Holiday Buyer's Guide 2006, Part 5: The Mobile Stuff

Swiss+Tech Utili-Key 6-in-1

If your father is anything like other Dads we know, he has a gadget, multi-tool or key ring add-on for everything. He's got gadgets for outdoor grilling, multi-tools for his work laptop, key ring add-ons for the car, plus oodles of other things to hang on his key ring or stash in his pockets when he's on the go. With Christmas just around the corner, what better time can you find to unload a new multi-tool gizmo for him to play with on the road, but perhaps not in the air? That's where Swiss+Tech saunters into the picture.

Swiss+Tech markets a nifty key ring product called the Utili-Key 6-in-1 (or UKCSB) multi-tool that's unobtrusive in hand or pocket and fits alongside (and is shaped like) ordinary house or automobile keys. In its tiny dimensions you will find three screwdrivers: one #1 Philips head, one #1 flathead and a smaller one for eyeglasses; two different knife edges (on the same blade): chiseled and serrated; and a single bottle opener - almost a de facto standard for any good key ring add-on.

Unfortunately, the profile on the smallest flathead was a tad wide and would not fit into the channel on the eyeglasses we wear, but that's only a minor inconvenience. If we were so inclined, we could file the flathead down until it fit neatly into the groove but we're not that concerned about it. The 6-in-1 offers smooth precision movement, tight tolerances and solid construction so Dad (or whoever the actual recipient may be) can use it regularly without fear of breaking it anytime soon.

A stainless steel finish gives the UKCSS 6-in-1 a professional-grade shine and as a bonus, the contours between the serrated knife edges and the curvature of the bottle opener on the opposing side make for excellent wire-strippers (in lieu of the real thing). We're not sure if this is by design or coincidence, but we do know what we'll be stuffing in Dad's stocking come Christmas Eve. Be sure to check out the other cool Swiss+Tech Utili-Key products at www.swisstechtools.com.

Ed Tittel

Ed Tittel is a long-time IT writer, researcher and consultant, and occasional contributor to Tom’s Hardware. A Windows Insider MVP since 2018, he likes to cover OS-related driver, troubleshooting, and security topics.