Growing up, I loved taking apart appliances and putting them back together to see how they worked, and usually, it took the basic tools from my Dad’s toolbox, such as philips head and flat head screwdrivers, and sometimes hexes. Every time I dove into the box, I would ask my 10-year-old self, why so many tools? Why can’t we have one universal tool for everything? Well, fast forward 30+ years later, and we do. Maybe not for taking apart appliances or building furniture, but the Geekey is one tool everyone should have on their key rings.
So what is Geekey besides the clever spelling? A TSA-friendly 420-stainless steel “key” design that contains more than 10 common tool needs such as a wire stripper, screwdriver, can/bottle opener, wrench, bit driver, and more.
Founded by Brad Sliger, I had the opportunity to catch up with him on his truly innovative, universal tool.
What’s the most common tool that many of us need but never always have on hand?
There are a lot of unique situations calling for a certain tool to complete the task at hand, but as research shows us, the most needed tool is the simple screwdriver. There are so many things out there in the world that require screws, it is inevitable that at some point in time, everyone has had to turn a screw to build, fix, tighten, loosen…you name it. When multi-tools are designed, it is always top of mind which features are most important and the screwdriver tip is always included- basically a requirement to be considered a competitive brand in this saturated market. The ability to turn screws is a commonly consistent need that will most likely never go away.
Geekey stands out in its ability to feature the first-ever multi-fit tip, which turns many different screw types and sizes with one tip.
What’s the most used universal tool?
Besides the screwdriver, I would have to say the most used universal tool would have to be pliers. Out of all the tools I can think of, pliers have SO many different applications. Anytime you can grab, pull, crush, bend, screw, or twist with a tool that can grip WAY beyond hand strength, you can do just about anything with them. I keep a pair of pliers in both my vehicles and one handy in the house, and I hardly ever use it for something conventional…you could even use pliers as a hammer if really in a pinch.
What inspired you to design Geekey?
My passion for tools and design really inspired Geekey. I grew up in a family where tools were always present, and I’ve used them since I can remember. There have been so many occasions in my life where I was in a situation where I needed a certain tool and didn’t have access to it at the time. Multi-tools have always fascinated me because you can do so much with a good multi-tool…it can provide a high reward for a very little inconvenience. One of the big problems with so many multi-tools is you can’t travel with them on an airplane because of sharp portions or a blade…we’ve all seen the glass collection case where it is loaded with multi-tools. A good multi-tool has to be able to work around this and yet have total convenience and always be on you.
For most people, the obvious place for a multi-tool is a keyring…that said, what better than to design a multi-tool to look like a key, so people really understand its place. The design of Geekey was inspired by the KW-1 key, the world’s most common house key. The shape of the KW-1 key really made sense as a design benchmark because the pure shape of it alone lends itself well to many of the things it is applied to, such as bolts, nuts, and screws. Geekey really designed itself in a lot of ways and I just applied and maximized its best potential to do so many common things we all have faced at one point or another.
Again, cheers to Brad for such an innovative and functional tool for everyone.
Arvin Goods Offers Sustainable Basics(Opens in a new browser tab)
Be sure to get your Geekey for yourself, friends, and family at www.geekey.com
Discussion about this post