Leatherman tools, info on reliability!

I recently gave my gal's nephew in Iraq a Leatherman Supertool, he loved it but it broke after a few weeks. This is the 5th Leatherman I have owned with each failing in some way. I came to a conclusion about gear used in the field a long time ago, still applicable...it may have a "Lifetime" warranty but if it fails in the field it may cost you your life!! I put the Leatherman tools in this category! I am sending the young US Army man in Iraq, a new Victorinox Swiss Tool, same as I now carry everywhere, far superior!!

May I ask what you're doing to your Leatherman tools to cause them to fail? I've carried one variety or other since they first came out& the only failure I've ever had was a broken file that I was (mis)using as a pry bar. My current Supertool has been with me since '96 and has seen almost daily use. It only recieves a touch up on the Lansky as needed and an occassional shot of WD40. I just don't see a potential failure short of blatant abuse

Ed

Well Ed, the blades bend easily, I am talking twisted screwdriver blades. The knife blades won't cut much without becoming dull. I had one that the plier jaw snapped off of, from placing it under a UH-1 seat connector and trying to push the normally hand tight fastner up. The steel is too soft on the tools and too brittle on the pliers. For the price, I expect more! Gerber and Victorinox tools are far superior in the overall quality department. I am not really abusive to equipment, just expect it to not fail! The one in Iraq broke a knife blade off using the blad to cut a plastic shipping band off of a case of MRE's. That is about it, not using it for a hammer or a prybar. Glad your tool is still in working order <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Boy, I must have gotten a good one. I have had a Wave since it first came out and I havn't broken anything on it yet....and believe me, it gets a lot of (ab)use since I work part time commercial construction. I have a Swiss tool, but I find it much to big and bulky to carry around everywhere. Plus it doesn't have scissors, I can't open the blades one handed or quickly, and I can't open the pliers one handed. I have a Gerber scout, but I find the pliers don't get enough torque and they don't get large enough, and I still can't open the blades one handed or quickly. I love my Wave, it gives me everything in a convienent package that I can get working quickly. I wouldn't be without it. <img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I have not tried a Wave, but they appear to be better made than the Supertool or the standard Leatherman. Glad it has not let you down. I know the Swiss Tool is heavier but I like the feel and the design. I can live with the weight, when I need it. I actually have a Swiss Army knife that I have taken on every military deployment and every backpack and climbing trip since I bought it in 1968. Not a thing broken on it and still serves me well. Guess I am a Victorinox fan from that experience. Cheers <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I have mixed feelings about all this....

I've had the PST for years, and it has the annoying quality that the plier jaws have more friction than the handle joints immediately behind them; this means that you must force the plier jaws open for each shift of grip, which gets old fast. Other than that, they've been pretty good. I also have a Leatherman "mini" that has done well so far, but has never seen a lot of use.

I have to say I've been a little disappointed in the Wave. The wirecutters dented early on what I thought was a soft plastic rod that turned out to have a very thin steel wire inside... ok, that can happen, it's not meant to cut steel, but a cheap pair of dykes cut it with no problem. The knife blade does seem sort of soft, and doesn't hold an edge for long. For some reason, the plier handles seem to be loosening up over time, with a lot of side-to-side play, while the blades are getting stiffer and harder to open.

At first, I didn't think the weight was going to bother me, but over time I wonder more and more how much weight could be saved if those big, solid, cast-stainless bolsters were made of something else (there are eight of them), or if the liners were titanium instead of steel, etc.

Not totally disappointed with it, but if there were something lighter, smaller, sturdier, better steel that still had quick access to the knife blades, I'd consider it even if it cost significanly more.

Anybody else notice that Russell Crowe used what looked like a Wave for sentry removal in "Proof of Life"? All I could think is, it sure wasn't the first tool that sprang to mind for that use...

I have had my supertool since 97 and it is still going strong, and it gets daily use and abuse. The only thing i can't really comment on is the knife blades since i always reach for my spyderco when i need to cut something. Have used several other multitools and all have been well made but i still come back to the supertool.

I always believe that carrying anything that might fail, could endanger my life, knife, or whatever. I have not had good luck with simple tasks applied to Leatherman tools and would not ever again carry one on a serious trip. In fact the only two I have left are a micro and a mini and have not used them for much, nor will I. My old Swiss Army knife has yet to fail me or to become bent or overly dull. It is a Farmer model, which I see is available again, heavy knife blade, I do wish it locked open though. Cheers!

