Carradice 8 in 1 Multitool

Carradice have a reputation for using old-fashioned materials in their products, although I'm still waiting for them to produce a pannier woven from the beard and leathery skin of ancient audaxers. However, using bamboo for the sideplates of their 8 in1 multi-tool is more than just a refusal to acknowledge the existence of such modern fripperies as plastic and aluminium. It's hard wearing, gives a very comfortable grip and should age nicely, developing a pleasing patina by the time you come to hand it down to your great-grandchildren. At a pinch you could always feed it to a starving panda, although they'd probably choke on the crisply edged crome-vanadium tools.

You get the usual array of widgets:- 6 hexes in 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 and 6mm plus screwdrivers in both Philips and flathead flavours. There's no 8mm hex or T25 bit (you need to upgrade to the 10 in 1 tool to get those) and the tool-to-weight ratio is on the low side as this is a hefty wee lump. For comparison, the BBB multitool I tested last year weighs the same but does quite a lot more, although the Carradice is better quality.

All in all, if you don't fret too much about weight and are happy with just the basics then this is worth considering.

Verdict

A simple tool, nicely made.