FLEX COMPANION (ROXON): PROS/CONS... why I will prefer the KS2E for EDC

[@daphnedevi]

I feel a bit bad about my comment towards the end about condescension... I generally prefer not to entertain negativity. Yet, as a woman in the motorcycle and now multitool community, I become weary of not infrequent comments from my male counterparts which supposes my relative lack of knowledge or experience. I don't think any ill intent is ever meant, but it may be worth giving voice to how these comments land for women who have frankly received and shouldered a lot of patronizing encounters over our lives. Ask any women and she can go on for hours recounting these encounters and how demoralizing and exhausting they can be. "Have you considered trying...", for example lands way better than, "You need to do...", the latter presumes I'm too uninformed/inexperienced, or unskilled to have taken whatever matter into consideration. Call me sensitive, it's ok... I am. Just know, my comment wasn't directed at you... unless, it was... heh heh. Very much the most of you are lovely and supportive, and for that I hold much gratitude, and thank you. 🙏🍻

[@ParkerBinion]

I really like the Flex Companion. As you note, at first there seems to be a trade off between blade play and too tight to open. But then I lubricated it. I was able to tighten it enough to eliminate the blade play without being too tight to open the other tools. I am going to pair the Flex Companion with either 1) a Civivi Sendy, which frees up the blade slot in the Flex Companion and offers a toothpick and tweezers to boot, or 2) a Roxon M3, which frees up the scissor and awl slots in the Flex Companion, and offers a toothpick, tweezers, micro driver, combo opener and #1 Phillips. You could certainly pair the Flex Companion with the KS2E, freeing up the saw, awl, scissors and blade slots. Or a Roxon S501U outfitted with a blade, diamond file or saw, freeing up that slot as well as scissors.

[@daphnedevi]

@@ParkerBinion so many options! Thanks for sharing your ideas. I initially liked the idea of modular for airline travel… but when pairing with a separate knife during everyday use… that’s another good way to think about it. I had lubricated the tool… sadly it didn’t helped terribly much in terms of difficulty kicking out the tools with the switch one handed. Easy enough to do though two handed, so not the end of the world for me.

[@daphnedevi]

UPDATE: I want to update to say the stickiness of the switch seems to have improved considerably despite no additional tweaks to tensioning. I had lubricated the tool prior to this video, but it didn't make much difference despite moving all the tools open/closed to help work in the lubricant. Somehow after sitting for a few days it is considerably less snaggy... maybe the lube soaked in better, maybe it's because I've decided to accept a tiny amount of blade play. It still can be a little bit snaggy on occasion, but not like before when it was impossible to kick out the tools with all my might (even though the knife on the other side flung open easily when opening per it's own thumb stud). Anyway glad to say it now won't need to be relegated to its entire life in the drawer.

[@wasylbakowsky5199]

Great review, I love all the pros and cons that you uncovered! I would also get the KS2e over the Flex...

[@daphnedevi]

Thank you. 🙂 The KS2E is just such a great toolset, it would be hard to think of what I would want to give up for all the many other options. I still like it and like the options in principle, in case that as yet unrealized need ever manifests. In the meantime, over the last months, I keep trying to find any tool to displace the KS2E, and so far nothing long succeeds. 😄

[@Dracomies]

I've had the same experience too with the Companion. Without spacers these tools become super wobbly. And as you mentioned by clicking the lever it just moves all the tools at once but it's not as great as it was on the KS2E. I don't have much faith in the knife on the Companion at the moment. Those scissors seem much more useful on the KS2E as well :D

[@billybunter3753]

So the quality isn't up to what we would all like would you say?

[@daphnedevi]

@@billybunter3753 I for one would say tolerance / experience quality is definitely not to my satisfaction… but it may be a bit of a conundrum with a modular tool. The KS2E proved they are capable of quality… but I can’t give the Flex products as high a mark.

[@Dracomies]

@@billybunter3753 It's good if you use all of the slots. But if you only use some of the slots it needs spacers.

