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On the heels of our Toolbox column on knives and multitools comes news of a new tool in the Leatherman family, the Knifeless Fuse. The tool is marketed for “knife-prohibitive situations” and has everything you’d expect on a similar multitool (needlenose/regular pliers, two wire cutters, wire stripper, small/large/Phillips screwdrivers, scissors, file, can/bottle opener, 8″ ruler) except for a blade. But as Steven Leckart says on BB Gadgets: “…The thing’s still potentially-lethal and probably won’t get through TSA. So really, I don’t get it.” We don’t either.
Leatherman Fuse [via Toolmonger]
12 thoughts on “Is the Leatherman Fuse a dud?”
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Maybe it would be useful in schools and other areas with a “zero tolerance” policy. Would make a great gift for nieces and nephews whose nervous-nelly Mom (aka your sister-in-law) thinks they’re sure to cut off their own heads if exposed to anything sharper than a butter knife. :)
yah, when I read ‘knife-prohibitive situations’ I was thinking more along the lines of those who might work in secure government buildings (like court houses) but schools are another good example, that said if I worked in such a building I’d be more likely to buy a normal fuse and just leave it in my car
Maybe this is geared towards the UK market?
I don’t think the knife on a leatherman was over 3 inches, but I don’t own one to check…
“It is an offence for any person, without lawful authority or good reason, to have with him in a public place, any article which has a blade or is sharply pointed except for a folding pocket-knife which has a cutting edge to its blade not exceeding 3 inches.” [CJA 1988 section 139(1)]
this would also probably make it legal to carry for those under 18.
“It is an offence for any person to sell to a person under the age of 18 any knife, knife blade, razor blade, axe or any other article which has a blade or is sharply pointed and which is made or adapted for causing injury to the person.” [CJA 1988 section 141A]
You aren’t allowed to carry any knife with a locking blade or one with a blade length greater than 3 inches unless you can justify carrying it. I used to always carry my Leatherman Charge which has a locking blade of almost exactly 3 inches (it’s ever so slightly shorter) until I was very nearly arrested for carrying it (I could justify it on this occasion).
It annoys the hell out of me that I can’t carry such a useful tool with me wherever I go so I would definitely look at getting one of these to carry everyday, it’s a shame that this is a Wave rather than a Charge though!
This tool would certainly be much more in-line with my company’s official security policies, although other models of Leatherman seems to receive informal exceptions in practice.
The scissors still flunk TSA, so far as I recall. (your mileage may vary.)
Unless they’ve changed the ruling, even a phillips screwdriver is banned on flights because it can be used to do nefarious things like… I don’t know… unscrewing the wings.
I agree that this tool isn’t designed to be flight-friendly in the least. It’s more useful for folks who want a multi-tool at work or school where knives are banned.
This would probably pass off as ok in most schools around here where as knife included version would not. I doubt they were making this with any intention of getting around TSA. -N
No Leatherman of any kind is getting into the cabin of a US airplane except by accident (as mine has on the few occasions I forgot it was on my keychain). I had an airport security guy tell me I couldn’t take a wooden serving platter(a gift)into the cabin because it could be used as a club. It was a fairly hefty lump of hardwood (about two foot long, a half foot wide and half inch thick), but it was wrapped in bubble-wrap and not a very useful weapon. I suggested that if I was capable of taking over a plane using a serving platter, I could probably do it without one, but I didn’t receive a sympathetic hearing.
Many, many workplaces have insane weapon policies these days.
Of my last five employers, four had a formal written policy banning ‘weapons of any kind’ and one was a secure facility that banned nearly everything from coming in.
That’s not to say I stopped carrying a knife or Leatherman; All of the jobs were in a role where I needed tools from time to time. They were all smart enough to have a ‘tools of the trade’ provision in their policy, but to comply could be a headache.
One place had me submit an ‘exhaustive written description of all ‘dangerous’ tools I could possibly be using/carrying’ to HR. Another flipped out when I bought power loads for the company-owned fastener gun. I made the mistake of submitting the receipt for reimbursement, and they wanted to know what exactly a ‘Remington #927xxxx’ was.
But what if you happen to be in sales, or software engineering, with no reason to carry a ‘dangerous weapon’? Well, you can now grab a Fuze instead and save yourself the hassle of dealing with red tape.
Here in Norway, carrying a standard leatherman in public is illegal. There are some hunters versions out there that can be used (really short blades), but they usually don’t have pliers….
This is nice if you already carry a nice EDC folding knife. Why carry redundant stuff? I like to use a dedicated knife, and I also like to carry a multitool. It would be great to carry a multitool that doesn’t have a knife that I would basically never use.