Hey, everyone.
Aaron Anglin here coming at you from the KnifeCenter, and today we’re going to be taking a look
at the best EDC tools and knives that I think are perfect for video production.
Let’s check ‘em out.
So, as you can all tell, I am not David C. Andersen.
I am actually Aaron Anglin; I am the lead video producer at the KnifeCenter, and, essentially,
I was thinking earlier this week about what kind of things would I carry on a video set.
Obviously, video professionals have to carry a lot of gear, but more importantly we also
have a lot of different jobs we do.
Over the years I’ve worked at multiple places that have required me to either be the one
guy doing everything, and there’s also been times when I’ve been working on a large
broadcast crew where I literally only have one job, and your EDC is kind of the same
way.
You might have something that’s perfect for that one task that you do all the time,
or you have something that very specifically can just do it all.
So, I’ve kind of had to cover the gamut here.
Now, video professionals will often carry around a lot of different things: I’m thinking
pocket gray cards, tons of spare batteries, sharpies, magic markers, lots and lots of
gaff tape.
You have no idea how much gaff tape we go through in a year.
So, I’m kind of focusing specifically on things that we sell here at the KnifeCenter,
so it really isn’t going to cover everything.
You’re not going to see me going through my personal camera equipment or anything like
that.
However, everything here on the table that you’ll see are things that I’ve either
carried or owned, or things that are really on my buy list to have personally.
So, a couple of qualities that I think are very important: One is having a small footprint.
Things need to not take up a lot of space, because space is really a premium when it
comes to video production; you’re carrying around Pelican cases, packs full of gear;
you don’t want to take up too much room, even in your pockets, because typically my
pockets are filled with spare batteries or a case filled with a bunch of extra memory
cards.
Space really is at a premium.
The first thing that we’re going to look at is actually not knives, we’re actually
going to be looking at multitools first, because multitools are, honestly, the things that
you’re going to see most often on set.
The one that we’re going to look at first is going to be the Leatherman Skeletool.
The reason that we’re talking about the Skeletool is because this really is a great
multitool for the fact that it is incredibly simple.
It has all of the things that you need in a multitool and none of the things that you
don’t.
Obviously it is pliers-based, you get the wire cutters in there, needlenose functionality,
and, essentially, I have probably used the pliers on a Leatherman more than any other
tool, especially in regards to having to maybe “fix,” or break by fixing.
The wire cutters have come in very handy, I’m thinking specifically when you have
to deal with a loose wire.
I can’t tell you how many microphone wires I have broken out on set, and we’ve had
to do makeshift fixes just so we can make sure that we get clean audio.
Another section of functionality that I think is very important on the Skeletool is the
fact that there is a carabiner.
I like this very specifically because it allows you to mount this in different places and
doesn’t necessarily have to take up room in your pocket or on your belt or anything.
You can attach this to a belt loop, a gaffer’s belt, just about anywhere.
I typically keep mine on my belt loop at all times, and that just makes it a little bit
easier to get to.
And, of course, for when after you’re done shooting, it’s also a bottle opener, because,
of course, you’re gonna need a drink after you’re done spending twelve hours shooting.
You have a combo edge 420HC blade on this, and, honestly, this ends up being the blade
I go to the most when I’m cutting off zip ties.
A lot of the time, you’re zip tying things down or trying to hide wiring, and zip ties
are kind of the way you do it, but eventually those zip ties have to come off.
I find this blade ends up being the easiest to get underneath some of those more stubborn
ones, as opposed to my full sized folders, sometimes the blades end up being a little
bit too broad.
This one ends up being pretty perfect.
Moving on down to the other end of the Skeletool, you actually see that we have a Phillips head
screwdriver bit, and it actually comes with a spare flat head bit.
Now, typically when I carry my Skeletool, I typically have the flat bit attached, specifically
because that ends up being a little more universal for things like tripod mounts and quick release
plates, and makes it a little bit easier to tighten those things down.
However, my other video producer who is behind the cameras right now actually carries his
Skeletool, and has been carrying it for a long time, he actually typically has it set
for the Phillips bit, but he’s also a mechanic and is working on cars all the time.
(I also lost the flathead.)
[laughs] ...and he also lost the flathead.
Being that this is a lightweight pliers-based multitool, some people might prefer to have
a full-sized multitool, and so, for that I’m actually going to recommend the Leatherman
Signal, and the reason that I’m recommending this one is that it, once again, has a carabiner
that makes it easier to attach in different ways.
Now, you can also carry it in your pocket via a pocket clip, you can also keep it in
the pouch that comes with the multitool, but for the most part the carabiner makes a whole
lot of sense.
Now, David talked about this multitool specifically in our camping folders video that we talked
about, and this multitool pretty much is mostly considered a camp-based one, but it has a
lot of other features that I think come in handy on set.
For example, we have here a pommel for hammering things in.
Sometimes if something’s kind of falling apart on set and you have to hammer in a nail.
I’ve worked with a lot of backdrops that were basically just thin sheets that needed
to get mounted somewhere.