I don't think Russell Crowe was using a wave, but I was watching it on TV so I couldn't pause a tape to get a good look at it. But it was strange using a multi-tool in that instance. A tactical folder would have made a lot more sense, but that's Hollywood for ya.

As for the Wave I'm a little disappointed in the reviews I'm hearing on this forum. I love my wave and use it all the time. I think it has some limitations but for every day use it seems great.

It may just be that the quality/temper/whatever of the Wave is not that consistent. Given the numbers that Leatherman must produce, I wouldn't be surprised to see things vary quite a bit over time, between production runs, subcontractors, who knows... so if you've got one and it's working out for you, great, though it's still potentially a problem for anyone considering buying one.

I dunno... glad it works well for you, but for me, I have to say that it sounds like there's a message between the lines when you say that you feel compelled to carry a >8 oz. multitool, and then a "real" knife on top of that.

From the past experiences...

My dad is and was able to break every gerber tool out there yet he swears by it... I got him the Super Tool and he cant crack it....

I saw one Wave broken when soft tip on the screwdriver just twisted... Mine is being abused and looks like hell yet it is doing fine.

I broke 3 Shrade tools and will never go back to them.

I keep Swiss Army tool in my car but it's not getting a lot of use since Wave is always on me. But I can feel it being a bit more solid than my wave.

Matt

I have owned them all, from leatherman to gerber and now a swisstool RS. I broke or bent the blades/screwdrivers on my leatherman and gerber, not prying either, just doing normal work in the field. Far and away, I have had better performance from the swisstool. I am a HUGE victorinox fan, and I will not go back, with one exception. I do own a leatherman micra, mostly because it is a little more handy than the scissors on my swisstool, plus it has the tweezers, which arent the best, but when you are in the field and get a sliver in your hand they do fine.

IMHO, Swisstools are far superior than Leatherman, and having owned both, I feel I can at least give my opinion on it.

Garrett

Started carrying a Spyderco long before i carried a multitool. I used to work in a hardware store and i cut rope, tubing, hose, wire on a daily basis. When i started toting a multitool i kept the spyderco because it takes too long to get to the blades on any of the multitools i used, this was before the wave was introduced. But i carry more than just my spyderco and supertool. The supertool is accompanied by a Arc LS with a 2AA clickie pack, a 6 inch Diamond adjustable wrench with the extra wide opening jaws, and a magnetic pickup tool (and no that is not a Ferrari). I also carry a Arc AAA, a tape measure, and a leatherman micra. The micra is used mainly for the scissors and the tweezers. The tweezers have been reground to a much sharper point which helps in digging out metal slivers, i work in a machine shop now. The only problems with my micra the scissors are getting dull, mainly from cutting shim stock and clipping off about a zillion zip ties, which i can't really fault leatherman for. The worst thing about all of this stuff is once you get used to carrying it, you can't do without it. And i'm sure there is a message in that too:>)

Same here. I'm can't stand being without my wave on my belt. Gave away a pair or shorts just last week because they didn't have belt loops. I managed to break the smallest flat tip on my wave trying to pry an 80lb server out of its rack rail where it was stuck so it took a lot to break it. Had to buy another so I can have one to carry while the broken one goes back to leatherman for repair, then I will have it as a spare if I ever loose it.

I think a good knife or multitool is very important in the field or around everyday activities. What I carry depends on what I am doing though. When I work I keep a little Victorinox "classic" in my pocket, take it about everywhere. If I am backpacking on a longer trip I carry a Grohmann "Boat Knife" with a solid 4" blade in SS, keep it on the pack. I also take my old Swiss Army "Farmer". When I was in the filed for the military, I always took the "Farmer" and a Randall #1 fighting knife with a 7" blade. I began with the multitools when the first Leatherman hit the market, killed it with normal uses in 2 months. Then went for the first Gerber, the original where the handles came all the way together when trying to use the retractable pliers, Ouch!! Got rid of it shortly before the large blood blister healed! Next was the first Supertool, broke off the large flatblade screwdriver on an overly tight screw. Had it replaced and kept it in my desk at work, used the phillips blade a few times on computer screws, sent it to a young man in the Army to take to Iraq, that was the big failure, since there is no source of a replacement nearby! I have a mini and a Micro, the mini was a gift, still have never messed with it much. The micro has the blade all messed up trying to pry a watch back off to replace the battery. Not exactly what I should use the blade for, but it was handy and I know my Swiss Army knife could have done that without any problem. As for my Victorinox Swiss tool, it has opened heavy-duty boxes, put in and taken out all sorts of screws, the knife blades have cut heater hoses, steaks, rope and opened smaller packages. Not a single problem with the Swiss Tool. I just bought another and sent it to my gal's nephew in Iraq, let's see how it holds up!! Should be there in 10 days or so. Thanks for all the different perspectives on the tools guys!! Cheers!

