Best self-defence multitool?

O

Ossi

Joined
Feb 28, 1999
Messages
62
If you were limited to multitools for self-defence, which would you choose carry? That actually is the reality in some parts of the world like here in Finland; carrying edged weapons is prohibited (no blade limit, all prohibited) without a proper cause (for example work, not self-defence). No Swiss Army knives please: they are knives, not tools. In practice police accepts multitools and does not sanction them as "edged weapons", and carrying multitools is quite popular here. So what would be your choice if multitools were your only legal possibility for carry knife?

Ossi
 
Might I humble suggest the Leatherman Micra?

I have developed a Self Defense System based up this lethal instrument after spending hundres of seconds in almost intense study.

The information is free to all if you go to:
The Deadly, Scary Leatherman Micra Page

Use that knowledge only for good, please.

If you feel that the Micra is much too devasting a weapon, I would suggest the Leatherman Wave.
The Wave has 2 blades that can be opened and closed one handed, and both lock into place.

Happy to Help,
I remain,
Vampire Gerbil

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Vampire Gerbil: Nosferatus Rodentus Moderatus; similar to a domestic gerbil, except for the odd accent and little black cape.


 
The Leatherman Wave, the SpydeRench, and (I think) that Kershaw with the locking pliers all have one-hand locking blades. The Kershaw would probably be the best impact weapon of the bunch, and the SpydeRench has the most serious steel.

There probably are not many jurisdictions where it would be a good idea to tell a police officer that you are carrying any knife "for protection."
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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001


[This message has been edited by James Mattis (edited 28 November 1999).]
 
While some here may think the use of a multitool as a weapon is a humorous idea, I've given it a lot of thought.

Inasmuchas I carry my Leatherman PST most all of the time, I've actually given a lot of thought to this question and to just how one might use a PST as a weapon.

Deploying the knife blade is quite unlikely. For this reason, the PST fits the original poster's needs perfectly. It would be difficult for anyone to reasonably claim that the PST is an edged weapon. This also means that you really can't plan on using it as an edged weapon.

However, it's fairly heavy and yet easily held in your fist, so it's a great punch weight.

It's made of stainless steel and has lots of "sharp" edges (not in the sense that we usually mean sharp edge around here, but rather edges that don't have nice, soft curves. As an impact weapon, it's be dandy.

If you can get the pliers unfolded with one hand quickly, they'd be a great impact and slashing weapon. If you can get them open quickly with one hand, that is. I can.
http://www.4cs.net/~gollnick/images/VIDEO000.avi

Of course, there's also the possibility of pinching with the pliers, but since they don't have a spring to open them, opening them requires relaxing your grip and it's possible to drop the weapon... I mean tool.

Some of the best targets to go after are the kidneys, the biceps, under the arm pits, the Adam's Apple (just above the boney V where your neck meets your chest), and, of course the face and especially the eyes.



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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.4cs.net/~gollnick
 
Hi Ossi,

I agree with James. The Wave and the SpydeRench are probably the best out there.

Later,
John

P.S. Hey Chuck, everytime I read your closer I get that song in my head!

[This message has been edited by automantic (edited 28 November 1999).]
 
The KERSHAW, bar none.

At one end you've got a decent little linerlock blade with better-than-average lockup. At the other, the plier jaws are fixed in place because of the design, so they're an unparalleled "smashing implement".

Finally, the overall body of the piece even with the blade closed is long enough for "kubaton" moves, including finger-lock control stuff and other "pain compliance" moves. So far as I can tell it's the only one long enough to reliably do these drills.

Take a class on the Kubaton if at all possible, or at least get a book or video.

The Kershaw is without peer as a tactical multitool.

Jim
 
Leatherman Super Tool. I successfully defended myself with the snap on its leather sheath. It went "pop" and my assailant backed off. The ripping sound you get with any other velcro fastener wouldn't have had the same effect, IMHO.

If the snap ploy hadn't worked, my next move would have been to use the ST as a striking weapon and probably would have had my ass whupped by my opponent's bicycle chain.

The ST has a nice heft and enough sticking out either side of your fist to make contact.
However, if you have to use any multi tool for defense, it is best against an unarmed foe because almost anything else will trump it.
 
I'm not a big believer in kubotans, generally. I personally would fight better with nothing in my hands. I also think the rinky-dink locks on most multitool blades aren't enough to inspire confidence in a defense situation. And lastly, as a fistload, I worry about the irregular shape causing stresses on impact and breaking my own fingers. As a result, I'm a bit sceptical about using my multitool as a self-defense tool!

However, were I to be forced to choose one tool for defense, I'd go with the Kershaw, as Jim suggests. The heft and the pliers sticking out on the end would make a pretty scary impact weapon, even for a non-believer like myself.

If the Spyderco tool's lock on the blade is acceptably strong, I'd consider looking at that too.

Joe
 
I was thinking along the lines of using the multi-tool as a fist loader and having a pointed end to use as a skull crusher. Can't remember which knife it was that had a pommel designed for similar purposes.

Anyway, for this, I would suggest one of the Gerber Multi-pliers with a needle nose pliers. It can be deployed with one hand by snapping the wrist forward. It locks open but the handles are pretty much closed together, unlike the Leatherman Wave, whose handles stay a slight angle apart when the pliers are opened.
 
Due to the fact that you aren't supposed to have a knife, I would rule out the leatherman wave and any others that have one handed blades. I would go with a Gerber 600 series multi tool. The pliars open with a flick of the wrist and have a very solid lock.Just get the needle nose model and then take a grinder and make them really needle nosed.I carry a gerber daily and have found it to be a really great tool.Also, I have found that is very easy to open either blade on a Gerber one handed it just takes a litle longer than the others where you just flick it open. Its held up to a lot of abuse too. After all if your going to carry one you might as well have one that you can use.Thats just my opinion, I haven't ever used a leatherman wave or any of the others. I'm definately not calling them bad.

