black oxide finish |
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Knifeless Fuse |
Jaws
- The Fuse, along with all of the other new Leathermans introduced in 2004, came equipped with a new design plier head. It has an elliptical pivot area that is stronger than previous Leatherman tools.
- Also has a generous wire cutting area, along with a hard wire cutting notch.
Handles/Frame
- Along with the Kick and Blast, the Fuse was the first tool from Leatherman to feature contoured Zytel plastic inserts for a more comfortable grip. It can be assumed that the plastic inserts add somewhat to the sturdiness also, as the thickness of the stainless steel handle material has been reduced somewhat from previous models.
- An inch scale is stamped onto one side of the Fuse, a metric scale on the other.
Blades and Tools
- plain edge knife blade, clip point profile. Measures 3" long (76mm)
- medium flathead screwdriver
- small flathead screwdriver
- lanyard ring
- square shank phillips screwdriver
- combination wire stripper/can opener/cap lifter
- scissors (Note that this was a new style of scissors for Leatherman, different from those previous. The same style can also be found on the Blast, New Wave, Charge series, and Knifeless Rebar multitools)
Locking Mechanism
- All blades lock open, by means of a sturdy toggle lock in each handle. Spring return for the toggle locks are accomplished by contoured tabs in the handle material itself, so no separate spring component is needed.
- Toggle lock release levers were improved in 2009. They were given a T-shape, with larger/stronger pivot pins. Cutouts in the handle were enlarged to allow the locks to be easier to press.
Sheath
- Two options existed for included sheaths:
- Pancake style nylon affair with velcro closure (pictured at the top of this page)
- Rectangular pouch, with a snap closure, made from leather-like substance.
Dimensions
- Folded length = 4" (102mm)
- Unfolded length = 6-1/4" (159mm)
- Thickness = 11/16" (17.5mm)
- Weight = 5.9 oz (167g)
Variations
- Along with the standard stainless version, the Fuse can also be found as follows:
- Black oxide finish
- Stainless finish, cap crimper jaws
- Black oxide finish, cap crimper jaws
- Orange cerakoated handles, with stainless steel tools and pliers. This variation is relatively uncommon.
- There is also a camouflage version of the Fuse with a stainless steel plier head.
- In 2006 Leatherman made the Knifeless Fuse a regular catalog item. It substituted a three-sided file for the locking knife blade, and was intended to be more suitable for air travel and such.
- Beginning in 2009, the Fuse and the Blast were improved with T-shaped lock release levers and larger cutouts in the handles to accomodate them.
History
- Introduced in 2004. Made in USA. Discontinued in 2012
Related Tools
- The Leatherman Kick, Blast and Core are all related due to the Zytel inserts and similar toolsets. The New Wave and Charge also has the same plier head. The Pulse as well as the New Wave, Blast and Charge also share the same scissor design with the Fuse. Also with the knurled screw fasteners on it that makes it related to the PST, PST II, Super Tool, Super Tool 200, Super Tool 300, Flair, Pulse, Mini-Tool, Rebar and even the Micra.
More Info
- Fuse owner's manual
- Fuse Review at Multitool.org
- Kick, Fuse, Blast & Core Owners group club.- in the Multitool.org forums
- Differences between fuse models or 2008/09 models?- in the Multitool.org forums
- Fuse (Knifeless)at Leatherman Website
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