Oh Leatherman, Oh Stufferman
Designed a multi-positional, open-access belt sheath for a Leatherman multi-tool to eliminate pocket drag, textile wear, and spatial access friction. Drawing inspiration from "First Order Retrieval" design principles, the rigid mechanical holster retains the tool in both folded and deployed (pliers-out) configurations, granting immediate blind-indexing and rapid deployment without requiring secondary retention straps.
Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM): Segmented the holster into three modular components optimized for FDM printing. Print orientations were selected to align layer lines with primary stress vectors, maximizing structural integrity and preventing shear failure along layer boundaries during drawing and holstering.
Mechanical Hardware Integration: Integrated M3 brass heat-set inserts, M3 machine screws, and load-distributing washers into the 3D-printed housing. This eliminated direct plastic-to-screw thread engagement, preventing mechanical strip-out, allowing fine friction-retention adjustments, and enabling field-serviceable disassembly.
Ergonomics & Wearability: Contoured the rear mounting plate interface to follow body biomechanics, distributing contact pressure evenly across the beltline for prolonged comfort in shop and daily wear environments.
