The Roxon Flash and Bibury 22 in 1 pliers are both budget multitools that are intended for outdoor work. Both could be considered cheaper cousins to the Leatherman Signal which could be 3x or 4x more expensive than these tools. The Signal has better steel and better quality, but the Roxon has nicer ergonomics and sleek design. The Bibury actually has more functions than the Signal, while Roxon is comparable in functionality to the Signal. I don't own a Signal and likely never will simply because it costs $189 Canadian at the time of writing. The Roxon costs $45 while the the Bibury ranges from $40 to $60.
I picked up both the Roxon and the Bibury as I was interested in the feel, quality, and tool implementation. I own a number of these cheaper multitools so I wanted to see how these versions targeted towards the great outdoors were.
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Roxon on the left, Bibury on the right.
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My first impressions of both of these tools were pretty good. The Bibury is loaded with tools and functionality, much like a Leatherman Wave in design (like many imitators since the patents have expired). The Roxon is an original design, holding to their own design esthetic, but there are fewer tools which is reflected in both its lighter weight and size. Both came with nylon belt sheaths too which were of okay quality for daily use.
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Nylon cases for the two tools. The Roxon case is a little bulkier.
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The belt loop for the Bibury is better than the Roxons as it support being clipped onto a belt rather than threading it on only.
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Views of the two tools in the closed position and their sheaths.
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The tools in pliers mode. Their jaws are about the same size and open to a similar position. The Roxon has a smooth, but dull finish, while the Bibury has more sharp edges and is shiny steel. The Roxon has spring loaded pliers and is more comfortable to hold as it has rounded edges.
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All of the tools open for display on both tools. You can see the Bibury has more tools.
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Specifications for the Roxon Flash S803
5Cr15Mov stainless steel for blade, 420 steel for the body
Length: About 157.5 mm Open, 103 mm Closed
Height: About 39 mm
Width: About 23 mm with pocket clip
Weight: Approximately 236 grams
Specifications for the Bibury 22 in 1
3Cr13 stainless steel for the blade and body
Length: 170 mm Open, 115 mm Closed
Height: 35 mm
Width: 22 mm with pocket clip
Weight: Approximately 270 grams
| Bibury 22 in 1 |
Roxon Flash |
Pliers (needle / regular)
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Pliers (needle / regular) |
Large Blade (part serrated)
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Large Blade |
Scissors
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| File |
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| Diamond File |
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| Wood Saw |
Wood Saw |
| Can Opener |
Can Opener |
| Small Flat Screwdriver |
Small Flat Screwdriver |
| Bottle Opener |
Bottle Opener |
| Wire Cutter |
Wire Cutter
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Wire Stripper
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| Large Flat Screwdriver |
Phillips Screwdriver |
Whistle
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Whistle |
Ferro rod
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Ferro rod |
| Sewing Awl/Reamer |
Sewing Awl/Reamer |
| Ruler |
Ruler |
Glass Breaker
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| Bit Driver Hole |
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| Hammer |
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Pocket Clip
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Pocket Clip |
Small bit kit included on newer editions
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On my version of the Bibury, the sheath did not include the small bit kit. I believe the newer versions of this tool do include it which is a nice feature.
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Closeup of the pliers heads and wire cutters. They are comparable. The Roxon came with a spare set of cutters.
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You can see where the ferro rods attach on both tools. The Bibury has a pivot slot on the back of the hammer where you can detach the rod from. The Roxon fits flush into the body and pushing down on the end lifts it out. Nicer design on the Roxon, but I think the Bibury design is more robust. The blades are of a similar length and both lock.
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The very capable outside opening scissors on the Bibury. These are good scissors for cutting paracord, paper, etc.
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The file on the Bibury is very nice. There is cross cut file on one side, a cutting edge, and a diamond file on the otherside that could be used for sharpening or on metal.
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Two different saw designs. Both are fairly aggressive, with one being a push/pull, while the other is a pull saw. Both saws lock.
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How the ferro rods and whistles attach. The better ferro rod and whistle design is on the Roxon. You need to remove the protective plastic red wrap on the Bibury's rod and the whistle doesn't work all that well, which is surprising.
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The Roxon has all of its tools outside accessible. The Bibury's extra tools are on the inside.
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The inside tools on both pliers are shown in this picture. The tool sets are similar with an awl, small flathead, can opener, and bottle opener. The Roxon has a 2D Phillips, while the Bibury has a large flathead. The tools on the Roxon are lifted out with the lever you see and you then unlock your deployed tool by pushing the lever the other way (it is a cool design).
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The awls shown in both of these tools. You can see you can extend the reach of a screwdriver or awl on the Bibury or the Roxon.
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After carrying and using both of these multitool in a casual manner for a few weeks I have to say that I prefer the Bibury with caveats. Both of these tools are good, but it really comes down to preferences some times as they both have the key tools of a knife, a saw, pliers, and ferro rod and whistle tools. The Bibury does have more overall functionality which is a big consideration, including a hammer surface.
The Roxon Flash has a lot of strengths such as its sleek design, the lever deployment of the tools, spring loaded pliers, and superior design for whistle and ferro rod tool. I found the lack of a large flathead screwdriver strange on the Flash as having one would allow you to do light duty prying and turn larger screws. The whistle and ferro rod are a very cool design and you can even buy just this tool separate so replacements are available. The whistle works well too and it would be a very compact tool to put in a Altoids survival tin. The pliers head was fitted together well, but I found that the handles on the end away from the pliers head had a lot of play when in the closed position. This was something I didn't like and tightening things did not help. When using the knife, you must clamp down on the body to avoid any wobble, which is annoying. The sheath is also bulkier than it needs to be.
The Bibury is a very functional tool and its rougher finishing strangely matches this aesthetic. There are more sharp edges on it and the addition of the glass breaker is actually undesirable for me. The breaker tip is quite sharp and can scratch you or be pointy in the wrong place when using the tool. The big scissors, the diamond file, the hammer are all very useful features. Downsides to this tool are the partially serrated blade (not my favourite - but the Leatherman Signal is also partially serrated), and diamond file rubbing against the inside of the tool a bit if you do a one handed open. This whistle can produce a fairly high sound so it will work for signaling. UPDATE: the whistle works, but a plastic insert - the reed needed to be pushed in further on my model for it to sound well. Also, on my model of this tool, the pliers head was well fitted and there was no handle play at all (which is actually better than my similar Bibury 19 in 1.
Once again, these are both good tools. They both are good value in their price range and both are of comparable quality when compared against the other multitools I own in the same price ranges. Which one you choose is up to your preferences, and I took the easy way out by getting both.
UPDATE: In early 2024, Roxon released an updated Flash that addressed some existing issues and added enhancements. The steels have been upgraded in the Flash S803E (Elite) in the tool and the blade is now made of D2 steel. My version of this tool had very good fit for the pliers head and very little play in the handles when it was closed this time. Roxon added a few additional tools too! There is now a flat head screwdriver and wire strippers which addresses the drawback of the missing flat head screwdriver. This model costs more, but it should be worth it for the higher quality.
I think the S803E is a real good competitor against the Bibury with these enhancements now and it is more of a coin toss as to which you would prefer.
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