Finally got round to writing up my multi-tool review

[Ogri the trog]

Multi tool Comparison And Review

Items in test photo
Clockwise from top left
Leatherman Surge
Gerber Ledgend800
Gerber Archer
Leatherman Super tool
Victorinox Swisstool X
Winchester POS

The following review list is in the order that they were bought over a period of some 15 years and all have been used close to their limits. Nothing serious has broken yet but we’ll come to that later on. I’ll ignore the usefulness of things like can-openers, bottle-openers screw-drivers etc as they should work if they are included, unless something stands out as particularly useful/useless in which case it will be mentioned. All items have the standard features of pliers with wire cutter and some manufacturers pass of a small nick in a blade as a wire bender/stripper etc, these will also be ignored.

Gerber Archer extending nose pliers, X-Change-A-Blade fitting, part serrated blade, scissors, etc.
The wrist flick necessary to open the pliers is a simple action and keeps the unit “single handed” though the fact that the handles come very close together necessitates caution over trapped fingers when utilizing higher squeeze force. The blade is a part serrated part plain, Gerber unit which feels too delicate for its intended purpose – that said, I have never felt that it has come close to breaking. The locking device is an early Gerber “slide release” and locks the blades securely. This is one of the first tools that had a system for fitting a range of standard jigsaw blades, utilizing a sprung flat pin, it works reasonably well though choice of tool and its associated punishment of the locking device might make the tool last a little longer – it’s a handy thing to have though, enabling many jobs to be tackled should the need arise. No pouch was supplied with this tool.

Leatherman Supertool, this is probably the tool that set off my collection, strong and purposeful, yet smooth in the pocket – it feels like it needs to be used. It has one plain and one serrated blade, a good file, combined bottle/can opener, screwdrivers and a pozidriver. Being an early model, the handles open around the plier jaws and so expose the channel edge to your palm when in use – this can limit (by pain induction) the force that can be applied to the handles but not so much that it limits its use. Came with a leather belt pouch, but was upgraded to a ballistic nylon sheath with a Maglite loop. I also have the Hex bit adapter that fits the Leatherman range, it is strong and robust, transforming the ability of the Supertool with a minor limitation due to the bulk of the tool and access into tight spaces


Gerber Ledgend800
Profiled to curve into the hand in both open and closed modes, the Legend is very comfortable to hold – something that is enhanced even further by the rubberized inserts to greatly increase wet grip. Again with Gerber’s half serrated half plain blade, see the comments above – though this time with a neat thumb stud to aid opening. Also sporting a file, scissors, etc. The pliers carry a set of twin tungsten inserts that are very capable wire cutters, though this ability is muted by the proximity of the jaws themselves – as the wire is cut it becomes pinched between cutter and jaw body so much more force is needed to complete the cut. The Legend comes with sprung jaws meaning that they are truly one handed in operation. Came with a ballistic nylon sheath.

Victorinox SwisstoolX
Bought from Dunc on British Blades for a very reasonable sum. Very positive in the action of opening/closing, it feels somehow better engineered than some of the other tools. The pliers are more snub nosed than others, giving it a very tough image and it feels very capable in use. It has an insanely sharp blade, Victorinox’s very able saw, good scissors and screwdrivers etc. Handles once again open around the pliers, but careful engineering has rounded and thickened the edges that could dig into your palm. Like the Supertool, the unit folds to a very neat closed shape and it fits tidily into a pocket. No pouch was supplied but it resides in a Vic wide belt pouch either threaded or a clip-on model. A corkscrew fitting is available that fits into a profiled scallop in the side of the tool though to be brutally honest – the use of this tool as a means of uncorking wine would be a gross disservice.

Leatherman Surge
The big daddy of the set, larger and heavier than them all, this is probably the pinnacle of current engineering ability without sacrificing usability. The unit is quite stiff to open on account of the mechanisms that are in operation to keep the user safe from unintentional opening of blades whilst using the pliers – a cam operated stop moves into a cut out in both blades preventing them from opening inadvertently. Leatherman’s latest method of attaching jigsaw blades is stronger than in the Gerber Archer model though the sleeve is often left in the handle if the blade is opened from its furthest from pivot end. Diamond file, scissors and screwdrivers but also equipped with the slim-hex bit adaptor, makes this a very well equipped tool. This is a big tool and its weight makes it borderline uncomfortable to carry in the pocket, but its slight coffin shape ensures a good grip in a big hand. It was supplied with a leather pouch that is quite tight, especially considering that a range of slim hex bits and one or two jigsaw blades are supposed to fit into it as well.