[@billybunter3753]

@@daphnedevi Thanks for the replies folks! I haven't got a Roxon tool as yet! I do like the look of the KS2E and will likely get one soon. I did have my suspicions about modularity versions being a bit loose/wobbly by design. Laws of physics and all. Cheers! 👍🇦🇺

[@daphnedevi]

@@billybunter3753 you won’t regret getting the KS2E… when I show it off, men and women alike seem to really like the form factor… one said they thought it looked better than Victorinox… I gasped!😱… but I can see why many would prefer the boxy (perhaps more modern?) looking design.

[@coffeeandmelange4509]

I picked up the base frame and individual implements recently and absolutely recognize your criticisms. I still like the tool and it's going to work great for what I intend to use it for-which is a bladeless companion multitool for a hobby-but I dunno if I could see this working for me as an EDC. To have the deployment slider feel OK to use, you have to deal with a lot of slack and floppiness in the tools. Tighten it up and it's frustratingly difficult when trying to manipulate it one-handed, horizontally with the thumb. Anyway, appreciate your commentary. Cheers 🍻

[@daphnedevi]

@@coffeeandmelange4509 what tools would you pick? I like the principle of so many options but in reality I want nothing preferred over the Ks2e… except maybe swapping the saw there for something else. 🍻

[@coffeeandmelange4509]

​@@daphnedevi Appreciate your asking! I normally carry a Swiss Champ in a belt pouch, and I don’t really have any desire to have redundancy with those implements (which are numerous). I went with: 3 Hex keys (2, 2.5 & 3) because one of my hobbies is shooting slingshots, and a lot of modern slingshot frames have clips that use hex keys and sometimes they’re different sizes, or have 2mm set screws that allow you to adjust the frame in different ways. T20 torx in the bit holder for frames that use that hardware. The last two slots, there’s the diamond file for sharpening the SAK, and scissors-which admittedly is redundant, but sometimes I’m using my SAK pliers in one hand and I need scissors in the other. I may swap out the scissors, if something strikes my fancy down the line.

[@daphnedevi]

@@coffeeandmelange4509 so cool!… that’s a fun sounding hobby… you’ve illustrated a perfect example of this living up to the name “companion”, as it fills in blanks uniquely according to your interest. I should try to think more about how it might serve me similarly as a Robin to my Batman SAKs. 🤓😄

[@coffeeandmelange4509]

Cheers, I enjoyed the discussion. I'll look forward to an eventual video when you land on a configuration you like. 😄

[@maxlvledc]

I think its perfectly reasonable to prefer the K2SE. the companion will shine in weird...and unique situations. The tension part is quite tricky, try lubricant as well. I definitely think modular tools in general are a difficult thing to dial in because of clumping.

[@daphnedevi]

@@maxlvledc hey, thanks for watching. I agree… modular will be fun and handy in bizarro world where I’m up to specific mischief. 🥸🕵 Yes, I had lubricated the tool… helped nominally, but inadequate to sufficiently overcome the challenge. I don’t terribly mind just opening two handed. I wanted to blame my wimpy kitten paw, but alas… I’m not that wimpy. 🦁😄

[@DeconstructedWithJosh]

Happy you already got yours! Mine gets here next week!

[@daphnedevi]

@@DeconstructedWithJosh hey Josh… let me know what you think after fiddling with it a bit.

[@DeconstructedWithJosh]

@@daphnedevi Hello lady! Finally managed to fiddle around with mine. Gotta say, the more I play with it, the more I dig it! Have some minor gripes: 1) the 1/4 bit adapter should be 5mm longer in material as this would allow the use of double-sided Wiha bits and/or LM bits. I'm gonna head to the HW store next week and try to find a 1/4 nut that can go on top. Then am planning to thin it out & epoxy it on top. Hopefully that will let me use double sided bits! 2) there should be a version of the Pen\Tweezers\Needle Tool that doesn't have the pen, this would allow the addition of a 5th tool (e.g. awl or package opener). Hell, if we have G10 Plus scales in the future we might even add a 6th! On second thought, I bet it's possible to file into the bottom of the G10 below the pocket clip OR on the section that holds the pocket clip to hold the tweezers and needle... 3) my OCD is a bit triggered by the blade play... 4) I don't like the finish on the tools & blade... would have preferred a stonewash finish over the polish. Minor minor thing I know! :D 5) pocket clip end feels a bit sharp so I'm going to file it a bit to smoothen it up. Gripes aside, this thing is a dream & a lot of fun. It's like a Lego multitool!

