Leatherman Signal - is LM making a survival multi?

[AimlessWanderer]

I'm not really a fan of the "Skeletool format" as I don't like the ergonomics or the fact driver only works with the tool open, but I'll still be interested to see what comes forward from this of course.

[babola]

"...comprised of any combination of pliers, wire cutters, combo edge knife blade with a liner lock, wood saw, screwdriver bit driver, bottle opener, can opener, awl, fire starter, signal whistle, hammer, carabiner, pocket clip, lanyard hole, and removable ceramic sharpening stick"


The way I read this is the new MT could end up having few, many or potentially all those features and implements mentioned.

[DazMechanical]

  This is really interesting! I look forward to seeing what LM come up with. I can imagine the MUT platform being a good start. Use a Plain Edge Blade instead of the Combo Blade, Perhaps they could replace the Pin Punch with a threaded Ferro Rod, think Exotac Nano Striker. Somehow add the Removable Diamond File, I think that would be pretty cool! 

[BIG-TARGET]

Hope LM did some serious Research on this
Like this guy who did a pretty objective review.

[enki_ck]

"...comprised of any combination of pliers, wire cutters, combo edge knife blade with a liner lock, wood saw, screwdriver bit driver, bottle opener, can opener, awl, fire starter, signal whistle, hammer, carabiner, pocket clip, lanyard hole, and removable ceramic sharpening stick"


The way I read this is the new MT could end up having few, many or potentially all those features and implements mentioned.

By past patents, that means all of them will be included.

[TheDude]

Survival Lifestyle Utility Tool?
This would solve my MUT MOD dilemma.
  As long as it's got a hammer, pry-tool, strap cutter and saw.

[DazMechanical]

Survival Lifestyle Utility Tool?

 

[TheDude]

What? 

[DazMechanical]

Survival Lifestyle Utility Tool?

 

Sorry Dude, I thought you were being funny 

Leatherman S.L.U.T 

[TheDude]

Never

[Etherealicer]

I am both excited and .

I was looking at the MUT many times and a civilian version might just be it.
BUT for me any survival tool stands and falls with its blade, I find therefore the plier-based frames as unsuitable. Of course you can combine it with a fixed blade, but then it should be very compact, like the PST (IMHO of course).

Semi-Random Rant
I also don't like the term "survival", it means nothing unless it is attached to a terrain (setting): Woodland survival, swamp survival, post zombie apocalypse urban survival. From the tool selection it appears to be geared towards the last one .

Tools I find pointless:
screwdriver bit driver, bottle opener, can opener

Tools I kinda miss
Pry tool (due to the bit driver, there is now screwdriver that can take this function).
Marlin Spike
Awl with sewing eye.

and maybe
Scissors (Not a fan of scissors in general, but for 1st aid situations I find scissors quite helpful)
Rescue blade (again 1st aid, but also in mountaineering useful)

[TheDude]

For zombie apocalypse urban survival.
I think you'd want an MP600 EOD

[rdub934]

Forget "cautiously optimistic", I immediately have high hopes. The MUT would be a PHENOMENAL platform for a survival oriented multitool. I hope that is what this ends up being. I think both the MUT and the OHT have a TON of untapped potential. turning the MUT into a survival-knife is an easy and logical variation of the chassis.

[Nhoj]

It doesn't sound bad but I need scissors!

[collim1]

Doubtful Leatherman will release it if it's not done right. Unlike Grylls and Strouds multi tools.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rdub934]

Doubtful Leatherman will release it if it's not done right. Unlike Grylls and Strouds multi tools.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

True. As was stated earlier in the thread, even the cheaper Leathermans are still quality pieces. I know a lot of people hate them, but the Wingman/Sidekick are still solid despite making compromises to reduce cost - anvil style cutters, thin sheet metal, thin implements, etc... My Wingman is almost my favorite LM (just can't beat the Wave). Leatherman couldn't survive with their warranty if they put out a garbage tool.

[AimlessWanderer]

Not everyone has your confidence in Leatherman  I've seen my fair share of sub-standard gear from them.
I'm reserving judgement till I've seen piccies though

[kirk13]

Someone wake me up when there's a PST3

[captain spaulding]

Someone wake me up when there's a PST3

You may be sleeping a while. 

[kirk13]

Someone wake me up when there's a PST3

You may be sleeping a while. 

Zzzz?

[detron]

it would be nice to have a PST III,  I would buy some of them

[Mercury]

it would be nice to have a PST III,  I would buy some of them

I would definitely buy one.   

[detron]

it would be nice to have a PST III,  I would buy some of them

I would definitely buy one.   

Leatherman should take note, that PSTs (I and II) sell EVERY DAY on ebay.    EVERY DAY

[Mercury]

it would be nice to have a PST III,  I would buy some of them

I would definitely buy one.   

Leatherman should take note, that PSTs (I and II) sell EVERY DAY on ebay.    EVERY DAY

I agree.  The Classic Leatherman designs were incredible.  Unfortunately, people nowadays want different stuff. 

[babola]

I agree.  The Classic Leatherman designs were incredible.  Unfortunately, people nowadays want different stuff.

Yeah, they've seen the "new" features, bells and whistles, OHO & OHT this & that and will only demand more from now on. Most of them will see the original simple stick-profile tool design from the past as uninventive, overly simplistic and boring. I always tend use the new-vs-old Wave analogy here, there was nothing wrong with the narrow, lanky original design...look how much wider the new one had become. I only hope the 3rd gen won't be even 'fatter'.

That said, some of the new MT designs that came out of LM in recent times have much going for, if developed well in the future. One of those is a skeleton tool design, started with Skeletool and followed into many other lines like Style, Freestyle and MUT.

I wouldn't mind seeing a new model being based on full-size MUT design. Who knows...

