Fuse

with sheath 2004 saw a major reshuffling of Leatherman's multitool lineup. Gone were the traditional PST, PST II, and SideClip. In their place were the new Kick, Fuse, and Blast. Zytel plastic inserts for a more comfortable grip and a plier head re-engineered to be stronger are the most notable changes. The Fuse model has features that position it in the center of this group.



Fuse
black oxide finish
Leatherman Fuse, file instead of knife.jpg
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

More Info

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Created by Bob. Last Modification: Tuesday 31 of May, 2016 06:38:27 CEST by Poncho65.

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