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Fix it right the first time, use Baling Wire !
 
No, not the Gerbers! If you squeeze 'em tight you're liable to trip the jaw release and on impact it'll slide, lessening the blow and hurting your hand as much as anything you hit. You can use a Gerber as a handload just fine, so long as it's CLOSED.

The Kershaw jaws are fixed open and can't collapse.

Jim
 
Did anyone else's grandfather leave them an old leather sap filled with buckshot along with his knives? I think it was just thrown in by my uncle, but it must be at least sixty years old and has the USN sheild embossed on it.

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA


 
I have not just thought about using my PST as a punch weight, I've hit the heavy bag many times with it in my hand with no trouble.

I generally find that those who have no faith in impact weapons such as kubotans have no training and experience with them. But, an actual kubotan is a purpose-built weapon and may have legal implications. So, I prefer to think about using other things I may be carrying. After the fact, you can say, "When he attacked me, I paniced. I grabbed the first thing that came to my hand, my keys, and I just started hitting. I guess it worked pretty well. Who'd have thought you could kill a man with a set of car keys?" But, if the weapon was a purpose-built kubotan that you were deliberately carrying, the situation might look different.

This is why I like the idea of a PST as a weapon. It's not a purpose-built weapon. The trick is to think about and practice how you might use it (or any other object you regularly carry) ahead of time.



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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.4cs.net/~gollnick
 
I must be the last one to see Vampire Gerbil's Micra site. I havn't laughed that hard since I read that haiku about the UPS man!
 
I thought Finland was a knife culture. Guess it just goes to show how insanity spreads among politicians everywhere. England, once the lion of the world, is now a nation of sheep. That still didn't stop a nut case from hacking a dozen people with a sword the other weekend. Whatever happened to common sense?
 
Alberta Ed, you are right that Finland has been and largely still is a knife culture. In rural areas many men still carry knives openly in their belts. A beautiful puukko is also a popular gift (but mostly just for males), and also an item puchased colectively for members of a group, for example a hunting club or a class of Reserve Officer School. Also, the sad side of familiarity with knives is that a knife is here the most common homicide weapon, not gun.

But our Law of Edged Weapons prohibits carrying edged weapons without a proper reason. In practice that is not applied strictly in rural areas, but don't try walking around in Helsinki or other cities with a knife openly in belt. There police takes that law very seriously.

Ossi
 
VG,
You should charge for that stuff! ROFLMAO!!!!

I don't know if this is a multitool but my 24" Crescent wrench is a pretty good weapon. It will take the nuts off 'bout anything.
smile.gif


I roamed Finland for a couple of months with a pocket full of knives. I didn't realize that it was illegal. This in a land where silencers are legal and they have the highest per capita gun ownership in the world!

Tell me again: is carrying a swiss army knife illegal?



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Hoodoo

When you arrive at the fork in the road, take it.
Yogi Berra
 
Well, although every Truss-Monkey I've ever worked with recognizes it as "The wrong tool for every job," my vote would go for the Gerber Multiplier.

If you can muster enough bravado to flip the pliers open, the audible "click" of them locking into place might just be enough to psyche-out your opponent into believing that you, like they (presumably) have broken the no-carry law, and are wielding a front-opening auto. This depends, of course, in large part upon your ability to keep the bloody thing in motion so they don't get a good look at it.

Not a great chance, but hey, if you get into a confrontation with a multitool, you're in a bad way, anyway, and sometimes the silliest darn things will work, neh?

And, if they should cop to the bluff, you can give them a nasty nipple-twisting!!!!



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One little nuclear holocaust can REALLY hose your bowling average...
 
Hoodoo, it really is true that carrying knives here in Finland is prohibited without a "proper reason" in "public places", and a Swiss Army knife is no exception. A proper reason can be work, camping, hunting etc, but for example if someone tells that kind of reasons when drinking beer in a restaurant (and has a knife) it is sure he will not be believed. If you are caught you risk to be fined and knife(s) you carried to be confiscated. According to our law a short jail sentence is possible, but only in theory if carrying a knife is your only crime (without using it to criminal activity). If you carry a stiletto, bayonet, dagger etc you probably get a bigger fine because these are "specially dangerous edged weapons" here.

You are right, we have a lot of guns to the population, about 2.5 millions for 5 million people, but I think that is quite near to the USA figures, and I have read somewhere that at least Norwegians have more guns compared to population than we Finns do. For guns you also need a "preper reason" to carry one, and armed self-defence is not one (except for those who need it in work duties). Here, like in most European countries, all guns except airguns need a licence, but accessories like silencers, 100 round drums etc are free to buy (but of course useless without a gun).

Of course it is possible that people carry things that are illegal to carry, here as well as in the USA. But I think one should always avoid beaking the law, if possible.

BTW, nice you visited Finland. Did you have a nice time here?

Ossi
 
Ossi,

My vistit to Finland was a kind of spur of the moment thing. We had a visiting scientist from Finland in our lab doing some research and he invited me over (and gave me a fair amount of cash to boot) to do some research with him.

So I came to Finland with virtually no preconceptions. I had no idea what to expect. The result was that I was overwhelmed. It was exciting every minute of the day I was there. I was able to benefit from the network of friends belonging to my employer in the states. His friends became mine (I had already made friends with some of them in the states.) and I got an incredibly royal treatment. It was an experience I don't think I will ever forget and I hope to return soon.

You have a wonderful country! I absolutely love the place.



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Hoodoo

When you arrive at the fork in the road, take it.
Yogi Berra
 
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