Multitool.org Forum
Tool Talk => Rescue Tools => Topic started by: Noa Isumi on June 29, 2017, 09:23:14 AM
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Sometimes the flea market brands come up with something unique enough to be interesting. This is the case with the MTech MT-A893BK as its pry/utility based blade differs from normal tacticool rescue knife offerings. To start with the "multitool" is of a knife design with its various implements ground into one blade much the way a OPT crams as much as it can onto a single piece of steel. The features include; pry bar, strap hook, serrated edge, 5 wrench sizes, "bit driver", flat & Philips drivers, glass breaker and bottle opener.
The design combines elements of the BlackHawk RescueTool along with S&W/Taylor and several multitool pry blades often seen on balisong trainers. The handle scale texture and oval "cutout" pattern is very much BlackHawk inspired while the stepped handle profile has been a staple of Taylor Brands for several years.
The overall build quality is typical to budget brands like Mtech, WarTech, Tacforce, etc in that each one is slightly different and has its own unique issues. In this case the liner lock has an extremely early set that makes the knife dangerous to use until I clean it up. Some of the drivers are rough and lumpy limiting their use but they do remain somewhat functional. The rounded flat driver is not an issue as it functions as a flipper which is necessary as the thumb stud does not extend clear of the scales to make it useful. The glass breaker is of the standard steel variety and may or may not break auto glass before it rounds off. The mounting position to the lanyard bail is an additional concern as it provides limited support. The bit driver is another issue; calipered at 5.969mm it is .353mm (.1in) too small to take US standard 1/4in bits and too big for small format 4.5mm bits. The upside is the wrench will hold a 1/4in bit about half way down.
The shining ray of hope is in the actual cutting surfaces. The serrated edge cuts through all the standard shipping materials I could feed it, card board, rope, compressed pallet reinforcement, plastic strapping, bunched up stretch wrap nothing slowed it down. The hook is one of the best I have encountered in any of these lower end blades and easily cut all the test materials except the reinforcement strips. The Pry tip also works well for lite tasks; but there is a bit of play in the blade so I wouldn't jam a door with it for risk of damaging the pivot pin or nylon spacers
In the end I have mixed feelings about this knife and am reluctant to wright it off as bad since most functions do work in some capacity. It comes down to a philosophy of use argument:
If you want an hi quality knife that does everything perfectly but your afraid of damaging or loosing it in the field this isnt the knife for you.
If you want a knife you can use daily, beat on, drop, hack into unknown materials, hand off to others, and not care if it comes back, gets destroyed or contaminated to where you have to dispose of it this is worth a look. Just remember its a sample of one and you may have to "fix it" a little right out of the box.
Typical pricing varies at around 10-15USD at the sellers I've seen.
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More pics
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More comparison pics
Victorinox OH Trekker
1st pic of 1st post, last pic of last post, same 111mm size and blade type as Vic RescueTool
TacForce Speedster Rescue unknown model, orange handle, EDC warehouse use for several years
Mtech Search&Rescue
Leatherman Super Tool 300
I think that one should be easy to ID
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looks like a nice "beater" folder for those abusive tasks and occasions.
Thanks for the review! :cheers:
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That knife reminds me a lot of the FOX rescue knives.
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Reminds me of the Hawkhook from Blackhawk:
(http://multitool.org/cache/klixok2watermark/5de98f71a44e65742d6fa7c8a1ffe380.jpg)
http://multitool.org/tools/miscellaneous/blackhawk-hawkhook-review
Def