Thanks for all the advice and comments.

I have one final question: does the bit holder on the Leatherman get worn/slack after considerable use? I would hate to lose a bit by it falling off the tool. Also, has anyone had any experience getting replacement bits from the company?

It's also very difficult for me to access warranties and replacements from over here. As for returning items - forget it. A friend of mine recieved a defective item which the seller kindly offered to replace on the condition that he return the defective item. He had to give up after the US customs charged him import duty that was more that the value of the item - he just told them to keep it and ordered a new one.

I'm seeing that most people here (ie., the right place - the survival forums) are Leatherman fans and I'm almost convinced, but the possibility of losing a bit and not being able to easily replace it might be a consideration for me.

PS. hey Leigh_Ratcliffe - we call it a "cutlass" and it's 22" (yep - twenty-two inches) of blade. You can do some mean cutting with it!!! Not a tool for novices though. Will get some pics in another post later on.