I'm a multi-tool fan. If it has screwdrivers and knife blades and other toys, I'm likely to take a look at it no matter what. I have a few multitools, the Utili-Key and the Leatherman Wave being the ones I use most.

For Christmas this year, MT gave me a SwissCard she had ordered with my initials on it. (Nice touch.) It came in a translucent black (Onyx, according to their website) case. It describes itself as 'credit card size', but it's actually a little big bigger than a credit card.

I found myself wondering about the SwissCard's durability. If I put it in my wallet, then stuck my wallet in my back pocket, was it going to break?

The answer is no. After a few months, the SwissCard has survived living next to my butt with flying colors. Nothing is cracked, nothing is broken. This tool is built to last, despite what you may think.

The SwissCard offers the following tools:

1. Letter Opener (blade)
2. Stainless Steel Pin
3. Scissors
4. Ballpoint Pen
5. Tweezers
6. Magnifying Glass
7. Screwdriver (3mm)
8. Screwdriver (5mm)
9. Phillips Screwdriver (00-0)
10. Phillips Screwdriver (1-2)
11. LED (light emitting diode)
12. Ruler (cm)
13. Ruler (inches)

Now let's go through these tools one by one.

The blade comes with a small handle. It seems thin, but holds up well. It's up to the task of opening boxes, etc, but I'd rather not use it for heavier-duty cutting tasks. It's not particularly sharp, either.

Pin. What, exactly, am I supposed to say about a pin? It's there, and I'm not entirely sure why they put it in. On the other hand, if I lose it, I can buy a dress shirt and get 26 replacements for free, so I'm set on that score. Useful for voodoo practitioners on the go, I guess.

Scissors. The scissors are sort of like sewing scissors -- there is only one finger ring, and you press the other scissor handle with your thumb. These are quite useful, once you get used to using the scissors.

Ballpoint Pen. Now this was one of those things that seems totally obvious in retrospect. How come no one ever thought of putting a pen on a multi-tool up until now? It's thin and easy to lose, but as long as you remember to put it back in the tool case, you'll be fine. It works, it writes, that's what you want out of a pen.

Tweezers. If you've ever owned a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife, these are the same tweezers they have had for 25 years. (I know this because I had a Swiss Army Knife as a kid. Same tweezers.) While small, they're very useful for removing splinters.

Magnifying glass. It's a little small to do much good, about the size of a penny, but it can be used to magnify small print (on the label on the back of a computer, for example.) Or you know you've always got a source of fire.

The screwdrivers I will address as one unit because -- guess what -- they ARE one unit. It slides out and has the four screwdrivers pointing off the body. This doesn't provide a lot of torque, but it can be handy in close quarters, like say a computer case. Even so, I'll probably reach for my Leatherman Wave first for screwdriving needs.

LED -- this is a glowing red LED. Useful for low-light situations, although a white light would have been a lot more useful.

Ruler -- four inches and the same in centimeters. This is handy for small measurements.

All in all, I like the Swisscard. It's durable, and its tools are useful. It's not a plier-based multitool, and it's not quite as tough as a Leatherman Wave. But is that a fair comparison? No, not for someone who isn't able to carry a Wave (or other plier-based multitool), this is an excellent choice.

Recommended: Yes

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