The first item we will review is the Smith & Weston M&P tactical pen.

A tactical pen is an example of a non-firearm weapon. This item is a pen on the inside:
However, during our review we found that it does not make the greatest pen. We would not use it
as a daily writing utensil, which is what it is designed for. Specifically, the twist-off cap has a
tendency to twist itself off. In addition, snapping the pen cover on and off is difficult.

The pen is well built, though, and could be used as a stabbing weapon in a survival situation.

If you are looking for an item that can be used as a weapon in a pinch and distantly resembles a
writing instrument you could consider the Smith & Wesson M&P tactical pen. However, we were
not thoroughly impressed with it. In a survival situation where this pen is the only weapon you
have, it would be better than nothing. However, it would not be our first choice.
The next item we will review is a StatGear tactical triage & auto rescue tool.

This combination style rescue tool is very popular. It cost us about $36 and comes in a nice,
heavy duty case with a belt loop on the back.

We are normally fans of auto rescue tools and believe everyone should carry one in his or her
vehicle. The auto rescue tool has several features that are useful in a survival situation. It has
a knife with a nice lock blade.
On the other end it has a seatbelt cutter. This can be used to cut the seatbelt in a vehicle or to
cut clothing in a triage situation.

The auto rescue tool also has a 5 lumen LED flashlight built into the handle.

On the other end it has a spring loaded glass breaker. To use it, simply press the glass
breaker against glass and push. The tool releases a small piece of steel that can break glass.
The tool feels very solid when using this feature.

Our overall assessment of the StatGear tactical triage & auto rescue tool is that it tries hard
to do too many things. Compared to the Smith & Wesson Bordergard we feel that the seatbelt
cutter could be exposed as opposed to a tool that needs to be folded out. If we were suspend-
ed upside down in a vehicle we are unsure if we would have the dexterity to fold the seatbelt
cutter out. The overall feel of the tool is pretty solid if not a bit too bulky. The case is nice
although we are not sure we would wear it around on a belt.

For the price it is not bad. If you do not already have an auto rescue tool and this was your
only option we could recommend it. However, we cannot fully recommend it when compared to
other tools on the market.

The next tool we will review is a Swedish FireSteel ferrocerium rod.

The rod worked great but it does take some time to perfect the technique of using it. It consists
of a plastic handle, a ferrocerium rod, and a striker.

Using this tool is fairly intuitive. Just strike the striker against the rod to create a spark.
We really liked this tool. When using this type of rod, however, you would want to bunch your
kindling over the top of the rod before striking it. The rod gives off large sparks but if you do not
have your kindling over the rod, the sparks will fly off instead of lighting it on fire.

The final item we will review is the Leatherman Mutt multitool.

The Leatherman Mutt is a firearms based multitool. This is important to remember when using
the tool. The pouch of the tool is very nice and solid. The tool itself is very robustly built.
This tool was approximately $160. Despite its build this is a lot of money for one tool. It does
have several features but we are not fully convinced that we need a tool like this.

The bottom of the tool contains a hammer. This is very solid in use.

Just below the hammer is a bottle opener.

The back end of the hammer is a ‘bolt hold-open’ tool for an AR style rifle. This is a nice
feature. The back of the hammer also has a seatbelt cutter built in.
The tool opens into pliers. The pliers are the type you would expect from a Leatherman. They
are fantastic. They are very sold and have removable cutter blades. This is a great feature.

The side of the Mutt contains a saw that can lock open. We really like this feature as well.

The Mutt also has a lock blade knife.

There is a screwdriver bit on the side of the tool. This bit fits into the opening at the end of the
handle to create a screwdriver. However, we found that the handle digs into our hands when
using this feature. We would not recommend using it unless necessary because of this.

On the other side the Mutt has a bronze scraping tool. This is used to scrape the inside of a
bolt carrier. This is a nice feature because bronze will not mar the bolt carrier. This is also a
replaceable feature.

Next, there is a punch tool. This will take out the pins of an AR style rifle. It will also unscrew
and will accept an optional cleaning rod. This is also a very nice feature.
On the inside of the tool there are more bits for the screwdriver. These are not very easy to
extract. We had to use our tactical pen to extract them. This contains a hex head on one side
and a flat head and Philip’s head on the other side of the tool.

To the side there is a heavy duty belt loop.

Finally, there is a locking mechanism that locks the tool closed.

The above is only about half of what the Leatherman Mutt can do. You need to read the manu-
al to fully understand the extent of features on the tool. Every slot, cavity, and protrusion has a
purpose.
Overall, for $160 the tool is not bad if not a bit expensive. If you really want a multitool the
Leatherman Mutt is the superlative of all multitools. Every item is replaceable and, in this re-
gard, we really like the tool. Is the tool worth the price? This is something you need to decide
as you are buying into a system and not just a tool, as you may be with other multitools.