I went by target today to pick up one of those 2AAA River Rock flashlights, when I saw a single surge on the rack, so I had to buy it.

First, the tool is $76, not cheap at all. But, you do get a lot of tool for your money. It is roughly the size of a Sog Powerlock and it built like a tank. The steel is thicker then the powerlocks, the pliers are beefier, longer, and more of a needle nose. I really think it is built better then the Sog, I can almost flex the handles together on the sog, the L-mans has barely any flex. It is finished a lot nicer too.

On the outside the knife is huge, bigger then any knife I have ever seen in a multi-tool. It scared me a bit the first time I opened it, it has 3 and 1/4" of cutting area. In total it is almost 3 1/2". The serrated blade is the same size, but is non-serrated for the last 1/2". The scissors are built for leverage, there is only about an inch of cutting area, but I was cutting cans like they were butter, even the tops. The neatest thing is the blade changer. You can switch between a saw and a file (half diamond/half regular). Which means you can use the file to sharpen the blade for the first time ever. The file and saw are both slightly larger then the Powerlocks and a Juice KF4's. They come in a little plastic sheath that you can put in the nylon sheath with the tool. (Though there is no specific space for it.)

The nylon sheath it comes with is a pouch style that can go verticle and horizontal. It is pretty well made, but it isn't that great. I think the best way to carry this would be with the pocket clip from the Charge series (which works in it, but doesn't come with it), then buy the sheath with the bits and carry that on your belt with the file. Then this tool would really shine.

On the inside of the tool there is the standard bit driver and a can/bottle opener with wire stripper. On the other is a nice large thick screwdriver that looks like you can use it for light prying (like a prybaby), a glasses type screwdriver with the new spring to hold it in place, and a awl. The awl is like a SAK awl, but on steroids. It looks like it would be good for sewing with the inner strands from parachute cord or if used like a drill would make a hole big enough for parachute cord.

All in all, this thing is great. If you don't mind the weight this is the tool to buy. It's big, it's tough, it's steel, it's comfortable to use (compared to the Sog, ect.) If you are looking for a multitool for tough jobs this is it.

Decided to give my new Surge Saw a “real world” checkout. Had some time to kill, and wanted to make something semi-useful. So, digging through the drawer, I found an old sturdy wooden ruler which was beyond its useful life, being as it was missing the metal edging on both sides. Obviously the Leatherman saw blade was going to be too aggressive for such a thin piece of wood, so I removed it and installed a Bosch scroll saw blade. Sawing off a 5” chunk was not a big deal, although with thin wood and a small thin blade, it was tough keeping the wood braced and steady. This blade is designed to cut on the up-stroke, which complicates things.
Once I had the little 5” piece, I marked off a crude pattern with a marker, then proceeded to cut. The scroll saw blade was a necessity when cutting the curves, but during the straight cuts I actually preferred the hack-saw blade. It’s just too darned hard to keep that little piece of wood braced when using a saw that cuts on the up-stroke.
The entire project took about 45 minutes beginning to end. I lost a few ounces of sweat. I learned that you MUST use gloves – I put them on after developing a couple of hot spots on my hand and finger.
The little blades worked pretty well. There is some wiggle and play due to the thinness of the metal, but they all stayed locked in place and performed as designed.
The next morning while hiking I took out the hack-saw blade and gave it a go at a piece of double-strand barbwire. It took about 45 seconds to go through. All in all a useful addition to the Leatherman family. I love the size and bulk. It feels great in the hand during use.

Standard bit driver? As in 1/4" bits? Or more of Leatherman's funky, smaller sized ones?

Leathermans flat bits (they are regular long 1/4" bits, just flat). I wouldn't worry about them though, I'm sure an adapter will be made if there isn't already one out there.