multitool | Military Times GearScout

AR Multitasker Series 2X announced

By: Rob Curtis

21-12-2011

The evolution of the AR Multitasker continues with the release of the Series 2X. It’s hard to choose my favorite new feature. It’s a toss-up between the new Glock punch tool and the updated plier head.

3/32″ punch (Glock tool) attachment CNCed from non-marring Aluminum-Bronze (Note: Tools ordered from Brownells will have the dental pick, not the Glock tool)
Stronger pliers with more aggressive teeth
New self lubricating, hybrid bearing
PVD/TiCN coating for added surface hardness and corrosion resistance
MSRP $149.95
Shipping to dealers Jan 1, 2012

The new punch tool replaces the dental pick on all tools except those bought from Brownells. They’ve chosen to stick with the dental pick. Let’s hope that Multitasker makes the Glock punch available as a separate accessory. I’m sure there are a lot of folks that would like to add that tool to their AR Multitasker. I bring my AR Multitasker to the range whether I’m shooting my AR or a my Glock, so that Glock tool is now one less thing to keep track of when packing my range bag. With the addition of the Glock punch, the last thing on my AR Multitasker wishlist is a 1/2″ wrench so I can remove or install non-QD optics.

Looking at the jaws of the Series 2X, it’s easy to see how much beefier they are than the Series 2. I’d say the bearing is about 30% bigger and the jaws feature a new combination pattern. The tip is a 1/4″ of micro serrations for delicate work with a serious 3/4″ section of sawtoothing that bites like a pitbull. The tenacious grip of the new head is useful for twisting, pulling, tearing and holding, but beware of using the sawtooth section on anything you don’t want to mar. The heavy serration pattern combined with new, harder TiCN coating will leave aluminum and copper surfaces looking like a Jack the Ripper crime scene.

I know I said I had only one more thing on my Multitasker wishlist, but I forgot how badly the included case blows. I call on the folks at Multitasker to either improve the carry pouch or just ditch it and drop the price by the $0.99 it costs to include that case.

Leatherman slims down for Glock

By: Rob Curtis

04-10-2011

Product Preview

What happens when you have millions of ARs owners and millions of Glock owners out there in the marketplace? Well, if you’re Leatherman, you please them both. Somebody at Leatherman must have been scratching their heads the same way a lot of you were when looking back and forth between the MUT’s onboard AR punch tool and that $8 Glock tool. Leatherman hasn’t confirmed the price, but I’m guessing it’ll be around $15. They are trying to get them ready for release at SHOT Show 2012.

Sneak peek at Emerson’s new EK-1 multitool

By: Rob Curtis

10-06-2011

Photo Recon, Product Preview

I arrived here in Atlanta for Blade Show and immediately got wind of Ernie Emerson’s new Ek-1 multitool. I got hands on with a prototype and have to say it’s going to be a beefy tool meant for tackling serious work. The design is a collaboration between Ernie Emerson and Multitasker Tools. I had a chance to catch up with Emerson and he told me the idea behind the tool is to make the toughest multitool out there.

“There’s a difference between tough and simply overbuilt,” said Emerson. He explained his leap into the multitool realm would bear the same hallmarks of durability, efficiency and elegance found in his knives. “We want our tool to work no matter if you’re cutting C-Wire on the battlefield or barbed wire on the ranch.”

I got hands-on with the tool and the first thing I noticed was the tool’s size. It’s large, but not bulky. The grips filled my hands, feeling far more like a real tool than a pocket tool. The big jaws are nicknamed “chompers” and are made from a block of billet tool steel for durability just like the AR Multitasker Series 2 jaws.

The prototype had two large blades, and 6 onboard tools that will likely be reduced to 4 in production to make the tool a little slimmer and more pocket-friendly. By production, the tool will also have G10 scales instead of the metal slabs seen in the photographs of the prototype. The tool is still in it’s early stages of development, so there will be more to come in the way of specs and pricing.

The release comes ahead of Emerson’s entry into the larger tactical gear market. He told me he’s poised to release a line of tactical nylon that includes everything from load bearing gear and holsters to a novel kettle bell made from nylon that folds flat for travel after the contents (lead shot, BBs, sand, water…) have been dumped. Look for rumors to give way to announcements over the summer and for an official release by Emerson at SHOT Show 2012.

PocketToolX WREX

By: Rob Curtis

31-03-2011

Product Announcement

PocketToolX, the makers of the Piranha pocket tool, is teasing us with the WREX. It’s an adjustable wrench pocket tool. And it’s pricey. $189. Ships in May, 2011.

6AL-4V Machined Titanium Body – 0.25” Thick
Trigger-Lock Adjustable Wrench – opens .100” (min) to .805”(max) to fit up to a ¾” or M12 nut
Jaw with attached ultrasharp Titanium coated blade (replaceable with standard hobby blade)
Wire stripping hole (up to 8 AWG)
TSA-Compliant (removable blade with included flat-headed driver)
¼” Hex bit driver with bit retaining o-ring
Overall Size (closed) 3.75” x 1.45”
82 grams (2.9 oz)
Coated double-ended driver bit (P2, #8)
Oxygen wrench profile
Bottle Opener
Glowing tracer lanyard

PocketToolX | Pocket Tools & Multi Tools | WREX.

Multitasker Super Tube; the Tube with less tube, more tools

By: Rob Curtis

19-01-2011

Product Announcement

Multitasker invited GearScout behind the curtain here at SHOT Show for a look at their latest creations. Chief among them is the update to the Tube. The SuperTube is about an inch shorter but manages to add on-board tool storage for three tools. The Tube had a single, Otis style threaded post that accepted a scraper, dental pick or pin punch tool. Now, all three can be stored onboard. Instead of screwing into a post on the tool’s interior, the tools now screw into a recess on the outside of the lower cap.

