As we are still working on the first production run of the Director, we always want to be moving forward to new designs and products. I have always made gear I personally like and for this new project, I will try and solve a problem I have.
Many of you know my love for the Benchmade bugout. I love the knife so much it was the backbone of the Traveler so I could carry something similar when I was traveling. Since that time, like many of you, I have grown into using my pry bar for so many different things. It truly is a huge part of my EDC and an item I can't live without. Because of that, I carry it along with a knife and a flashlight at home. Of course, I add additional items when I leave the house (hank, wallet, keys, etc), but I like to keep it as minimal as possible at home. This led to my problem....how do I combine the Traveler and the Bugout into one multi-functional tool.
I would love the ability to carry a fully functional pry tool and a knife in one package. This got me thinking about what I would really need in such a tool:
Fully function pry
Bottle opener
Knife large enough that could be used for small food prep (~3")
Simple design that could be easily cleaned
Deep pocket clip (duh)
Ability to swim with it with low risk to corrosion and impacting functionality
Lightweight and compact (~4" closed length)
Looking around I couldn't find anything that fits that need so of course I need to make it myself! I have really got my gears spinning on this one trying to put all these pieces together. At the end of the day this piece should be a great carry-around-the-house item that fills the need of a full-sized knife and pry. There are a few designs in the works that basically look like a Frankenstein of a drop point knife and a Traveler end. What I am working on now is how do I want to put the pieces together. Does it become a folding knife? A fixed blade with a sheath that becomes a handle? Some sort of OTF? Not really sure at this point and more work is required. I do lean away from the folding knife as I don't what the prying force to be concentrated on brass bushings. This is one of the reasons I didn't put a pry on the Director.
Here is a very rough initial idea but still lots and lots of work left. As always, let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions.
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