General Likes. Features worthy of mention.
Wrist flick action of pliers, for nothing other than the pose-ability of the deft deployment.
The ability to exchange jigsaw blades enables a whole range of jobs to be tackled in theory.
The shiny, brushed steel of the LST, has kept its lustre for many years, showing no signs of fading – it enhances the perceived quality of the tool.
Handle inserts of the Legend, very comfortable grip in both open and closed position.
The ability to fold into a very neat rectangular package keeps pocket fluff to a minimum.
Vic/SAK saw the mark by which many others are compared.
Perceived quality of big and heavy – feels capable of anything I could throw its way.


General Dislikes. Features that I would prefer not to have to endure.
Part serrated blades, a very personal peeve, but if I want a serrated blade then it’ll be in conjunction to a plain edge, so it’s all or nothing at all for me.
Handles, that come close to touching.
The necessity to change a blade for a particular job – surely if a blade is worth including, it needs to be included under its own merits –this is very different from the ability to change the blade, which is a positive point.
Now to a very personal thing with the Surge – I don’t bite my fingernails, but I do like to have them trimmed and filed. So I deploy the diamond file to work a snagged nail – great stuff – then I depress the blade unlock - which dents my nail – necessitating another filing session – I find I really have to think about operating the unlock springs with the pads of my finger, so that I don’t split my nails.



Breakages
Scissor spring on the Legend, replaced with a length of stainless welding rod.
Small size screwdriver tip of the PST got twisted and has had to be reground shorter.
Diamond file on the Surge shows small bare patches where the abrasive has come away from the file.

Features that I’d like to see incorporated into My Personal Ultimate Tool
Rubberised handle inserts (Legend)
Sprung jaws. (Legend)
Both plain and serrated blades. (Leatherman PST)
Neat thumb studs, enough to aid opening but not so long as to dig into your thigh whilst in a pocket. Possibly holes in external blades (Leatherman Surge) for blade deployment
SAK Vic saw. (Vic)
A pouch that will take an opened tool for temporary storage whilst in mid-job
Pouch with a clip, as I don’t always wear a belt.
The ability to exchange a range of screwdriver hex bits without needing to have special to type thin bits (Surge). This means that I have to buy special to type hex bits to personalize my range of tool-bits or spend ages grinding down a bit that I already have thus rendering it useless in a normal adaptor

Weblinks
Legend http://www.gerbergear.com/product.php?model=8239=
Archer http://www.heinnie.com/cgi-bin/heinnie_store/web_store.cgi?page=FRATOTAB/tools.htm&cart_id=
Surge http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/Surge/default.asp
PST http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/retired-tools/pst/default.asp
SwisstoolX http://www.swisstool.co.uk/st/product.php?productid=377&cat=259&page=1




Now, The Poorer, More Embarrassing, Distant Cousins

A further two “Multi-tools” which I couldn’t bring myself to add to the main title are also duty-bound to be mentioned, in that they are owned by me and carry a similar title. Firstly is a POS of dubious origin awarded to me by a grown-up in work for having completed a software project. Its manufacturers name is absent (probably for the best) though the buyer mentioned, thought he was doing great service when he had several of them etched with the Project Name – for posterity (posterior more like). As far as tools go, it might make a good paperweight if melted down and cast into a blob! The blades bend on the springs and the only thing I would attempt to cut with the blade would be melted butter. The tips of the pliers do come together, but only by virtue that they move so much on the loose pivot.
The last in line is an item that wears the Winchester name – having heard of their rifles, I thought they might be something akin to a well made tool. How wrong and disappointed can you be? They sport a pair of faux wood handle inserts, giving the impression that aesthetics are there to enhance the overall experience. However upon first use, you find that the cutting blade is very narrow and is apt to lock way too late – as though the tip of the liner spring has mysteriously worn away. Within a few short months of ownership, the rivet holding the lock spring in place fell out of one handle, allowing all tool tips to flail in the breeze. The plier jaws carry an external spring to emulate the Gerber Legend, though being placed behind the pivot, they are more likely to catch dirt and pocket fluff than actually do its designed job of opening the handles.
Both the last two items should be avoided like the plague – if they were banned by virtue of miss-representation, the rest of the Multi-tool industry would have a much easier time of things.

