Hi. This is my first post around here, though I've been visiting for a while. I am a college student from Israel and I found ETS in my emergency preparedness research.

One of the things I learned (or got the impression of being true) from Doug's musings, is that no BoB is complete without a multi-tool. Having a Victorinox Atlas backing up my multi-tool wing, I feel I can compromise somewhat. If not on quality (never!!!), then at least size.

After some extensive Googling and harrassement of store clerks, here are my alternatives:

Leatherman Kick:

+ Feels Godly in hand, long philips, non-locking blades make it legal for every-day carry in Israel (yep, we're that kind of place)

- Lacks saw, scissors.

Leatherman Wave:

+ Almost as small as the Kick, highly recommended by all.

- Lacks metal saw, as far as I know.

Gerber Legend 800:

+ Has all the tools I need, feels absolutely indestructible.

- Slightly oversized, not a Leatherman.


Help!

Welcome Newguy!!!

I guess I should have mentioned my Leatherman Wave, which I EDC and use a jillion time a day...

i don't go anywhere without my charge TTi

Welcome newguy! I carry a Leatherman Kick at work every day and a Leatherman Wave everywhere else. I use the Kick at work as its cheaper and I use it to cut tubing and repair equipment that is coated in crude oil and assorted nasty chemicals. I wish the Kick had a scissors but the knife blade handles most cutting jobs I encounter.

The Wave has a lot more options and I think the new ones have a diamond-coated file. That would work as a very slow metal saw, wouldn't it? I love it's one-handed-opening blades and seemingly endless supply of tools. I don't use it at work as I want to keep it "food safe" and so uncontaminated.

Really, if you are only getting one, I say get the Wave.

-Blast

I'm not a fan of the Gerber Legend but I carry a Gerber Diesel any time I leave the Swiss Army Knife at home...i've yet to hold a more solid feeling multi-tool and the one hand opening beats 'flicking' a Leatherman IMO any day.

Hi Newguy, Welcome.

I was trying to decide last fall between the Leatherman WAVE and TTi. I went with the TTi but after using it for a while I have concluded that the WAVE would have done the job just fine and it was $40.00 cheaper.

Buy the WAVE, you will not be disappointed.

Mike

I see.

Charge has excellent features and acclaims, but I hated it in person.

About the Wave... I have an option to get the old one. Were those still made in USA?

Hi,

As far as I can tell on the Leatherman website, all tools are made in Portland Oregon, USA http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/default.asp

I have an original WAVE from 1999, I like the new model WAVE (2004) better because of the interchangeable driver bits and stronger blades. Doug Ritter did a comparison in the Shot Show Review of of 2004, http://www.equipped.org/shot_show_2004_knives.htm .

Mike

I recently upgraded from a S.O.G power lock to a Leatherman Surge. The S.O.G was a great tool, but the opening of the blades and the tiny size of them made it unpractical for my job. So I put the issued S.O.G away and bought a Surge.

OH man I love this tool. Basically, it is a bigger version of a wave with a few add-ons. The one handed opening blades are so easy to use, plus the fact that they are as large as normal folding knife blades was the big seller. I no longer EDC a folder with a multi-tool because the Surge blades are strong and large enough to handle just about any job I can imagine.

I put my multi-tool through more punishment during a normal work day than most people may, simply because of what I do, so I would reccomend A surge OR a wave for most purposes. They are tough b******s as far as multi-tools are concerned.

Are the new SOGs out yet? They have the power assist pliers and both blades are one hand open with SOGs own assisted opening mechanism. They looks super slick but nobody carries them so even if they were on the market I doubt I could find one to try.

I have 5 various leatherman from a mini to a supertool along with assorted others but I almost always carry an older PST II.

LM Charge TTi.

I’m not up on all the latest multi-tools, I have 2 (1 as a spare) Victorinox Swiss Champ Swiss Army knife and 2 or 3 of the original Leatherman Tools.

But I always bought the one that had the most features because you never know what you will need it for.

