Multitool with a cloth cutter?...

[wykazox]

Hi guys!

This is my first post here, so I hope I'm posting in the right section...

I'm a french "secouriste" (roughly equivalent to a us paramedic or a first aider... well, you get it...), and I'm looking for a tool I could carry during my missions.

The tool I am looking for should ideally have :
An easily accessible full size blade (at least about 2.5 inches long ; serrated or not...).
A full size pair of pliers (like the ones found on a Leatherman, or a SOG... but not the small Victorinox ones)
A seat belt cutter sturdy enough to cut clothing or even leather... but safe enough not to cause injury to the victims (like the one found on the Gerber Hinderer, or the BenchMade ERT1)

I've already found 2 tools that might answer my needs :
Leatherman Charge ALX (but the cutting hook doesn't look safe...)
SOG PowerAssist S66 (but the V-cutter doesn't look sturdy...)

Do you know any other model that might fit?

Thanks!

[ari6126]

Basically the entire Wave/Charge line should work for you. The serrated edge on them should go through clothes, leather, and seat belts with no problem. If you don't need one hand opening blades, you have other options. You could try either the Victorinox Swisstool Spirit in normal or S versions. The X version doesn't have what you are looking for. The the Swisstool RS would also work.
I would avoid the SOG V-cutter. It doesn't work all that well.

[Nikos]

If by "easy access" you mean one-hand opening, and by "seat belt cutter" you mean something along the lines of a V-cutter, then I'm afraid the two tools you mentioned are about all there is out there. Your next best bet would be either something along the lines of a SwissTool RS (which has a blunt-tip serrated blade, to be used as a set belt cutter, but needs both hands to open any blade), or a multitool and a rescue tool combo (e.g. Charge + RescueTool, etc.)

BTW welcome to the forum.

[Chako]

Take a look at the Wenger Mike Horn...for a different option.

[Gareth]

How about the new Leatherman MUT?  Pliers, OHO knife and V-cutter.

Edit: Just remembered that Bob's review said the cutter wasn't great at straps etc.

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,23705.0.html

[Grant Lamontagne]

For the safety of the victim, I would suggest getting a hook cutter that is more dedicated to that kind of job- something like Benchmade's ERT-1/Houdini Pro, Blackhawk HawkHook or even something like a Raker Ring Tool and have a separate multitool for managing other things.  Assuming for a moment that you use your multitool regularly on the job for doing all the things you need a multitool for, it could be exposed to all manner of contaminants that you may not want near an open wound on an injured person.  Plus, a lot of multitools are designed for multiple purposes, like strap cutting and field dressing animals, and so may not be idea for opening clothing on a person.  Case in point, the blade being on the backside of the hook on the Leatherman Charge series.

I think my best suggestion would be to get a good set of shears to cut fabrics and clothing and keep your multitool for dirtier, more robust jobs.



Def

[e17]

Hi,

salut et bienvenu sur ce forum. Ca fait du bien de parler un peu français. 
Tu es secouriste volontaire ? SAMU ? Pompier ?   

I have a SOG S62, with a V-cutter. Althought I was not able to try it with a security belt, I had the opportunity to try it with bandage (small, on my finger ), plastic around heavy milling machines for transport protection, clothes (shirt, tee-shirt and jeans (dry and wet jeans)), and it works like a charm. Could be hard to sharpen, though, but SOG's tools are removable and replaceable, with is a very good option from my point of view.
Pliers are great, too. The blade... is not thick enough, but the serated blade helps a lot on hard jobs.

But as Grant pointed out... a MT might not be the right tool for you, mainly because of possible contamination (hard to decontaminate or sterilize. There is a plastic washer in mine...). And because they are done to fit a lot of needs, so no need in particular.
In the few paramedic kit I saw, I did see the kind of scissors Grant suggests, and then a MT at the belt.

But the SOG is definitely a nice tool 

[jzmtl]

I have a benchmade ERT1 and it's better suited for the task than any of the implements you'll find on a MT. It comes with both pocket clip and sheath so you can easily attach it to yourself. A far as cutting performance is concerned thou scissors or a serrated blade will be better.

[jekostas]

I think the SOG would be a poor choice in this situation.  Not that SOG doesn't make nice tools, but the V-Cutter is an internally held tool that deploys with a nail knick.  Not the best option under duress. 

A Leatherman Wave/Charge or Surge (depending on the pliers you need) along with one of the Benchmade series of rescue hooks would probably serve you well.  All of the Rescue hooks come with the option to use a hard-molded ABS sheath that you can hang upside down from a blouse pocket or belt and have large finger holes for fast deployment.

[J-sews]

Note to any of you tool manufacturers reading these forums:

A rescue/first-responder sort of multitool would fill a nice niche and appeal to a large cross section of potential customers.  

[e17]

I think the SOG would be a poor choice in this situation.  Not that SOG doesn't make nice tools, but the V-Cutter is an internally held tool that deploys with a nail knick.  Not the best option under duress. 

A Leatherman Wave/Charge or Surge (depending on the pliers you need) along with one of the Benchmade series of rescue hooks would probably serve you well.  All of the Rescue hooks come with the option to use a hard-molded ABS sheath that you can hang upside down from a blouse pocket or belt and have large finger holes for fast deployment.

Hum... jekostas... I hate to say that when it comes to SOG but... you get the point. In emergency situation... the v-cutter might not be best tool.
But... hum... let me suggest a Benchmade rescue hook with... a SOG   

[asupernothing]

Note to any of you tool manufacturers reading these forums:

A rescue/first-responder sort of multitool would fill a nice niche and appeal to a large cross section of potential customers.  

As another EMT I would like to second that motion.

On the not of the cutters the hook on the ChALX does work well on most smaller situations but not so well on seat belts. However the sheepsfoot serrated blade is good for this. Admittedly the hope that the hook would work as a seatbelt cutter was part of why I chose the ALX, but I like it in any case.

As far as contamination, there are some fairly effective decontamination measures, but I always liked to double up.

I never had a SOG so I can't comment on that.

I think my best suggestion would be to get a good set of shears to cut fabrics and clothing and keep your multitool for dirtier, more robust jobs.



Def

I always carry Shears with my on-duty gear but not in my off-duty first responder kit. They are an essential part of the kit, but they also tend to dull very quickly, and even new are never that sharp. For rapid extrication the sheepsfoot blade is a much better tool.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Interesting- I always assumed that the shears would dull quickly since they have a high chromium content, the better to resist staining, but I assumed that was what the serrations were for.  I imagined them working like Wenger's self sharpening serrations, where the opposite teeth tend to clean each other each time it's opened and closed.

Have you tried any other tools, like Boker's RESCOM or the BlackHawk HawkHook?  They seem like they would be quite effective, at least in the testing I have done, which admittedly can't compare to real life.

Def

[RNL]

I use a combination of LM New Wave and Spyderco Assist in my vest, while in ambulance. Off-duty- Victorinox RT always with me in my car.

[AHB]

Maybe this could work for you: Fiskars Cuts+More..