Leatherman Skeletool vs Maxace Balance

“OK I'm a bit of a fabric nerd so I have some opinions on this (but I'd love to hear from anyone that has some specific brand they swear by!) - Unfortunately there's just a ceiling when it comes to durability in workwear. You can make something more durable by making the materials thicker and heavier, but you need to balance that with what you can actually work in without overheating or losing mobility. I'm not saying Carhartt / Dickies / Duluth are the *best* but I don't know that there are other brands that can offer significantly longer lasting garments if you're actually just wearing through these clothes from use (rather than some kind of build quality related failure like a seam unravelling prematurely). In my experience you have to "take care of" clothing that gets used like this by constantly mending and patching when needed. Barbour jackets have a lifetime guarantee but that doesn't mean they last forever, it means they have a dedicated workshop where people repair your coat over and over again as you wear it out in different ways. You can spend more money and get some nice Fjallraven or Filson pants and shirts, and they'll be incredibly well made but at some point 8oz canvas is just 8oz canvas and one company isn't going to be sourcing materials drastically different than another. That's not to say you shouldn't look around if you're not happy with what you have. It could come down to the types of materials used. Natural fiber workwear is great for a bunch of reasons, but in a lot of cases canvas won't be as durable as nylon, that might be something to consider? On this note, I mentioned them earlier but I really like Fjallraven. Looks nice, it's well made, and I think their fabric choices are good. A lot of their clothing is made using an 80/20 blend of canvas and nylon. The nylon adds to the durability, the canvas is breathable and can be waxed for waterproofing. Anian is another good company, (Canadian, so if you're in the states tariffs might be a deal breaker) reasonably priced overshirts and jackets, many of which are super sturdy wool blended with a bit of nylon. I have a few and they are super heavy and tough. They're just heavy and bulky enough that I imagine they'll last a long time but they might be best suited to colder weather.”

“I gave my nephew (9) his first knife as his present for being in my wedding. Gave him a leatherman skeletool CX in his favorite color, along with a long winded speech about the responsibility needed and that it was intended to fix, learn and create, not destroy. The kid didn’t put it down for days, and has taken all his toys apart to learn how they work. Couldnt be happier (cool) Uncle.”