Multitools

Marlboro & Kane from London has a thing for shrinking tools down to the smallest size possible while still making them functional. The company's latest mini marvel lets you have a pen – and a bit more functionality – always at hand.

With its unibody key form factor, Screwpop's Toolkey II is as minimalist as they come. Yet it features 17 tools, making it a perfect 'just in case' multitool: pop it on your keyring and forget about it until you're in a fix.

The Blade Shadow is the latest in a seemingly never-ending stream of multitools that impress with the number of functions crammed into a pocket-friendly form factor. And this one packs a tool you don’t usually see in a multitool.

While most multitools are touted as being EDC (everyday carry), many are big enough that they're not likely to actually be carried every day. The Multi-Kit isn't like that, as it packs an impressive array of features into a relatively tiny package.

For companies in the business of multitools, the name of the game is cramming as many tools as possible into as small a form factor as possible. XEdge ticked those boxes with its Flounder multitool last year and has now followed up with the Flounder 2.0.

Folks who like to be prepared for emergency gear fixes on the go don't really want to be hefting a heavy toolbelt around. The Gordon 20-in-1 Multi-Tool from Harbor Freight puts an array of useful tools at your fingertips, without weighing you down.

Multitool-maker Logical Carry has returned to Kickstarter with an upgraded take on its Ti-Mag titanium ratcheting screwdriver. The new V2 model still magnetically holds five bits, but features a handy folding design along with other improvements.

Carabiner-type multitools with integrated bit drivers may be a dime a dozen, but the new EH4 distinguishes itself in one important way. It provides storage space for three double-ended bits, offering users a total of six onboard bit options.

Why stuff 13 tools into your pocket if you can just carry one tool with 13 functions? That's the thinking behind the Orioners Z1 titanium multitool, which is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign.

We have to applaud the Jiizer Design engineers for capturing our attention – albeit not at first for the tool they've created. But if you're after a handy unit that can solder, heat-cut and, yes, blow, it's time to pull the Jiizer out and get to work.

Why carry a bunch of cumbersome tools around with you when one small gadget has everything you need? That's the thinking behind the OmniPro Tool, a pocket-friendly titanium wrench with a multi-tool personality.

While there are indeed a ton of multitools on Kickstarter, most of them are pretty darn similar to one another. The GT-1 is different, in that it utilizes a unique folding form factor to pack 12 functions into one compact device.