Consider one of the most ingenious gifts for the tool-loving handyperson ever devised by a tool-loving handyperson: the Leatherman® Pocket Survival Tool (trademark just TMed so far). There are other similar devices out there, but I received a Leatherman (as it is referred to by the knowledgeable tool-loving handyperson) as a Christmas gift once upon a time, have carried it faithfully since, and can write about it authoritatively.

The Leatherman Tool which I own includes

• a file
• a Phillips screwdriver
• a small straight-blade screwdriver
• a can and bottle opener
• a needlenose pliers with regular plier teeth inside and a wire cutter below those
• a lanyard attachment
• a large straight-blade screwdriver
• a medium straight-blade screwdriver
• an awl
• a knife

which all fold into a double handle which, when deployed end to end, is calibrated in eighth inch and millimeter (for survival in the metric system) increments. When folded up, the Leatherman is 4 by 1 by 1/2 inches and weighs 5 ounces. It comes in a clear plastic package which requires a Leatherman (or equivalent) to open. It comes with a leather case which can slip on a belt loop, but after a little experimentation, I like to keep it in that extra pocket that jeans have that I do not recall ever using successfully before.Remove the double stitching that makes the fifth pocket of the latest iteration of Arizon jeans too shallow otherwise, and you have the perfect Leatherman pocket. The watch pocket in Eddie Bauer jeans can't be modified, and Leatherman tools protrude too much in them to be comfortable. This is probably because Eddie sells a privately labeled imitation of the Leatherman Tool.

As marvelous as the fruit of Tim Leatherman's years of prototyping and testing is, I found it lacking. Like most things named by their creators, it doesn't exactly live up to it's name. Though dubbed a Pocket Survival Tool, it's obviously not a tool for surviving in a pocket. But the handle isn't comfortable enough for safely surviving. After an hour or so of holding it while performing classic survival tasks, chances are you would be victimized in some way by one of the Twelve Tools or carpel tunnel syndrome.

It's possible that the Leatherman could be a tool for fixing and making other things which facilitate survival. But I find that the Leatherman helps me survive not having a full tool chest at my beck and call. When you discover a loose screw on the toaster, you can whip out the Leatherman and fix it right on the spot. And the contour of the knife blade is perfect for scraping dirty fingernails.

The Leatherman is missing one very important tool. If you survived very long using, one at a time, only the 12 tools it provides, you would definitely want one other tool because then you would have something to write about. But the Leatherman isn’t much help for making journal entries. If Tim Leatherman’s signature is any indication, writing legibly is not a priority for the inventor. Unless you count scratching with an awl as writing, the Leatherman Tool has no writing instrument. However, it’s impractical to include a writing instrument in a Pocket Survival Tool because it would be the only tool which used consumables. You can sharpen the knife and the awl and sharpen a pencil with the knife, but who would remember to pick up lead or ink cartridges for a Pocket Survival Tool, and where would you find them six months from now anyway?

The Leatherman Pocket Survival Tool carries a 25-year limited warranty. If it fails to help you survive for the next quarter century due to a manufacturer defect, you must return to civilization and ship it in for warranty repair. I tested this process when, after a year of regular use, I broke off the tip of the knife blade trying to free a stuck telephone button. As part of the warranty service, the Leatherman folks installed an “improved” blade. I survived not having my Leatherman Pocket Survival Tool by purchasing a Leatherman Wave.

The Leatherman Wave is a “survival tool” designed with the survival of the Leatherman manufacturing company in mind as much as with expanding on an industrial design that speaks to the gadget geek handyman. Leatherman learned from its competitors and did the product line proud. It’s expensive, but it lives up to its legacy for being a truly useful, handy, “multi-tool” that fits perfectly in the watch pocket of Arizona jeans. I use it daily.