It looks like the Leatherman Raptor has some competition- CRKT has a new set of Trauma Shears out called the El Santo Trauma Shears designed by Michael and Baltazar Martinez in New Mexico.
They look a lot bulkier than the Raptor, but at an MSRP of $50 vs the Raptor's $70 it seems a bit more reasonable for an EMT to carry. CRKT has this to say about them:
[i}In a trauma situation it comes through like a saint. Grab hold of El Santo™ emergency trauma shears with your right or left hand and you’ll see how this multi-tool got its name. Cut straps. Break glass. Start up the oxygen. Those in need will think someone’s looking out for them. That someone is you.
El Santo™ was designed by Michael Martinez of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has a long history of creating revolutionary blades that fit the needs of those in tactical settings. So when a trauma surgeon came to him with an idea for a better tool to be used in a life or death situations, the next evolution in emergency shears was born.
You never know what will get thrown your way in a trauma situation. That’s why El Santo™ features a variety of cutting tools. A removable and replaceable ripping blade has micro-Veff Serrations™ that enables you to tear through corded leather, nylon or belts. Lengthened shear blades with a tapered porpoise nose easily slip under clothing and provide increased leverage so you can cut the most important thing—time. The rippling blade is even easy to swap out with a “no tool” needed screws and replacement part.
The ribbed utility grip handle on El Santo™ feels like it was meant just for you. It’s ergonomically designed to be an ambidextrous trauma shear with equal cutting and ripping ability in either hand .
Close the handle around your belt and secure the blade lock. Then feel confident someone up there likes you with El Santo™ by your side.
*Product materials not suited to tolerate the Autoclave sterilization process.[/i]
That last bit seems a bit damning as you would think sterilization would be an absolute must with a tool like this- although to be honest I have often speculated as to whether the Raptor would be sterilizable either since it has so many tiny nooks and crannies- you'd never get all of the gunk out of it.
I think I like the El Santo better than the Raptor, although I haven't seen it in person yet. The cutter on the bottom seems larger and less likely to snag on a victim than the tiny fold out one on the Raptor, and it also does not need to be deployed. When it is no longer useful it seems easier to pull off than the Raptor's folding one.
The spring in the El Santo seems like it would also be beneficial, although I worry about it being that exposed- would it break, and if so, can it easily be replaced? Would it hold gunk and good that you would hate to have introduced to your open wound?
At around the same weight I don't think the carbide glass breaker is going to be much different in either one. Ditto for the O2 Wrench, although it doesn't actually need to be deployed to be used on the El Santo like it does in the Raptor, I don't see that as being that major of a difference. I do wonder why the El Santo has the spiky head around the glass breaker/O2 Wrench though- maybe to break away leftover glass around the edges of a window once it's been shattered? Maybe to make it look cool? I dunno...
The Raptor does have the ring cutter, which could be a very important difference between the two though, so there's definitely that going in it's favor.
I don't know if I would rather have the Raptor or the El Santo (mostly because I haven't handled the El Santo yet) but I will say that on a cost and feature basis, it does seem more attractive to me than the Raptor. But then, I am also the guy that said I would rather have a set of cheap 3 for $10 trauma shears because they cut at least as well (if not better) than the $70 Raptor, they were easier to sterilize and they could be tossed away if they got too contaminated, dull or broken. I sort of feel that this might also be an argument against the El Santo too.
Def