I would say to buy the one that does the most and is large enough to feel like a tool in your hand. Never did like the mini-tools as they are always a compromise compared to the full size tool.

Hey, Rodion, welcome.

I have come to respect the Leatherman line, and own quite a few. The Wave II is my favourite of the bunch; I own several, and carry one all the time.

But - trying to think outside the box - is a standard multitool what you need?

The SAK you already have is a good cutting tool, and in addition can handle small pliers-related tasks. I own several of this type, and I can assert that they hold their own in realistic wilderness situations. The SAK saw is particularly excellent.

So, what tasks do you want to achieve with a multitool?

In a BOB that you don't have to carry on your person, you may get more utility from a large vise-grip with wire cutters (7-10")), a crescent wrench, a heavy-duty flat screwdriver, and a strong multi-bit screwdriver. Multi-tools are great, but real tools accomplish more for much less expense -- assuming you can afford the additional weight and bulk.

Just a thought.

I've own a bunch of different leathermen - the ONLY one that became an EDC (except for a squit on the keyring - doesn't count) is the TTi. Why? It's the first one I found where the KNIFE was any good. Before thay, the Ti came close with the 154CM blade, but I didn't buy/try that. The TTi with the S30V blade came out and I said to myself - you know, if the blade is good enough, you can stop carrying your pocket knife. It was, I did

Multi-tools are like girlfriends. Everyone has their own personal preferences and reasoning behind what they like and dislike. A lot of it comes down to what looks and feels right to you.

IMHO your best bet is to find people who have them and see if they will let you hold them and try them on a few simple jobs.

My preference is the Wave. In my use over 90% of the time I need the knife. The one-handed open and locking blades are a big plus for me. The Wave has both the straight blade and serrated blades accessible without having to open the handles up. They are differentiated by the serrated blade having notches along the back which is palpable with the blade closed. The unserrated blade back is smooth.

I use the straight blade for general use and it works well and is easy to sharpen. I keep the serrated blade for emergencies where I may need to cut rope,seat belts or other fibrous materials.

Personally I like the old Wave,the one I have better than the new one. I don't like the quarter-inch hex drive with removable bits. Too many little bits to get lost and too fiddley. The old unit has a philips head driver and a set of flat blade drivers. Good enough and nothing to fall off or get lost.

I also like that both knife blades, the saw and file all lock. Possibly a problem for you it is an asset for me.

I EDC the original Leatherman Wave. It does have a metal saw on the file (it's the protected edge). I have gotten out of a lot of trouble with it. I'd upgrade to the Wave 2 but I don't like the removable bits, too much to loose. Over the years it has been used more than my SAK which I also EDC.

+1 on the Victorinox line. I've got both a Swiss Tool and a Spirit. I carry the Spirit Plus for EDC with a CRKT M16-01Z I'd carry the Swiss Tool but don't have the sheath for the Plus driver.

I have a sheath for the spirit s that will hold the driver. I don't use it anymore, in fact, i've never used it. Your welcome to it.

Thanks for the offer but I've got the one for the Spirit. It's the one for the larger Swiss Tool Plus that I don't have. The size difference is just enough that they won't swap between sheathes. The Spirit can move up but it's case is just a fraction too small to fit the ST. I wanted the ratchet driver and the local shops didn't carry the Swiss Tool Plus with the ratchet driver at the time.

I have nothing but love and respect for Victorinox. If Swisstool wasn't so huge, this would be a no-brainer.

Edit: speaking of which, what do you guys think of the Spirit model?

Love the spirit. I have the spirit 's', and I thought i'd be missing the sissors, but getting a regular blade in the process makes up for it. IMHO, I put it above LM's and the LM's that I own are now in my survival kit and bob. Its with me every day in my bag.

I think I'm going to go with Victorinox after all. Just too much positive experience with their products...

Here's another question: should I get the stainless steel Spirit, or the black, oxidized version?

Multitool.org

Not to dis my fellow ETS brethren, but the MTO guys live and breath multitools. If you ever have a question about ANY multi, someone on this forum can answer it.

