They say the best camera is the one you have with you, but the same must go for tools. What’s the point of filling a home workshop full of expensive equipment when it’s all but useless when you walk out the door every morning? SOG’s new multi-tool belt buckles are like having an always-accessible toolbox secretly holding up your pants.
We’ve all seen people walking around with a Leatherman or Gerber multi-tool hanging off their belts, but looking like someone with a multi-tool hanging off their belt is just too high a price to pay for always being prepared — no matter what the Boy Scouts tell you. That’s why SOG designed its new Sync I and Sync II multi-tools to stay discreetly stashed around your waist until something needs to be sliced, trimmed, yanked, measured or screwed.
Two versions of the belt buckle multi-tool will be available. The smaller $US67 ($89) Sync I, which measures in at 10cm long and packs 10 different tools including screwdrivers, scissors, a knife, pliers, a bottle opener and a wire stripper. And the slightly larger 15cm Sync II, which adds additional functionality for $US80 ($106).
Both belt buckle multi-tools also feature a clip that allows them to be attached and carried on a shoulder strap instead of around your waist if casual Friday means heading to work in sweat pants that don’t have the requisite belt loops.
Will either of these multi-tools be a full-time replacement for a larger pocket tool, or even a well-stocked toolbox? Not by any stretch of the imagination. Like the Swiss Army Knife buried in your pocket, they’re designed to be a “better than nothing” solution should you find yourself needing to make a quick repair. But unless you’re actually MacGyver, the biggest emergencies you face on a daily basis probably involve fixing eyeglasses or opening boxes from eBay.
[SOG via GearJunkie]