Next, they showed us the Ultralight Pro; an update to the Ultralight that contains a new knife blade, small scraper, pick, bit driver and a new, outside accessory slot on the one of the G10 handle scales.

Last, they pulled out a prototype of the Multitasker Series 3. It’s a big boy, containing at least 10 tools depending on how you count them. It’s got the familiar tools of the Series 2 but adds some features and changes. The muzzle wrench is new; as is the shape of the new knife blade. Multitasker put the blade release on the proper side for easier blade closing. They also changed the shape of the carbon scraper.

The SuperTube should hit in the late spring, while the Ultralight Pro and Series 3 will take final shape over the summer. If you have ideas for the tool updates, go to Facebook and post your suggestions to Multitasker’s wall.

Check out the MultitaSCAR.

By: Rob Curtis

29-12-2010

Photo Recon, Product Preview

In a recent conversation with the owner of Multitasker, he told me one of the greatest strengths of his design and manufacturing process is the ability to easily modify the on-board toolset of the AR Multitasker. Perhaps to prove that point, he lent us a prototype that he made to show a prospective customer. Meet the MultitaSCAR. The tool is based on the standard gen2 Multitasker, but has a few tool substitutions that accommodate USSOCOM’s 7.62 battle rifle, the MK17 SCAR-H.

Before anyone starts asking, it’s not in production. If Multitasker decides to bring this tool to market, you’ll read about it here.

The SCAR’s nooks and crannies are different than the M4. It actually comes with it’s own unique cleaning tool designed to clean the gas port and piston. It looks like a cross between a can opener and a skeleton key. The MultitaSCAR reproduces that tool, along with a large gas port reamer/punch tool and new bit driver. The bit driver was redesigned with both a T25, for barrel changes, and the front sight adjustment tool stored in the tool. Don’t worry, there’s still a 1/4″ bit driver under the cap. Keep in mind that the T25 is for hasty barrel swaps since you’d really want to have a torque wrench handy to do it right.

Pulling the rifle apart and cleaning it with the MultitaSCAR was simple. The hardest part of the operation is getting the piston out. After some head scratching, I ended up using the dental pick. The tip just reached through the hand guard ports. I pushed the back just enough so I could get the head past the topside vent hole. Then it was just a matter of using the pick’s tip to get behind the piston shoulder to push it the rest of the way out. It was fairly painless and shows you can do anything you’d need to in the field with just the one tool.

MUT vs. Multitasker Series2 Photo Recon

By: Rob Curtis

24-11-2010

Photo Recon

We shot so many photos for the MUT vs. Multitasker faceoff that they nearly stand alone as a lightening review. So, if you don’t want to read the whole review, you can skim through all the photos and get the Cliffnotes from the captions. Just click on the first one and scroll through them like a slideshow.

Tool fight! Leatherman MUT vs. Multitasker Series 2

By: Rob Curtis

23-11-2010

Photo Recon, Review

It seems hard to fathom, but with all the multitools in the hands of service members, no one designed one specifically for the rifleman. Gerber, SOG, Leatherman… each sailed along passing right by this huge gap in the market.

Upstart company Multitasker Tools presaged the category and brought the original gun multitool to market in 2009. The AR Multiasker was a hit in the black gun community. It gained a cult following and, predictably, attracted the attention of the multitool establishment.

Predictably, the category has begun to grow with the release of the Leatherman’s MUT. In stores this month, the tool has features like a bolt override tool, bronze carbon scraper, and a pin punch. These features put it in the arena with Multitasker’s gun tool lineup which includes their full size AR Multitasker, the smaller Ultralight and their previously reviewed Tube.

Both being tools based around the gun toting end user, it’s easy to mistake the tools for competitors. But, looking closely at each brings an obvious distinction. The AR Multitasker Series 2 is a great tool for the “gun guy” while the MUT strikes the perfect balance between field and weapon maintenance tool for battlefield service.

As Leatherman was working on it’s MUT, Multitasker Tools was perfecting the design of it’s updated AR Multitasker, the Series 2. GearScout has had a chance to use and pass around prototypes of both brand new tools for the past few months. Both tools were abused by 0311 and 11 bravos in Afghanistan. Combining downrange insight with our own use and observation, we bring you the tale of two tools; The AR Multitasker Series 2 vs. the Leatherman M.U.T..

Read on…

Leatherman unveils EOD version of Supertool 300

By: Rob Curtis

25-10-2010

Product Announcement

Leatherman showed us the new Supertool 300 EOD. It’s similar to the original Supertool 300 but has a few new tricks up its handle. It has an spike for setting fuses, much beefier cap crimpers and a redesigned saw blade holder that will now take just about any tmount jigsaw blade without wiggling. They’ve priced the tool at a reasonable MSRP $89 and it should be available by the time you read this.

MultiTasker Tube – meet the wonderfully slim black gun tool

By: Rob Curtis

17-09-2010

Photo Recon, Product Announcement

Franklin, the Santa Clause of the Army Times, just pulled stopped his the Rubbermaid sleighcart to drop off the latest MultiTasker creation, the Tube. Check out the photos below for a down-n-dirty read on the cool little tool. We were lucky enough to get a tan version that MultiTasker is thinking of putting out. Other than the color, the Tube and expansion kit that we’ll show you is the production version you’ll be able to get for about $65 MSRP ($45 for the tube, plus $20 for the case and drivers). All the specs arein the photo captions, but we’ll let you know exactly where and when you can get your hands on one of these as soon as we find out.

Update: We’ve heard from MultiTasker that the NRA store has the Tube with expansion kit up for $55. Brownells will also have the Tube in stock shortly.