Plus the Mod Squad comes up with some really cool mods for these tools.

Greg

I did and have already gotten help. Thanks!

On a side note, I've been trying to get related info on another forum for some time now, with zero results. Glad I found this place! I'll stick around.

Does that mean a Swiss Army Knife in original colors is a red head?

I love my Charge TTi, but most adults at my school freak out when I use it. Note: I'm a teacher, not a student. I EDC a leatherman squirt and leave the TTi in my briefcase or backpack.

I've got the stainless Spirit & the black oxide Swiss Tool. Given where you are both have advantages & disadvantages. Black oxide will get hot faster out in the sun but it won't flash like the stainless. The black oxide is a flat finish & would disappear if you dropped it at night.

Same here except mine were Gerbers. Only thing I miss is that you used to be able to adjust the tension on the tools or swap blades between them using two pair of pliers.

Same here, EDC the Squirt E4 (electrician, very useful if you deal with electronics) and keep the Charge TTi in my backpack.

Related to the 'shiny knife' thread I guess. A friend got his stainless Wave deeply bead blasted. Put a rough, matte surface on it. It is easier to look at in the bright sun, less glare, and it adds a bit of texture that helps when hands are sweaty.

He had his done for free. His brother works at a place that does that sort of work. If I could get it done at a reasonable price I think it would be a nice addition to an already nice tool.

One of my peeves with my Spirit was the mirror-shiny finish on the pliers handles.

It looks awfully pretty in the store showcase, but it's slippery as heck in practical use. I took some coarse emery cloth to it. It's not as pretty now, but it's better otherwise.

Other than that, I wouldn't hesistate to carry a SwissTool or Spirit into the bush. But overall, I still prefer the Leathermans.

That's what I was thinking. Hadn't thought about the shiny vs. "tactical" thread.

They lost me with their original design where the tools were on the inside when closed.

Last miniute chime in here.......
I also EDC a Victorinox Swiss Tool as well as a Vic Swiss Champ. Love them both. If you're talking about EDC'ing it in a BOB, weight/size shouldn't be an issue. Go for the Swiss Tool, I don't think you will be dissappointed

-Bill Liptak

Feel entirely free to chime in any time. All input is appreciated and, since I'm ordering online (local prices for this stuff is 300% of "suggested retail"), it will take some time for this thread to become obsolete.

I EDC the TTi Charge which replaced my long time EDC of the Wave a little over a year ago. Both are great tools. To be fair, the TTi is nearly identical to the Wave and for the cost, I'd say go with the Wave. I wanted to upgrade because I needed a solid backup and decided splurge.

I also EDC a Leatherman Micra in my pocket. I carry it for the scissors mainly because I find them superior to anything else I've tried. Sometimes I swap it for the Squirt E4 once in a while if I'm doing any sort of electrical work or if there's a chance I might end up rewiring something.

I used to carry a high-end LM Knife, but for the last year or so I've been carrying a CRKT model that I like a lot and has a lower profile.

I've used Gerber, SOG, Benchmade, and many other various makes, but I appreciate the quality of the LM build and for the TTi Charge or Wave, the externally accessible tools are critical. I just wish LM would come out with a truly "made in the USA" model. I haven't seen that stamped on anything in the multitools for a long time.

Figured I would through my thoughts in as well.

I EDC a new Wave myself. I also have it with me whenever I'm in the great outdoors. I love being able to open and close the blade one handed, esp. if I'm using the other hand for something else. The saw is nice when I'm doing small projects like making a figure 4 deadfall and things like that.

When I got married, I gave all of my groomsmen one as a gift. Also got one for my father-in-law. He uses it on a daily basis, has seen much abuse, and still works perfectly.

As many have said before me, it is all personal preferrence as to what you want to carry.

Actually, some time after I was pointed towards multitool.org, I came across this little guy.



Not EDC for sure, but it can probably serve as my primary survival knife, too...

Comments?