[@daphnedevi]

@ good thoughts. I agree about the driver… maybe they will adapt in a future iteration. I also agree on the roughness… if not on the clip then on the tools. I don’t actually carry this one but carry the ks2e almost every day of late… i wish the spines of the tools weren’t all so sharp… it’s just feels rough/cheap unlike with a SAK for example. For the price that’s a quibble… but I’d pay double for a high end finish on this tool being otherwise the same.

[@daphnedevi]

@ oh… and the blade play… ugh! 💩☠️👎

[@DeconstructedWithJosh]

@@daphnedevi Most of the blade play disappeared after I tightened the main tools' torx screw (I think it's a must to adjust it when switching/replacing tools around) and engaged the 2dary lock (Homer D'OH!).

[@malverdetx8582]

Is the g10 used the same as on the KS2E? I wish they had an aluminum scale version. The g10 on the KS2E is too rough and, along with the tight tension on the pocket clip, is wreaking havoc on my pants.

[@daphnedevi]

@@malverdetx8582 it is exactly the same scale texture and pocket clip. I don’t mind the texture too much, but wonder how it would go buffing out some of the roughness. I dislike the clip in general… as far as the tightness I just yanked on it a bit until the tension was less biting and quite satisfactory.

[@NB-mb5mq]

Thank you for the great comparison video miss. Just have one question- is the KS2E modular?

[@daphnedevi]

@@NB-mb5mq thank you 😊 and thank you for watching…. The Ks2e has a great tool set, but is not modular.

[@knifetrain3118]

I got the flex and the companion last week and I like both of them. I used my knife oil on the moving internal parts and found a big difference in how the tools open and close. I think when you get tension you want and some break in time it should work better for you. I think the tools overall are good quality not Leatherman or SAK quality but they’re not gas station tools either! It’s nice to have the swap out capability and with some minor fiddling and break in I’m happy with my purchase.

[@daphnedevi]

@@knifetrain3118 hahaha…. Definitely better than gas station quality. 😄 And to a certain extent I like carrying medium quality tools, so I don’t cry over a special and expensive tool should it somehow disappear. The Companion did improve over time which I had shared, perhaps buried in the comments… I didn’t even oil it more or fiddle with it more… I let it sit for several days and all of a sudden the switch wasn’t being snaggy. Other than the somewhat exciting novelty of modular, I just don’t love it, so keep on keeping on with my Ks2e in the pocket (get one if you don’t have it… it’s great). If I preferred a stand alone blade then the modular seems cool as an option for a blade free, leave-room-for-an-alternative package. Blade free also being enticing for airline travel or other non-permissive environments. As for my Flex… I will forever hate it and just poach the tools for the Companion. The lateral handle play on my Flex is so extreme and unfixable that all I can do is grumble and let it be queen of the drawer. I’ve heard from several folks describing the same problem… glad it may be an exception vs the rule. Enjoy your new prezzies… I may have ordered 1/2 a dozen tools this week… I blame Black Friday. 🤪

[@pecosR0B]

I am so glad I saw this video. My only complaint was I couldn't get some of the tools out easy and it never occurred to me to use the little nub to kick them out lol so glad I saw this

[@daphnedevi]

Ha! I'm amazed you got them out at all without the nub/switch... did you use magic? 😉 (Roxon has a pretty good little manual that comes with their tools... there's so much information in there it's easy to miss something!... like, I missed that the blank plastic clamshell was for swapping tools more safely.)

