Garden and woodworking tool company Garrett Wade satisfies the patrician in all of us. Its austere but eye-catching motif recalls a simplicity that’s pastoral but also strangely office-appropriate. Thus, its brass capsule multitool somehow seems to belong in your pocket whether you’re wearing overalls or Brooks Brothers.
With a fitting backstory set in foggy London, the Garrett Wade brass multitool is a 5-in-1, with a case that doubles as a handle. The trim but cultivated tool promises to complete any aesthete’s EDC kit.
Garrett Wade Tools Finds Inspiration ‘Cross the Pond
Garrett Wade’s brass multitool started at a swap meet in London. Oh wait, they don’t have that crude terminology there — in London they’re called flea markets. Anyway, a pocket-size threaded tube with tools inside caught the eye of a Garrett Wade rover, who brought the intel back stateside.
It’s easy to see why Garrett Wade selected the design. At 3 inches long, it’s extremely easy to carry, and its unassuming appearance and utility seem to fit its catalog perfectly.
A Discreet Multitool
Armed with inspiration, Garrett Wade Tools produced an updated version of the British brass multitool. A two-piece tube hand-tightens together to hold all five tools: 1 & 2) a Phillips and slot screwdriver, 3) a pull hook knife, 4) a drill bit, and 5) a corkscrew. The user selects the appropriate tool, fits it into the reinforced slot, screws the tube back together, and goes to work. The resulting T-shaped tool, called a gimlet, delivers good leverage for twisting.
Astutely, Garrett Wade makes each tool from an alloy specifically chosen to support that tool’s function. Be aware: TSA has been known to confiscate the tools, but let (crestfallen) users keep the case. Still, its 3 ¼-inch total length and barely-there 2 ¾-ounce weight make it a no-brainer EDC item for anyone who can use the tool kit.
Pinkies Out: Brass Multitool User Comments
The user base, from what I can gather in online reviews, is a treasure. Sue, who self-identifies as “FixitGranny” says “I LOVE it !! I have arthritis in my hands from doing crochet and knitting. When I used a regularly handled screwdriver it hurt. This one doesn’t hurt !!!” Craft on, Granny.
Elsewhere, James Campbell says he carries the tool in his briefcase — he doesn’t mention the four-pack of Chablis he also keeps in there.
In Conclusion
In a saturated category, the Garrett Wade brass multitool marches to the beat of its own drum. The five-tool kit is sure to excite EDC folks hungry for something unusual. And it would look just as fitting in the rugged hand of an Amish carpenter as it would in the manicured one of a corporate executive. Not only that, it promises utility.
The T-shaped gimlet arrangement and reinforced connection point help it handle anything its tools are capable of. It’s priced at $37 MSRP.