Pocket tools are often found to be used properly (and improperly) much more than normal tools are these days when off-road. The chances are that your tools are locked away, but your pocket tool... that's in your pocket! Chances are you'll always give the pocket tool a try before digging something else out.
The Barrage, Freestyle CX, and Rogue all rank among some of the best of the pocket tools we've had the pleasure of testing.
Lightweight, durable, and quick to deploy, the Barrage pocket knife can be used for anything from cutting burst heater hoses to pushing in your Schrader valve pin to air down your tires. It's also a helpful survival tool for camping, hunting, or fishing - activities we love to do as off-roaders.
The Rogue is a high-quality ultra-bright LED flashlight that uses only one battery (a normal AA!) to power it. It has low and high brightness options (the low setting is nice for inside a vehicle) and has a runtime of 70 hours on low (three hours on high).
The Freestyle CX is a sort of minimalist pocket multi-tool, which might be something you want if you're not into full pockets or belt-carried sheaths. It's very basic-just the pliers/wire cutters and the knife blade. It's small, lightweight, and has a pocket clip so you can wear it just like a pocket knife.
But if U.S. Customs and Border Protection has its way, you might not be able to buy one of these useful little gadgets much longer.
As of press time, U.S. Customs has a proposal that would categorize all spring-assisted opening folder knives as switchblades, or automatic knives, which are illegal. The bureaucrats are looking to expand arcane laws by lumping in these tools with other inexplicably outlawed items, such as the nunchaku - a farming implement from Okinawa. The nunchucks were banned only after an overreaction to Bruce Lee's kung fu movies of the 1970s, with lawmakers never realizing that the tools are perhaps one of the most ineffective self-defense weapons ever.
This same type of overreaction is now being placed on spring-assisted knives.
The proposed ban would stop companies from importing these tools. But nonprofit groups like the American Knife and Tool Institute (AKTI) said they fear the proposal's language is too broad and might eventually be applied to any knife that opens with one hand, including multi-tools and traditional pocket knives. If passed, the ban would make more than 35-million folding-knife users de facto criminals, according to the AKTI.
But the AKTI and other knife-rights groups are lobbying lawmakers to intervene. They've succeeded in Texas, where lawmakers modified the law to make sure that switchblade knives do not include spring-assisted knives.
You can take action by seeing the sidebar below.
But, in the event that common sense doesn't prevail, this review might be your last glimpse at one of the coolest folder knives made right here on American soil.
 Benchmade 580BK Barrage Blade:...  Benchmade 580BK Barrage
Blade: 3.6 inches, 154CM stainless steel, one-handed spring-assist
Locking Mechanism: Axis lock
Handle: Valox (thermoplastic polyester resin), reversible clip
Overall Length: 8.35 in
Weight: 4.2 ounces
Average Price: $130
The Barrage is the first knife to combine a spring-assisted opener with Benchmade's innovative Axis locking mechanism. The result is one of the sleekest and safest products on the market.The spring-assist allows for safe and fast openings while the Axis lock prevents accidental deployment when it's closed and accidental closure when it's open. Also, there's a reversible pocket clip to accommodate both right- and left-handers. |  Leatherman Freestyle CX Blade:...  Leatherman Freestyle CX
Blade: 154CM stainless steel, one-handed opener
Locking mechanism: Liner lock
Pliers: Regular/Wire-cutting/needlenose
Handle: DLC-coated stainless steel with carbon fiber inserts
Overall Length: 8.76 cm
Weight: 4.5 ounces
Average Price: $59
The Freestyle has actually come in pretty handy. We have a number of other multi-tool pliers we've collected over the years, so we sort of thought this one was going to go in a drawer or backpack, only to be used occasionally. But we're finding that the pocket clip and the tool's minute size is keeping this in our pockets a lot more than we thought. The blade is pretty easy to open with your thumb, and long enough to be useful. |  Icon Rogue 1 Lumen Output:...  Icon Rogue 1
Lumen Output: 6 low/50 high
Runtime: 70/3 hours
Bulb: LED
Housing: Aluminum, with tailcap "on/off" switch
Weight: 3.8 ounces
Length: 4.5 inches
Average Price: $39
The Icon Rogue 1 has got to be one of our favorite flashlights. It's bright, but not the most intense light we've ever shined in a friend's eyes. The battery doesn't last a ridiculously long time, but long enough for us to be happy. It's one of our favorites because it's small enough to fit in our pockets, still very bright, and most importantly-it takes a single AA battery instead of some fancy lithium camera battery that most people don't have readily available. |
Know Your Rights The Proposal
As of press time, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has a proposal that would categorize spring-assisted opening knives as switchblades and would stop companies from importing such tools.
The Possible Affects
If the ban's approved:
* U.S.-based companies wouldn't be able to sell these tools, putting a financial burden on the knife industry.
* Knife-rights groups fear the ban would eventually be applied to any knife that opens with one hand, including multi-tools and traditional pocket knives.
* More than 35-million folding-knife users would become de facto criminals, according to lobbyists.
For More 411
Get educated. Visit these websites for more info:
* American Knife and Tool Institute www.akti.org
* Knife Rights Inc.www.kniferights.org
Be Heard
Practice your First Amendment rights by contacting:
* U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of International Trade, Regulations and Rulings
Attention: Intellectual Property and Restricted Merchandise Branch
RE: 19 CFR Part 177
Mint Annex, 799 Ninth St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20229
www.cbp.gov
* Your U.S. representative www.house.gov
* Both your U.S. senators www.senate.gov