[@pecosR0B]

@@daphnedevi lol I caught the empty shell was for removing/installing tools! I did figure out to push the nub back to remove/install but I was like why would it go foward? like why isn't the switch half the size? lol and when you were using it that way and mentioned it I was like OMG I'M SUCH A DUMBASS lmao

[@daphnedevi]

@ 🤣🤣🤣🍻

[@LincolnWorld]

Thanks for showing off the Flex Companion. I love the idea of it, and the overall look from what you showed us. But I would be bothered by the same things that bothered you. I kind of want to get one. Though, I really don't need it since I already have more multitools than I need. LOL! I'm guessing you do too, but it looks like you you use your tools WAY more than I use mine. But I still want one. In part to make my own custom tools for it. But then I think maybe I should just make my own multitool from scratch, etc, etc... I'm guessing you've thought about doing that yourself as well. I definitely spend much more time thinking about, and looking at knives and multitools, than I spend using them, currently.

[@daphnedevi]

@@LincolnWorld 😂… Hey Lincoln…. Sigh… the struggle is real… I’m not sure my thinking about vs actually using multitool ratio is quite on the healthier side… And, I definitely have more multitools than makes sense… it’s easily more than 50 (knives and multitools), and that’s kinda dumb. I have a nice wooden machinists box for them… I tell myself once that’s full, I’m cut off. Probably an empty commitment. I like the idea of creating my own tools, but I don’t really have the tools for that… tools for tools… omg… help us.

[@billybunter3753]

I'm convinced that multi tools are an illness! 😂 For example, I already have a Leatherman Surge with all of the accessories, yet last night I convinced myself, upon seeing a Surge going for a good price that I needed a second one! It will probably just sit in my cupboard unopened for "just in case". 😂 Oh well it's all good fun....

[@daphnedevi]

@@billybunter3753 😂… it’s DEFINITELY an illness. 😜 I’ve been on the hunt for a second Surge to play with for modification. I have way too many mutlitools now… there needs to be a reckoning and cool down sooner than later. 😬

[@billybunter3753]

@@daphnedevi You probably already know, there's an M390 main blade you can get for the Surge. Looks good, a little expensive, but I ordered one because of the black Friday sales. Just thought you might like it seems as though you're going to do some mods! 👍

[@daphnedevi]

@ don’t give me any more tempting ideas! 😜💸💸💸

[@billybunter3753]

@@daphnedevi 🤣🤣🤣

[@atomicsmith]

You can also engage the lock after opening a tool, and (at least on mine) it seems to take out quite a bit of the blade play. The play bothered me when I first got it, but having used the tools for a while, it doesn’t affect the way they work.

[@daphnedevi]

@@atomicsmith thanks for the suggestion… I tried the lock… no luck for me with it making a difference. I think you’re right… even with the play there, for almost anything I do it isn’t that big a deal functionally. It just bugs me more so in principle vs a big compromise for any average need.

[@TheSanjurok]

the lock on my companion does nothing i can flick the tools out with it locked or unlocked

[@daphnedevi]

@@TheSanjurok oh no! I think there are quality/inconsistency issues. Send a video to Roxon demonstrating the problem… they will take care of you. (They just sent me a replacement on my ks2e when I showed them the flat head snapped off.)

[@DrewDragoon]

I really want them to make a can opener and bottle opener combination tool that takes one slot. They say it's coming but who knows

[@daphnedevi]

@@DrewDragoon I’m sure they will… since as you may know, it already exists on the Roxon Ks2e. That combo is fantastic!

[@corbenj]

I like the inovation behind Roxon’s tools but seeing the comparison between the Companion and the Vic Ranger (HVAC Budget video, I think) shows a massive difference in two similar sized tools. The Roxon is more “I could have this *or* this” but the Ranger is more “I get this *and* this *and* this”.

[@daphnedevi]

To my view Victorinox has a legacy, and finish/feel that are far superior; I also prefer the aesthetic (though I've had a couple of friends vote for Roxon on looks alone). When my dad died I got his SAK and a Yankee beer mug. It's like an heirloom. If my dad had had a Roxon I'm sure I'd also treasure it. But I don't think it's a 30 year tool. My mom has also had a SAK for 30+ years. For now I'm enamored of the scissor design on the Ks2e, but will I still carry a Roxon in 30 years?... I doubt it. Instead, since I collect too many tools at this point... I will just pick up my favorite / best SAK for the plans of the day.

