I went to my local Publix and did a double take.

Good news: My Hurricane kit is still in its case ready to use.

Maratac ¼” Pen Driver

Tool one and modifications abandoned, I came back to this driver I had found in my initial searches but had passed over at the time because I wanted something that held more bits if possible. Perfect being the enemy of the good in mind, I purchased this and resolved to use it, and boy am I glad I did!

Admittedly, my time on this tool is still quite low, only about 3 weeks, but I’m very satisfied with it already. I wasn’t originally sold on the idea that this did not have a cap to help retain the bit that is in it and to protect whatever else is in your pocket/the pocket itself from the bit. However, I have found this hasn’t been a real issue. The magnet that retains the bit is super strong, and I have been keeping this clipped to the pocket like a knife, that keeps the tip from rubbing against pretty much everything. Carpenter jeans or pants with a mid leg pocket are even better for this.

The included bits were a Phillips #0, #1 and two flat heads; a large and small. I swapped the Phillips #1 and the small flat head for a T15 Torx security and a Phillips #2. As we know, Phillips #2 is the most used screw size in everyday life and the T15 Torx security bit is specific to me and my work tasks; I have a large number of computers that use that to secure the case side for some reason. I opted to keep the Phillips #0 because it will will work in a Phillips #1 screw in a pinch and let me get at smaller stuff. I kept the larger flat bit because I figured most Phillips needs are covered, so a small flat bit wasn’t needed as a Phillips backup, there are occasionally the huge flat head screws you come across that need a big bit, and if I decided to pry on anything with it, the bigger bit will probably be more handy.

Now, how do we make the perfect more perfecter? A number of ways of course! You didn’t think I’d be satisfied with this things how it is did you?

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I have referred to the Victorinox Trekker before and still stands as my regular EDC tool. The combination of a proven SAK design with a one-handed opening locking blade is just too good to ignore.

The Leatherman Kick is not carried on body (I have enough heavy crap in the pants as it is), but it is always very close by and if I need to use it repeatedly, I will clip it on the belt with a pouch I got in Amazon.
The one that I also carry constantly is the Victorinox Swiss Card. I got mine 10 years ago and it comes handy when you need to do some minor adjustments or openings, but a normal size blade or other tool may be frown upon and snitched by coworkers. It permanently resides in my wallet, and I don’t even think about it unless I need it.

Corrected my username. DOH. This is what happens when you spend the preceding hours working an AWS issue.

There was a time when a man didn’t leave his home without a knife. A knife is one of the most useful tools a man can have.

As a boy, I carried a something like a Case “Stockman”. It had three different blades. My memory is dim, so it could have been a two bladed version.

In my teens, my cousin sold me a Swiss Army knife, for a penny.

That knife lived in my pocket for years and years until I think I lost it. I replaced it with the same version. This means I’ve been carrying the same version of a Swiss army knife for over 45 years.

That knife was useful in so many ways. Mostly it was a simple knife, when needed, a corkscrew, nail file, and screwdriver. The scissors were useful, mostly for getting into bubble wrap.

The interesting thing is that I seldom reach for that knife.

At university, I upgraded to two extra knives. On my left hip, I carried a USN issued Ka-Bar that was gifted to me by a UDT dude. It was the knife he carried in Vietnam. It lives on my desk, today, I just pulled it out to verify the markings.

On my right hip, I carried a Gerber Bolt Action Exchange blade. It had three different blades. Two were carried in the pouch, while the third was in the handle. Exchanging the blades was fast and easy.

After several years, I figured out that I never used the extra blades, so I just carried it in my pocket.

My next addition to the EDC tool set was a Leatherman. It was one of the first of the multitools. I found that I used the pliers the most, the blade seldom, and the screwdrivers fairly often.

When that was misplaced, I replaced it. I’ve since sold it, for a penny, to somebody that will use it.

My replacement was a Gerber multi-tool. The MP600. It has the pliers that I use regularly. The different screwdrivers, the blades, the file, and the can opener.

Except for the pliers, I could do all of the above with my Swiss Army Knife, but this is so much faster and the tips on the screwdrivers so much better.

So my current pocket load out is:

Left pocket, clipped to the edge, O-Light flashlight. In the pocket is the Swiss army knife, a USB thumb drive with current Ubuntu Install media, container with ear plugs. If I am not carrying mag pouches, a spare mag will go there.

In the right front pocket, clipped to the edge, is a Cold Steel Code-4. In the pocket is the Gerber multi-tool.

I am currently looking at the Kershaw Select Fire. I like that it has a standard bit driver and is built around a knife and not the tools. My bits would be #2 square drive, #1 Philips, #2 Philips, and a slot driver.

Thanks to Lenard for lots to think about. Thank you for all the feedback we’ve gotten from other users.

I don’t even have to tell you why I want to borrow it.

Y’all invited… BYOG&A.

The Custom Pocket Tool Kit

I hadn’t really explored this option until now so I started down the rabbit hole, and boy what a rabbit hole it is. There are innumerable videos on YouTube about what people allegedly carry in their pockets and the infinite utility they find out of random and weird tools and gadgets. Frankly, I think a lot of this is overstated, but for sure there are weird and unique little things that people have/do that help them do their specific weird/unique little thing.

After contemplation and viewing some other people’s EDC for ideas, I determined that a compact driver of some sort with a variety of bits and an extension could fit in a small pouch or case and I could easily fit a couple of other nice to haves in that form factor. And while the videos were sometimes questionable, it did help me narrow down specific tools that I wanted. I settled on the following for the kit:

Topeak Mini Rachet/Driver Kit

• This is a nice little kit packed with tools in a small form factor make for biking. The standard ¼” bits can be used in the driver as either a ratchet at the ratcheting end, or on the handle end as a standard screwdriver. It included a nice assortment of bits and a small extension. I swapped around the ¼” bits to have a selection of 11 bits I wanted and ditched the included tire tool.

Klein Tools 7 in 1 Extension/Nut Driver Set

• A wonderful tool that add not only a long ¼’ hex extension that is compatible with anything that accepts standard ¼” bits, but ingeniously has three nut drivers that service six different nut sizes that slip over the extension for storage. Quite the “force multiplier”!

Knipex Cobra XS

• These 4” pliers are all the rage for the EDC crowd for some reason. I don’t quite get it myself, but figured, what the hell, I’ve got room in the kit to throw those in and being small and flat they don’t really add any bulk.

EDC Organizer/Pouch

• A cheapo pouch to hold everything together.

All assembled, this was a pretty handy kit that was small but with decently big capabilities. It was however a little more bulky than I was hoping for and because of this, I couldn’t quite figure out what to do with it/where to put it.

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And that was crime reporting:

I don’t think any newspaper back in the past (and certainly not in this day and age of “let’s not hurt the feelings of special interest/minorities”) did such a thorough and fast job at covering every detail of a violent crime like the Herald. Edna Buchanan certainly established the high bar that was kept for years after she left and did not leave the reader with the feeling something was being hidden for whatever unnecessary reason or political platitude and within 24 hours or even less.

Today we don’t even have news or delicate propaganda but shitty indoctrination wrapped in a thin film of faux reporting.