Multi-tools, I believe, have a worthwhile place in today’s society, an embellishment if you like, of the very popular Swiss Army Knife. Whether it be a key-ring sized item or a super-giant, the need to go for a quality item does not need to be reiterated.

 

[Greg]

Thanks for your review Ogri, I have been thinking about spending some money on a decent Multi-tool although to be honest I was leaning towards the Leatherman range anyway.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Thanks for your review Ogri, I have been thinking about spending some money on a decent Multi-tool although to be honest I was leaning towards the Leatherman range anyway.

Sure thing Greg,
Just my personal thoughts on some gear that I've got too much of.
Theres nothing wrong with the Leatherman range, I just wanted folk to know that there are alternatives by other manufacturers. Good quality keeps the price high though, so don't be tempted into buying cheap gear - it won't cut the mustard.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[4040]

so whats your choice for a every day use and bushcraft tool?

 

[Chance]

Minor Leatherman caveats:
- If you can afford the extra, go for decent steel for the blades
- No awl on some models

 

[queeg9000]

Blinking heck Pete, you'd better not let SWMBO see this thread, or you'll get linched!

:yelrotflm :yelrotflm :yelrotflm

What's it worth to stay quiet?

arf arf

see you soon bud

 

[Ogri the trog]

so whats your choice for a every day use and bushcraft tool?

Like I said in the post, you'll need something that fits both you hands and your intended purpose - you might have bigger or smaller hands than me and your idea of a Bushcraft tool might differ from mine. The Swisstool has an excellent saw and fold to a neat package, so that or a Leatherman, I guess

Blinking heck Pete, you'd better not let SWMBO see this thread, or you'll get linched!

What's it worth to stay quiet?

arf arf

see you soon bud

You might find a Winchester one in your next Christmas stocking!

All the best Buddy

Ogri the trog

 

[111t]

Great post and good advice! I have a Leatherman supertool and i think it's fantastic. I've had it for 12 years and it's never let me down. I just wanted to point out another model that has some potential:

The crunch has the advantage of locking pliers! The tools are a little sparse because only one handle is available. This model has been on the line for some time but I don't think Its ever gotten the recognition it deserves.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Certainly a worthy addition 111t,
I had seen them around, I just don't have one in my collection (yet).
How well do the locking pliers work when compared to the smaller versions of the "Mole wrench"? I have been known to give these things a bit more punishment than they reasonably deserve

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[rik_uk3]

Good reviews Ogri, really good.

I've got an orignal Leatherman PST and the clip on belt screw bits, its a very well made bit of kit, quality all the way (including the leather pouch). I have a couple of cheapo clones, but the quality is just not there.

 

[John Fenna]

I have yet to find a multi tool that I prefer to my collection of Leatherman tools...the best of the bunch being the Wave which is my EDC (it was given to me by Tim Leatherman himself) only one thing has ever gone wrong with it - a numptie I loaned it to broke the serrated blade trying to open a coconut with it(!!!).
I sent it to Whitby and co to sort out under guarantee and it came back with the blade replaced, the diamond file (which had been worn down a bit with use) replaced, the plain blade sharpened (I was leaving it until the tool came back) and the whole thing cleaned and polished! All for free! And back to me inside a week!
I like Leatherman tools and the service you get from Whitby and Co, their UK distributor.

 

[rik_uk3]

I have yet to find a multi tool that I prefer to my collection of Leatherman tools...the best of the bunch being the Wave which is my EDC (it was given to me by Tim Leatherman himself) only one thing has ever gone wrong with it - a numptie I loaned it to broke the serrated blade trying to open a coconut with it(!!!).
I sent it to Whitby and co to sort out under guarantee and it came back with the blade replaced, the diamond file (which had been worn down a bit with use) replaced, the plain blade sharpened (I was leaving it until the tool came back) and the whole thing cleaned and polished! All for free! And back to me inside a week!
I like Leatherman tools and the service you get from Whitby and Co, their UK distributor.

Not many companies like this left John although Zippo were very good to me in the past (a couple of times)

http://www.zippo.co.uk/zippo-uk-pages.php?mod=pages&idpag=repairs

Richard

PS, John, when you off to Africa again or have you been? See you in a couple of weeks

 

[swyn]

Thanks Ogri. Good review there.

