It's been amazing to watch the evolution of the multitool. In the beginning, there was the Swiss Army knife. And it was good. Then Tim Leatherman came out with the multitool that became a proprietary eponym (also known as a generic trademark). Further refinements and upgrades have been in the works ever since.
Gone are the days when the multitool needed to be open to access any of the actual tools like the original Leatherman. The next step saw the tools attached on the outside of the device (like the Gerber EVO), where individual items could be accessed without opening the whole multitool.
CRKT's Bivy multitool shows great innovation in the genre. It doesn't "open" at all, at least not in the traditional multitool manner. The pliers are operated using a spring-assisted pushbutton (like a switchblade, only instead of a blade coming out, the pliers come out. Switchpliers?), and the other tools (tanto-blade knife, two screwdrivers and an awl) open like every other pocketknife out there. The blade locks with a liner, while the remaining tools lock under tension (lock is released when a second tool is opened).
The release mechanism for the pliers takes a little getting used to (I found it easier to open with my left hand than my right), but once you've got the hang of it, deploying the needlenose pliers and wirecutter is a cinch. The Bivy is both a little thick (over 0.75-inch) and heavy (nearly half a pound) for everyday carry, but certainly not excessively so in either dimension. If you routinely have need of more than a blade, this is a great option.
MSRP: $69.99.
