you dont need feather sticks to start a fire ... and a good gerber or leatherman will be ample strong enough to split sticks ..........
I know you dont need feather sticks to start a fire but thats proberbly what they are going to ask hin to do.
A symple fixed blade buscraft type knife is all he will need, It will be stronger and better suited to what he is using it for and it will cost less than a leatherman atb bedrock