin the jaws are. The tool itself is extremely stout but the jaws taper to just less than 1/8″ thick at the tips. This makes it easy to get on the smaller nuts and bolts often found on optics mounts or other gear.

I purchased my 5″ Knipex Pliers Wrench (86 03 125) at Amazon. I have found the larger sizes locally at places like Sears Hardware but never the 5″ version so I had to purchase online.

For a lower priced alternative adjustable wrench that is compact but still handles larger fasteners, check out the Lobster Shorty. We will eventually post some comparisons of a few options in a later installment of The EDC Tool Roll.

Do you have a compact adjustable wrench that you prefer? Tell us about it below.

The EDC Tool Roll: Replaceable Fix It Sticks

By Matt on February 20, 2017 in EDC, The EDC Tool Roll

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.

The genesis of this series, The EDC Tool Roll, was my frustration at my multi-tools for never quite being the right tool. Sure, they will do a lot, but sometimes you just need a real tool which started my quest to build a pocketable tool kit. My search for a screw driver that was both a real tool and yet still compact enough to work in this pocketable kit lead me to Fix It Sticks.

The Replaceable Fix It Sticks are comprised of two separate sections that can be used individually as a small driver for tight spaces or together to form a t-handle driver. Each of the two sections can hold a standard 1/4″ bit at each end meaning I can keep 4 bits of my choosing on the tool, ready to use. I also carry a small assortment of bits for the fasteners that I am likely to encounter.

I tried several other drivers before settling on the Fix It Sticks. Most interchangable bit drivers were too large. Others were pocketable but lacked reach or were too small to apply a decent amount of torque comfortably. The Fix It Sticks, with their take-down format split that difference beautifully. They pack small but function much like a full size tool.

Fix It Sticks are made in the USA and available in a number of configurations. I like the Replacables for EDC and purchased mine from Amazon.

They also makes these in kit form specifically for shooters with slick options like in-line torque limiters. Those kits are available at Tactical Works.

Of all the tools I added to my kit, the screwdriver was the hardest to finally settle on so I will be interested to hear what you carry. If you have an EDC worth driver that you prefer, comment below.

The EDC Tool Roll: Lobster UM24SS Shorty Adjustable Wrench

By Matt on February 13, 2017 in EDC, Reviews, The EDC Tool Roll

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.

The Lobster Shorty Adjustable Wrench (UM24SS) is a compact adjustable wrench that is well suited to everyday carry. The wrench is just over 4.5″ in length but has large jaws that can open wide enough to handle a 1″ diameter nut or bolt.

These drop forged steel wrenches have had great care taken to ensure that they remain light weight. The handle has been fluted and skeletonized and the jaws are tapered, relatively thin, and fluted to removed weight. Those thin jaws are part of why I prefer this wrench over other adjustable wrenches I have tried. Cheap adjustable wrenches often have chunky jaws that are difficult to use on small fasteners.

The Lobster Shorty is available with a number of different colored handles. Be advised that the “red” handle color (shown) looks more pink in person.

These wrenches are made in Japan and usually imported. I ordered mine through Amazon but they are also available from a number of sellers on Ebay. I’ve never found a local, brick & mortar source for them.

Where to Buy: Lobster Shorty Adjustable Wrench (UM24SS) on Amazon

If you are looking for an alternative, consider the Channellock 804 (chrome) or 804N (black oxide). You are likely to find them locally, they are more affordable, very compact, and made in Spain. I’ll profile one in a future edition of The EDC Tool Roll.

Do you have a compact adjustable wrench that you prefer? Tell us about it below.

The EDC Tool Roll: Knipex Cobra Pliers 87 01 125

By Matt on February 8, 2017 in EDC, Reviews, The EDC Tool Roll

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.

Tactical Handyman: Ultralight Scissors

By Matt on March 18, 2013 in EDC, Preparedness, Tactical Handyman, The EDC Tool Roll

I always try to keep a small set of scissors handy because they are useful for everything from gear repairs to first aid. The problem is that most small scissors are either expensive or junk (or both). They either lack the durability necessary to be useful or they are impossible to use if you have normal sized hands.

A few years ago, I was going through a box of stuff and found a couple of Victorinox SwissCards that I used to keep tucked in some EDC kits. I don’t recall why I removed them from my kits but I did remember that the scissors in these SwissCards are excellent. They are spring loaded which makes them very easy to use even though they are very small. They also tend to be very sharp and they stay sharp for a long time. Perhaps best of all, they only weigh about 7 grams with a small piece of drinking straw (more on that soon) and are 3″ long and 1/10″ thick. In other words, they are small and light enough to pack into just about any EDC, first aid kit or hiking bag.

The scissors are spring loaded to rest in the open position, so if you are going to remove these scissors from the SwissCard to carry them on their own, you will need to find a safe way to store them. I use a small piece of drinking straw. The scissors slip right into the straw which serves to keep them closed. The straw seems to be more than durable enough for this application. It is also very, very light weight.

These scissors are widely available online as replacement parts for around $7 a piece. At that price, you can afford to pick up a couple to stash in all your kits.

Available on Amazon (affiliate link): Swisscard Replacement Scissors on Amazon

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