General Purpose Tools

Swiss Army Victorinox CyberTool 29

Pocket-friendly tech tool

I’ve tried a fair number of pocket knife and combination tools: Gerber, Leatherman, Victorinox, Wenger, and others. The quality and versatility of these tools are quite amazing. I own both versions of the previously reviewed Husky 8-in-1, which are excellent when you have a workspace or are able to carry them in a pack, but not so good to carry in your pocket. I used to work on servers but have been promoted to management, and now don’t do as much hands-on work as I once did, but still like to be prepared. For day-to-day use, I want something that fits easily into my pocket, has a small enough profile to work in confined spaces for light-duty computer repairs and other minor jobs. I’ve found the Swiss Army Victorinox CyberTool 29 to be the best compromise.

It has a nice long 5mm driver that uses four double-ended bits, including my favorite Phillips #2, two smaller Phillips bits, a straight bit, three Torx drivers (#8, #10, #15), and a 4mm hex bit. It also includes the classic straight-blade screwdriver, can opener, awl, two knife blades, corkscrew (yes, I use it fairly regularly!) and a tiny screwdriver ingenuously tucked in the corkscrew. I really like that the straight-blade screwdriver and Phillips driver are at opposite ends. Having the two screwdrivers open at the same time often makes the task go quicker.

-- Rurik Spence 04/7/10

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