Subject: The mighty Leartheman (was knives in the wilderness)

From: [email-masked] (Yes, I'm still here...)
Date: 27 Sep 1994 18:35:59 GMT

I missed this the first time...

>>So, all you office-survivors, how many times do you actually need a Philips 
>>screwdriver, 3 different sized ordinaary screwdrivers or a nailfile OUTSIDE?

Fool.

It's not a nailfile, it's a wood or metal file and you probably didn't notice
that there's a usable hacksaw on the side of the file.

Back in August I went with a medical crew to do medical for an event called
"Gathering of the Vibes", an outdoor concert up in the Gold country.  In one
day I used the Leatherman as follows;

Knife - numerous times for cutting cord and other stuff (this is obvious)
Middle and large flat screw driver - picked a lock on a "staff only" bathroom.
Phillips - repaired the lock on another clean bathroom so I could use it in
           private (the whole door nob assembly had been partly torn out)
Phillips - I couldn't get a backstage fence gate unlocked by security so I
           removed the whole hasp to get to my vehicle.
Wire cutters - cut large tie wraps used to improvise doors to an wood-framed,
               tent-covered arcade which we transformed into a medical station.
Wire cutters - cut some barbwire so I didn't have to haul all our equipment
               "all the way around".
Awl - Undid a knot tied in some webbing we set up to climb down a little hill
      safely.

In addition to all this, I could have easily used the pliars to removed any of
numerous slivers and glass pieces from patient's feet had I not had better
tweezers for that purpose.

All the phone techs I work with (my day gig) use Leatherman tools, all of the
EMT's I work with carry and use them, the Special Forces guys that 
taught some courses hosted by our company all had them and told us that 
the Leatherman was widely used throughout Special Forces and one of them
used his Leatherman extensively to fabricate a field sterilizer made out
of a large metal can, and I see them carried by most of the firefighters
and paramedics I interface with - AND since my company has provided 
training and event-medical for the Oakland Hell's Angels, I can tell you
that Leatherman's are very common in the biker community as well.

I have seen one other multi-tool, the Gerber, carried by a female EMT I
met at a concert I worked at with Rock Med.  I have yet to see any other
tool being carried by someone, keeping in mind that this is just my own
personal and subjective experience.  I know that SOGs, and Gerbers are out
there, it's just that I personally havn't seen any outside of the stores.

I also learned recently that the Leatherman is currently being issued to
SF weapons Sargents.

I will acknowledge that all the post-Leatherman tools *look* more impressive,
but for whatever reason, they aren't being carried much, at least in my experience.

Also, on a closing note, I have never had to try and cut anything that required
me to bear down so hard that the position of the handles ever hurt my hands
so I don't pay much attention to that complaint.

Leatherman FOREVER!!!

Greg

Knowledge is Courage