Leatherman - Which one??

[saffy]

I bought an original leatherman supertool from Surival Aids catolgoue about 16/17 years ago which got stolen from my car at some point. I was bought a replacement super tool full size with leather pouch over a decade ago and hardly a day goes by without me reaching for it. I had used it all over the world in my capacity as a commissioning enginneer.
I was also fortunate to obtain 2 of the smaller versions of the original supertool in leather pouch which where given away as executive freebie gifts at a jet engine exhibition, my misses has one and they other is a floater from car to toolbox , shed to kitchen and so forth.

I have tested the 25 year warranty from leatherman by sending mine back to the UK agent due to me damaging the serrated blade whilst using as a lever (idiot). No receipt or proof of purchase, a call to customer service said 'no problem, send it here'.
The tool was returned a week later with not only a new style serrated blade (rounded tip) fitted but all the other tools where replaced including the pliers! The tool was cleaned, polished and oiled with new fixing screws. The only thing original to what I had sent off was the handles because my name was engraved on them.
All this on tool I bought over a decade ago and that warranty service cost nothing.

How many of these other brands of multitool have similar tales for such outstanding customer service ?

 

[swyn]

Another supporter here of the 'Swisstool' I never go anywhere without it. Superb quality.

Prices now about £30,00 to your door from the USA as the exchange rate is very much in the £'s favour.

Swyn.

 

[shep]

My Charge XTI got nicked a while back, it's a great multitool, with good blades and handling. Liner locking blades with a thumb-roll action. However, I put some thought into what I wanted from its replacement and went for the kick.

Whenever I go out to play with wood, I take a Laplander folding saw, so didn't see the need for a piddly leatherman saw.
Whenever I want to do proper cutting, I use a fixed blade knife.
I want to carry it in my bag all the time, so this precludes the locking blades of the charge, supertool etc.

It boiled down to the main use being the pliers, knife and screwdrivers. I bought the £12 screwdriver kit with a kick, total cost through ebay from USA of about £30 inc. postage. This gives it the bits needed for jobs like bike maintenance etc. Annoyingly, the standard bit-kit comes with imperial allen keys, so you have to buy the big bit-kit if you want metric ones.

If you think hard about exactly what you want to use it for, you can save on bulk, money and weight (and legality) if you go for one of the blast, kick, fuse range. They're not quite as 'shiny' as the charges etc. but good tools all the same.

 

[Lurch]

My vote for Leatherman Juice. Sub 3" slipjoint blade makes it police-friendly.

Don't underestimate the importance of this, if you want to carry your multitool in situations other than on private land or in your own home then the Juice is the only one you should consider. If you think I'm scaremongering, bear in mind a lad got a £450 fine for having a lock knife in his car glove box recently and pretty much all the decent multitools have locking blades.
That aside the XTi is my fave!

 

[Nicklas Odh]

I have had two versions of the PST and the old Wave.
I now have a Fuse and a new Wave.
I do miss the PST though and the old Wave, they were the ultimate tools for me. The new Fuse weighs more than the PST and the new Wave uses bits.
I know it is fun with new things but to me Leatherman has focused on the wrong target group.
They made lots of fancy coloured tools and "cool" tools, but the PST and the old Wave were best of them all. Light, had the necessary tools and worked everytime.

 

[British Red]

I have an original Leatherman Supertool, a Wave and a Gerber Palm Pincher (Multiplier). I much prefer the Wave. It resides on my belt and is used every day. I can't recommend it enough.
I haven't used the Supertool or the Gerber since I bought the Wave.

I keep a small LED light and a firesteel in my Wave pouch.

Yep, great minds!

BB does prefer secateurs though so heres the Leatherman Vista (left) and Wilkinson Sword version (right)

Red

 

[weekender]

Another supporter here of the 'Swisstool' I never go anywhere without it. Superb quality.

Prices now about £30,00 to your door from the USA as the exchange rate is very much in the £'s favour.

Swyn.

HI Swyn can you tell me who you ordered yours through?, i had a swiss tool until recently when i somehow misplaced it fantastic bit of kit, superb quality, but now i need to replace it. thanks
weekender

 

[Greg]

Try this american site, it has all the different types of multi-tools at half the price of any shop in this country. And the postage is OK aswell.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...at20075-cat280005&parentType=subcategory&rid=

 

[weekender]

Thanks Greg
Great site they just about cater for everything but its really the swiss tool for me and they didnt seem to have them. thanks though
Weekender