[@corbenj]

@ I hope that Roxon keep innovating and improving like they have been doing. They’re already giving Leatherman a run for their money (which is the market I think they’d be most likely to get) and it might give Victorinox some food for thought. Victorinox don’t really need to change anything but I think they’d happily take on ideas if another company, like Roxon, tries things out first. We could be looking at loads of nifty new stuff from all companies 🤞

[@iblackfeathers]

the extra plastic clear piece does look like an empty package. that was also my first impression but later discovered it’s talked about in the manual. it’s a safety holder to use when exchanging tools so you don’t cut yourself in the process when pushing it into the pivot. i also like they added a free torx tool taped to the manual encouraging you to tighten or loosen it to your preference… sort of like a statement saying roxon is not like leatherman, in that they encourage you to adjust and customise your tool how you see fit. i hope owners don’t just throwaway the manual without realising those two things. lol i do love the shape of the d2 blade and how light it is in the pocket with the pocket clip. i also got the scalpel blades (large and small) and the diamond file. i later discovered through maxlvledc that they sell some of the tools right now at amazon and are on the black friday sale, but the catch is you might have to buy them in packs of four tools just to get the one, two or three you actually want.

[@daphnedevi]

@@iblackfeathers ah… makes sense… the plastic safety holder… thank you for pointing that out, and it’s is nice they include the little torx adjustor. I feel like they are trying really hard to consider user experience in a holistic way… I hope… expect they may continue refinement.

[@Luebke2773]

First time I see an Multitool review made from a woman.

[@daphnedevi]

@@Luebke2773 we’re like unicorns 🦄😄… Anne at thevineclimber has great (primarily) SAK videos, though sadly she’s been MIA for a while. 😟 youtube.com/@thevineclimber?si=I5wQsnE8qSc3Sox- There’s another lady… if I find her channel I’ll share. 🤠

[@daphnedevi]

@@Luebke2773 I can’t find the smaller channel, but MelissaBackwoods is mega mega mega popular… she covers knives, not so much if at all multitools.

[@Luebke2773]

@daphnedevi No problem. Your review was good. As an Victorinox SAK guy I tried out roxon. First the M4, great little thing. And now the KS2 Elite. A shame that it is not allowed to carry in public here in Germany because the one hand opening.

[@daphnedevi]

@@Luebke2773 I’m a SAK loyalist myself. Though I’ve been cheating on my SAK with the Ks2e in my pocket for a month or two straight. I’ve traveled a lot in Germany… with a locking blade… is that okay there?… I never even gave it a thought… or is it a problem along with one hand open? Do you tend to care?… or just be discreet about carrying prohibited blades? Germans loooove rules/laws and tattling on their neighbors ( 😝 ) so better be careful probably.

[@Luebke2773]

@daphnedevi Yes, the combination of one hand opening and locking is not allowed to carry in public. Stupid, but it is like it is. I use my KS2 at work. So I carry it from time to time.

[@j.b.1602]

i find these modular tools too flimsy to handle abuse.

[@daphnedevi]

I agree. But still not too bad for odds and ends that come up once in a while.

[@williamkious5349]

My big concern about these...

[@DrewDragoon]

Abuse? What are you doing with these things exactly? I could easily saw a board with this, I could use the screwdriver to put together furniture, I can use the scissors to cut plastic, etc this thing will handle 98% of most people's uses. Calling it flimsy seems like fear mongering, just say you prefer the higher quality of Victorinox and don't be so deceiving.

[@daphnedevi]

@@DrewDragoon Not sure they prefer Victorinox… but I do 😄 Although I’ve been carrying the Ks2e over everything else for a while now. I think their point is fair for some folks who really hammer on their multitools hard… that doesn’t feel great when there is some slop on the tools. But I get your point insofar as this tool isn’t really made for a regular work tool… it’s a happy little stand by for periodic needs.

[@Erunanethiel]

In what way do you guys find it flimsy compared to Victorinox? I have not had the chance to handle it and I am curious