MILITARY MULTITOOL?

[Sea Monster]

This thread was inspired by a question in the Watch thread, which led to me to reading what my government was looking to buy (publicly available info, because our government likes to pretend to be clear and open about what we spend our taxes on)

I found a thing for a multitool - so I was wondering what y'all best guess would be to meet the requirements!

so, uhh, here are the requirements....

Will be used for wire cutting and stripping, bending, shaping crimping tube and sheeet, gripping and holding, driving flat and phillips heads, cutting fabric and cord and wood.
10 year life span.

non serrated main blade.

hardness 54 - 60 HRC.

usable with gloves.

Molle pouch

corrosion resistant.

blades can't open accidently.
No gravity, spring assisted, or flick blades.

positive locking blade.

one handed opening/closing.

cut 2mm copper, 2.5mm mild steel

scissors that can cut 2.5mm string.

#2 phillips (that works with #5 to #10 machine screws...? )

small and large flat driver

driver bits are acceptable.



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So what would you recommend?

(I also found a request for a Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer, so if you have any hot tips on those, feel free to make suggestions)

[Alan K.]

One hand opening and scissors kind of limits the options to a Leatherman product but it could be the Wingman, the Wave, or the Surge.

[CallsignBadger]

Hands down Wave or Surge

[nate j]

Yep.  Black Surge.

[Etherealicer]

Free P4... strongest pliers LM ever built, everything one-handed usable

[genevabuck]

Surge or Wave.

[Sea Monster]

Almost seems tailor made for the Wave doesn't it.

However, the requirement to cut 2.5mm cord has thrown me. I was unable to cut paracord in a single cut without undue effort with my Wave.

Maybe paracord is too thick, or my wave scissors need sharpening, but it seems possible they are not up to task as specified.

[gerleatherberman]

As others mentioned above. Leatherman Surge. The Surge is the baddest MT out there and the scissors make other MT scissors cry mommy. 

I'll go check my Wave scissors on 2.5mm cord and see what happens. I've seen some inconsistency between Wave/Charge scissors(blade tightness and spring resistance). An issue LM really needs to address, as I quite like the Wave/Charge scissors.

[gerleatherberman]

The scissors on my Wave made quick work of the cord. It mustbe a dull/loose set of scissors on your Wave, Sea Monster.

Edit: I didn't have 2.5mm, so I used whatever the orange stuff was. I think it is 4mm though.



Also tried the Charge and Surge. Charge did fine and Surge was epic.

[CallsignBadger]

Surge

[papadan]

To me it sounds like they are looking for what they have had for many, many years, the KaBar knife. I have done all those things with mine.     

[Don Pablo]

To me it sounds like they are looking for what they have had for many, many years, the KaBar knife. I have done all those things with mine.     

You were using it on machine screws?!

[cody6268]

BO Surge. Mine even came with a MOLLE pouch and a box with an NSN so it's in the supply chain, and likely being used already in military applications.  Coupled with the classic Kabar, I think those are two great pieces of gear that get the job done. Both are actually my field tools around the farm; Camillus MK II "Kabar" lashed to pack strap in Kabar sheath, Surge in MOLLE pouch attached to side of pack.

[Sea Monster]

with an NSN so it's in the supply chain

For interest - lots of things get codified that never get issued en masse - they may be for a specific project or team or event, they may even be only be in the "supply chain" for testing and trials.

It's also possible for the item that an NSN represents to change - if a manufacturer/contract changes, or the original item is no longer available, and the replacement item is the "same" as the original item (as specified) then it can be used for the new item (I'm just making this bit up - but for example, if the NSN for a a LM Core was 1234-56-891-0111, and LM discontinued the Core but the Supertool meets the same specification, then it can be supplied under the same NSN)

Manufactures will also try to get their stuff codified, even if (at that point in time) the government has no interest in purchasing any of it. It is attractive to military nerds, and (might) streamline the process of getting a contract to supply that item in the future.


(I don't know the laws in other countries, but this leads to an interesting problem locally where it is more or less illegal to possess government property, but it is entirely possible to purchase (either from the manufacture, or even from the government  ) identical equipment - and it can be hard to prove one way or another how you came to be in possession of it. Especially as the chain-of-custody extends through later resale/second hand etc.



(There is another problem - the Government/Military might come up with their own design, and find a manufacturer to make it for them, however depending on how the contract gets drawn up, the manufacturer might end up owning the IP, or with a license to sell the same product to others - so the government foots the bill for R&D and tooling, and the manufacturer gets to sell "Genuine Military Doohickey" to anyone willing to buy it.)