Custom multitool, anyone?

B

barnaby

Joined
Jan 5, 1999
Messages
78
I want a custom multitool. Leatherman Wave and Victorinox Swiss Tool are nice, but they are not MY ideal multitool. I want something smaller, lighter, with MY combination of blades. Most important of all, I want better steel. 440C or better, or even different steel for different blade (the right tool for the right job). Of course with proper heat treatment optimized for each tool.

Sounds strange? I can't imagine I'm the only one.
 
Sound interesting. But, there is alot of engineering and machinery required to produce some of these, and I don't think we are likely to see any produced on a custom basis for anywhere near the price we would expect on a "using knife/tool." Besides there are so many cheap economical alternatives on the market that most of us can find one or two that easily meet our requirements.
 
Good idea.....but I have to agree with not2.
BUT, would it be feasible for manufacturers to offer upmarket models with higher grade materials?
Of course, we wouldn't be able to afford them in Aus....a LM Wave costs around $200 here already. Thats about the cost of 170 VB beers ...Nearly three weeks' supply
wink.gif


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BrianWE

If I am a Figment of Your Imagination....Stop It, PLEASE!
 
I would love to See a custom multi. I shopped for months on line comparing one to another and settled on a victronix. I would just like to see a leatherman with swapable tools. I cant see it being that hard to pull off and I would easily pay a little extra for the privage of picking my own blades. I wanted sissors have very little use for an awl reamer.I think I would have liked the leatherman bit adapter more than the bit wrench that comes with the Swiss tool. I hope that someone comes out with replaceble customizable blades. I hope its leatherman !


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ALex

http://home.att.net./~a.boriqua
 
The closest you'll get to a custom multi tool is byo.gerberblades.com . They let you design your own multi tool based on color, type of jaws, which tiool combonations go into the handles, type of sheath, tool kit to go with it.
Having a custom maker build you one sounds neat. But do you realize how much that would cost? They would require the same amount of precision as a custom folder but in 100 more places. Also you'd have to find a custom maker with access to more machining tools than the normal milling machine, lathe, etc. They would also need a brake for folding sheet metal, a source for the stainless you want in sheets ( I've never seen 440c in anything but barstock)and more. I'm guessing that would put the cost at over $1000 when you consider that most custom folders are 5 or 6 hundred anyhow.

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Fix it right the first time, use Baling Wire !
 
Do a bit of searching in the old stuff on here and you'll find a thread that took place some time ago about replacing the blade on a Leatherman. There was a website with step-by-step instructions, etc. All you need is another blade from another knife that is the right length and the steel you want (they had several suggestions), and a bit of grinding.

Leatherman does not normally do customs, but they once did one for me with the punch replaced with a T20 Torx driver that enabled to me win a bet that I couldn't take a certain item apart with just a Leatherman.



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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
 
Hello,

I dont think a Custom version would have anything over what already is being done as far as tools supplied goes, maybe steel selection might differ,but like stated you could probably buy a case lot,,at the price a custom would cost you.

my .02

Take care,
Allen Blade
 
An In Focus LitePro 720 video projector.

It uses Philips screws for most everything, but the two main screws that hold the case together are T20.

Of course, I handled my Leatherman in my Trademark-style
http://www.4cs.net/~gollnick/images/VIDEO000.avi



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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
 
Look inside your PC/Mac, the PCI connector is STANDARD, you can buy ANY PCI card out there and should be able to physically plug it in without any problem. Whether it will work is another question, but the physical and electrical connection is well defined. There are many factory/custom folders out there that allow you to take apart the knives. If you can define a few classes of blades (like screw driver, knife/saw) with well defined shape (at the pivot end) and thickness, you should be able to swap different blades easily, thereby cutting down manufacturing cost.

When I say custom, I don't mean I want a blade master to build the multitool from scratch with his hand for me. All I want is to be able to specify my blade combination and steel, just like Randall's Knife.

[This message has been edited by barnaby (edited 01-09-2000).]
 
OK,

My favorite UPT.multi-tool is my Victorinox Swiss Tool.

I want a multi-tool without a knife.....

Why, because I have a ton of knives on me......

And I could replace those knives with all sorts of cool gadgets.....

But, if I have to take a knife,.... keep your stupid serrated blade and give me a small blade, the classic Victorinox small blade, yessssssssssssssss.

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Marion David Poff aka Eye mdpoff@hotmail.com
Coeur D'Alene, ID
http://www.geocities.com/mdpoff

An interesting business oppurtunity... http://www.geocities.com/selouss

"We will either find a way, or make one." Hannibal, 210 B.C.
 
Marion David Poff,
Go to byo.gerberblades.com . They let you pick the tools that go into it, and you do NOT have to have a knife blade in the combonation.The gerber is a very dependable tool also. I had the original and beat the hell out of it for 4 years, I did whatever I wanted with it including using it as a crowbar and could not break it. Now I have the 600 series that you can get on that site. It is also a very solid tool. You can get it with either a tool kit for it or a small flashlight. Both fit in the sheath for the pliars.

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Fix it right the first time, use Baling Wire !
 
The BYO Gerber is in the right direction but does not go far enough. I want to pick my own blade combination, that means picking every single blade myself, and not just to pick from a few pre-selected sets.

On top of that I want to select the right steel. Sure it will be a limited market, but if there is a market for $200K+ sport cars, there should also be a market for this custom multitool.
 
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