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Written by Administrator
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 In the operational environments of today sometimes having “just a knife” is not enough. There are times and situations in which you need a little bit more. You may need a small wrench or screw driver, or perhaps a mini pry too. Try as we may a plain knife cannot accomplish all of this. We have all done it myself included, broken or bent knives trying to use them for things they were just not intended. I believe this inspired the first multi tools. Now almost every knife maker has their own version of the multi tool.
Multi tools are exactly what they sound. They are basically a multi function tool with a
knife blade on it. The ongoing challenge facing knife makers is how to make these tools big enough to be functional and small enough they can be carried conveniently. With all of the tools out on the market the challenge facing the buyer is which one to buy. There seems to be lots of tools with a lot of options but not a tool with all the options. So like a knife there does not seem to be the perfect multi tool for all situations. With that in mind CRKT has given you several multi tool options to choose from.
The CRKT Guppie is a multi tool choice that is hard to go wrong with. The Guppie was named Best Buy of the year at the 2007 Blade Show. The Guppie has tons of options, is extremely tough, and yet small enough to be carried comfortably. The Guppie is about the same size as a CRKT full size knife and around the same weight. This allows it to be carried in your pocket without much notice. It also has a stainless steel clip which can hold it tightly to your belt or securely inside your pocket. The other option for carry is the carabiner gate. This allows multiple carry options as well as attachment options. One example of this is I have used mine on more than one occasion to carry and hang I.V. fluid bags on while in flight on a helicopter. The user must be warned though that this is not a weight bearing carabiner. So don't look for the Guppie to save you life (at least like that) in a pinch.
The construction of the Guppie is exactly what you would expect from CRKT. They realize that their knives and tools are used in the real world. In this world the conditions are harsh and things often end up being used for task that they were not necessarily designed for. The Guppie has a thick and sturdy construction. All attachments are connected multiple times and reinforced as well. So even if one portion breaks the whole tool will not fall apart. Its bead blasted coating allows it to be subject to all types of work environments and come out strong. As always in the course of my testing not only in simulation but real world as well, it is subject to all types of substances. As I have come to admire and expect from CRKT products the Guppie came through with shining colors. A little cleaning and a rub down with some olive oil (little trick i have learned) and the Guppie is ready to go again.
The Guppie has quite a few options which is impressive for its size. One of the most helpful is the adjustable wrench. This option is part of what makes the Guppie so useful to me. It has a small adjustable wrench that will open to 1/2”. This is more than big enough for most small or average repairs. You will find that this also fits most anything that you can find on a weapon as well. The wrench can be operated with one hand as well. It only takes a few min of practice before you can get really competent with it one handed. This is helpful when your other arm/hand is tied up for whatever reason. There are other features as well to include, an LED light, screwdrivers, and a bottle opener. All of these combined make the CRKT Guppie one formidable little tool.
There are however some areas that I have found that could be improved upon. The first is the mechanism that holds the screwdriver bits in place. I noticed that after a few uses that the bits did not hold in place as well as they once did. They tended to slide up and down . My fear was always that they would slide completely out and I would loose them. While this has not happened to date there is the possibility that it will at some point. Also the tip bits are small and convenient but are difficult to operate with one hand. Even after practice with it, there were times that one handed operation was difficult. The second area is the knife blade. Not so much the blade itself but the way it locks or lack there of. I think the blade is the perfect size, and can be operated with one hand again with a little practice. There is no way though for the blade to lock in place. So when you are working if you are not careful you risk the blade folding back onto your hand or fingers. With as razor sharp as these blades are that could be a significant injury. I would encourage caution when using it. These are some areas that I don't think need to be redesigned. I do however think that they should be looked at and some minor modifications needed to achieve the best performance.
A multi tool to me is and indispensable part of any kit, personal or operational. As in many other things there is no all around perfect tool for every job. There are tools though that bring more to the table than others. The Guppie is defiantly one of these tools. Its small size, rugged design, and many options make is extremely versatile. For tactical operations I am not sure if it would be my first choice. I believe that my first choice would be the CKRT Zilla tool. I am hoping that CRKT allows us to evaluate that tool and we can put them side by side and do a comparison. You can pick up a Guppie now for around $30-$40, so for the money you cannot go wrong with the CRKT Guppie.
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