Now for a more in-depth description of what I did and why:
I had owned the Klein multi tool for several years without making much use of it. It wasn't because I didn't think it was any good. Though sparse in features, everything felt (or seemed to be) well-built. However, it did not come with a belt sheath and the thing is waaay too bulky to pocket carry. So I stuck with my Suspension for everyday use and only used the Klein for its knife when dealing with large wire.
After seeing Sam Lim's
Leatherman Kore mod, I knew I wanted to do something with the plier head. I even bought a well-used Core to copy what Sam did. But then I took a good look at my Blackfire and decided it would receive the Klein hybrid plier head. Since the two MTs are cousins, I figured it would not be difficult to drop the Klein head into the Blackfire handles. Then I would have a more useful MT for work. Great plan
It was not a straight drop-in:
Picture taken after I had started grinding on the Klein plier headThe Klein needed to be modified to match the Blackfire so that the stops(?) would fit into the notches when squeezing the handles to prevent collapsing. I botched this a little, so there isn't much snap when opening the handles. But the stops do engage with the notches so that the handles can be squeezed hard with no collapsing. I did learn that my rotary tool with cut off wheels is a better tool for this work than my Work Sharp, so I feel that I will be better at this sort of thing in the future.
That is not the end of it. The Klein pivots are also closer together. That meant the handles touched together at the pivot end when folding up the tool while leaving a considerable gap at the other end. That meant I had to grind the handles to close the gap:
The modified MT next to an unmodified BlackfireEven after grinding the handles, there is some gap. Removing it completely would require reshaping the plier head to some degree, and I do not want to do that. I'll live with the gap:
The Blackfire has a heavy duty bit driver, a good spear point knife, a bottle opener, a shortish file, and a Robertson driver. I am not sure why an American MT has a Robertson driver. Perhaps the design team had some Canadians. Anyway, the bit driver is a big plus for me. And if I carry a #2 Robertson (square) bit with me to go in the bit driver, then the Robertson driver is unnecessary. Furthermore, a bottle opener and a short, mediocre file do not help me much. So, since I had already modified the plier head and handles and since I had a head full of Sam Lim mods, I decided to convert the non-useful tools into useful tools. So the Robertson driver became a robust awl, the bottle opener became a package opener, and the file can also be used as a scraper and conduit reamer.
As for the knife, it is good, but I carry a knife with me that suits my needs better than it can. And my favorite tool on a MT is a saw capable of cutting drywall. So, I modified a thick Diablo reciprocating saw blade to replace the knife. It locks in-place via the existing liner lock.
My hybrid MT now has a permanent place in my tool pouch, but I am not done with modding it. I tried to install a metal cutting file blade with liner lock next to the drywall blade, but failed on my first attempt. But I believe I have that figured out and will give it another try. Also, I am going to try to drill/tap 6-32 and 8-32 shearing holes (if I screw up the plier head, I have another one I can mod and use). Finally, I hope to incorporate the tweezers from the Klein MT into the hybrid MT.
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