Good enough
What I carry is what I use
That motto is engraved on the back of my Pennyworth, my iPod Touch.
L.L. Bean was one of the first retailers to carry the original Leatherman multi-tool. At least, it was the first place I saw it. I paired it with a Maglite Mini and I was set. These days my tool needs are a bit more advanced. My usual wear is carpenter’s jeans around town. The key is that tool pocket on the back right leg. It’s just big enough for my #2 tool pouch.
#2 has been with me for a while and it is one of the best all around tool kits I’ve come up with. It has my original Leatherman, my original Mini Maglite that’s been retrofitted with an LED, a pair of electrician’s scissors, a very large pair of bent-nose tweezers, and a pair of forceps. I alternate between carrying one of those cheapo pen multitools or an extendable pointer. Both have their uses.
My #1 kit is more elaborate. It has a Leatherman Charge among other things. But there is a real trade off with weight.
Neither is a full tool kit. I never claimed they were. I don’t have a hammer or a wrench. We won’t talk about #3 or #4 here, which while functional are seriously stripped down. With all these tool kits, it’s not about having the perfect tool for the job, it’s about what I have on me that I can use. Mostly either #1 or #2 work most of the time for those little jobs I have away from the house or the car.
A few years back I read something similar about smartphone cameras. Sure, you can get amazingly dedicated cameras that can do incredible things. But for the average guy, that isn’t what they slip into their pocket. A smartphone works almost as well and is a lot easier to carry.
One of these days I’ll find a sword smith that I can work with and trust. I’ll custom order a ritual short sword from him. It will look like the bastard son of a Roman gladius and an Arkansas toothpick with a few extras here and there. Until then I’ll use what I have.
There are plenty of high end tools out there. But mostly people don’t know how to use them. There is no need to pay for something more than you can use UNLESS you will work to get worthy.
You don’t need a gold plated chisel. Unless you have money to burn and never plan to use it.
ETA: Brian Micklethwait posts an interesting piece that talks about photography in a similar way.