I’ve spent the past few weeks walking around with a monkey in my wallet—a PocketMonkey ($15). Born from a highly successful Kickstarter last fall, the Pocket Monkey is a light-weight, thin, ultra hard utility tool that fits in your wallet. It also happens to be made from heat-treated stainless steel, so it’s pretty durable. It comes with twelve uses, so I’ve tested each one.
Flathead Screwdriver
You never have a screwdriver when you need one, right? Rather than messing around with a dime, I used the flathead to open up an external hard drive enclosure.
Phone Kickstand
With the addition of an ordinary credit card (or, in my case, a half-used Starbucks card), the PocketMonkey becomes a handy little phone holder, provided you lay your phone lengthwise. I used to pay attention to the hockey game when I was supposed to be organizing a budget.
Bottle Opener
The tool I used most often, the PocketMonkey’s bottle opener is great in that it’s one of the few ways to carry a church key around without looking like an alcoholic. “Oh, you need that beer open? Well, this too does many things, including that. I don’t carry around a dedicated bottle opener—I don’t have a problem.” Also, I’ve been inspecting the PocketMonkey’s finish each time I crack open a bottle. So far, no bending or scratches—that heat-treated steel is looking like a great idea.
Phillips Screwdriver
Every fixture in my house has been tightened.
Orange Peeler
I question the need to have a dedicated tool for orange peeling, but I will admit that my game controllers don’t get orange stains on them quite so often. Also, realistically, it’s handy whenever you need a bit of a sharp edge.
Hex Wrenches
The PocketMonkey has five sizes of hex wrench. Much like it’s screwdrivers, you’ll want a tool kit for a bigger job, but when you have a loose nut and need to tighten it in a pinch, the PocketMonkey has you covered.
Earbuds Cord Wrap
Obviously, you won’t be able to carry your PocketMonkey around in your wallet if you have your buds wrapped around it, but it works just fine.
Letter Opener
Finally, my days of brandishing pocketknives in front of the mailbox are over.
Straight Edge
I suppose it’s handy, but I never had an occasion to use a straight edge.
Door Latch Slip
It won’t work on deadbolts or anything with protective edging, but it’s pretty handy when one of your guests accidentally locks the bathroom door.
Micro Screwdriver
My glasses didn’t need tightening, but they got it anyway. Having a tiny loose screw, say, on your glasses or a very expensive electronic device, is a special kind of annoying, so having a micro screwdriver on hand is actually pretty good piece of mind.
Ruler
There are few occasions when I need a one-inch or three-centimetre ruler, but when it happens, by God I’ll be prepared.
The verdict? I’m going to continue carrying my PocketMonkey around. Realistically, a couple of the functions will be used constantly, most require problems that are infrequent but annoying without benefit of a tool, and I’m doubtful that I’ll need a tiny ruler. Still, it doesn’t hurt, and if you’re the kind of guy who likes to be prepared for anything, the PocketMonkey has twelve ways to help you out.
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Dave Robson is the editor of DailyXY. He spends his time reading books, drinking Scotch, and smoking cigars.
