Hello,
I got a Leatherman Wave and I really like it. I do have one nagging issue with it though. When it's closed, the handles flex and can be pushed almost an eighth of an inch in each direction (on the end opposite the pliers heads.) I notice this flexing of the two halves when deploying the liner lock blades. Is this how all of them are or are my handles especially sloppy? I know I can learn to deal with it, but do you think this is fixable or this worth a call to Leatherman? Thanks!

I just tested mine and it also flexes about 1/2 the width of the handle scales when forced but not much when opening the blades one handed.

I have not even noticed this having any affect on the use of my wave, but a call to Leatherman may be a good idea.

Hmm, sounds like yours is about the same as mine then, that's good. I am probably just trying to find something wrong with it. Losing my SOG Paratool was about the best thing that could've happened to me. The WAVE is head and shoulders above the Paratroll, or as I nicknamed it, "The Pincha"... You Paratroll victims know what I mean. Thanks, Schwert.

I also have a ParaPincher....compact, but a blood blister machine.

Enjoy the Wave...not perfect but better than most.

But not nearly as good as the Victorinox Swisstool. Can't wait for the mini to come out!

Victorinox Rules!!!

chad,

Victorinox does many things well.

Multitools is not one of them.
I have broken 2 of them before a full refund was made.

Mike

My leatherman is also slightly loose. I am hazarding a quess here. Has anyone handled a filipino bali-song, or butterfly knife? They are also extremely loose closed, but become rigid when opened, as will the leatherman.

how did you broke your swisstool or what broke of it ?
i just got mine swisstool and i want it to stay in one piece....

When using the flathead screwdriver I torqued it and it bent in a spiral fashion right down to the handle connection.

It screwed up the open close function of that tool and all the others on that side.

The second tool, I cracked the wire cutting blade in the pliers in half. I was cutting a thicker guage wire and thought it could handle it. It chipped a piece out about 3/4 of the cutting blade on one side, fell right off.

Moral of the story, Multitools are handy gadgets but they do not replace proper tools for the job.
Everything else about the swiss tool was fine.

So far so good with the wave and yes it is loose when closed by design. I have mine worked in almost to the point of opening like a butterfly knife.

I am hard on my gear too by the way.

Mike

ohw.. that doesnt sound that bad, i never have to screw things that tight and i dont cut things that hard.
Did your swisstool had a hardwire cutting section ?

Hmm.. the Leatherman I have, a tiny side clip, is loose when open but rigid when close ( no big help)- It's hard wire cutter is already way deeper than what it was when new.
Great tool to carry on my belt at work,though- it handles admirably well all those small jobs where the full tool box is not justified.

My Swisstool OTOH, is a different story: not a scratch, not a twist and not a loose tool and nothing, going strong reflecting the good quality invested on it's make.
And just as someone wrote above, use the right tool for the job: no multi tool will ever replace a proper Vise Grip or a good Hazet screwdriver or a Nichols file or a good Knipex wrench.

.and believe me, I have a good idea of from which end to hold a hammer....

We have several Waves in our family. Some handles twist more than others. Age and amount of use do not seem to be factors. It seems random but does not appear to affect functionality. The twist is much less noticeable when the joints for the knife blades are broken in; probably because opening the knife blade requires less force, so less force is available to twist the handles.

Curiously, my Supertool handles do not twist at all even when intentionally forced. But as to the Supertool, you're already a devotee and know and love it, or you never will. <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

John

Mike,
The screw driver spiral is not a suprise, the tool blades are not heat treat as well as the cutting blades. In that regards Leatherman does a much better job.

That being said, I have a literal drawer full of multitools. I have used just about every major one on the market. The Swisstool is the best I have found. The fit and finish are flawless, the locking system is very precise, and I have used mine hard and it has stood up well.

For car duty, I like the Supertool200, and for pocket carry the Lm Pulse is awesome. At work there is a Wave on my duty belt, and for light weight back packing an old PST in a Normark sheath is just the ticket. On my keyring is a Micra, that will soon be replaced by a Squirt P4. There is an LM Juice Cs4 in my Jacket.

I Love leathermann Tools. The Swisstool is better.

Chad

wow you got a serious colection.

the only problem of the swisstool is that they polished the thing to much, so we get nice finger prints and other ugly stuff on them..

Hi Mike,

The chipping you mentioned when you tried to cut a heavy guage wire with the Swisstool is something that happened to me twice already when I tried cutting a wire with my Leatherman Supertool and later on also with my Leatherman Wave.
Both times it got repaired but it was a major pain in the *ss as the repair times for the Leathernmans in the Netherlands are quiet long.

With any normal pocket tool cutting anything harder then Brass wire has become a NoNo with me, these tools are just not made to handle this kind of abuse except perhaps the Gerber multitool with the hard metal triangular cutting blades that can be rotated when chipped or dull. The idea is great the Gerber tool is not.

Any $2.50-$5 pair of Taiwan pliers that I buy in a do it yourself shop has a stronger cutting part then those of the multitools which is not strange as they use Carbon toolsteel in making these cheap things and they are a lot thoughr then the normal multitool.

But, having said this all I still carry a Swisstool or Leatherman Wave and always the Micra with me, one just needs to be concious about the limitations they have especially in the cutting performance corner.

Best Scouting wishes from Holland,

Bagheera