You have a hex bit driver right here which, once again, you don’t really ever know what
kind of bit heads that you’re going to be dealing with in the field; nothing in video
is pretty much standardized when it comes to hardware, so having that little extra bit
there actually helps a lot.
You get another combo edge blade, this one’s a little bit broader than the one on the Skeletool.
However, being that it’s combo edge, it obviously has versatility in mind.
I think it would work perfectly fine, especially if you want a more full multitool.
This one also comes with a saw blade.
Now, for those of you who may be doing nature documentaries or working in more remote locations,
maybe you have to clear out smaller brush and things like that, the saw head would come
in really handy.
I’m also thinking in prop works; a lot of time prop makers work with PVC.
I’ve also dealt with sets that were being held up by PVC plumbing.
The saw head would work if you had to shorten down something, especially at the last second;
that’s mostly were I can see that being used.
You also get a diamond sharpener attachment.
Once again, if you’re doing kind of field shooting for nature documentaries, maybe you
work for Discovery Channel or a survival show, you’re gonna have to maybe sharpen things
on the fly.
For the pliers end of this, one of the things that’s an obvious upgrade over the Skeletool
is that the wire cutters are actually replaceable.
They’re 154CM, it’s a nice touch and I can’t tell you how much you end up using
the wire cutters on set, honestly, and the fact that once they wear down, which, these
things just wear down, it’s nice that I know I can replace those over time.
You also get your typical standard set of tools like an awl, can opener, and a screwdriver.
The screwdriver bit has one side flathead, one side Phillips head.
Kind of limited in that, but you can, however, buy bits from Leatherman and, once again,
considering the fact that you don’t really necessarily know what equipment is going to
need what kind of bit heads, I would recommend going ahead and spending the extra money and
getting a full array of bit heads for your Leatherman.
That pretty much covers the Pliers-based multitools with the Leathermans, however, maybe you’re
a little bit more old school, you watched too much MacGuyver as a kid, and you want
to carry a Swiss Army Knife on set.
We love Swiss Army Knives here at the KnifeCenter, so here I have the KnifeCenter exclusive Pioneer
X that we have in the red Alox.
Honestly, I could recommend just about any Swiss Army Knife to be carrying on set.
They’re typically super compact, they get a lot of utility for it, but the reason I’m
talking about the Pioneer right now, or the Pioneer X specifically, is the scissors that
come with it.
Me and my associate producer, Thomas, will tell you that we have been asked numerous
times on set “Does anybody have a pair of scissors?”
Typically these end up getting used to just cut off random threads off of wardrobe typically,
with talent.
But there’s a million different uses you can have for scissors and, honestly, the fact
that this comes with scissors is one of the biggest gets.
You get some of your other standard tools: your knife, your bottle opener, can opener.
Obviously, the Pioneer X does not come with a corkscrew.
I’ve never needed a corkscrew on set, personally, however as David has mentioned in other videos,
corkscrews can actually be very handy for untying knots, and I can see being out, once
again, at a more remote location where you have to put up a giant sheet of diffusion
and tying it off to a tree, and if you have a stubborn knot it could come in handy to
help untie it.
So many different Swiss Army Knives that we carry; if there’s a specific tool that you
have in mind, there’s probably a Swiss Army Knife that is on the website for you.
You can always check out our Swiss Army Knife page and see all the stuff that we carry at
KnifeCenter.com.
Now that we’re out of the multitool section of the video, now we can actually talk about
folding knives.
The first folding knife that I want to talk about is actually the Benchmade Bugout.
The reason I’m talking about the Benchmade Bugout is great for video professionals is
just how thin and light weight this knife is.
When you consider the fact that, once again, your pockets are going to be taken up by batteries
and a bunch of other kinds of things.
This knife fits in your pocket so well, so unobtrusive.
It was originally designed with hikers and backpackers in mind, but it really became
popular amongst EDC fanatics and it’s easy to see why.
It’s just how thin and how light this is, and for that reason I think it would also
work good for a video set.
Obviously we get Benchmade’s world famous Axis lock, which, the first time I started
using Benchmade’s, I just completely fell in love with this lock.
Completely ambidextrous, easy to get open, easy to get closed.
It’s all those kind of factors combined: being able to get this knife out of your pocket,
open, cut what I need to cut and put back away is honestly one of the best things about
it.
Here we actually have the gray coated blade, which is made from S30V with grivory handles,
and it’s the tan handles.
The reason I’m showing this one off is because it’s non reflective.
Now, I don’t think this is necessary a huge to have satin or any other kind of reflective
blade, but having something that’s non reflective might be better on set.
I’ve worked a lot on television where cameras are basically just 360 around a table.
You don’t want a light catching a blade and causing a reflection, distracting your
talent or distracting your viewer.
However, I don’t think it’s a hard and fast rule, it’s just something to consider.
Talking specifically about the blade, it has a high flat grind, which is great for efficiency.
Typically things that you would imagine cutting on set would be cutting down strips of diffusion
or gels to fix to your lighting with C-47s.
If you don’t know what a C-47 is, Google it.
So, essentially that’s kind of where I see this being used.
Of course you can also use it to strip wire.
Another place where you might end up using a knife like this might be, I think specifically
with gaff tape, especially if you have someone newer on set.
