What Does EOD Mean For Leatherman Multitools?

While many tools advertise their uses on the box, sometimes companies pick odd names. Just look at the catalog of Leatherman camping multitools. You'd assume the Signal includes a flare gun or something similar. Yet the multitool has a ferro rod to start fires, but no flares. By that same token, some people might shop for Leatherman tools wondering what an "EOD" is. It's just a not-so-fancy way of saying army personnel use them to make battlefields safer.

The term "EOD" is little more than an acronym that stands for "Explosives Ordinance Disposal," sort of like how "IED" stands for "Improvised Explosive Device." However, an "EOD" label only means that the multitool was designed with bomb squads in mind. Even though you can easily purchase one through the Leatherman website — such as the MUT EOD, which costs $229.95 — owning one doesn't immediately make you a bomb disposal expert.

So what sets a Leatherman EOD multitool apart from the rest of the company's catalog? Well, they aren't more expensive, and while EOD tools are certainly heavy and seemingly built to withstand a ton of abuse, they aren't heavier than similar Leatherman products. Instead, it comes down to loadouts.

The MUT EOD, for instance, shares many tools with the standard MUT multitool, including needlenose pliers, a saw, a combo knife (a knife with an edge divided into straight and serrated sections), and a hammer. However, the MUT EOD includes unique attachments such as fuse wire cutters (which cut wires without producing sparks) and a C4 Punch (which punches holes into plastic explosives). This specialization comes at a cost, however: the MUT EOD only includes 15 tools, whereas the vanilla MUT boasts 16 attachments.

While Leatherman's MUT EOD is a variant of the standard MUT (which is currently sold out), the MUT EOD isn't Leatherman's only EOD offering. Aside from the MUT EOD, the Super Tool 300 EOD is Leatherman's only other dedicated EOD multitool.

As its name suggests, this product is a variant of the Super Tool 300 — one of the best Leatherman multitools for gardening, we might add. Like the MUT EOD, the Super Tool 300 EOD trades out certain attachments for instruments you might find in a bomb disposal unit's toolbox, such as a specialized t-shank metal saw. Don't worry, the Super Tool 300 EOD still has the awl tool you can find on the regular Leatherman Super Tool 300.

Even though Leatherman's catalog of EOD multitools only consists of two products, the company also offers EOD attachments, such as a wire cutter kit and that C4 punch. These aren't standalone tools, however; they are primarily designed to replace the specialized instruments that come with EOD multitools, as they wear out with regular use.

Then there's the MUT EOD Accessory Kit, which can either serve as an inventory of replacement tools or retrofit a standard MUT into a MUT EOD. And yes, Leatherman sells a MUT Accessory Kit that can replace broken MUT tools or turn a MUT EOD into a regular MUT.