Multi-tools like the Swiss Army Knife offer a large variety of useful functions, but in a convenient pocket-sized package. The inherent compromise with these tools is their relative effectiveness — a 2-inch saw is better than nothing, but it's substantially less efficient than a full-sized bushcraft saw. If you try to baton through some logs with the small folding blade, you're going to have a bad time.

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The awl found on S.A.K.s, pictured above at bottom right, is useful for punching holes in fabric or leather — the eyelet even lets it work like a sewing needle. It's also useful for boring holes in plastic or wood, although this will require patiently twisting the tool in your hand to slowly drill through the material. If you're constructing something in the backwoods, it'll get the job done, but it's not going to be nearly as fast as a proper drill.

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The crossbar is made of two sticks, notched for the shaft in the center and bound at the ends.

One clever German YouTuber known as Überleber figured out a creative way to turn a Swiss Army Knife into an efficient pump drill for working with wood and bone. For those not familiar with a pump drill, it uses the tension of twisted cordage (in this case, 550 paracord) to spin a vertical drill shaft. The cordage is connected to a crossbar, which is repeatedly pushed down like a bicycle pump, quickly spinning the drill bit clockwise and counter-clockwise with each up-and-down motion.

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Another key element to the pump drill is a weight near the base, which acts as a flywheel to maintain momentum and keep the shaft spinning. In this case, the host sticks two chunks of fungus from a nearby tree on either end of the knife. Check out the video below:

We like that this technique doesn't firmly affix the Swiss Army Knife to the drill or make it hard to disassemble. This way, it can be used as a drill bit and then removed for use on other tasks. Not a bad way to make the most of your multi-tool.


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