Mister Gadget

From Menletter November 2006

By Tim Baehr

My wife and I were attending a jazz concert a few years ago, and during a break I noticed the drummer fiddling with his hi-hat cymbal. It had come loose, and the drummer couldn't get it tightened. I reached in my pocket and fished out a tiny pair of pliers I always carry, handed it to the drummer. Problem solved.

One night I was teaching in a classroom that had a timer on the overhead lights – one way for the university to save money. I hadn't checked the timer, and about halfway through the class, there was a click; we were plunged into darkness. I fished out a tiny flashlight on my key ring and reset the timer. Problem solved.

Mister Gadget to the rescue.

Yes, in my family I'm known as Mister Gadget. It's not that I go about laden with every conceivable tool and festooned with a half-dozen little leather (or ballistic nylon) boxes dangling from my belt. Over the years I've actually pared down my gadgetry to three or four essential items. But my small collection of carryable gizmos has come to the rescue on numerous occasions.

I think a few essential gadgets are good for any man to know about. Many of us like things as things, and we get a rush out of being useful, especially under unforeseen circumstances.

(Disclaimer: I do not have any connection to the companies that make the items I'm about to describe.)

First is a full-size multi-tool. The most popular is the Leatherman, which comes in many sizes and models. The one I have is the Wave, which has gotten me out of enough jams that I won't go camping or hiking without it. There are many brands and models; if I were looking for one now, I'd want pliers with a wire-cutter, one or more knife blades, a wood saw, scissors, and a couple sizes of screwdriver blades. This is not something I carry around all the time. I don't want more than a cell phone on my belt, and the Wave won't fit in a pocket.

Second is a small multi-tool that will fit in a pocket. That's what I handed the drummer. The one I have is a Sebertool M4, hard to find but the best I've used. It has pliers, a couple of screwdriver blades, a nail file, a knife blade, a bottle cap lifter, and totally useless tweezers. It folds up in such a way that it attaches to my key ring. Again, there are many brands and models. Mine has no scissors. I haven't looked very hard, but I think you have to choose one or the other. Though I sometimes miss having scissors handy, I have found the pliers invaluable for cutting and bending wire or gripping something that my fingers can't quite get a purchase on. The screwdriver blades and bottle opener have been useful, too.

Third is a really sharp pocket knife, preferably openable with one hand. There are probably hundreds of good ones, so I won't bother to say what I have. The main thing is to get one that sits flat in the pocket. Although the Sebertool has a knife blade, the blade is a little hard to get at. I don't mind the reduncancy. My knife comes in handy for cutting string, opening mail, clipping articles out of the newspaper, sharpening a pencil.

Fourth is a flashlight. The flattest and most reliable I've found is the Princeton Tec Impulse. It's not Princeton's smallest flashlight, but its switch is robust. (I've not had good luck with the Princeton Tec Pulsar's switch, even though the flashlight is the smallest one I've seen). One feature I like about the Impulse is that the light stays on until I turn it off. Some other small flashlights require you to hold the switch down to keep them on.

Of the three things that I carry around all the time, the flashlight has turned out to be the most useful. It has found dropped change in the car, stuff that fell behind my desk, and keyholes lost in shadow. It has guided me through a house, darkened by a power failure, in search of candles and bigger flashlights. It has helped me see the back of my computer and stereo for attaching components.

(Aside: My latest find was a small strap-on headlight that some guys use for camping. Actually, I found mine in a hardware store for about $10.00 – made by Eveready and sold as a work light. It's now in my tool kit for lighting up home repairs under cabinets, in closets, and so on. No more drooling around a flashlight held in my teeth! I've just put one into my car's trunk, too.)

When I'm at home, being able to reach into my pocket often means a small project can get done without dragging my 25-pound toolbox up from the basement; often it means getting the project done at all. Away from home, a gadget can be the one thing that will get me or someone else out of a jam – and sometimes make a minor hero out of me.

What's your approach? Zero gadgets, or a whole workshop in your pockets or briefcase or backpack?

As the gift-giving season arrives, you might want to think about one or more gadgets for a son, brother, father, best friend, or yourself.