Just a thought.

[Gareth]

While giving my Fuse a bit of a clean and lube it occurred to me that LM may be missing a trick.  While I personally like to have scissors as part of my normal EDC not everyone feels the same and might want to have a saw instead.  

Now I looked at the saw and the file from my Blast and I can't see any reason that the scissors couldn't be replaced by either one of these tools.  Surely then LM could produce two 'new' multi's with absolutely no new components required (apart from maybe a washer or two).  Pulling the scissors out and putting a file in there would bring it back to something very much like the original PST, or putting a saw in there would make a slightly more hiking/camping friendly tool.  Perhaps I'm missing something and it's not quite as simple as I think.

So what do you think? Would you want either one?

[boleneger]

I think that it is spoken in the forum that one and I think the only bad thing about L/M is that they don't trust users to replace or just customize their M/T's. 
On the other side this can be an easy and joyfully DIY job . Don't you think so?

[DaveK]

Whilst it could obviously be done, I rather suspect that Leatherman's tool selection would be based on market research, and they came to the conclusion that the Fuse's configuration would sell most. Although the components would already be available, I'd expect that separate products would incur additional packaging, stock and distribution costs, that could outweigh any additional sales.

Plus of course, LM's preferred way of dealing with it would be that people bought the more expensive Blast.

The exception of course would be the knifeless Fuse, but I guess there's a recognised market for them, or at least they predicted there would be.

[David]

I`d rather have a saw or file instead of scissors so yes I`d buy it.

[trickknife]

Whilst it could obviously be done, I rather suspect that Leatherman's tool selection would be based on market research, and they came to the conclusion that the Fuse's configuration would sell most. Although the components would already be available, I'd expect that separate products would incur additional packaging, stock and distribution costs, that could outweigh any additional sales.

Plus of course, LM's preferred way of dealing with it would be that people bought the more expensive Blast.

The exception of course would be the knifeless Fuse, but I guess there's a recognised market for them, or at least they predicted there would be.

I love the word "Whilst".  I have to start using that.

You are right about the whole market thing.  Everything they do seems to revolve around putting together a package that will require little or no modification by the users.  My speculation is that they probably had a whole list of product possibilities and wanted to hit every level of consumer price level from poor man to stinking rich (relatively speaking).  I would guess that you would want about 3 to 4 levels of tools.  In each level you would have two tools that have a different selection of features to hit the two most broad areas of interest for people at that income level.  But since that would become a nightmare to carry that many models 8, they would have to narrow it down.  They probably reduced it down to six models in their original offering to hit those levels.  Unfortunately, the models at the lower end get short schrift and end up missing stuff that some folks like. 

Their old tool line up seemed like a real hodge podge.  When they came out with the Juice models, you can see that they finally went back to the drawing board to try and hit all the levels I was talking about albeit a slightly different market.  When they retired the old stuff and went to the Charge Family, you can see that they did learn a bit from the Juice exercise.  There didn't seem to be as much controversy over feature selection as there was on the Juice.

[Gareth]

Good points guys and I'm not sure I disagree at all.  I suppose the nearest LM get to doing what I'm talking about is with the Juice series in that they make both the S2 and the C2.  Two similar sized multi's with only one tool difference between them.  Would LM prefer that everyone bought the Cs4 or the Xe6?  Sure they would but they obviously realise that not everybody wants a more loaded multi with all the extras, so they make two smaller multi's to suit different needs and wants. 

I think where I'm coming from is that I'm a big SAK fan (as you may know ) and they don't work quite the same way as LM.  You want just the basics?  Get a Spartan.  You want scissors with that?  Get a Climber.  You only want to add a saw?  Ah now, you don't have to go to a bigger SAK like the Huntsman, you can get a SAK that is the same size and doesn't make you buy the scissors is you don't want, you can get a Camper.  See where I'm coming from?

[DaveK]

Yup I see exactly where you are coming from.

There's a good reason why I don't collect SAKs

[Gareth]

Yup I see exactly where you are coming from.

There's a good reason why I don't collect SAKs

LOL, good point.

[nuphoria]

LOL