I’ve definitely had to loan knives before to people who didn’t know how to tear it
and use it correctly.
Also, if you have to have a precise piece of gaff tape as a marker, I’ve done that
quite a bit as well.
And, essentially, that’s really where this blade really makes the biggest difference.
And, of course, you have your deep carry pocket clip for very unobtrusive carry in your pocket,
pretty much almost disappears in the pocket when you use this knife.
Another knife that I would recommend for somebody who is going to be working on set or out in
the field is the Kershaw Leek.
Now, we’ve talked ad nauseum, or should I saw David has talked ad nauseum about the
Leek, because this really is just a great overall EDC design, and where I see this knife
working great on a video set is specifically for lighting designers or gaffers who specifically
need to make a makeshift gobo.
The fine tip on this wharncliffe style blade is very precise, so if you don’t have an
exacto knife on set, trying to cut a gobo and trying to get nice broken-up lighting,
in a pinch this would work perfectly.
Obviously here I have the full blackwashed version of the Leek with the braze welded
D2 blade steel on here.
Once again, the Leek has so many different options out there, it’s really down to your
preference.
This follows that motif I talked about earlier about being very non-reflective for the most
part.
Similar to the Bugout, it’s very thin, it’s unobtrusive in the pocket.
A lot of the Leeks that we carry here at KnifeCenter run the gamut in terms of price.
You can get one that is incredibly affordable, all the way up to nicer ones like this that,
even though they are technically a little higher up, they’re still in a very affordable
price range.
Obviously the Benchmade Bugout and the Kershaw Leek are thinner EDCs, they’re much smaller
knives for the most part.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t carry a full sized pocket knife.
I carry a Benchmade Griptilian, I carry a ZT 0562, Thomas carries a 0055.
There’s no hard fast rule saying that you can’t carry a full sized folding knife.
However, when space is at a premium, having thinner, lighter weight knives like the Leek
and the Benchmade Bugout really make a difference.
The next thing that I want to talk about specifically is flashlights.
You might be wondering to yourself, “You’re working on a set with a whole bunch of lighting
equipment, why the hell would you need a flashlight?’”
Well, sometimes you’re working on night shoots, and when your entire set is lit by
very controlled lighting, everything behind it is completely pitch black dark.
If you’re somebody, typically the script supervisor, and you need to be able to read
the script, it’s nice to have some kind of flashlight, so for that I have the Olight
S1R II Baton.
There’s a couple reasons to be featuring this flashlight specifically: once again,
it goes with that very compact theme that I was talking about.
Very unobtrusive in the pocket, honestly this ends up being smaller than most knives I carry
in terms of girth.
The thing I specifically like about this Olight is the fact that this is rechargeable.
It comes with a rechargeable base that hooks up via USB, which is practically a universal
plug at this point, sits right there on a magnet base, and it recharges the battery.
What’s great about this is you have a flashlight that you don’t need to dip into your precious
battery supply.
Batteries , once again, are at a premium.
I’m carrying around five spare camera batteries at a time, a swath of AAAs or AAs to go into
my audio recorders.
I don’t want to have to use my batteries for simple every day carry stuff like this,
I want to make sure that it’s dedicated to my gear.
And as such, this is a great option for that reason.
Another thing that I like about the S1R is I can clip it to a ball cap.
This helps keep my hands free and lets me work on something, once again if I’m trying
to set up a tripod trying to fix something and I need both my hands, I can still have
a light when I’m doing those types of things.
The last thing I want to show you isn’t quite an EDC thing, more something that you
can throw into your bag, especially when you’re going to be on set or on location, and that
is the CRKT Twist and Fix tool.
This one specifically is the hex bit and torx bit driver combo.
The reason that I have this in here goes back to the fact that you don’t know what kind
of hardware you’re going to be dealing with in the field.
I’ve worked with tripods that have torx bits, I’ve worked on tripods that use hex
bits, shoulder rig mounts, for example, a lot of those things can vary widely on what
kind of hardware they use.
This gives you a range of options that actually help.
You have a set of torx bits, you have a set of hex bits.
They rotate up and down based on which you want to use.
You can also remove them from the housing, specifically to give you a little extra control.
And essentially it’s a nice convenient piece of kit.
Typically if you’re using a limited amount of tools, they might not have hex bits or
torx bits that fit the right size, so this is a nice thing to throw into your bag.
I would also take the time to check your personal equipment, say, if you’re a one-man bander
like I am, just to see if these actually do fit your hardware.
Regardless, I think this is a great option if you’re looking for something that is,
once again, gives you a bit of versatility on set.
And, if nothing else, gives you something to play with while you’re hurrying up and
waiting, because honestly, that’s what video ends up being.
That’s all I have for you guys today.
Now, this was in no way a comprehensive list of things that you absolutely have to have
on a video set, just a group of things that I think are handy to have on set or something
to have on location when you’re shooting.
If you’re somebody who’s actually into video work, what do you typically carry, specifically
as tools when you’re out in the field?
Go ahead and let us know down in the comments down below, and to get your hands on any of
these, click the link in the description to head over to KnifeCenter.com