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Mister Gadget -

My wife and I were attending a jazz concert a few years ago, and during a break I noticed the drummer fiddling with his hi-hat cymbal. It had come loose, and the drummer couldn't get it tightened. I reached in my pocket and fished out a tiny pair of pliers I always carry, handed it to the drummer. Problem solved.

One night I was teaching in a classroom that had a timer on the overhead lights one way for the university to save money. I hadn't checked the timer, and about halfway through the class, there was a click; we were plunged into darkness. I fished out a tiny flashlight on my key ring and reset the timer. Problem solved.

Mister Gadget to the rescue.

Yes, in my family I'm known as Mister Gadget. It's not that I go about laden with every conceivable tool and festooned with a half-dozen little leather (or ballistic nylon) boxes dangling from my belt. Over the years I've actually pared down my gadgetry to three or four essential items. But my small collection of carryable gizmos has come to the rescue on numerous occasions.

I think a few essential gadgets are good for any man to know about. Many of us like things as things, and we get a rush out of being useful, especially under unforeseen circumstances.

(Disclaimer: I do not have any connection to the companies that make the items I'm about to describe.)

First is a full-size multi-tool. The most popular is the Leatherman, which comes in many sizes and models. The one I have is the Wave, which has gotten me out of enough jams that I won't go camping or hiking without it. There are many brands and models; if I were looking for one now, I'd want pliers with a wire-cutter, one or more knife blades, a wood saw, scissors, and a couple sizes of screwdriver blades. This is not something I carry around all the time. I don't want more than a cell phone on my belt, and the Wave won't fit in a pocket.

Second is a small multi-tool that will fit in a pocket. That's what I handed the drummer. The one I have is a Sebertool M4, hard to find but the best I've used. It has pliers, a couple of screwdriver blades, a nail file, a knife blade, a bottle cap lifter, and totally useless tweezers. It folds up in such a way that it attaches to my key ring. Again, there are many brands and models. Mine has no scissors. I haven't looked very hard, but I think you have to choose one or the other. Though I sometimes miss having scissors handy, I have found the pliers invaluable for cutting and bending wire or gripping something

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