Was it a wave ?
I thot it looked more like a british army knife. I thot it was a weird tool to use to take out a sentry.....
Must wathc the show more carefully again....

Just to add to the discussion....
My leatherman wave is holding up well, but one of the small screwdriver blades did bend while I was using it to attach a bolt set to my door. My screwdriver blades also rusted together and I had to WD40 the thing....
<img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I too am a victorinox fan, and I bought a swisstool to compare with my wave. It is much heavier and bulkier, but seems more sturdy and well made. I find the tools a tad too tight to pry out from the handles...anyone else have this problem ?

I lost my SOG Paratool a couple of years ago, and decided to try out the Wave everyone was raving about at the time - but returned it after a week because it had a generally flimsy feel to it. It sure does look nice though, and so if you tend to just use it as belt jewellery, it's probably a good choice. I ended up getting another Paratool and have continued to be very satisfied with it - I particularily like the fact that you can field-service it, completely disassemble it, and/or swap out the optional blades with the little wrench set that SOG offers for it. Plus the size is just right for me - that Swisstool is nice but it's a monster.

PS: Did anyone recognize which plier-tool John Connor handed Arnie to use in Terminator 3 for his emergency field-maintenance? (Great movie BTW, made in the true spirit of the Terminator series with a hardcore sci-fi storyline, hilarious camp humour, and bigtime action - and of course Arnie himself in fine form at age 56!)

<img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

yes saw E! special on merchandising for T3 and Gerber is the one who made that tool... I think it was 6/700 model or so. They have a special T3 limited edition comming to the store near you soon... I can see the slogan already: "Tuff enuff for a terminator, more than tuff enuff for you..."




More info here:
http://www.shop4gerber.co.uk/terminator_3_t3.html

Just don't fall off the dock with all that on.. :-)

I carry a lot of odds and ends for a computer geek, but the routine around an office doesn't demand much. Other than the micra, most of the stuff is reserved for more drastic scenarios- it doesn't get used otherwise.

As a matter of fact, I was going to post a solicitation for suggestions for EDC knife carry for wimpy office types like myself, but I'm going to be out of town for a week or so (and away from e-mail for the longest period in over 15 years), so it will have to wait until I get back.

Just out of curiosity, for lots of daily use like that, did you prefer the plain-edged Spyderco or serrated?

I have found the tweezers on the micra to be frustrating at best. It's primary function, as I've mentioned before, is to give me an honest answer to "do you have a knife on you?" without revealing whatever else I'm carrying. I might consider a Victorinox Executive instead... less bulk and weight.

Interesting timing for this thread. Just this past weekend I tried to take some fine notched screws off of a small revolver with my Leatherman Wave. Totally bent the tip of the small screwdriver without even realizing it. I sanded it down with a Dremel and put a new tip on it, but what good is it if that small amount of force can bend the metal so quickly? Keys <img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

The spyderco blade is a 50/50, which is at best a compromise. If you are cutting synthetic rope and webbing the serrations seem to cut better but if you are doing any fine work the plain edge is better. I carry a delica which is a little short for the 50/50 blade if i were getting a new one i would go with the plain edge. The plain edge is also less sinister looking in an office environment. I know i have mentioned this before, my little brother works in a office environment and he carries an all black fully serrated spyderco and the first time he used it in the office....It is amazing that the people that were the most offended are the first to ask "can you cut this for me?"

It takes a little practice to use the micra tweezers. If you open it extend the tweezers and close the knife, hold the body in your hand and with your index finger keep pushing the tweezers open. When the tweezers hit the stop the upper blade under your finger will be pushed into the lower blade. I hope this makes sense. The micra is more cumbersome to use than the executive but it doesn't have any parts to lose. But a executive is pretty invisible a micra is not. You do have the right idea though when someone wants to borrow a knife hand them the cheap one.

I totally agree. Very superior quality.
Maybe Leatherman is losing quality to mass produce a product and then just make a fast Buck?