My piece is actually a thin multi-tool called a PocketMonkey and is a wearable in so far as that I have it on my person at all times. Nate Barr designed this product to be a lighter and more accessible tool. Other tools are too bulky to always carry around, rendering them almost useless despite their advertised utility. Nate’s idea was to design a pocket tool that could quite literally always be in your pocket. In 2012, Nate took his funky tool to KickStarter to garner enough funding to finally be manufactured. His KickStarter campaign was successful and since then, his product has taken off, sold at most hardware stores, outdoor gear companies and on Amazon for roughly only $12.
The PocketMonkey has 12 tools, including some standard ones like a bottle opener and flat head screwdriver, but also some creative ones like an orange peeler and banana nicker. The tool is smaller than most credit cards at only 1mm thick in order to fit in all sized wallet pockets. Its material of stainless steel lends it durability even though it is also incredibly lightweight. Each feature of the tool has its function inscribed on the tool itself to remind the user what all of its obscure uses are.
The tool truly feels like a homegrown product, beginning with an entrepreneurial idea and crowd sourced funding, and ending in its being manufactured in the United States. Nate deliberately chose to manufacture his tool in the U.S. with the intention of supporting his own country’s economy despite the higher production costs. Because of its story, the tool feels that much more like a product for the common American.
