I’ve been looking for a multitool without a knife for months. I finally found one! In this Roxon Flex Companion review, I’ll share my experience using this multitool. You’ll also see how to remove the knife, and I’ll answer the question, if you can carry it in your carry-on luggage with the blade removed.

Table of Contents

Why do I need a multitool without a knife
Is the Roxon Flex Companion without a Knife carry-on compliant?
Review of the Roxon Flex Companion Multitool
Frequently asked questions
Can I remove the knife without adding a replacement?
The verdict

Why do I need a multitool without a knife

As a travel photographer, I mainly need these three tools during my trips:

Small pair of scissors, e.g. to open things
A screwdriver for my monopod
3 different Allen Keys for my phone cage and tripod.

As I mainly travel light, I need to carry these tools in my carry-on luggage. But airport security rightfully isn’t very excited if they find them in my carry-on luggage during a security screening.

So I’ve been researching for a small multitool that has all the mentioned tools but without a knife. And I found the Roxon Flex Companion. It is a small, portable and self-configurable multitool. Self-configurable means you can add or remove each single tool, like the blade.

Is the Roxon Flex Companion without a Knife carry-on compliant?

I can only share my personal experience. So far, I carried the Roxon Flex Companion S503G in a blade-less configuration through airport security 6 times. The officers were curious and interested in the multitool, but didn’t confiscate it.

Review of the Roxon Flex Companion Multitool

Roxon sells two different types of self-configurable multi tools: the “Flex” series and the “Phantom” series. This review is about a product belonging to the Roxon Flex series of multitools.

The Roxon Flex Series consists of two multitools.

The Flex Modular (“the large multitool”)
The Flex Companion (The smaller version, more suitable for everyday carry. This is the version I bought). The model version is S503G.

Here’s a photo of the Roxon Flex Modular in my custom configuration with the knife still added. Please note, that’s not the configuration you get when you buy it. More on that in a minute.

Basic Features of the Roxon Flex Companion Multitool

This multitool measures 3.5 x 0.94 x 0.9 inch when closed. That’s about a hand's breadth (of my hand) or a little bit wider than an iPhone 16 Pro Max or 25% shorter than an Apple Magic Mouse.

The preconfigured version weighs just 5.5 oz.

The tool is made of high-grade stainless steel, with a handle scales made of durable G10 composite. It also comes with a belt clip. Roxon claims, that the Flex Companion supports one hand operation, which I can’t confirm. Maybe it’s because of my big hands, but that’s not an issue for me.

Finally, the multitool has a safety lock which prevents the tool from accidentally opening in your trousers while carrying it.

Tools of the Roxon Flex Companion

Roxon calls its tools “implements”. Each implement has a dedicated width: it consumes either one slot, two slots or three slots. The Flex Companion has a total of 5 slots. So you can either use 5 “one slot” implements (tools) or one “two slot” implements (tools) together with three one-slot implements. You get the point.

On the other side of the tool, you’ll find a ¼ bit adaptor that holds any standard bit. I love that! I don’t have to by brand-specific bits and spend a fortune! I can just use the ones I already own.

When you buy the Roxon Flex Companion, you get 8 implements. 5 are pre-installed. These pre-installed tools are:

A knife (which you can remove. More on that in a minute)
A pair of small scissors
A saw
An awl
A ruler with a flat screwdriver

In addition to these pre-installed tools, you get:

A comb (which I use as a replacement for the blade when traveling)
A 2-slot wide implement containing a pen, a needle and tweezers)

As far as my research indicates, these implements are all made of stainless steel. Now let’s take a look at how to remove the blade and replace it with the comb to make it carry-on compliant.

How to turn the Roxon Flex into a carry-on compliant Multitool without a Knife.

The package contains a tool for changing implements. It’s basically a plastic cover you put over the tool you want to change. Here’s how it works.

Step 1: Open the knife and put the plastic cover over it. The cover protects you while removing the blade

Step 2: Unlock the knife by sliding the knob all the way to the right. Now you can easily remove each tool. Then slightly press the blade backwards.

Step 3: Remove the blade.

Now you add e.g. the comb. That works exactly the other way around.

Add a replacement for the blade; e.g. the comb

Step 1: You hook the comb into the place from which you removed the blade

Step 2: Then slide the knob towards the middle. This will lock the comb into place.

That’s it. Now you have a multitool without a knife.

Just one tip when you have it in your carry-on luggage. I take it out of the carry-on luggage, open it and put it in the tray for screening at the airport security. That speeds things up a bit.

Frequently asked questions

Can I remove the knife without adding a replacement?

The short answer is no. The five slots have to be filled with something. There are special placeholders available. But they’re not included with the Roxon Flex Companion. You’ll get them if you order the larger Roxon Flex multitool (the one without “Companion” in its name). I ordered that one, too, and configured it for hiking.

Note: The implements are interchangeable between the smaller Roxon Flex Companion and the larger Roxon Flex multitool.

The verdict

I finally found a carry-on complaint multitool without a knife that I can carry on a plane in my carry-on luggage. I like that I can use any standard bit and don’t have to shell out more bucks to buy brand-specific bits. The locking mechanism is also a valuable feature to prevent the multitool from accidentally opening in your trousers.

When I bought it, the price of the Roxon Flex Companion was around 50 USD, and I think that’s a fair price for a self configurable multitool. You can check its current price at Amazon. You’ll also find a number of implements (tools) you can order together with your new multitool. They have special tools for fishermen or for bikers, just to name a few. Here’s a link to the available implements at the Roxon Store on Amazon for your convenience.

So if you’d ask me if I’d buy the Roxon Flex Companion again, my answer is “yes”.

A review of the Roxon Flex Companion Multitool.