Which Leatherman

[warrenpfo]

It’s a sad day today as I have given up trying to find my Sideclip Leatherman given to me on my 21st by my school mates when I was back in SA some 19 years ago. It served me well and I took it everywhere with me from fly-fishing on the farm to mountain biking in Wales.

I last remember having it in Wales when I was outside in my chair around the fire stripping wire for the CB install. I can only guess its lying somewhere on the ground in the snow and will be found with by some tourist with the inscription on it.

Anyway enough nostalgia its time for a replacement and was wondering which Leatherman people recommend. I can’t say its for a specific task as I used the last one for everything.

 

[fridayman]

I suspect mine was "borrowed and not returned" when I was living in a shared house a few years ago. Mine was a leaving gift when I left SA to come over here.

Anyway, I recetnly decided that enough time has passed for me to start looking at other Leathermans without feeling guilty... For me it is between the Wave and the new Supertool, with the Wave being more compact and the Supertool having a few more tools.

 

[Ecky Thump]

I've had Leathermans for years and they are an excellent piece of kit.

However about two years ago I decided to buy another to leave in the car. As it was going to live in there I decided I didn't want to pay Leatherman prices so started looking for an alternative.
I found the Gerber Suspension for a very small price compared to the Leatherman. The steel seems to be around the same quality although the knife blades keep their edge longer and sharpen better. Very impressed with a piece of kit that has had some real hammer over that time and I don't care about the lifetime guarantee at that price.
Some Police officers and Ambulance crews down here even get issued with Gerbers so they can't be too bad.

 

[warrenpfo]

Not that I am against change at all But having had a Leatherman for 19years with no problems and free service I am more than happy to get another one. For me its a toss up between the wave the supertool or the charge my concern being both the charge and the wave take the bits that you can change to have a flat head/torx or what ever you want in there but then you have to carry the bits with you so kind of defeats the object.

I think I need to go and play with them to decide.

 

[Chris]

Warren, I have had a Wave for years. Not had any problems. I miss the corkscrew that you get with a Victorinox though. I have a moderate collection of knives. And I use them all. The ones that tend to see the most action for me are the single fixed blades I have to say as I generally use a tool if I need a tool. I find multitools do very little particularly well, but they are very handy to have if that's all you want to carry in you pocket or on your belt. The Wave has a good assortment on it.

Chris

 

[warrenpfo]

"Assortment of knives" that must be the biggest understatement of the year Chris.

I don’t plan on sending a man to the moon with it but its so handy to have when you out in the bush that i feel naked knowing i no longer have one and yet guilty on the other hand looking at a new one as I feel the spirit of the old is still around.

 

[Paul]

The wave never without mine and i see the new model looks quite good.

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

I like my Wave, mainly as a pair of folding pliers though though the blades are ok and I do carry the extra driver bits. As you're from SA and might not be aware, the wonderful law makers in this country have deemed that a knife that doesn't have a readily foldable blade is considered to be a fixed blade and therefore you must have a good reason to carry it in public and that includes a Leatherman Wave and keeping it in your car I used to carry a modified Leatherman 502 (modified so it would fold with a bit of force) but after arguing the toss with some armed police officer at Windsor castle who nearly got himself a nasty cut trying to demonstrate it wasn't readily foldable and embarrasing Steph I now just carry a 'uk legal' Spiderco pocket knife most of the time

 

[Chas]

I've got in the car a Leatherman Charge and a large Gerber (don't know what model) and an LED torch, I've had them for many years, all in a pouch that clips on your belt, all in constant use when I was still working in the Theatre.
The Leatherman pliers have a pointy jaw, which is OK for small works but the Gerber has a large square jaw, good for doing up nuts.
I've also got a Leatherman Wave knocking about somewhere, but I haven't seen that for a while.
But when I go to get one of them out it's always the Leatherman I pick first.

 

[chriscolleman]

A wave from leatherman and a kershaw multitool.

 

[piers_finlayson]

As you're from SA and might not be aware, the wonderful law makers in this country have deemed that a knife that doesn't have a readily foldable blade is considered to be a fixed blade and therefore you must have a good reason to carry it in public and that includes a Leatherman Wave and keeping it in your car I used to carry a modified Leatherman 502 (modified so it would fold with a bit of force) but after arguing the toss with some armed police officer at Windsor castle who nearly got himself a nasty cut trying to demonstrate it wasn't readily foldable and embarrasing Steph I now just carry a 'uk legal' Spiderco pocket knife most of the time

It's not just the lockable blade which makes a Leatherman possibly dodgy to carry in this country. There is an exemption in the law for folding knives with a blade under 3 inches in length. I believe there is now case law which says that a Leatherman with a knife is not technically a knife (because it does more than be just a knife) and therefore it can't enjoy the folding pocket knife exemption (as it isn't a knife).

I can't find a decent link to this case law, but there's reference to it here. http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-38058.html

I've just got a Spyderco knife for christmas for EDC.

 

[fridayman]

The Spyderco tool looks pretty cool. I also like the Leatherman Crunch.

 

[uHu]

Why suffer with a Letherman when you can have the original, the Victorinox SwissTool.

 

[Graham Smith]

I have a charge, a wave and a kick...

All are good, the finish on the charge is the best.
The Charge and the Wave, get used daily...
I open envelopes and boxes at work with the kick, and it is a hand diy tool there.

All good, so I guess it only comes down to budget.

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

There is an exemption in the law for folding knives with a blade under 3 inches in length.

There is an examption in statute but there is case law that means it only applies to a readily foldable blade not blades with a locking mechanism. A lawyer or QC or whatever succesfully made a case that the locking device made it a fixed blade for legal purposes and so the exemption does not apply and it's been all the way to the top of the court system. I'm sure there are better explanations on some of the knife sites but a lock knife is for legal purposes the same as a fixed blade. Scariest of all is the thought quite recently there was going to be a law that made a jail sentence compulsary if you were caught carrying

 

[Ecoman]

Sorry to hear of your loss. I look on mine as a close friend and would be gutted if I were to lose it so I can relate to how you feel.

I can recommend the Charge XTi. Titanium handles, seat belt hook, 2 different multi head attachments (i have large and small flat screwdriver in one and large and small pozidrive screwdriver in the other). can/bottle opener, jewellers screwdriver. The saw, file, serrated blade and straight blade can be opened without having to open the pliers up. Pliers head has wire cutter blades and a wire stripper section.

 

[Mark N]

I know, I know, this is an old thread but I couldn't resist.... Leatherman Wave for work and casual, Leatherman Skeletool for 'low profile' casual and this in the car:
http://sogknives.com/store/F03T.html#spectab

 

[uHu]

You really have to try the Swisstool. When the going gets tough there's nothing better.


This is the model "Original"
There is a version of it without the scissors as well, and a serrated blade instead.
They also have smaller versions.
No affiliation - just a very satisfied user - every day, really.

http://www.victorinox.com/ch/category/Category/SwissTools/1008?f=category&v=1/100/1008&m=add&
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUo84Sc0yQc

 

[Mark N]

opps sorry I really didn't mean to get the thread going again - just couldn't resist my 'my knife is bigger than yours' opportunity

 

[Bob]

I have a charge xti for the last 4 years and a pst before that. The leatherman has gotten me out of more holes than I care to remember, including getting a vw Passat going one wet night. I would swear by it and go nowhere without it. Used to sell them in an engineers supply, and I would have thought a more user friendly tool than the swisstool.