Best Leatherman-Style Multitool?

An anonymous reader asks: "I'm in the market for a Leatherman style multitool, but some new players have come to the table in the past few years, and I've heard a couple of anecdotes that Leatherman might have been eclipsed. So, I'm asking Slashdot for lots of anecdotes; what are your experiences with your multitool? What's the best one you've seen or used? Have you ever broken one? Do the tools wiggle around after a lot of use? Those are some general questions, but there are two specific ones. First, does the knife blade lock? The quickest way to hurt fingers is using a folding knife when a fixed blade is the right tool, but you can't carry a fixed blade knife into many places. The second question is, how long is the main knife blade? You can't carry a folding knife with tool long of a blade, either (unfortunately). Thanks for any and all help!"

Comments

Leatherman vs Gerber

[Bourbon Man]

I had a Leatherman for several years and somehow lost it. Shortly afterwards I was in a situation where I needed a multitool *now* and the only one I could find on short notice was a Gerber. I like the Gerber better, mainly because the blades are on the inside of the fold, and that makes the grip more comfortable. The saw blade is nothing more than a standard jigsaw blade, thus you can change it out with any jigsaw blade from any hardware store for any purpose you need it for. The knife blade is a nice combination of smooth and serrated for fine cutting or box ripping, and it has all the quality of Gerber's famous line of knives.

Leatherman Wave

[Vertigo01]

I work as a professional theatre technician. My multi-tool is my life, literally, and it gets used and abused on a daily basis.

I've had a Leatherman Wave since they first came out (I was told by the guy at the store that I was the first person to buy one) and have NEVER had a problem with it. It's not super-heavy-duty. You can't use the knife-blade as a chisel. You can't exert > 40 or 50 lbs of torque pressure on the tool. Having said that, if you need a specialized tool, then you need a specialized tool. Don't try and do it with a multi-tool.

The wave get's my vote, hands down.

Know your knife laws

[eengstro]

Make sure you know the knife laws for your locality. You might not think of a Leatherman as a weapon, but the local police may disagree--especially around schools and colleges. Here are some useful links:
http://www.thehighroad.org/library/blades/knifelaw s.html
http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/sta-law.htm

California-specific laws:
http://www.equalccw.com/knifelaw.html

Always keep in mind that info on the Internet may be wrong or out of date, so take with appropriate seasonings.

Eric

Leatherman wave, blade length etc.

[cypherz]

The Leatherman Wave tool is very nice. Specs from the Leatherman web site
http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/wave-(200 4)/default.asp

Length: 4 in. / 10 cm closed -- 6.3 in / 16 cm open
Weight: 8.5 ounces / 264 grams
Materials: 100% stainless steel (Optimum grade hardness for each tool/blade)

There are two blades, one serrated and one plain. The blade length isn't described, so I measured my Wave. The length of each blade is approximately 3 inches. The sharpened portion of both blades is 2.5 inches.

I've had mine for a while, so far it had been a wonderful tool. Each tool/blade locks open, making it fairly safe to use. My Wave tool rides in the knife pocket of my Maxpedition Versipack
http://www.maxpedition.com/product/product_vp_fatb oy_s.htm

Get a multi-tool and a real knife.

[pi_rules]

Gerber, Victorinox, Leatherman, SOG - whatever floats your boat for the multi-tool.

However, if your primary concern is one that has a locking knife blade just get a knife to compliment the package. I find knives on pocket tools clumsy and of dubious quality/utility. I don't like fumbling around with my Victorinox when I just want to quick cut something, so I carry a CRKT M16-14M. I've had a few CRKT knives in my posession and have found that they take a nice edge, keep that edge, are ambidexterous, and of fairly good quality for what you're paying.

A good folder with a thumb-stud for easy opening and a locking blade means that you're knife can be out and ready in just a couple seconds, vs however long it takes you to unfold a Leatherman. You can deploy, use, unlock, and clip them back onto your belt with a single hand and that's handy if you ask me. Comes in handy at work, and makes it easier and cleaner to open packages, snipping a cable tie, or stirring my tea.

While not of concern in your post, this also makes them a last-ditch self defense weapon. Not a very good one... but if you don't have a gun on ya, it's better than nothing!

Personally I wish somebody made a multi-tool that didn't waste space with knives in them.

Oh, and don't discount the idea of a neck knife! That would be a knife you hang around your neck with a sheath, the handle pointing toward your abodomen. Depending on your attire they can be very comfortable to wear and nobody knows its there... less stuff hanging off your belt too. However, I've found producing a fixed blade knife from under your shirt at a moment's notice tends to freak people out. Some also come with a sheath that could alternatively be mounted to your belt for extra flexibility (ie: You're out in the woods, you can keep your every day knife with you but in a bit more accessible manner).

Most importantly, if you're using it for a knife most of the time, a real knife is more comfortable than a multi-tool -- which means better control overall.

I'd recomment Knife Country USA if you want to buy online. No special reason, but the prices are competitive and the owner knows the subject matter if you have any questions about this or that. Also, a very friendly guy. I found his booth at the local gun show and use him for my online purchases.