TT-7-10 Pocket Tool, 3.25” long by .875” wide.

By Bruce Sterling:

“I strongly recommend that you carry a multitool. There are dozens of species of these remarkable devices now, and for good reason…

…That’s because a multitool IS a set of keys. It’s a set of possible creative interventions in your immediate material environment. That is why you want a multitool. They are empowering.

A multitool changes your perceptions of the world. Since you lack your previous untooled learned-helplessness, you will slowly find yourself becoming more capable and more observant. If you have pocket-scissors, you will notice loose threads; if you have a small knife you will notice bad packaging; if you have a file you will notice flashing, metallic burrs, and bad joinery. If you have tweezers you can help injured children, while if you have a pen, you will take notes. Tools in your space, saving your time. A multitool is a design education.

As a further important development, you will become known to your friends and colleagues as someone who is capable, useful and resourceful, rather than someone who is helpless, frustrated and visibly lacking in options. You should aspire to this better condition.”

Although “trenchcoat samurai” are the lamest-of-the-lame (I’m just waiting for one of those sword-handle-umbrella toting assholes to get shot by a cop) this Katana is quite sharp.

You install it on a USB key and have a multiple-OS set of security tools useful for exterminating malware/viruses; recovering data from a HDD crash; etc., but what has me chuffed is that you can USB boot/install from a selection of Linux distributions using the included Forge application.

Although you have to do a bit of work configuring scripts for the distributions you want to install in Katana  (fortunately there’s some information available on the Hack From A Cave Forum), it seems well worth it; you could install your favourite OS on Katana, use the USB key to store your data, and than use your USB key as a extremely-portable parasitic virtual PC.

And with all of the “proud nails” that pop up in the assorted Linux distributions, you could pick and choose which distribution to run to work around whatever doesn’t work in your favoured distro.

USB Linux Boot/Install key; keep your important data backed up on an external device and never let a computer stab you in the back again.

Handsewn Leatherman Surge sheath; made from recycled materials.