[Lichtbote]

Most of them will see the original simple stick-profile tool design from the past as uninventive, overly simplistic and boring.

If it would be only that, it would be no big deal.

But they are stupidly and unneeded unhandy to open/use, and with their edges outside really uncomfortable to use their pliers. At least if you really use them, and that not only for tinkering at the desk of your living room or a workbench. There you can pull it out, use both hands to open it, choose the tool you want, close it again ..... and finally, get the work done.

It´s a different task if you are holding the work with your left hand, and it will slip away or fall down if you let it go to use the left hand too for selecting the tool. Or standing on a ladder, needing one hand to ensure you don´t go down to fast and unwanted.

I stay to my opinion - oho makes a MT a Multi-TOOL, cause now you can use it with a certain usefullness. Before that MTs were for me more Multi-TOYs, not even worth to carry their weight.

[kirk13]

I stay to my opinion - oho makes a MT a Multi-TOOL, cause now you can use it with a certain usefullness. Before that MTs were for me more Multi-TOYs, not even worth to carry their weight.

I have to take issue with this!

Of all the MTs I've owned or tried,the only one that's had the tools I regularly use available as oho was the LM OHT...pity it had locking blades( making it more or less illegal to carry in the UK) and lacked scissors.

The only tools I've had which have offered truly useful tool sets as outside opening options have been the Victorinox ones...funny enough,they're practically illegal too!

As to the flicky Plier Gerbers,and butterfly opening LMs? The number of times I've needed an oho tool have been very limited( only one springs to mind,and funnily enough,I needed the pliers,and was carrying my MP425, and it ended up failing..)

For you,sir,they may have been Multi-toys,but for me they have been,and continue to be valuable assets in the retail enviroment I work in,and have been,and continue to be valuable assets in my hobby pursuits,which include my shooting!

[Syph007]

None of my favorite MTs are OHO.  The Vic spirit, Vic swisstool, LM mini, LM PST, SOG paratool.  The full size vic swisstool is a beast of a heavy duty multi tool.

OHO can be nice, but Ive never been in a situation where it was needed.  Im not a fan of the flick out pliers at all so that for me is not a selling point.

After being excited to see what the leap was, Im less excited about anything new they come out with now until I see it first.

[AimlessWanderer]

I stay to my opinion - oho makes a MT a Multi-TOOL, cause now you can use it with a certain usefullness. Before that MTs were for me more Multi-TOYs, not even worth to carry their weight.

I have to take issue with this!

Of all the MTs I've owned or tried,the only one that's had the tools I regularly use available as oho was the LM OHT...pity it had locking blades( making it more or less illegal to carry in the UK) and lacked scissors.

The only tools I've had which have offered truly useful tool sets as outside opening options have been the Victorinox ones...funny enough,they're practically illegal too!

As to the flicky Plier Gerbers,and butterfly opening LMs? The number of times I've needed an oho tool have been very limited( only one springs to mind,and funnily enough,I needed the pliers,and was carrying my MP425, and it ended up failing..)

For you,sir,they may have been Multi-toys,but for me they have been,and continue to be valuable assets in the retail enviroment I work in,and have been,and continue to be valuable assets in my hobby pursuits,which include my shooting!

 

Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder, and I constantly find it enlightening to see what challenges other people find in their daily lives and what tools offer best solution. That's one of the many great things about this place.

JA's reviews are a great insight into how a tool performs in his environment, but he faces a great many challenges that I never do. Expand that across the full membership here, and a tool which is pathetic and useless to one person, is 100% perfect for another. I love the Spirit, and find it to be an excellent tool - for Mr Whippy it's next to useless. Kirky and JA had great results with the OHT in two completely different spheres of life, but for me it's sorely lacking in some respects and "wastes space" with tools I'll never need. I heard Cupboard and Gareth raving over one of the smaller drivers on one of the older tools at the UK Meet, as it was so good for electrical connections .... a job I'd very rarely face ... but when I fitted a light in a friends kitchen a week ago, I found my tool carry at the time completely ineffective and ended up using a Vic Manager to do the job as it was the only thing that was anywhere near suitable. If I'd carried the tool the guys were raving about (I think it was the Sideclip) or something else with a similar driver, I'd have had the job done in a fraction of the time

Whilst I'm as bad as the next man for slating a tool that somone else loves (eg Juice  ), we do need to bear in mind that we all have different requirements, and there will be times when the tool we hate and love to decry, will perform many times better than the tool we rave about and carry daily. At times I do actually carry the tools I loathe (eg Juice  ) because for the job/location/circumstances it's the better choice despite the many failings and deficiencies

[Monrogue]

I would consider them multi-toys to some degree for me anyway as they probably get more use as fiddle toys then actual tools...but that's just me  

I have claimed in the past that OHO is very convenient for me, and it is, but it hasn't really proven to be necessary.  I do enjoy the flicky pliers though, and I can see how they'd be handy should I find myself in a situation requiring that feature.  Much the same with a knife blade.  Still, I rarely find a need for OHO.  You won't find me high up on any ladder or anything like that   However, I don't heavily use my MTs, so if someone does, I could see how OHO may be more of a factor for them. 

I view MTs as being a convenient little set of various tools to have on me should I need them.  I'm no handyman, so I don't get too in depth with what I need to do with them.  The idea is to save the hassle of having to go find a specific tool.  I don't need to be able to deploy a driver one handed in .2 seconds to find it worth carrying.  If it saves me the trouble of going to the other room to find a dedicated tool, or even better, serves as the tool when there is no dedicated one available, then it is definitely worth it to me to carry a MT like the Rebar, Supertool, etc. 

Everyone's uses/needs are different though, and that's part of what makes this place so interesting