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Those who know us know that we love multitools. Especially multitools from Leatherman, the grand-daddy of multitools. However, the Leatherman Raptor is a little different from the usual Leatherman products that we are familiar with. It is a special tool that is designed for emergency response. Let us just say that if you have an emergency situation, in many scenarios, this is the one tool that you want to have with you.

Unlike the usual Leatherman tool, the Leatherman Raptor does not have a at least a dozen different tools crammed into a single tool. It only has 6. However these are carefully selected tools that will definitely come in handy in many emergency situations.

The first and most important tool is of course the shears. These shears can cut through almost anything. It can cut a quarter into half. Needless to say, these shears can easily chomp through everything else from tough fabrics to steel wires to metal sheets.

Next is the strap cutter. This can be used to quickly slice through a seat belt, the clothes of a victim to expose an injured area or all kinds of cords like cable tie or paracord. The tool location is conviniently placed so that you can have a good grip while holding the tool for slicing.

Another interesting tool is the ring cutter. There may be situations where a ring has to be removed due to swelling of a finger. Again, this is a formidable task for most tools but with the Leatherman Raptor, it is almost as simple as cutting through paper. That actually sounds pretty scary.

The next tool is actually quite common nowadays. It is the glass breaker tool. It is basically a sharp carbide spike placed at the end of one of the shear handle. To use, just grasp the other end of the tool and smash it against a glass window.

The 2 remaining tools do feel a little more tacked-on than the rest we admit. The first is an oxygen tank wrench. Such tanks are quite rare nowadays unless you are a paramedic. We guess it is more of a nice to have rather than an essential emergency tool.

Lastly is the ruler. We can’t really think of an emergency situation where a precise measurement is required using a ruler. This is by far the least useful in our opinion.

Of course, a Leatherman tool wouldn’t be a Leatherman tool if all it is is a pair of shears with a few other add-on functions. True to Leatherman function, these shears fold up to about half size. Considering its cutting power, the amount of space the shears take up in folded form is deceivingly tiny. The included case lets you store the shears in both folded or unfolded form. That is actually quite a thoughtful feature.

As you can tell from above, the Leatherman Raptor has a very specific target user. It is primarily targeted at those who are involved in emergency response on a daily basis. It can also be a very useful tool for those involved in activities that can get you into a tricky situation.

We won’t recommend it as an add-on to your Everyday Carry (EDC) but it is a good to have tool. Perhaps something to keep in your vehicle glove compartment, a first-aid box or a tool box.
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