Best Keychain Multi-Tools: Leatherman Squirt Alternatives Worth Carrying

Introduction

Small multi-tools have quietly become one of the most popular corners of the everyday carry world, and the Leatherman Squirt sat near the top of that category for years. Its discontinuation came with little warning and left a real gap: a genuinely tiny tool that still packed pliers and scissors. Used examples now change hands for around $60 on the secondary market, which says a lot about how loved it was.

The good news is that the void does not have to stay empty. There are several compact tools worth considering, some closer to a true keychain replacement than others. The picks below split roughly into two groups: keychain-scale tools, and fifth-pocket tools that trade a little size for more capability.

Roxon M2

The Roxon M2 comes in at 4.2 oz, so it is by no means a direct replacement for the 2 oz Squirt. It is closer in spirit to a fifth-pocket carry and probably compares better to the SOG PowerPint than to anything keychain-sized. The tool set includes a linerlock blade, a package opener with a bottle opener beneath it, a can opener, a reamer, a file with nail cleaner, and a Phillips driver.

The standout details are genuinely good: the Phillips driver is exceptionally well formed, the included bit kit accepts 4 mm bits, and a micro driver tucks neatly under the Phillips. The oversized scissors are a Roxon signature and cut through tough, wire-reinforced cord without trouble, though the 3Cr steel is soft and the tips lack precision. The outside-mounted reamer can collapse under pressure, which is a design miss. Overall, it does not offer quite enough to beat the alternatives in its weight class.

Nextool Mini Captain

The Nextool Mini Captain runs about 3 oz, an ounce heavier than the Squirt, which puts it right at the edge of keychain territory. It makes the most of that size, though: the blade is nearly two inches, noticeably larger than anything the Squirt offered, paired with a well-formed two-dimensional Phillips driver, a can and bottle opener combo, a flathead screwdriver, a lanyard ring, and surprisingly substantial scissors.

The scissors cut cleanly but offer limited leverage and little room for fingers, and they lack a precision tip. The pliers are nicely proportioned to the frame and roughly on par with the Leatherman Style PS. The flathead is narrower than the one on the Squirt, which is slightly missed, but the drivers sit almost in line with the handles when closed. For the materials and the price, this one earns an easy recommendation.

Gerber Dime

The Gerber Dime has been compared to the Squirt countless times, and the Squirt generally won those matchups, but that no longer matters if you cannot buy one. The Dime remains a solid compact option with pliers, scissors, tweezers, a blade, a file, drivers, and a package opener.

The main complaints: the file shares real estate with a driver, which creates weak points, and the bottle opener is unnecessary for most people. On the plus side, the tweezers are something the Squirt never had, and the package opener is genuinely excellent, arguably good enough that the small blade could have been dropped in favor of a full-size file. It is still one of the closest true Squirt stand-ins available.

Nextool Mini Flagship

The Nextool Mini Flagship comes in at 2.8 oz, lighter than the Mini Captain thanks to material removed across the frame. Its headline feature is a set of seriously capable scissors: they cut cleanly through demanding materials with no hesitation, remarkable for a tool this small.

Two caveats are worth knowing before buying. Quality control seems inconsistent, so a good example is excellent but not every unit is a good one, and some of the tab features have been known to snap off when heat treatment falls short. At the price, if you get a well-made unit, this is one of the better options available in this size range.

Leatherman Style PS

The Leatherman Style PS is the tool that most directly competes with the Squirt, and it may be the closest thing to a spiritual successor. At roughly half an ounce lighter than the Squirt was, with an integrated carabiner for easy key attachment, it is arguably even easier to live with. It adds tweezers, something the Squirt lacked, along with scissors, a longer flathead, a two-dimensional Phillips, a file, and pliers.

What it does not have is a blade, which technically makes it a travel-friendly multi-tool. It is also one of the few tools small and gentle enough to hand to a child with minimal risk, and it is backed by Leatherman’s 25-year warranty. The known weakness mirrors the Squirt’s own problem: the plier spring can suffer from poor heat treatment and shear off. Even so, with warranty coverage behind it, this remains an easy recommendation.

SOG Snippet

If you can accept a tool without pliers, the SOG Snippet is a scissor-focused option that outperforms the Leatherman Micra in cutting quality. The scissors are exceptionally clean cutters with a precision tip that cuts nearly all the way out to the point, even through paracord. At almost exactly 2 oz, it matches the Squirt on weight.

The scissors are not spring-loaded, but they are adjustable, and the tool can be disassembled for sharpening and reassembled. A pocket clip, which the Micra lacks, rounds out a genuinely solid package. The hooked handle ends are a little uncomfortable to grip, which is the main trade-off.

SOG PowerPint

Moving into fifth-pocket territory, the SOG PowerPint is one of the more surprising favorites in this category. It has a locking blade, which is a real advantage over the tiny slip-joint blades found on many small tools and even on some 58 mm Swiss Army knives, where the blades are so small that slips and cuts are a genuine risk.

SOG Sync Travel

The SOG Sync Travel is a fifth-pocket carry with a surprisingly well thought-out plier head: substantial, well supported with plenty of metal around the jaw, and a pleasure to use. Its shape is close in thickness to a Zippo lighter, which makes it a perfect fit for the fifth pocket of a pair of jeans, and it is roughly half the width of the PowerPint.

The travel version includes scissors and no blade, a configuration that makes far more sense for travel than a dinky blade, though this specific model has also been discontinued, continuing the trend. Even accounting for that, the plier design alone makes it worth tracking down.

Buying Advice

If you want the closest replacement for the Squirt, the Leatherman Style PS and the Gerber Dime are the nearest matches on size and role, with the Style PS edging ahead on warranty and key attachment. If scissors are your priority, the SOG Snippet is the best pure cutter here. If you want more capability and do not mind a slightly larger tool, the Nextool Mini Captain and Mini Flagship offer strong value, while the SOG PowerPint and Sync Travel suit a fifth pocket better than a keyring.

The common thread worth holding onto: pliers and scissors are the two functions that make a Squirt-style tool what it is. Tools without pliers can still be excellent, but they are solving a slightly different problem.

Conclusion

The Squirt may be gone, but the category it defined is still alive. Whether you prioritize weight, scissors, pliers, or travel legality, at least one of these compact tools should fill the gap nicely.