I've got one in my car (Gerber, freebie, ty Uncle Sam), one in DWs (leatherman, from like 85), one in each of our gobags, one each our gotta run now vests, one each in our small kits, one each on our keychains - so that's 10 right there. And I have one for everyday wear. And one out in garage too, in tool kit.

Hmm, it's not an addiction, I swear it's not. But if there is a sale and I can get 2 for under $30...

I have two....sigh....

Hey Paul810, thanks for the photos. Now my wife will no longer give me grief for the few I have.

I've had better than a half dozen and am looking to buy one more soon but no I don't collect them.

I have to tell you ... I got a little turned off on using a multitool for hard work when I tried to loosen a screw with my old Bucktool (Buck's first attempt - maybe their only attempt (?) at a multitool) and the flat driver's blade deformed (twisted).

Now I fear putting my Leatherman through that kind of force for fear I'll damage it.

When I need a tool ... I go to the toolbox and get one.

Still, I find plenty of light duty use for the LM's pliers while camping - mostly associated with handling hot cookware.

Ken

I dunno what leatherman you own but i can tell you i put mine threw hell and it constantly snaps back. Even twisting the pliers side to side and twisting the handles when closed while unscrewing things.

I'll often go fetch "real" tools when I'm at home because they'll reach better, or fit better, or give more leverage. But when it comes to a tool that will always be on my hip, these things are pretty durable.

I'm mostly a Leathrman guy and have always had one around for over 15 years now. I'm sending one back for the first time because I wore the diamond coating off the file when using it to hacksaw a security cable and liberate my trapped spare tire.

That's just it. A lot of people seem to think of multi-tools as tool replacements, and they just aren't. If you're doing real work, you're still going to want real tools. Where a multi-tool shines is simply the packaging. They're compact enough that you can keep them places where you can't easily keep the equivalent set of full size tools. This makes them great for those times when you just don't have access to real tools, or when you just need to do some small task that doesn't warrant opening up the toolbox.

If you're cranking on a multi-tool to the point where you really feel you are going to break it, it's probably time to go find some real tools.

Of course, the exception to that is if it's some sort of emergency where you need to do something right then and now, at which point you probably won't care if you twist the h*ll out of your multi-tool, as long as it gets the job done. Those are the instances where your worry of breaking your expensive multitool gets outweighed by the relief you got from having that multi-tool available to you when no other tools were around.

Try the Vic. Swiss Tool or Spirit. I've got regular pliers that aren't as well built as the Swiss Tool.

I own at least 6 of 'em. I also own Leatherman's Supertool 300 and Surge models, which have the beefiest pliers I've ever seen on a multi-tool. While multi-tool pliers have gotten better, they still just don't compare to a real set of pliers from a quality manufacturer. I mean, multi-tool pliers are uninsulated, they have multiple hinges, they're typically made from stampings and castings rather than being 100% forged, ect, ect. You don't see contractors trading in their Kleins for Leathermans and there are plenty of good reasons for it.