The folks at Bespoke Post were kind enough to send me one such product for review, a Money Clip and Comb Multi-Tool. Yes, what first caught my eye about this particular multi-tool were its spork and comb. But as I looked closer, I found that this was more than just a novelty item—it was a smartly and solidly built everyday carry actually worth carrying every day.
What It Can Do
Here are the main features of this high-carbon stainless steel, TSA-compliant multi-tool:
Phillips and flathead screwdrivers10 mm and 1/4-inch hex wrenchesChisel and circular edgesNail pryer and cord cutter7 centimeter metric rulerBottle openerPhone stand17-tooth combDetachable money clip with spork
To Clip or Unclip
Once I’d digested everything this multi-talented device could do, the next step was to figure out how to remove the clip—which I was able to do after watching the product video a couple of times. Unclipped, it’s a solid yet easily pocketable multi-tool. And in fact, a few of its uses are actually easier to perform without the clip (e.g., the ruler and bottle opener).
The clip reattaches in two particular ways, one on the multi-tool’s long side, which has the ruler, and one on its short side, which features the nail pryer. Each way took a little practice, figuring out how to best position the pieces so I could align the holes correctly and apply proper pressure on the right piece to snap it back together. But after a few times, it became routine.
Although I appreciate having the option to orient the clip both ways, ultimately I found it easier to handle my cash and cards when the clip was attached to the short end. It also felt more natural just in terms of pulling the money clip out of my pocket. Though being able to orient the clip either vertically or horizontally appears to come in handy if using the money clip in conjunction with one of Dango’s minimalist wallets, according to the images I’ve seen.
How I Used It
Though I’m far from the ideal candidate to use the long-toothed comb and didn’t find myself in a position where I needed the fork while on-the-go, I did get plenty of use out of several of the functions. The primary reason I carried around this everyday carry was definitely as a money clip. To that end, I tended to put my license or the smooth side of my credit card on the bottom, with cash folded in half on top, against the clip. Despite my irrational fear of the numbers being scraped off my credit cards, everything worked well. The clip has a good amount of tension, not too loose or tight.
Other than as a makeshift wallet, my most frequent use of the clip was definitely opening boxes. It was nice not having to go find scissors to slice open parcels that were hermetically sealed with packing tape. I used the chisel feature to scrape off a few stickers—not just ones of The Avengers my 4 year old randomly placed throughout the house but, for instance, a registration sticker off my car’s windshield. The open hex wrench turned out to be just the right size to affix my wife’s license plate to her car. And I did use the bottle opener, phone stand and pry bar functions, as well. In other words, it was definitely handy having all this functionality at the ready—along with whatever other needs I determined on the fly.
Should You Buy the Money Clip and Comb Multi-Tool?
It’s a cool money clip and a solid multi-tool. So the only question left is whether you should buy it on its own; bundled with one of Dango’s S-Series wallets (for an even better value); or in tandem with one of their other compatible C-Series, D-Series, T-Series or P-Series wallets. Well, that and which tool you’ll find occasion to use first— the go-everywhere comb, detachable metal spork or one of the many others.
Buy at Bespoke Post or Dango Products for $35.
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