I think those were a
Blackie Collins design. He seems to have all kinds of oddball ideas and collaborations out there, knives and multitools alike. His ideas have appeared on knives by Case, Gerber, CRKT, Schrade, Meyerco, and probably a few others. A patent search shows some of his ideas seem to have turned out to be enduring, some not so much.
Given the patent date and the tang stamp, that Case seems to be from 1996.