GOAT Tool Review: A Modular Multi-Tool That Could Change How You Carry

Introduction

The GOAT Tool is one of the most interesting multi-tools to come along in years, and this is a deeper look at how it actually behaves after real use. The company behind it, GOAT Tools, stands for Gentlemen Of All Trades, and the tool was designed by Michael O’Donnell, whose first garage-built prototypes date back to 2018 or 2019 before the project eventually reached Kickstarter. This unit was purchased directly through Kickstarter as one of the first ten backers, with no sponsorship or input from the company.

The package includes the tool itself plus a MOLLE-compatible nylon sheath that supports both horizontal and vertical carry with elastic on the side. A range of add-on implements is also available, including a brass scraper and a serrated blade, alongside the standard set.

What Makes the GOAT Tool Different

Customization alone would make this a standout, but the bigger story is the company’s decision to make the designs for the long and short implements and the scales open to the public. You can design your own implements, put them in the tool, and the company wants to support that rather than lock it down. In a saturated category, that is a genuinely different approach, and a couple of the tool’s key features are patented while the rest stays open.

Modularity pays off in practical ways. You can convert the tool for left-handed use by opening the lock bar, releasing the flat edge, and swapping implements to the opposite side. Cutouts in all four frame handles let you position the pocket clip anywhere, and if a blade is not permitted on a particular job site, you can swap in something more appropriate and stay legal.

The cleanability advantage is easy to underestimate. If dirt, sand, or metal shavings work their way into a conventional multi-tool, it can become nearly unusable; in one case, it took hours of cleaning plus more than a week of working implements loose before a regular tool was usable again. With the GOAT Tool, you simply take everything out, clean each piece, add a little lubrication, and reassemble. Nothing else in a plier-based setup offers that.

One caution: the tool was described as potentially TSA-legal in theory if you remove the right implements, but recent guidance suggests staff may not allow any type of tool in carry-on luggage regardless, so do not count on it for flying.

Pliers, Frame, and Everyday Ergonomics

The plier set is a highlight. The spring-loaded action is essential to how they function, since there is no bar interacting with the back hammer during use, which means less to break. Play at the plier head is effectively zero, the teeth grip well, and the spring loading may well spoil you for other tools.

Some flex exists in the frame, but that is true of any plier with outboard accessible tools, and the design absorbs pressure rather than putting it at risk of breaking. In practice it is not an issue.

Ergonomics land in an interesting place. Compared to a Leatherman Wave, the Wave is more comfortable with the pliers but less comfortable with a blade because of sharp edges from the saw and the hard angles behind other implements. With everything flush to the frame, the GOAT Tool is arguably more comfortable for longer knife use. The optional scales add genuine ergonomic benefits, not just looks, though the stock scales with the large branding are a bit tacky and the custom cutouts only work well with the supplied screws. Standard M3 screws and 5 mm pivots are used, so many parts are replaceable off the shelf.

Running Through the Implements

The pull cutter has excellent geometry and cuts very well, making it a strong choice for boxes and cordage if you carry a separate folding knife and want to leave the blade out. It is the top candidate to replace the blade in that setup.

The X-Acto blade implement is a surprise favorite. There is no side-to-side play, and pressing keeps the tip exactly where you want it. The scissors are similarly impressive: almost no play in the pivot, fantastic geometry, and sharp enough to cut Dyneema cord, which very few tools manage.

The 440C blades offer much better edge retention than 428C, and an S35VN option is expected on the website at around $24, which is a remarkable way to get premium steel without buying an entirely new $100-plus tool. The flathead is a great size but thinned by its 10 mm hex for camera mounts, and the reamer’s curved profile lets you scrape curved objects, a real advantage. The bit driver works but has a little more play than ideal if other implements are left out, so keeping a set number installed makes more sense.

The weaker spots: the file is very disappointing, with almost no usable texture, and is worth skipping until improved. The saw quality is merely okay, reminiscent of budget saws, and could use sharper teeth, though real testing may change that verdict.

The Downsides: Clumping, Lockup, and Long-Term Wear

Two drawbacks come directly from the modular design. The first is clumping: deploying one implement one-handed can pull a neighbor out with it. It improves with use as surfaces polish, and there are fixes, such as replacing one implement with two 1 mm phosphor bronze washers to reduce friction, or swapping hex screws for Phillips screws to free up a slot. The catch is that these solutions require tinkering, which will be true of this tool in general.

The second is more serious: lockup. The lock bar requires three points of contact, but the design only provides two at any time, so under enough pressure the bar has somewhere to go and can eventually collapse. This is most concerning with the saw, which needs considerably more effort to cause a collapse, and note that deliberately testing this wears the lock bar faster. Treat the blade and saw with respect rather than like fixed-blade or heavy-duty implements.

A longer-term concern is the frame material. The frame is 420 stainless, which is not terrible but softer than alternatives like 14C28N would be. The original price of $140 is now $120 base, which may explain the material choice, and most people will never notice the wear. A premium frame version down the line, perhaps titanium, would be welcome.

Should You Buy It?

This is arguably the strongest first product from any company in this space. That said, backers are only just receiving rewards, and it is worth seeing a few more independent impressions before a final verdict.

The tool is clearly designed for a specific audience: people who love to customize, want a specific toolset without redundancy, need a tool they can configure for restricted environments, and especially left-handed users. Just be reasonable about expectations. At roughly 7.5 ounces, it is not a replacement for a 12.5-ounce heavy-duty tool like a Leatherman Surge, in the same way you would not use a small wrench on an oversized nut. It is light enough to consider as a dedicated replacement for a Victorinox-style carry, and even with scales it is thinner than a Leatherman Charge.

Conclusion

The GOAT Tool is a genuinely new take on the multi-tool: modular, open to community design, cleanable in minutes, and customizable in ways nothing else offers. Its weaknesses, clumping, a modest lockup, a mediocre file and saw, can be improved incrementally rather than requiring a redesign, and that is the beauty of the system. If you value personalization and a toolset built exactly for you, this is one of the most compelling options available, as long as you respect its limits.