ⓘ Kickstarter
British studio Ysmart London, previously focused on miniature knives and flashlights, has launched the Toolt multitool on Kickstarter, promising 36 functions in a body about the size of a car key fob. Sensibly, its makers concede it won’t replace a toolbox; the device is intended for quick repairs, travel and outdoor use rather than as a replacement for conventional full-size tools.
Measuring 70 × 32 × 18 mm when folded, the functions are divided among three plates that slide out from either side. The first covers repairs and adjustments: eight hex wrenches, three bit drivers, a saw, an awl, a wire stripper and a bottle opener, alongside oddities like a spoke wrench, a barbecue skewer cleaner and a shopping cart key. The second plate handles cutting and prying, with a can opener, pry bar, cord cutter, flathead screwdriver, bike tire lever, scraper and a Morse code reference for emergency signaling. The third supplies metric and imperial rulers, a Phillips screwdriver and two files.
Counting a Morse code reference and a shopping cart key among the 36 makes the figure look generous, as neither is a tool in the usual sense. Otherwise, a separate, replaceable blade in the common Stanley 11-921 size deploys from the top with a thumb slide, locks in a short or extended position, and has a safety lock against accidental opening. The gadget measures 180 mm in length when all three plates are deployed, and can be carried via a lanyard hole or pocket clip.
Two variants are offered. Titanium weighs 90 g, while the darker aluminum model is 10 g lighter; otherwise they are functionally identical. Supporters must pay at least £70 (about US$130) for aluminum or £99 (US$185) for titanium, which are expected to retail for £119 ($222) and £149 ($278), respectively. Shipping is slated for January 2027, but only if the crowdfunding campaign succeeds. Of course, there is also the risk that the product may not work as advertised.
I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Having studied philosophy and anthropology, I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.