My favorite here is the Victorinox Swisstool minus the scissors but with two blades, one serrated and the other plain. I can open the pliers with one hand too. The price is another factor and service too.
IMHO these two combined keep me faithful. The let down is the sheath, but I made a nice leather one at the Summer Moot two years ago. On the few occasions that this multi tool has been forgotten and left at home I have that sinking feeling that comes with forgetting, say, your car keys! This is always compounded with 'if only' and other curses.
In the eight years that I have had this tool there are rare days when it isn't used at least once if not more. I must admit that I purchased a spare from the USA last year when the $ was low just in case I loose or damage the original. Sad or sensible??

Swyn.

 

[sandbender]

The crunch has the advantage of locking pliers! The tools are a little sparse because only one handle is available. This model has been on the line for some time but I don't think Its ever gotten the recognition it deserves.

I'm a long time user of the crunch, which I think is the only multi-tool with pliers capable of unscrewing a spark plug, useful for those of us with old 110's

Additionally it's quite easy to file away the locking ridge on the one tiny blade, thus legalizing it's possession in a public place

 

[ged]

... I just don't have one in my collection (yet).
How well do the locking pliers work when compared to the smaller versions of the "Mole wrench"? I have been known to give these things a bit more punishment than they reasonably deserve

In the absence of a reply from 111t, I've had a Leatherman Crunch for probably 15 years, it was a present from the SO and when I first saw it I thought it looked like a toy. I could not have been more wrong. It can indeed take out spark plugs. Like you, I sometimes give things a bit more punishment than they ought to be given. Once when I was building a shed I needed to hold a couple of bits of 2"x2"x1/4" angle together, hanging from a lug on the roof, so that I could put bolts through the holes to fix them to the shed. Weight of each angle just under 29kg, the Crunch handled it no trouble at all, I could let go of the angles and have both hands free to bolt them up. The hinge on the Crunch is very solid indeed and the jaws are extremely tough - I haven't managed to damage them at all even when I thought I was probably doing that. If anything was going to give I think it would probably be the sheet metal of the handles which let go first, but you'd have to be doing something horribly cruel to it for that to happen. Take a look at one when you're next somewhere where they have them on display. I'd say you need one in your collection.

To be quite honest I don't use mine a great deal, as again like you I have quite a collection of multi-tools, but I take it with me if I travel without a substantial toolkit. Specifically in comparison with a small Mole wrench I'd say that it's on a par, but I have a couple of cheap imitation Mole wrenches from Aldi which I'd destroy first as (a) they cost about a fiftieth of the price and (b) I bought them for myself. The blade locks and is fully serrated. It's a little short for my liking but as I'd be very unlikely not to have another blade handy that's no problem to me. I very rarely use the other tools on it but they're perfectly competent.

 

[Micky]

I tend to go for cheaper multi tool, right now I am using one made by paul shen it cost me 10 pound and is quite well made, would hate to drop and lose a tool that cost me 50 pound upwards.

 

[helixpteron]

I have the original Leatherman Supertool and Bit Kit which carries with a Micra and a SAK Swiss Champ.

I have always appreciated the utility of the Leatherman Crunch, and having owned the range of Vise Grip locking pliers for 20+ years, I bought the Crunch as a 'carry' version.

The design of the Crunch is (like all Leatherman's) superb, as is the build quality and materials. I've used their locking capability in instances where nothing else would work, which was just as well, as nothing else was available!

The Crunch appears to be the 'unsung' member of the Leatherman family, whose small size belies its unique range of abilities, which include a hex bit driver and 'pin grip' jaws.

Good review by the OP.

 

[ged]

The pouches to carry these tools can be an issue.

I've had a Victorinox Swiss Tool for about ten years. The leather pouch which came with has had a lot of wear and it's starting to show signs of it. The leather is still pretty good but the velcro fastener is much less effective than it was when new and I'm starting to worry about losing the tool if I'm near the deck edge.

My wife's leatheman was stolen a few years ago but she still has the original leather pouch for it. On impulse I thought I'd see if the Victorinox would fit, and to my surprise it was a good fit if a little tight.

So I swapped the pouches and started to wear the Leatherman pouch with the Victorinox tool. I wore it on my belt as I always did with the old pouch, just above my left hip pocket.

That lasted about three hours. The Leatherman pouch sits considerably higher on the belt than the Victorinox, resulting in an uncomfortable dig in the ribs every time I sat down.

I'm back to the Victorinox pouch now.